ACADEMIC WRITING AND

RESEARCH SKILLS
Done by
Kanimozhi G
Susmin Reju
Proposal
• A proposal is a document that outlines a plan of action, request for funding, or
proposal of an idea. Proposal writing is a process organizations follow for
proposal creation. Proposal writing can be used in various settings, including
business, academia, and government. In each case, the goal is to present a clear
and concise plan to convince the reader to approve the proposal.
• It offers comprehensive information about the project an organization wants to
implement. It outlines the process and resources required to complete the project
successfully. It also includes the objectives and goals of the project.

It can be formal and informal

Types of Proposal
1. Internal proposal
• Internal proposals are created by and for individuals inside the same organization.
Because both the proposal writer and the reader works in the same organization. The
purpose of these proposals is to usually address some work-related improvements.
2. External proposals
• External proposals are the ones that are presented to a distinct body outside the proposal
writer’s organization. Typically to recruit business or reply to another organization’s RFP
(request for proposals). These external proposals are generally formal.
3. Solicited proposal: A solicited proposal is one in which the recipient has requested
the proposal. Typically, a company will send out requests for proposals (RFPs) through
the mail or publish them in some news source. But proposals can be solicited on a very
local level: for example, you could be explaining to your boss what a great thing it
would be to install a new technology in the office; your boss might get interested and
ask you to write up a proposal that offered to do a formal study of the idea.

4. Unsolicited proposals are those in which the recipient has not requested proposals.
With unsolicited proposals, you sometimes must convince the recipient that a problem
or need exists before you can begin the main part of the proposal.
5. Pre-Proposals
• This type of proposal is requested when a sponsor wishes to minimize an applicant’s effort
in preparing a full proposal. They are usually in the form of a letter of intent or a brief
abstract of what the PI plans to do, how the PI will conduct the project and why this project
has merit. After the preproposal is reviewed, the sponsor notifies the investigator if a full
proposal is warranted.
6. Renewal and Continuation Proposals
• A competing renewal proposal (also called a competing continuation) is a request for
continued funding of a project for which the funding or project period is about to terminate.
Such proposals are similar to "new" proposals and must be routed and approved in the same
manner.
7. Noncompeting continuation proposals, which request the next year’s funding within a
multi-year grant, generally consist of a progress report, budget, and other relevant materials
such as research results etc.
They sometimes include a financial status report showing the unobligated balance for the
current year. Generally, sponsors require the signature of the institutional official and
investigators.
Components
1. Title and Abstract:
• Title
Choose a concise and descriptive title that reflects the essence of your research.
• Abstract
1. It is a concise summary of the research proposal, typically limited to 200-300 words.
2. Briefly introduce the research problem or question, state the objectives, summarize the
methodology, and highlight the expected outcomes or significance of the research.

2. Introduction:
Background and context of the research problem:
1.Provide an overview of the subject area and the specific research problem or question.
2.Present relevant background information, theories, or concepts to establish the need for
the research.
3. Research Objectives
• Outline the specific objectives or aims of your research. These objectives should be clear,
achievable, and aligned with the research problem.

4. Literature Review:
• Conduct a comprehensive review of relevant literature and studies related to your research
topic.
• Summarize and analyze relevant studies, theories, or scholarly works.
• Summarize key findings, identify gaps, and highlight how your research will contribute to
the existing knowledge.
• Highlight the novelty or uniqueness of your research.
5. Methodology:
• Research design:
• Describe the overall approach or research design that will be used (e.g., experimental,
qualitative, quantitative).
• Justify the chosen approach based on the research objectives and question.

• Data collection methods:

• Explain how data will be collected (e.g., surveys, interviews, experiments).
• Describe the sampling strategy and sample size, if applicable.
• Address any ethical considerations related to data collection.
• Justify why the chosen methods are appropriate and suitable for your research.

• Data analysis:
• Outline the data analysis techniques or statistical methods that will be applied.
• Explain how the data will be interpreted and analyzed to answer the research
question(s).
6. Timeline:
• Create a timeline or schedule that outlines the major milestones and activities of your
research project.
• Break down the research process into smaller tasks and estimate the time required for each
task, including data collection, analysis, and report writing.

7. Resources:
• Identify the resources needed for your research, such as access to specific databases,
equipment, or funding.
• Explain how you will acquire or utilize these resources to carry out your research
effectively.
• Specify any collaborations or partnerships necessary for the successful completion of the
study

8. Ethical Considerations:
• Discuss any ethical issues that may arise during your research and explain how you plan to
address them.
• If your research involves human subjects, explain how you will ensure their informed
consent and privacy.
9. Expected Outcomes and Significance:
• Clearly state the expected outcomes or results of your research.
• Highlight the potential impact and significance of your research in advancing knowledge or
addressing practical issues.

10. References:
• Provide a list of all the references cited in your proposal, following a consistent citation
style (e.g., APA, MLA).

11. Appendices:
• Include any additional supporting materials, such as survey questionnaires, interview
guides, or data analysis plans.
Planning to write a proposal
It's critical to plan ahead of time before writing a proposal to ensure that it satisfies your
client's expectations. Knowing what type of proposal you're writing, recognizing your
target audience, and generating an appropriate framework to guide your writing are all
part of the planning stage
Consider the kind of proposal you're writing
• The type of proposal you're creating can help you ensure that it fits your requirements.
You can determine whether you're writing a formally solicited, informally solicited, or
unsolicited proposal. Though each of these three proposals has a similar broad outline,
the level of depth and analysis varies.
Determine your target audience
• Once you've identified the kind of proposal you're drafting, you can establish who
your intended audience is. Consider what your target audience already knows or
doesn't know about the topic you choose. This can allow you to concentrate on the
material that clients may find more helpful and valuable. Because proposals are
persuasive, it's also crucial to examine what you want your proposal to accomplish
and what you want to include in it to do so.
Develop the outline
• Preparing a rough outline can assist you in organizing your thoughts. Consider the
aim of your proposal and the primary items you wish to cover. For example, your
outline and, by extension, your proposal can include information about the issue
you're writing about and your recommended solutions. Though you may not
include your outline in your final document, it can help you remain on track and
ensure you address all of the elements in a proposal.
Steps to Write a Proposal?
Identify Your Readers
• Before you start writing, you need to know your target audience. It will help you determine
what information to include in the proposal and how to present it. It is also necessary to
tailor the proposal to the specific needs of the reader.
• If you are writing a proposal for a business client, you will need to include information
about your company, your products or services, and your experience. You will also need to
demonstrate why you are the best choice for the project. If you are writing a research
proposal, you will need to convince the sponsor that your research is essential and have a
sound plan to execute it.
2. Define the problem your proposal will solve
• Who: Who will the proposal affect?
• What: What’s the reason for you to write the proposal in the first place? Explain the current
situation and the problems that come with it.

3. Define the solution

• How: How are you going to solve the problem? Explain step-by-step in detail.
• Who: Identify the personnel you need, along with their prior experience to add persuasion to
the proposal

4. Determine your proposed schedule and budget

• Your audience also requires a recommended timeframe outlining when you intend to
implement the remedy to the problem.
• It's important your target audience is aware of your financial objectives for resolving the
issue. Consider when you want the project to begin and when you want it to finish.
• Also, include as much detail as possible and ensure that your recommended budget is
realistic and fits within the budget the organization or client is comfortable having.
5. Conclusion: costs, benefits and wrap-up
• Reiterate: The purpose and main argument
• Costs: Break down the projected costs involved for different elements of the
project
• Benefits: Break down the benefits to the organization, monetary and non-
monetary, to persuade the reader there’ll be a return on investment
• Thanks: Thank the reader for their time.
• Contact information: Where can the reader get in touch with you? Make sure to
be crystal clear to make the details easily discoverable.
How to Choose a Dissertation Topic
There are 8 Steps to Follow
Step 1: Check the requirements
Step 2: Choose a broad field of research
Step 3: Look for books and articles
Step 4: Find a niche
Step 5: Consider the type of research
Step 6: Determine the relevance
Step 7: Make sure it’s plausible
Step 8: Get your topic approved
 Step 1: Check the requirements
• The very first step is to check your program’s requirements. This determines
the scope of what it is possible for you to research.
• Is there a minimum and maximum word count?
• When is the deadline?
• Should the research have an academic or a professional orientation?
• Are there any methodological conditions? Do you have to conduct fieldwork, or use
specific types of sources?

Step 2: Choose a broad field of research

• Start by thinking about your areas of interest within the subject you’re studying.
Examples of broad ideas include:
• Twentieth-century literature
• Economic history
• Health policy
Step 3: Look for books and articles
• To get a more specific sense of the current state of research on your potential topic,
skim through a few recent issues of the top journals in your field.
• Be sure to check out their most-cited articles in particular.
• For inspiration, you can also search Google Scholar, subject-specific databases, and
your university library’s resources.
• As you read, note down any specific ideas that interest you and make a shortlist of
possible topics.
• If you’ve written other papers, such as a 3rd-year paper or a conference paper,
consider how those topics can be broadened into a dissertation.
Step 4: Find a niche
• After doing some initial reading, it’s time to start narrowing down options for your
potential topic.
• This can be a gradual process, and should get more and more specific as you go.
For example, from the ideas above, you might narrow it down like this:
• Twentieth-century literature - Twentieth-century Irish literature - Post-war Irish
poetry
• Economic history - European economic history - German labor union history
• Health policy - Reproductive health policy - Reproductive rights in South America
• All of these topics are still broad enough that you’ll find a huge amount of books
and articles about them.
• Try to find a specific niche where you can make your mark, such as: something
not many people have researched yet, a question that’s still being debated, or a
very current practical issue.
Step 5: Consider the type of research
• There are many different types of research, so at this stage, it’s a good idea to
start thinking about what kind of approach you’ll take to your topic. Will you
mainly focus on:
• Collecting original data (e.g., experimental or field research)?
• Analyzing existing data (e.g., national statistics, public records, or archives)?
• Interpreting cultural objects (e.g., novels, films, or paintings)?
• Comparing scholarly approaches (e.g., theories, methods, or interpretations)?
Step 6: Determine the relevance
• It’s important that your topic is interesting to you, but you’ll also have to
make sure it’s academically, socially or practically relevant to your field.
• Academic relevance means that the research can fill a gap in knowledge or
contribute to a scholarly debate in your field.
• Social relevance means that the research can advance our understanding of
society and inform social change.
• Practical relevance means that the research can be applied to solve
concrete problems or improve real-life processes.
.
Step 7: Make sure it’s plausible
• Before you make a final decision on your topic, consider again the length of your
dissertation, the timeframe in which you have to complete it, and the practicalities
of conducting the research.
• Will you have enough time to read all the most important academic literature on
this topic? If there’s too much information to tackle, consider narrowing your
focus even more.
• Will you be able to find enough sources or gather enough data to fulfil the
requirements of the dissertation? If you think you might struggle to find
information, consider broadening or shifting your focus.
• Do you have to go to a specific location to gather data on the topic? Make sure
that you have enough funding and practical access.
Drafting a Research Proposal
A properly drafted research proposal signifies a carefully planned research project,
reflects researchers' competencies, establishes project support, etc. Therefore, it
becomes important for a researcher to present the quality proposal in a well-drafted
form. Drafting a research proposal involves the following:
1) Developing Ideas Logically :
• All the ideas involved in a research proposal should be established logically upon each
other in order to justify and support the research study.
• Along with the basic need of studying a particular problem, a researcher also provides
appropriate methods for conducting research study within a research proposal.
• Developing logical ideas will not only seek support from authorities and concerned
committees, but will also reflect the importance of conducting the research.
• Various websites have been developed by universities, central funding agencies, grant
writing consultants, medical centres, etc., for facilitating researchers to write successful
research proposals.
2) Determining the Depth of a Proposal :
• Several universities, funding agencies, institutions, etc., have developed guidelines
which not only determine the detail or depth of the proposal's content but also provide
specific directions for its growth and development.
• Often, misinterpretation or lapse of any guideline results in proposal's rejection.
• Hence, a researcher should properly follow such guidelines and should also determine
the amount of data essential for clearly describing each step of the research study.
• These guidelines often specify page or word limits, which certainty determine the
proposal's depth.
• Also, the proposal's content should be thoroughly explained in order to impart right
information to all types of readers.
3) Developing an Appealing Copy :
• A researcher must develop an appealing copy of the proposal.
• An appealing copy is the copy of the same content without any spelling grammatical
or punctuation error.
• Often, a poor formatted proposal, with numerous spelling or grammatical mistakes,
takes away the readers' interest, even if it has excellent quality of content.
• Many organisations and reviewers develop guidelines which guide the researcher in
preparing error free appealing copy of the proposal.
• Such guidelines provide the standards and formats, which are used in typing the
proposal's content.
• However, if no such formats or standards are provided, a researcher adopt APA
(2010) format as a default.
4) Identifying Critical Points :
• The important and critical points mentioned in the proposal should be highlighted
in such a way that even a speedy reader can easily recognise them.
• For this purpose, the researcher can capitalise, bold or italicise such points.
• In many cases, the researchers make appropriate headings and use graphs, charts,
etc. for emphasising critical aspects of the proposal.
• Also, important stages such as research problem, objectives, data collection,
sampling, data analysis, budget, findings, etc., should be significantly emphasised
upon.
References
• How to Write a Proposal and Get What You Want (Free Template) | Process Street
| Checklist, Workflow and SOP Software. (2018, August 2). Process Street.
https://www.process.st/how-to-write-a-proposal
• Gross, A., Hamlin, A., Merck, B., Rubio, C., Naas, J., Savage, M., & DeSilva, M.
(2017). 3.2 Types of proposals. Openoregon.pressbooks.pub; Open Oregon
Educational Resources.
https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/technicalwriting/chapter/3-2-types-of-
proposals/
• McCombes, S. (2022, November 11). How to Choose a Dissertation Topic | 8 Steps
to Follow. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.co.uk/the-research-process/choosing-a-
topic/
• Kirti. (n.d.). Research Proposal | Purpose, Types, Elements, Limitations, Drafting &
Evaluating Research Proposal. Top4u.
https://www.toppers4u.com/2021/01/research-proposal-drafting-successful.html