Writing a research proposal for a research paper is still a challenge even in the present era but this can be made easy by contracting an online research paper writer at a fee. This is mainly due to the constantly changing trends in the design of qualitative research. A proposal is more of a detailed plan for an intended research study. A research project should flow smoothly once the proposal is complete.
The format or content of a research proposal usually varies depending on the guideline or requirement provided by the research evaluation committee or your institution.

What is Contained in a Research Proposal

• Title page
• Abstract /Introduction
• Literature Review/Review of literature
• Aims/objectives
• Research Design
• Methodology
• Ethical considerations
• Budget
• Time Schedule
• Appendices
• Citations/ References

Note-The format may vary depending on your institutional guidelines

Title Page

In the title page, write the title of the Research Proposal, your name, student ID, course, Institutional affiliation ( the institution where the research or study will be conducted), contact details such as Email IDs, phone numbers, and lines for signature for the researcher and investigators or supervisor.

Introduction

Also known as ‘abstract, the introduction section of a research proposal is the initial pitch of the thesis or idea. It set the scene for the research and put it in context. This part serves to give your audience a brief introductory summary of the research paper. Always keep it short (100-150 words). The introduction should be designed to trigger the reader’s interest in the topic of study. Tell the reader what you’re going to research on, why the research is important and your passion for that particular topic. Some of the questions that can be used to assess the significance of a research study are;

• Who has interest in that field of inquiry?
• What do your audiences already know about the topic of research?
• What is lacking from the previous research and studies that prompts you to write this research?
• How will your study or research add to the existing body of knowledge, policy or practice in this field?

You should expound on at least two of these questions under separate headings as ‘significance’ and background.’ The introduction part should also include the idea or hypothesis that prompts your research. If you cannot construct your hypothesis, ensure you indicate a line of inquiry to be used in your research.
Even though the introduction section comes first in a research proposal, it’s advisable to write the section last. That is, once you have written all the detailed information in the other sections.

Literature Review

It refers to all the sources of scientific evidence that pertains to your research topic. Today we are living in an era of digitalization, where it’s easy to access a significant amount of relevant information available. However, including all this available information in a literature review is quite a challenge. You need to structure this part intelligently to enable the audience get the point of argument that is related to your research concerning the other author, while still demonstrating to the audience that your work is authentic and innovative. Preferably, summarize each literature in a paragraph, highlighting the work’s details that are related to your topic of interest. You can move from a more general study to a more focused review progression, or use a historical sequence to develop it. Don’t make it too exhaustive. Review of literature should have supportive data, controversies, and disagreements.

Aim/objectives

What do you want to achieve with your research? Write down the goals you wish to accomplish in the research. The hypothesis is tested in the research and act as the primary objective of the study. Remember, the objectives should be SMART (specific, measurable, accurate, realistic and time-bound). The goals related to the tools or parameters used to achieve the objective are usually categorized as primary and secondary objectives.

Research Design and Methodology

The aim here is to convince your audience that the overall methods of analysis and research design will adequately address the research problem. Impress upon the audience that the chosen sources or methodology are appropriate for your topic of research. Unmistakably, It should be connected to the specific objectives of your research. This is where you discuss the sources and methods used, including critical texts, indispensable authors, databases and particular reference to the sites. Specifically mention the methods or approaches that you will take in gathering information, techniques for analyzing data and on the tests of data validity, which you’re committed to.

The following are the main components of this section;

• Population and sample

A population may refer to all the elements, including substances, individuals, and objects that meet a specific criterion. A sample is a subset of the population that meets the standards for inclusion into the study. Clearly define your inclusion and exclusion criteria.

• Data collection

Give a comprehensive account of the methods adopted for collecting data, considering the time frame required for the research. The methodology needs to be tested for its validity, thus ensuring that your life is not risked in the pursuit of achieving the research findings. Include any anticipated potential pitfall and barrier in conducting the research design and explain to the reader your plans to addressing these pitfalls. If you’re intending to gather information using questionnaires and interviews, then you should copy the questions used for the same and attach them as annexure in your proposal.

• Data analysis

The section mainly deals with reconstruction and reduction of data as well as its analysis, including calculation of sample size. Explain to the reader the steps you took for coding and sorting the information you gathered. Also, state the various tests that you’ll use to analyze the collected data for its significance, comprehensiveness.

Ethical

Medical research often introduces ethical and moral issues, which are not often encountered by other researchers in the process of gathering data. Therefore, you should take care to ensure that your work meets all ethical standards. Ethical considerations refer protection of the right of participants, right to confidentiality, right to privacy and anatomy, right to protection from harm and discomfort. As a researcher, you need to include adequate information on each of the aspects and indicate that you obtained informed consent from all the participants, various research sites and relevant authorities for your research.

Budget

You need to include the budget for your proposed research. When preparing your budget, you need to make a prediction and the cost of all the aspects of the research and then factor in the additional allowance for unpredictable delays, disasters, and rising costs. You should justify all the items.

Appendices

These are mainly supportive documents for your proposal and application. All the appendices need to be specific for a proposal, though the main documents required are supporting documents, consent form, questionnaires, patient information, and measurement tools.
Citations
As with any academic research paper, you have to cite the sources you used in composing your research proposal. Although the words “bibliography” and “reference” are different, usually they are used interchangeably. The latter is all the references that you’ve cited in your research proposal.