Developing Research Proposals

Writing a research proposal is one of the most important tasks facing academics, researchers and graduate students. Yet there is a good deal of misinformation and a great lack of guidance about what constitutes a good research proposal and what can be done to maximize one′s chances of writing a successful research proposal.

Pam Denicolo and Lucinda Becker recognize the importance of developing an effective research proposal for gaining either a place on a research degree program or funding to support research projects and set out to explore the main factors that that proposal writers need to attend to in developing successful proposals of their own.

Developing Research Proposals will help readers to understand the context within which their proposal will be read, what the reviewers are looking for and will be influenced by, while also supporting the development of relevant skills through advice and practical activities.

This book:

• Explores the nature and purpose of different kinds of proposals
• Focuses on the actual research proposed
• Discusses how best to carry out and structure the literature review
• Examines the posing and phrasing of research questions and hypotheses
• Looks at how methods and methodology should be handled in a proposal
• Discusses the crucial issues of planning, strategy and timing in developing targeted proposals

The authors draw together the key elements in the process of preparing and submitting a proposal and concludes with advice on responding to the results, successful or not, and their relevance to future proposals.