How to Write a Research Proposal

Methods: 

The Method section is very important because it tells your reader how you plan to tackle your research problem. It will provide your work plan and describe the activities necessary for the completion of your project. 

The guiding principle for writing the Method section is that it should contain sufficient information for the reader to determine whether the methodology is sound. Some even argue that a good proposal should contain sufficient details for another qualified researcher to implement the study. 

You need to demonstrate your knowledge of alternative methods and make the case that your approach is the most appropriate and valid way to address your research question. 

Please note that your research question may be best answered by qualitative research. However, since most mainstream academicians in the social sciences are still biased against qualitative research, especially the phenomenological variety, you may need to justify your qualitative method. 

Furthermore, since there are no well-established and widely accepted canons in qualitative analysis, your method section needs to be more elaborate than what is required for traditional quantitative research. More importantly, the data collection process in qualitative research has a far greater impact on the results than quantitative research. That is another reason for greater care in describing how you will collect and analyze your data. (How to write the Method section for qualitative research is a topic for another paper.)

For quantitative studies, the method section typically consists of the following sections: 

1. Design -Is it a questionnaire study or a laboratory experiment? What kind of design do you choose? 
2. Subjects or participants - Who will take part in your study? What kind of sampling procedure do you use? 
3. Instruments - What kind of measuring instruments or questionnaires do you use? Why do you choose them? Are they valid and reliable? 
4. Procedure - How do you plan to carry out your study? What activities are involved? How long does it take? 

Results: 

Obviously you do not have results at the proposal stage. However, you need to have some idea about what kind of data you will be collecting

Discussion: 

It is important to convince your reader of the potential impact of your proposed research. You need to communicate a sense of enthusiasm and confidence without exaggerating the merits of your proposal. That is why you also need to mention the limitations and weaknesses of the proposed research, which may be justified by time and financial constraints as well as by the early developmental stage of your research area. 

Common Mistakes in Proposal Writing 

1. Failure to provide the proper context to frame the research question. 
2. Failure to delimit the boundary conditions for your research. 
3. Failure to cite landmark studies. 
4. Failure to accurately present the theoretical and empirical contributions by other researchers. 
5. Failure to stay focused on the research question. 
6. Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research. 
7. Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues. 
8. Too much rambling -- going "all over the map" without a clear sense of direction. (The best proposals move forward with ease and grace like a seamless river.) 
9. Too many citation lapses and incorrect references. 
10. Too long or too short. 
11. Failing to follow the APA/ASA style. 
12. Sloppy writing.