Once decided on what to research
about, funding for the research becomes a matter of concern. The research paper proposal needs to
have very convincing arguments. Based on how valid and relevant the proposal
is, that finances for the research is sanctioned. A good proposal answers
questions on the approximate time and amount of funding required. What will the
home university gain out of a research done by student or a professor? What is
the plan of action and the methods that would be used for the research?
A research proposal must have a
clearly defined questions and answers which would be relevant for the
questions. It must explain the available literature and also add on to it. Research
proposals can vary in length but ideally a proposal is around 3000 words. A
good coherent research proposal is a crucial factor when it comes to
applications. Potential supervisors, admission tutors and funders assess the
credentials of the researcher through the proposals. They take into
consideration the critical thinking and analytical skill of a researcher. The scope of the research and the possible
time required are all deciding factors for a proposal to be sanctioned. On the
other hand, a good research proposal depends a lot on the convincing
capabilities of the researchers.
It is advisable to have a
discussion with one’s guide or supervisor when it comes to writing a research proposal. An innovative, of the mark topic might be very interesting but
researching on it would become difficult. Data and literature may not be easily
available. Considering the fund and the time crunch (which is usually valid for
every researcher), selecting on an easier topic would be wiser. Aspects of the
topic of research must have variable elements to make it different from other
researches. But it should be a fairly common topic.
A research proposal is a smaller
and a compact version of the actual research that one desires to get involved
with. Therefore a research proposal must have all the same segregated
compartments required in actual research. A good research paper proposal should be, thus flawless.