Writing a Research Proposal
A typical research proposal will be approximately two thousand
words long fro either a DBA or PhD, and may be slightly shorter for
a M Phil. Whilst there is no definitive format or template, the
following advice is worth considering:

The proposal should begin by explaining the subject area in
which the research is to be located, and provide an indication
of the key theoretical, policy or empirical debates it plans to
address.

The proposal should then present a brief review of the
literature you plan to contribute to in conducting your
research. You need to demonstrate a familiarity with the
relevant academic literature and theories and an awareness of
the major lines of argument that have been developed in the
chosen research field.

You then need to discuss the research questions you plan to
address. You need to demonstrate the manner in which your
research questions emanates from either gaps in the existing
empirical literature or from the application of a particular
theory to a specific public service or the local or national
context; or from a synthesis of a number of bodies of
literature.

You research proposal should be as specific and focused as
possible. If your research is being driven by gaps in the
existing literature, which of these gaps will you attempt to
address? If your research is being driven by theoretical or
policy debates, which specific points of these debates are you
going to focus on?

Your submission can also provide some explanation of what
led you to the topic e.g. from a long-standing interest or from
interests you developed while studying for a former
qualification, or from you area of employment

If possible it is helpful to give some indication of the research
methods that will be used to conduct the research. A variety
of different research methods exists, so you should seek to
identify the method that is most suited to your area of
research Some helpful reading and guidance


You should give special attention to the feasibility of data
collection. Your proposal may contain interesting and highly
relevant research questions, and it may be well grounded in
the literature, but it may not be a practical research
enterprise. You must balance the scope of your proposal
against the practical problems of data gathering.

Students whose projects involve data gathering in countries
other than the UK are advised to pay close attention to the
issue of feasibility. Students whose projects depend on data
that are not available in the UK should indicate in their
proposal how they propose to finance their data gathering.

Although no indication of the research findings can be
presented, it is often beneficial to conclude the research
proposal by indicating the original contribution you envisage
that your research will make to the literature in your
particular subject area, or by indicating the potential practical
or policy implications of your research.

While your research proposal is judged mainly on content, it
must also look professional. Particular attention will be paid to
clarity of expression and also the structure, coherence and
flow of argument. Finally, always include a bibliography (in
the standard Harvard format) that lists books and articles to
which you make reference in your proposal.

Finally, it is natural for ideas to evolve and change, so you will
not be obliged to adhere to the specifics of your original
proposal. However, the proposal is the foundation of your
working relationship with your supervisors and thus it should
not be radically altered without discussion and consultation