How to Write a Medical Research Proposal

You are required to submit a research proposal when applying to study a research degree at Western Sydney University. Please read these guidelines carefully before submitting your application.

What is a research proposal?

A research proposal is an outline of your research project that:

• Defines a research question and your approach to answering it.
• Highlights originality or significance of the research.
• Explains how it adds to, develops, or challenges existing literature.
• Describes the importance of the research and why you are the right person to undertake it.

Your research proposal may vary in length and detail, but it is expected to be approximately one or two pages.

What is the purpose of the research proposal?

Your research proposal will be used by the Higher Degree Research Director and potential supervisors to assess the quality and originality of your ideas, and the overall feasibility of your research project. The proposal will also be used to assess your expertise and existing knowledge in the area you would like to research, and how your project will contribute to the field of research.

The research proposal provides you with an opportunity to capture the attention of your audience and convince them of the importance of your research and your ability to undertake the project.

Who can help me develop my research proposal?

You should identify a potential supervisor and contact them to discuss your research proposal. Ideally, the project will be of mutual interest and the supervisor will be able to provide input into the design, scope and feasibility of your research project.

You should list any potential supervisors in your research proposal.

When writing a research paper, it is reasonable to pay the most attention to preparing your proposal. In order to be approved for future work and get closer to a degree, it is beneficial to make a concerted effort now. Many students do not know how to write a good research proposal and think that it is close to writing a research paper itself. Writing a research proposal is much easier than you think and moreover it does not require any research results before you start writing.

In the course of our education, we often are required to create a formal proposal to justify our research. A winning proposal furthers the study of a subject by exploring a specific problem statement through proposing particular qualitative or quantitative methodology, with in both action and concept, will allow one to prepare the research, develop the steps needed to complete the procedure, and produce a complete research paper in which the writer gives a solid presentation of the results of the research plans first laid out in the proposal.

If you want to learn how to create a good research proposal, read this article in order to discover the most effective ways to draft a procedure for an undergraduate paper, master’s thesis, or doctoral dissertation. Here you will find the most effective writing tips and guidelines and we guarantee you that after reading you will find writing this paper a simple task. Here is what you should do in order to achieve success.

Step One: Brainstorm a Title

Writing a paper is a lot like creating a product for sale. In order to achieve good sales your product should have an attractive name (i.e. an interesting title) and it should be designed well (a well-structured paper). In this step, you will brainstorm a good title that would catch the readers’ interest and intrigue them. General readers (as well as your committee) like unusual products, so do not give your paper a common and boring title; find an unusual and intriguing turn of phrase to deliver the idea of your paper to your readers. The title is a sample of what the reader should expect in the paper.

Step Two: Develop an Abstract

This section is not that important in the grand scheme of things, but because it is the first section of your paper that readers will see, do not forget to include it in your writing. An abstract is just a short summary of facts which usually presents the research question, the hypothesis, and the methods of research. In essence, it is a synopsis of the paper. Do not waste too much time on it; it should be one page length or even shorter section.

Step Three: Introduction

A well-written introduction is a half of your work! First of all, you should realize that introduction section is just a brief demonstration of your future academic or scientific work. Use all your creativity to impress the readers. Catch their interest and intrigue them with questions that are challenging to answer. Make them want to read more of your work. Let them think that you are well-informed and insightful in this topic even if your research has just started. You might give your best example as a way to grab attention. Restate the purpose and the main goal of your project and do not be afraid to be optimistic about your future results. Professors and other members of the committee like ambitious students.

Step Four: Hypothesis and Methods

These are two sections that also require your attention. Do not be afraid to state a hypothesis; your committee understands that this is just a proposal and your actual project hypothesis can vary. Ask your advisor to consult with you about the methods that can be used for your research. You will have to explain the benefits of your methods and research, as well as potential limitations.

Step Five: Literature review

Good sources cited clearly and accurately in a literature review or bibliography section, usually in APA or MLA style, will give you a number of benefits as you move forward. The literature review provides carefully vetted background that explains where your topic came from and what professional researchers have already explored in the same and related fields. Your committee members should know that you researched numerous books and know your topic thoroughly and in great depth.

Step Five: Conclusion

And of course, you will finish your proposal with a conclusion that will anticipate the results and suggest avenues for future research. A successful draft will give the reader a strong understanding of what the complete paper will look like, and what to expect after you have finished your research.

We recommend you to start writing a research proposal for your undergraduate, Master’s, or PhD degree as soon as possible. The deadline comes much faster than we usually expect, so start your work now! Use our writing tips and do not forget to take breaks while writing!

As if writing a research paper were not difficult enough, many university programs require that students write a proposal draft explicating what the final paper will entail prior to submission. Although writing the proposal may seem like menial work, if used properly, the research draft proposal is actually one of the most helpful aspects of the pre-research process. In order to successfully submit a research draft, preliminary research must be completed and synthesized into an effective thesis statement and proposal of research methods. By writing an effective research draft, students have the chance to work out potential problems prior to the final paper.

Complete preliminary research. This means looking into previous studies or papers written on the topic. Keep a detailed folder or file of all these sources to use later as references.

Synthesize research information into workable sections. A successful research proposal recognizes all stages of the process. If writing a research proposal, you will need to acknowledge the work previously done concerning your topic, then prove how you will either expand upon or refute what is already published. A research proposal that simply ignores previous work or does not prove its actual purpose is not likely to be accepted.

Create a concrete thesis statement or hypothesis. The introduction should lead to the thesis statement. Follow the thesis statement with your intentions; explicitly state what you mean to do with your research. The thesis should make clear to funders or professors your intentions. According to Susan Finger of Carnegie Mellon University, if seeking money, “always read the RFP (request for proposal) to find out what funders want. They will give you money only if you can help them reach their goals.”

Include a survey of literature or prior research. The section should include a basic summary of the previous work you intend to cite, as well as the primary texts or topics you are researching. Make clear how each text relates and what exactly you intend to do with the material.

Write out the organization of the paper or the research. If working in the humanities, provide an outline of how you intend the paper to flow, section by section. If completing a science research paper, write out the scientific process you intend to follow, step-by-step. Include a bibliography section, allowing professors to look into the works you intend to employ.

Medicine is a very broad topic to write a research paper about. It gives the students countless possibilities to investigate treasures of the science of health care from the ancient ages to modern times and even the future. But still, the limited time and resources always urge us to narrow themes as much as possible, just to write a great and deep research. You can find really interesting medical research topics here.

Let us give you some tips about writing excellent research on Medicine. At first, you should think about what the audience will read or listen to your research. Try to make sure that you are staying at the same page with them. Too many complicated terminologies and the audience will understand nothing and go away disappointed. Too easy for current level of audience and they may feel you are not professional enough.

Secondly, try to use practical medical research topics examples after each theoretical part. Give audience the data, write about some prominent stories from the medical practice that will definitely be remembered and will help them to understand your point. Personalize your data: people remember stories much better than figures, so a little bit of storytelling won’t hurt.

The last tip is to stick to the main med research topic. The current state of the medicine allows combining branches of it that could look completely opposite a mere decade ago. But still, to stay in limits of your research paper, you should choose one approach to health research topic of it and use others only if they are crucially needed to emphasize your point.

You may use some of our sample topics to write your essay or just look through them for extra inspiration.

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What do I include in the introduction of a research proposal?

Asked on 05 Jun, 2019

Writing an effective research proposal is essential to acquire funding for your research. The introduction, being the first part of your proposal, must provide the funders a clear understanding of what you plan to do. A well written introduction will help make a compelling case for your research proposal.

To begin with, the introduction must set context for your research by mentioning what is known about the topic and what needs to be explored further. In the introduction, you can highlight how your research will contribute to the existing knowledge in your field and to overall scientific development.

The introduction must also contain a hypothesis that led to the development of the research design. You can come up with this hypotheis by asking yourself questions like:

• What is the central research problem?
• What is the topic of study related to that problem?
• What methods should be used to analyze the research problem?
• Why is this research important, what is its significance, and how will its outcomes affect the funders and the society on the whole?

Here are some excellent resources to help you write a great proposal:

Answered by Editage Insights on 10 Jun, 2019

You will need to submit a research proposal with your PhD application. This is crucial in the assessment of your application and it warrants plenty of time and energy.

Your proposal should outline your project and be around 1,500 words.

Follow this outline below, or watch our ‘Writing a Research Proposal’ video:

Title

Your research proposal should include a working title for your project.

Overview of the research

In this section, you should provide a short overview of your research. You should also state how your research fits into the research priorities of your particular subject area.

Here you can refer to the research areas and priorities of a particular research grouping or supervisor.

You must also state precisely why you have chosen to apply to the discipline area and how your research links into our overall profile.

Positioning of the research

This should reference the most important texts related to the research, demonstrate your understanding of the research issues, and identify existing gaps (both theoretical and practical) that the research is intended to address.

Research design and methodology

This section should identify the information that is necessary to carry out the analysis and the possible research techniques that could deliver the information.

References

Your research proposal will be used to assess the quality and originality of your ideas, whether you are able to think critically and whether you have a grasp of the relevant literature. It also gives us important information about the perspectives you intend to take on your research area, and how you fit into the department’s research profile overall. This is helpful when assigning a supervisor.

If you are applying to study an Economics postgraduate research programme, our advice and requirements are slightly different:

Supervisors

We encourage you to discuss your proposal informally with a potential supervisor before making a formal application to ensure it is of mutual interest.

Please note that we cannot guarantee that we will be able to allocate you to the supervisor you initially contact and that we may allocate you to another expert in the area.

Flexibility

You will not be forced to follow the proposal exactly once you have started to study. It is normal for students to refine their original proposal, in light of detailed literature review, further consideration of research approaches and comments received from your supervisors (and other academic staff).

Pitfalls to avoid

We sometimes have to reject students who meet the academic requirements but have not produced a satisfactory research proposal, therefore:

• Make sure that your research idea, question or problem is very clearly stated and well-grounded in academic research.
• Make sure that your proposal is well focused and conforms exactly to the submission requirements described here.
• Poorly specified, jargon-filled or rambling proposals will not convince us that you have a clear idea of what you want to do.

Example proposals

• Philosophy – Example 1
• Philosophy – Example 2
• Politics – Example 1
• Politics – Example 2
• Social Anthropology – Example 1
• Social Anthropology – Example 2
• Social Statistics – Example 1
• Social Statistics – Example 2
• Sociology – Example 1
• Sociology – Example 2

Further help

The following books may help you to prepare your research proposal (as well as in doing your research degree).

• Bell, J. (1999): Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-time Researchers in Education & Social Science, (Oxford University Press, Oxford).
• Baxter, L, Hughes, C. and Tight, M. (2001): How to Research, (Open University Press, Milton Keynes).
• Cryer, P. (2000): The Research Student’s Guide to Success, (Open University, Milton Keynes).
• Delamont, S., Atkinson, P. and Parry, O. (1997): Supervising the PhD, (Open University Press, Milton Keynes).
• Philips, E. and Pugh, D. (2005): How to get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and their Supervisors, (Open University Press, Milton Keynes).

Contact us

If you need help and advice about your application, contact the Postgraduate Admissions Team.

University guidelines

You may also find it useful to read the advice and guidance on the University website about writing a proposal for your research degree application.

Published on April 18, 2019 by Shona McCombes. Revised on June 5, 2020.

The research question is one of the most important parts of your research project, thesis or dissertation. It’s important to spend some time assessing and refining your question before you get started.

The exact form of your question will depend on on the length of your project, the type of research, the topic, and the research problem. But all research questions should be focused, specific, appropriately complex, and relevant to a social or scholarly issue.

Once you’ve read our guide on how to write a research question, use these examples to work out if your question is strong enough.

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

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59 comments

Mokete

Hi Shona
Thank you for this helpful article.
I have a research question which goes like”Does studying abroad improve graduates’ long term employability among the youth in Lesotho?” And I could really ise your expertise if this topic is good enough or I can alter it or ditch it totally. Please help

Dolores S. Villapando

Hello and good afternoon
Please help me formulate research questions about the title CHALLENGES ON IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL-BASED FEEDING PROGRAM IN SELECTED SCHOOLS IN SAN ANTONIO DISTRICT.
Thank you for your response in advance.
Your help is much appreciated.

Md. Mohibbullah Bill Wahid

Hi
I need the answer of this question. please help me

“Convert the following hypotheses into statistical hypotheses: “People who earn an A+ in Programming are more likely to get a high salary job than those who do not earn an A+”.

Gladys

Can you please help with research questions for the topic: Impact of digital footprint on one’s life?

Marta

Can you help me pls on writing a research question on influences of cesarean delivery on breastfeeding practices and Duration

Hi i was wondering if I can get some help on how to fix my research question?
My question is “ what benefits dose crossfit training have to paramedics ability to preform their duties?” Is this good or is there something I need to fix. Thank you.

Dairy

Hello, ma’am. Our title of our quantitative research is Student’s perception and their academic performance: A correlational study. We’re having a hard time on making research questions, can we ask your suggestions?

REMY PINE

Hi there, any suggestion on how to better shape my research question? I am making my topic on Allegiant air and researching negative and positive reviews on social medial outlets.

For Allegiant Air, does being a low-cost airline interfere with keeping consumers happy?

Bing Aparra

I would like to ask your permission to use your sample research questions for me to use at least three research questions as part of my students’ activity. I find it helpful material for my students. Thank you very much in advance.

Shona McCombes (Scribbr-team)

Of course, you’re welcome to use these examples! We only ask that you credit Scribbr if you use our articles in any teaching materials 🙂

Chinedu Udeh

I will appreciate if you could help to form a Research topic on Black Live Matters

Dairy

Hello, Ma’am our title of our quantitative research is Student’s perception on modular learning and their academic performance: A correlational study. And we’re having a hard time on making research questions, can we have your suggestions? Thank you.

Polly Kone

How to write a research question surrounding foster care with hypothesis?

Ip Daisy

This helps me to know more abt research question.
May I have ur opinion on the research in student perceptions in clinical mentoring.….

Sankar Chandra Debnath

Hello
I want to conduct research for my master program. I need some information. What is guided questioning in research? is it open-ended and structured? Thank you

Maciej

Hey there,
I am struggling with coming up with the most suitable question for my master’s dissertation. My topic is “Detecting and Tracking structural defects in video footage” and it is a topic related to Deep Learning and Computer Vision. My ideas of how the research question would be are as follow:
1. To what extent video analytics can reduce structural defects in road damages?
2. What impact does video analytics has on structural defect detection and tracking?
3. What improvements video analytics has brought in to structural defect detection and tracking over the last decade?

These are my initial ideas on that research question, however, I am not going to lie that I got a little bit lost :/ I will really appreciate your help!
Cheers!

what is that you are trying to do here?? Begging for free online feedback.
Or are you sharing your research so that someone else can steal its idea?
Delete what you posted and if you want professional advice at least contact Scribbr via email !!

Destiny Repetto

Hello, can anyone help me simplify my research question? Also, help me determine what research design will be most appropriate for my study? (Experimental design, correlational design, or groups design).

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How to Write A Research Synopsis

February 12 2018, By CharlesBruno Eze

Have you been told by your research supervisor to draft a synopsis for your research work or you just want to write one? Or you simply want to know what it means and it’s importance in research writing. Now this article is designed to give you a simplified guide to what a research synopsis is and how to go about writing one without breaking a sweat.

A research synopsis is a short outline of what your research thesis is and all the steps you propose to follow in order to achieve them. It gives you and your supervisor a clear view of what the research aims at achieving and within what time frame. It also helps you stay focused and makes the research work generally less tedious. This explains why your synopsis should be approached with clarity, systematically with unambiguous sentences.

The format for writing a synopsis varies from institution to institution and among disciplines. But even within a discipline, the format can always be tailored to best suit your specific research work. However, this article will focus on the major items that should be found in your synopsis in their most popular order. Below is the outline of how your research synopsis should look like. Note that the following items should only appear after you’ve written your research topic and the abstract to your research.

• Background: here you are meant to lead down from the research in your area of study generally down to your specific research topic. Discuss the importance of your proposed research work to research as a whole. Discuss also the academic gap which your research would fill which will lead to your research problem.

• Theoretical Framework/Methodology/Conceptual Framework:В the above captions for this section aren’t meant to be used interchangeably. It often depends on the discipline and the particular topic to determine which to use. The theoretical framework discusses the theory to employ in researching the object. Methodology indicates the methods of data gathering and analysis which can be quantitative and qualitative while the conceptual framewor explains the major concepts that the research revolves round on.

• Research Questions:В These are the questions that will propel the research work and give it more focus along the line.

• Hypothesis: here you mention the assumption on which the research work is built. Note that this assumption might turn out to be false at the end of the research.

• Objectives of the study: В this highlights the objectives of your study; what your research aims at achieving. Here, like other items in your synopsis required a great deal of clarity.

• Literature Review: thi contains a reading of other research works done on the area your work is centered. The idea is to show that your research topic hasn’t been done before hence, it is researchable.

• Limitations: here you are to discuss the challenging factors that the research have or is likely to face. You and your supervisor would most likely make research choices based on this and determine whether to move ahead with the research.

• References: since the research work hasn’t been carried out already, this section should indicate the major texts that will inform the knowledge upon which the research is built or whose findings your research work is propoing to refute. In the arts these texts are referred to “secondary texts”.

The formats of the writing of the synopsis itself should follow the requirements of research writing in your discipline particularly. For instance, MLA requires 12 font size, double line spacing with Times New Roman font type.

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I need some ideas on how to write the rationale for my research. Do you have any suggestions?

Asked on 18 Sep, 2018

The rationale of your research is the reason for conducting the study. The rationale should answer the need for conducting the said research. It is a very important part of your publication as it justifies the significance and novelty of the study. That is why it is also referred to as the justification of the study. Ideally, your research should be structured as observation, rationale, hypothesis, objectives, methods, results and conclusions.

To write your rationale, you should first write a background on what all research has been done on your study topic. Follow this with ‘what is missing’ or ‘what are the open questions of the study’. Identify the gaps in the literature and emphasize why it is important to address those gaps. This will form the rationale of your study. The rationale should be followed by a hypothesis and objectives.

Related reading:

Spark your creativity to succeed in your career: Learn how to be creative in this live event by acclaimed neurologist David Eagleman. To know more and block you seat, click here.

Answered by Editage Insights on 05 Oct, 2018

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Asked on 08 May, 2019

The methods section of a research proposal contains details about how you will conduct your research. It includes your study design – the methodology and methods that you plan to use – as well as your work plan – the activities that you plan to undertake to complete your project.

The methods section of a research proposal must contain all the necessary information that will facilitate another researcher to replicate your research. The purpose of writing this section is to convince the funding agency that the methods you plan to use are sound and this is the most suitable approach to address the problem you have chosen.

You must also demonstrate your understanding of alternative methods to show that you have made a sound and well-calculated judgment. The methods section of your research proposal should answer the following questions:

• What is your study design and why did you choose it?
• Is the study qualitative or quantitative?
• What are the methods you will use to collect data?
• Who will be the participants of your study?
• What procedures/activities will the study involve?
• How long will the experiments/study take to get completed?

You are here

What is a fellowship proposal?

The purpose of a fellowship proposal is to:

• explain your proposed project and the motivations behind it.
• introduce yourself to the committee.
• reassure the committee that you are invested in this project and that you are the right person to carry it out.
• demonstrate the preparation you have undertaken so far.

By the time applications are due, you will need to have done a lot of preparation and considered how your proposed experience fits into your “big picture”. However, it is understood that your plans will continue to evolve between the application deadline and your departure, so you may not have everything 100% finalized by the time you submit your proposal.

When selection committees read fellowship proposals, they are looking for evidence that:

• the proposed activity is feasible.
• you have the necessary background and skills to carry out the work that you are proposing.
• you have clear and realistic objectives for the activity.
• you have adequately researched and prepared for your project.
• you will carry something forward from the proposed activity to your experience at Yale or beyond.
• you have considered all the stakeholders, and their needs and expectations.
• you have sought guidance from experts in the field and you have the support you need to successfully and responsibly carry out the work.

Below, you will find a list of questions you should aim to answer in your fellowship proposal. These range from questions about your exact plan to questions about how your proposed activity fits into your longer-term goals.

General advice

• Start early.
• Think of your fellowship proposal as a part of a larger whole that includes the letter(s) from your recommender(s) and other supporting documents (e.g., your resume and transcript).
• Consider your audience; write for an intelligent, non-specialist (i.e., make sure the terminology will be understandable to someone outside your field).
• The tone should be neither too academic nor too personal. Aim for economy, enthusiasm, and directness; eloquence is welcome, but not at the expense of substance or honesty.
• Make sure all information is accurate and that you will be prepared to discuss in some detail anything you mention.
• Do not exaggerate your accomplishments, but also do not be falsely modest.
• Do not try to guess what the selection committee might be seeking; they want to know you, not a fabrication.
• These documents are writing samples; all the rules of good writing (clarity, conviction, correctness, and academic honesty) apply. These proposals are read as indications of clear and organized thinking and effective communication.
• Show your work to a number of readers whose comments you respect. Consult especially your faculty advisers, recommenders, and your Writing Tutor. Ask your readers to tell you what questions your proposal raises that you might not have considered.
• Revise. Plan to experiment and try completely different versions.
• Keep to word limits and all other guidelines.
• Proofread. Errors suggest you lack seriousness of purpose.

To get your pen/keyboard going…

If you can respond to these items clearly and thoroug​hly, you are in a great position to write your fellowship proposal:

• From where did your motivation/inspiration for your proposed idea arise? Why is this project important to you?
• With whom have you developed your proposed idea? (Please note that any research projects should be discussed with a faculty mentor, and this person will be expected to write your letter of recommendation.)
• Where are you proposing to go, and why is it important that you conduct your project there instead of elsewhere?
• If appropriate, describe your knowledge of the local language and/or the culture of the country to which you are proposing to go.
• What contacts have you made (or do you plan to make) in your proposed destination?
• What other coursework and job/research/extracurricular experience has prepared you to make a success out of your proposed activity? In other words, how are you qualified to carry out your project?
• If conducting research, what theoretical framework will you employ and what methodology will you use? If planning interviews, is this acceptable in your proposed destination and how will you devise a valid interview instrument? (If conducting interviews, or if your project involves human subjects in any other way, you must find out if you need IRB approval. If so, you must obtain this approval before you can receive your fellowship check, and you should start this process before you submit your fellowship application. Visit the Human Subjects Committee website and click on “student projects” for more information.
• If participating in an internship, how will you be contributing to your chosen organization? The committees understand that you might not have all the details or even confirmation that you’ve secured the internship, but you should provide them with as much information as possible.
• Provide a reasonable timeline and general explanation of how you will successfully carry out your project in the proposed timeframe.
• What do you hope to accomplish as you carry out your project?
• What are your longer-term academic and/or professional goals, and how might these benefit from your proposed experience? In addition to developing specific skills or learning more about a specific topic, you may consider how this experience might inform your choice of classes or major and how this experience might shape your career path or other future aspirations.
• What challenges or difficulties do you anticipate to encounter, and how might you overcome these?
• What aspects of your proposed project and/or preparation still need to develop, and how do you plan to address these before/while carrying out your project?