Writing a research proposal

As part of the process of applying for a research degree, you will need to prepare an outline of your proposed research. This must be 5-10 pages long (font 11pt minimum) excluding the bibliography.

Please see our guidance on what to include below:

Key elements	Content
Title	Your research topic A clear and succinct description of your research.
Introduction	Your research questions and focus A brief explanation of what you propose to research, why the research is of value and how you propose to go about it.
Background to your proposal	Your literature review A thorough examination of key, recent contributions in research periodicals relating to the area of research in question. You should use the literature review to identify gaps in, or problems with, existing research to justify why further or new research is required.
Methodology	Your research methods and schedule A clear description of your choice of methodology, including details of research questions, methods of data collection, sampling and analytical strategy. A time schedule showing key activities would be useful.
References	Your bibliography Any literature cited in the proposal should be listed at the end of the document. Use of the Harvard style of referencing is preferred.