Writing a Research Proposal

I have been trying to write a research proposal for applying to PhD course for sometime now. Have digged many a sites for that perfect proposal structure which would impress a guide. So in this post I am giving a brief of what I think would be a good research proposal. In the next 1-2 years if you do not see my status as PhD student recommend to ditch this structure :)

The proposal should ideally be limited to 300-500 words. This might change according to the university you apply. Each sentence and paragraph in the proposal should be to the point. The research title is important and should refelect the contents of the proposal.

The first para should state the problem that you intend to investigate. It should be concise. Remember if there is no clearly defined problem statement your proposal will become less focused and hence more descriptive.

The second para should define the causes and extent of the problem. Also include some background. It should also be clear as to who faces this problem and under what circumsatnces.

In the next paragraph justify why your topic of research is important to this field or how it will solve the stated problem.

The following paragraph should clearly state the aim of the proposed research. This should a specific statement of intent rather than generalised one.

This section is one of the important of all. In this para you should define the methodology you would follow to complete the project. Will the project involve literature survey, experiments, testings etc?

Finally the proposal should end with stating the expected outcomes of the proposed research.

List all the references at the end of the proposal.

All the best for your research proposal. Share you thoughts and let me know if that could be included or excluded to refine this structure further.