How to structure a research proposal

A research proposal is the plan of your research: what you will investigate, why, and how. A good proposal organises half of your thesis work. Formats vary between institutions, but the core structure is much the same.

Parts of a proposal

1. Title: short but specific, showing the variables, population and place. For example: “Burnout and sleep quality among health workers in Dhaka’s psychiatric hospitals”.
2. Abstract: the whole plan in 150 to 250 words.
3. Introduction and background: what the topic is and why it matters.
4. Problem statement and rationale: the gap in previous research and what your study will add.
5. Objectives, research questions and hypotheses: in clear, measurable language.
6. Literature review: a summary and analysis of related studies, not just a list.
7. Methods:
   • Research design (for example, a cross-sectional survey)
   • Participants, sampling method and sample size
   • Measures and their reliability and validity
   • Data collection procedure
8. Ethical considerations: informed consent, confidentiality, the right to withdraw, ethical approval.
9. Data analysis plan: which statistical methods, which software.
10. Timeline and budget
11. References: usually in APA 7th edition style.

A few tips

• Don’t write the methods until the research question is settled. The question decides the method.
• Choose a small, feasible question. Think realistically about time and access to participants.
• Each objective should have a matching statistical method in the analysis plan.
• When you finish, ask a classmate to read it before your supervisor does.