research proposal format example apa

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How to Write a Research Proposal in the APA Style

The sixth edition of the “Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association” directs you how to format and structure your research proposal. This is the most common style used for proposal related to the social sciences. A research proposal in APA format should include a title, abstract, main body and references.

General Structure

APA format recommends that you type your proposal with a highly legible 12-point font, such as Times New Roman. It needs to be double-spaced. When you write a new paragraph, indent fives spaces or use the Tab key. Your paper should have a 1-inch margin on all sides. At the top of each page, insert a running head in the header. To format this correctly, write the title of your proposal in the upper left hand side and the page number in the upper right hand side. Your running head is limited to 50 characters, including spaces. If you must shorten your title, select the keywords.

For your research proposal, your title page should include your paper’s title, your name and your university’s name. Other information that may appear on the title page includes submission date, budget period, total funds requested or advisor’s name, depending on your proposal’s audience. APA style recommends that your title is no more than 12 words in length. All text on this page should be double-spaced. When listing names, do not include any titles or degrees. The running head is different on the title page than the rest of your paper. Format your running head so it says “Running head” followed by a colon and your title.

In APA format, your abstract is the second page of your paper. Despite appearing at the beginning of your paper, plan to write your research proposal last. This is a brief summary of your entire paper. In a 150- to 250-word paragraph, state your problem, and propose a solution for it. To properly format this page, center the word “Abstract” without any additional formatting on the first line of the page. Following a double-space, write your paragraph. Do not indent this paragraph. After your summary, indent five spaces and write the word, “Keywords” in italics followed by a colon. Then list keywords related to your proposal.

In-Text Citations

Every sentence that references another person’s work must include an in-text citation. The APA recommends that you use the author-date method. Write the author’s name and the publication year within parentheses at the end of the referencing sentence. For example, “One study found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic (Gass & Varonis, 1984).”

At the end of your proposal, APA style advises that you create a references page that lists citations for all of your references. Label this page with the word “References” centered on the first line of the page. Then list all the sources used within your proposal in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. For any references that are longer than one line, indent all subsequent lines by five spaces.

When writing references, APA style recommends that you give the author’s last name and then use initials for all other names. For a single author book, write the author’s last name, a comma, first initial and a period. Next, write the publication year in parentheses. Place a period outside the last parenthesis. Then write the title of the book in italics and sentence case, a period, the city, a comma, the state, a colon, the publisher’s name and a period. A reference may look like this:

Zerby, C. (2002). Devil’s details: A history of footnotes. Montpelier, VT: Invisible Cities Press.

• University of North Carolina Charlotte: Outline for Research Reports and Proposals Using APA Style
• Purdue University: APA Formatting and Style Guide: General Format
• University of Michigan: Proposal Writer's Guide: The Title
• Penn State University: APA In-Text Citation Guide
• Purdue University: APA Formatting and Style Guide: Reference List: Books
• College of Charleston: APA Citation Style for a Bibliography/Works Cited Page

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Designing and Proposing Your Research Project

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Designing your own study and writing your research proposal takes time, often more so than conducting the study. This practical, accessible guide walks you through the entire process.

You will learn to identify and narrow your research topic, develop your research question, design your study, and choose appropriate sampling and measurement strategies.

The figures, tables, and exhibits offer a wealth of relatable examples, and students can use the many activities and worksheets to explore and apply concepts, as individuals or in groups.

This book is part of APA's Concise Guides to Conducting Behavioral, Health, and Social Science Research series. Aimed at undergraduate students in research methods courses or others with a lab or research project, each book describes a key stage in the research process. Collectively, these books provide a solid grounding in research from start to finish.

Series Foreword

• Introduction
• Choosing Your Research Question and Hypotheses
• Choosing Your Study's Purpose
• Choosing Whether to Use a Qualitative, Quantitative, or Mixed-Methods Approach
• Understanding Terms for Quantitative Studies: Concepts, Constructs, and Variables
• Choosing Your Design
• Choosing Your Sample
• Planning Your Measurement Strategy for Collecting Data
• Establishing Validity for Quantitative Studies
• Establishing Validity for Qualitative Studies

About the Authors

About the Series Editor

Jennifer Brown Urban, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Family Science and Human Development at Montclair State University, where she also directs the Research on Evaluation and Developmental Systems Science lab.

She is trained as a developmental scientist with specific expertise in youth development and program evaluation. Her scholarship is encapsulated under the umbrella of systems science, including both theoretical approaches and methodologies.

Dr. Urban's most recent research focuses on character development and innovative approaches to program evaluation and planning. She is currently principal investigator on several grant-funded projects. The goals of this work are to build the capacity of youth program practitioners and evaluators to engage in high-quality evaluation of character development programs, to determine the key features of character development programs that promote positive youth development, and to advance the application of character science in multiple contexts to enhance human flourishing across the lifespan.

She uses mixed-method approaches in her own research and has mentored many undergraduate and graduate students in designing and executing applied research projects.

Bradley Matheus van Eeden-Moorefield, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Family Science and Human Development at Montclair State University and director of the PhD program.

His research includes a strong social justice commitment to understanding and strengthening marginalized families, with his most recent work focused on stepfamilies headed by same-sex couples. Much of this research focuses on identifying how factors in the social world (e.g., stigma, stereotypes, policy) influence everyday family life and how each influence various indicators of individual (e.g., depression, happiness) and family well-being (stability).

Dr. van Eeden-Moorefield uses various qualitative and quantitative methodologies and has particular expertise in Internet-based methodologies.

He has provided training to various family and childcare practitioners and uses his previous clinical experiences to translate research into practice and practice into research.

The chapters are organized around the choices students need to make, rather than the types of research and issues specific to each type — an important distinguishing feature that sets this book apart from other research methods text…. In the current environment of increasing interdisciplinarity, this text is very useful to students who find themselves coming to social science research from other disciplines, or to students in need of clear guidelines who do not have the time to complete another entire research methods course. — Choice

Urban and van Eeden-Moorefield take the often daunting topic of research methods and make it — dare I say — fun and engaging. Through personal stories and good humor, they demystify the research process and find ways to connect research to everyday life and experiences. This book should be a required supplementary text for every introductory research methods course. —William M. Trochim, PhD Professor, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

The authors use vivid and engaging examples and masterfully crafted exhibits to create an irresistible proposition to students: "You can do excellent research and enjoy doing it!" They creatively help readers understand and make the choices involved in exemplary research. This book is an invaluable asset for students in psychology and in the social and behavioral sciences more generally. —Richard M. Lerner, PhD Bergstrom Chair in Applied Developmental Science and Director, Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA

This book will help beginning researchers identify a meaningful and testable research question as well as deal with basic choices in designing their study. The accessible text and a host of tables guide readers through key issues in designing and proposing a research project. —Melvin M. Mark, PhD Professor and Head of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Welcome to the supplemental resources for Designing and Proposing Your Research Project . The links below provide copies of many of the worksheets seen throughout the text for ease of use.

We also have included several features referred to, but not discussed at length, in the text. These include handouts on ethics, mixed-methods designs, writing integrated literature reviews, and an example research proposal format.

We hope you find these extra features useful. Good luck!

• Anatomy of a Research Article and Comparison of Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches to Research (PDF: 35KB)
• Research Design and Ethics (PDF: 18KB)
• Integrated Literature Review, Research Question-Hypothesis (PDF: 9KB)
• Mixed Methods Approaches (PDF: 32KB)
• Research Proposal Format Example (PDF: 9KB)
• Worksheet: Planning for Trustworthiness in My Study (PDF: 7KB)
• Worksheet: Planning and Tracking Validity in My Study (PDF: 28KB)

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Detailed Guide: APA Research Proposal Example 

Table of Contents

As a college student, essay assignments are the norm. But a research proposal may sound strange– especially if you are a newbie. If that’s the case, an APA research proposal example comes in handy. 

In this article, we’ll examine the features of a research proposal. And provide all the information you need to write your first.

What Is A Research Proposal?

A research proposal is a document that outlines the main idea of a research project . The proposal explains why the study needs to be done and how it will benefit society or improve knowledge in the field.

It delineates the methodology of the research you’ve conducted or are about to execute. 

What’s The Goal Of A Research Proposal?

A research proposal helps the writer explore a topic in greater detail. It provides an opportunity to identify and analyze relevant evidence, conclude, and offer potential solutions or recommendations. 

A research proposal also allows you to demonstrate knowledge of a specific field and create a well-rounded argument considering diverse perspectives. 

Sometimes, the purpose of a proposal is to secure funds to support your research. 

A research proposal presents a unique insight into a particular subject matter. And make a compelling case for its importance in advancing knowledge.

You should be able to prove that your work will:

• Fill a knowledge gap on this topic or add to the existing knowledge on the subject
• Emphasize existing information on the issue

It should also prove that you are capable of contributing meaningfully to the field of study. The best way to prove this is by stating your credentials and academic qualifications. Your study proposal also affirms the academic merit of your ideas. 

How Long Should A Proposal Be?

Frankly, the page count of a research proposal isn’t as important as the content it should entail. A master’s or bachelor’s research proposal may be a few pages long. But for a Ph.D. dissertation, it may be more as the research is often meatier.

The purpose of a research proposal is to outline any content or element of your research. Don’t leave out details because you are targeting a word or page count.

The Structure Of A Research Proposal

An APA Research Proposal structure isn’t set in stone. But some elements are critical. They are as follows:

Research Paper Title

The research title should embody your paper’s content. While you can still change your title during the project, you must ensure your title explains the whole study in a few words. 

In just about 100 words, your abstract should state the question you intend to answer. 

Background Significance

This is where you’ll give a background introduction to your topic. It covers issues like why you decided to work on the research, existing debates, etc. 

You should also include the relevance of the question you aim to answer and its importance.

Finally, you must state the tool you plan to use while conducting your research. 

Literature Review

The literature review lists the sources you plan to rely on for your research and why you are working with those sources. 

Research Methods, Design And Schedule

This aspect of your research proposal covers the following topics. 

• Identify if you are doing corrective, experimental, or descriptive research. 
• State the kind of research you want to do. Is it quantitative or qualitative research? 
• What tools will you use to curate data? Observation? Or will you conduct a survey? 
• List all the data collection options available and why they are necessary. 

In addition, this aspect of the research proposal should also indicate:

• Research budget
• Any form of potential obstacles and how you will resolve them. 
• The timeline of your research 

Conclusions

Like the name suggests, this section wraps up the research proposal. It summarizes research proposals and restates your purpose. 

Bibliography

Finally, list your sources or the works that contributed to your research. In this case, you need to follow the APA format. You can even annotate your bibliography, indicating how each source will contribute to your study. 

APA Research Proposal Format

Now, we’ll briefly analyze what the APA format should look like. 

• 1-inch margins 
• 12-point font Times New Roman
• An APA running head (limited to 50 characters) 
• Double-spaced
• References page (following APA guidelines) 
• In-text citations (formatted accordingly to APA guidelines) 
• A title page containing your research title (12 words maximum), your name, and your institution name 
• Abstract (150-200 words)

What To Avoid In APA Research Paper

Some factors can mar your research proposals. APA research papers should be written carefully, avoiding the following mistakes: 

1. Using overly technical language that can make it difficult for the reader to understand. 

2. Omitting any necessary facts or data may weaken the paper’s credibility and validity.

3. Failing to cite sources accurately could result in plagiarism.

4. Making assumptions without providing evidence to back them up.

5. Overlooking potential ethical issues related to a topic.

6. Ignoring grammar and spelling mistakes.

7. Not organizing ideas logically or presenting them in an unclear manner. 

8. Relying too heavily on one source of information when multiple perspectives are needed. 

9. Being overly opinionated instead of using objective analysis and reasoning.

APA Research Proposal Example

Emotional well-being and mental health research proposal , introduction.

I propose undertaking a research project into the effects of emotional well-being on mental health. This study investigates how emotional well-being affects one’s ability to cope with and manage mental health. This proposal will analyze current literature, examine personal experiences, and explore various theories. It seeks to gain an understanding of how emotional well-being influences mental health. 

Research Methodology

In terms of methodology, I plan to conduct both qualitative and quantitative research. Using these mediums, I will form conclusions regarding the correlation between emotional well-being and mental health. 

A survey will be administered online, followed by semi-structured interviews with participants who indicate that they are struggling with their mental health. Furthermore, I will conduct interviews with healthcare professionals. 

Personal stories and observations from my experience working with individuals with mental illness will also be incorporated into the data collection process. Additionally, information from relevant academic studies on this topic will be used to inform the interpretation of the results. 

The proposed research has theoretical and practical implications for understanding the complex relationship between emotion and mental health. 

Theoretically, it could lead to a greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying this relationship. It could also provide insight into the psychological underpinnings of mental illnesses like anxiety or depression. 

Moreover, the findings could suggest new strategies for helping those with poor mental health. It will provide them with improved access to support systems and resources. Finally, further exploration of this issue could result in policies geared towards improving emotional well-being implemented at governmental levels. 

I anticipate that this study will take approximately 6 months to complete, depending on the availability of interview subjects. 

If allowed to conduct this research, I am confident I can produce valid and reliable results. One that will contribute to our collective knowledge about the role of emotion in mental health.

Note: This is a skeletal APA research proposal example. This should only serve as a guide. You need to be as detailed as possible while writing yours. 

An APA research proposal example is a document that outlines the basic idea of a researcher’s project. 

When writing a research proposal using the APA style, it’s essential to follow the formatting rules the American Psychological Association laid out. This includes providing references in the correct format, such as author name, date, and page number. 

Worried about drafting an excellent research proposal? Take INK on a spin. Our proposal generator takes instructions and delivers a brilliant research proposal. 

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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How to Write an APA Methods Section | With Examples

Published on February 5, 2021 by Pritha Bhandari . Revised on June 22, 2023.

The methods section of an APA style paper is where you report in detail how you performed your study. Research papers in the social and natural sciences often follow APA style. This article focuses on reporting quantitative research methods .

In your APA methods section, you should report enough information to understand and replicate your study, including detailed information on the sample , measures, and procedures used.

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Table of contents

Structuring an apa methods section.

Participants

Example of an APA methods section

Other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about writing an apa methods section.

The main heading of “Methods” should be centered, boldfaced, and capitalized. Subheadings within this section are left-aligned, boldfaced, and in title case. You can also add lower level headings within these subsections, as long as they follow APA heading styles .

To structure your methods section, you can use the subheadings of “Participants,” “Materials,” and “Procedures.” These headings are not mandatory—aim to organize your methods section using subheadings that make sense for your specific study.

Note that not all of these topics will necessarily be relevant for your study. For example, if you didn’t need to consider outlier removal or ways of assigning participants to different conditions, you don’t have to report these steps.

The APA also provides specific reporting guidelines for different types of research design. These tell you exactly what you need to report for longitudinal designs , replication studies, experimental designs , and so on. If your study uses a combination design, consult APA guidelines for mixed methods studies.

Detailed descriptions of procedures that don’t fit into your main text can be placed in supplemental materials (for example, the exact instructions and tasks given to participants, the full analytical strategy including software code, or additional figures and tables).

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Begin the methods section by reporting sample characteristics, sampling procedures, and the sample size.

Participant or subject characteristics

When discussing people who participate in research, descriptive terms like “participants,” “subjects” and “respondents” can be used. For non-human animal research, “subjects” is more appropriate.

Specify all relevant demographic characteristics of your participants. This may include their age, sex, ethnic or racial group, gender identity, education level, and socioeconomic status. Depending on your study topic, other characteristics like educational or immigration status or language preference may also be relevant.

Be sure to report these characteristics as precisely as possible. This helps the reader understand how far your results may be generalized to other people.

The APA guidelines emphasize writing about participants using bias-free language , so it’s necessary to use inclusive and appropriate terms.

Sampling procedures

Outline how the participants were selected and all inclusion and exclusion criteria applied. Appropriately identify the sampling procedure used. For example, you should only label a sample as random  if you had access to every member of the relevant population.

Of all the people invited to participate in your study, note the percentage that actually did (if you have this data). Additionally, report whether participants were self-selected, either by themselves or by their institutions (e.g., schools may submit student data for research purposes).

Identify any compensation (e.g., course credits or money) that was provided to participants, and mention any institutional review board approvals and ethical standards followed.

Sample size and power

Detail the sample size (per condition) and statistical power that you hoped to achieve, as well as any analyses you performed to determine these numbers.

It’s important to show that your study had enough statistical power to find effects if there were any to be found.

Additionally, state whether your final sample differed from the intended sample. Your interpretations of the study outcomes should be based only on your final sample rather than your intended sample.

Write up the tools and techniques that you used to measure relevant variables. Be as thorough as possible for a complete picture of your techniques.

Primary and secondary measures

Define the primary and secondary outcome measures that will help you answer your primary and secondary research questions.

Specify all instruments used in gathering these measurements and the construct that they measure. These instruments may include hardware, software, or tests, scales, and inventories.

• To cite hardware, indicate the model number and manufacturer.
• To cite common software (e.g., Qualtrics), state the full name along with the version number or the website URL .
• To cite tests, scales or inventories, reference its manual or the article it was published in. It’s also helpful to state the number of items and provide one or two example items.

Make sure to report the settings of (e.g., screen resolution) any specialized apparatus used.

For each instrument used, report measures of the following:

• Reliability : how consistently the method measures something, in terms of internal consistency or test-retest reliability.
• Validity : how precisely the method measures something, in terms of construct validity  or criterion validity .

Giving an example item or two for tests, questionnaires , and interviews is also helpful.

Describe any covariates—these are any additional variables that may explain or predict the outcomes.

Quality of measurements

Review all methods you used to assure the quality of your measurements.

These may include:

• training researchers to collect data reliably,
• using multiple people to assess (e.g., observe or code) the data,
• translation and back-translation of research materials,
• using pilot studies to test your materials on unrelated samples.

For data that’s subjectively coded (for example, classifying open-ended responses), report interrater reliability scores. This tells the reader how similarly each response was rated by multiple raters.

Report all of the procedures applied for administering the study, processing the data, and for planned data analyses.

Data collection methods and research design

Data collection methods refers to the general mode of the instruments: surveys, interviews, observations, focus groups, neuroimaging, cognitive tests, and so on. Summarize exactly how you collected the necessary data.

Describe all procedures you applied in administering surveys, tests, physical recordings, or imaging devices, with enough detail so that someone else can replicate your techniques. If your procedures are very complicated and require long descriptions (e.g., in neuroimaging studies), place these details in supplementary materials.

To report research design, note your overall framework for data collection and analysis. State whether you used an experimental, quasi-experimental, descriptive (observational), correlational, and/or longitudinal design. Also note whether a between-subjects or a within-subjects design was used.

For multi-group studies, report the following design and procedural details as well:

• how participants were assigned to different conditions (e.g., randomization),
• instructions given to the participants in each group,
• interventions for each group,
• the setting and length of each session(s).

Describe whether any masking was used to hide the condition assignment (e.g., placebo or medication condition) from participants or research administrators. Using masking in a multi-group study ensures internal validity by reducing research bias . Explain how this masking was applied and whether its effectiveness was assessed.

Participants were randomly assigned to a control or experimental condition. The survey was administered using Qualtrics (https://www.qualtrics.com). To begin, all participants were given the AAI and a demographics questionnaire to complete, followed by an unrelated filler task. In the control condition , participants completed a short general knowledge test immediately after the filler task. In the experimental condition, participants were asked to visualize themselves taking the test for 3 minutes before they actually did. For more details on the exact instructions and tasks given, see supplementary materials.

Data diagnostics

Outline all steps taken to scrutinize or process the data after collection.

This includes the following:

• Procedures for identifying and removing outliers
• Data transformations to normalize distributions
• Compensation strategies for overcoming missing values

To ensure high validity, you should provide enough detail for your reader to understand how and why you processed or transformed your raw data in these specific ways.

Analytic strategies

The methods section is also where you describe your statistical analysis procedures, but not their outcomes. Their outcomes are reported in the results section.

These procedures should be stated for all primary, secondary, and exploratory hypotheses. While primary and secondary hypotheses are based on a theoretical framework or past studies, exploratory hypotheses are guided by the data you’ve just collected.

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This annotated example reports methods for a descriptive correlational survey on the relationship between religiosity and trust in science in the US. Hover over each part for explanation of what is included.

The sample included 879 adults aged between 18 and 28. More than half of the participants were women (56%), and all participants had completed at least 12 years of education. Ethics approval was obtained from the university board before recruitment began. Participants were recruited online through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk; www.mturk.com). We selected for a geographically diverse sample within the Midwest of the US through an initial screening survey. Participants were paid USD $5 upon completion of the study.

A sample size of at least 783 was deemed necessary for detecting a correlation coefficient of ±.1, with a power level of 80% and a significance level of .05, using a sample size calculator (www.sample-size.net/correlation-sample-size/).

The primary outcome measures were the levels of religiosity and trust in science. Religiosity refers to involvement and belief in religious traditions, while trust in science represents confidence in scientists and scientific research outcomes. The secondary outcome measures were gender and parental education levels of participants and whether these characteristics predicted religiosity levels.

Religiosity

Religiosity was measured using the Centrality of Religiosity scale (Huber, 2003). The Likert scale is made up of 15 questions with five subscales of ideology, experience, intellect, public practice, and private practice. An example item is “How often do you experience situations in which you have the feeling that God or something divine intervenes in your life?” Participants were asked to indicate frequency of occurrence by selecting a response ranging from 1 (very often) to 5 (never). The internal consistency of the instrument is .83 (Huber & Huber, 2012).

Trust in Science

Trust in science was assessed using the General Trust in Science index (McCright, Dentzman, Charters & Dietz, 2013). Four Likert scale items were assessed on a scale from 1 (completely distrust) to 5 (completely trust). An example question asks “How much do you distrust or trust scientists to create knowledge that is unbiased and accurate?” Internal consistency was .8.

Potential participants were invited to participate in the survey online using Qualtrics (www.qualtrics.com). The survey consisted of multiple choice questions regarding demographic characteristics, the Centrality of Religiosity scale, an unrelated filler anagram task, and finally the General Trust in Science index. The filler task was included to avoid priming or demand characteristics, and an attention check was embedded within the religiosity scale. For full instructions and details of tasks, see supplementary materials.

For this correlational study , we assessed our primary hypothesis of a relationship between religiosity and trust in science using Pearson moment correlation coefficient. The statistical significance of the correlation coefficient was assessed using a t test. To test our secondary hypothesis of parental education levels and gender as predictors of religiosity, multiple linear regression analysis was used.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Normal distribution
• Measures of central tendency
• Chi square tests
• Confidence interval
• Quartiles & Quantiles

Methodology

• Cluster sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Thematic analysis
• Cohort study
• Peer review
• Ethnography

Research bias

• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Conformity bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Availability heuristic
• Attrition bias
• Social desirability bias

In your APA methods section , you should report detailed information on the participants, materials, and procedures used.

• Describe all relevant participant or subject characteristics, the sampling procedures used and the sample size and power .
• Define all primary and secondary measures and discuss the quality of measurements.
• Specify the data collection methods, the research design and data analysis strategy, including any steps taken to transform the data and statistical analyses.

You should report methods using the past tense , even if you haven’t completed your study at the time of writing. That’s because the methods section is intended to describe completed actions or research.

In a scientific paper, the methodology always comes after the introduction and before the results , discussion and conclusion . The same basic structure also applies to a thesis, dissertation , or research proposal .

Depending on the length and type of document, you might also include a literature review or theoretical framework before the methodology.

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APA Question

APA does not have a specific format for research proposal papers or outlines.  For some recommendations on how to incorporate APA style into research proposals or outlines, go to  http://rasmussen.libanswers.com/faq/32563 .  Remember to follow all APA rules of formatting by viewing the library's APA research guide at https://guides.westcoastuniversity.edu/apa .

In general, a research paper proposal should be 1 or 2 paragraphs summarizing what your paper is going to be about, why it is important to your profession, who it affects, the effect on society or a community, and what is being done about it. 

Cover these same main topic areas when writing an outline.  For examples of how to format an outline, go to  http://rasmussen.libanswers.com/faq/32339 .

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How To Writing A Research Proposal In APA Style?

2019, Tutors India

American Psychological Association published their writing style and format for academic writings in their first edition of Publication manual for American Psychological Association in 1944. The manual has since spanned six editions, with the sixth and latest version published in 2009. The APA style refers to the guidelines set by APA in their manual to guide a standard for journals and scientific papers. The style guide was created to enhance precise understanding of academic and scientific articles published in their journals by avoiding bias in language with an emphasis on the usage of unambiguous language. Various universities and scientific journals have since adopted the APA style as the standard for academic writing, sometimes with a little or little modifications. A research proposal is the first step in most academic writing. It is the estimate of aggregation of processes that will form research. Research proposal in APA guidelines will enable you to present a proposal that will have a standard style to convince the committee to approve of your research. APA style for research proposal contains specific guidelines.

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Meta-analysis is the statistical analysis and integration of multiple studies with similar concepts. The basic principle of meta-analysis is the presence of a common truth behind all conceptually similar studies which has been measured with a certain degree of error within each study. Therefore, the objective of meta-analysis will be to arrive at a pooled estimate closest to the common truth using the principles of statistics. Quantitative research deals with numbers and stats, the integration of such researches with similar concepts in order to improve statistical power of estimation is called meta-analysis. Meta-analysis will result in a weighted average that is a close estimate to the true value accounting in various factors. The difference lies in how the weights are allocated and the manner in which uncertainty is compared around the point estimate generated. Meta-analysis, in short, provides the point estimate of the unknown common truth.

ST Export World is active from 2009, its head office placed in New Delhi, India. The philosophy followed by ST Export World, from the establishment was to present a novelty product at a reasonable price. The field of textile industry, our passion for yarn has made the company a fashion arbiter. ST Export World has produced numerous trendy products with various blends and latest designs. Ultra- modern R & D Department is a major department in our company wherein our in-house designers present a new product by initially creating samples on processing looms and modernized machines. These samples are dyed and processed in our R & D lab on sample dyeing and finishing machines.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) as the name suggests is a progressive disorder with no known aetiology. It is characterised by the thickening of the alveoli due to scarring resulting in cough. It is known to primarily occur in older adults over 60 years of age. The findings of IPF have a known association of Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (UIP) (Raghu et al., 2011; Kawano-Dourado & Kairalla, 2013; Wells, 2013). It has been deemed that the prognosis is generally poor when UIP has been confirmed (King et al., 2001b). The median survival rate of IPF is 50%, typically around two years after diagnosis (Raghu et al., 2011; King et al., 2001b). The effects of IPF are known to be high in male than male wherein the condition affects patients aged 60. Such prevalence of IPF and its increased over the years are predominant; however, the cause of such a disease could not be clearly specified (Navaratnam et al., 2011; Raghu et al., 2006c). Furthermore, the prognosis of the disease is also poor wherein the mean estimated survival is between 2 and 5 years. It is further evident from NICE (2013) that the condition has become a focus with the new guidlines set by the UK towards the diagnosis and management of IPF.

This paper examines the need for encouraging market driven higher education higher education model in India. In this context, the present study is focussed on privatisation in the Indian higher education wing, the regulations of the government and the intricate issues underlying within the same. Hence, the present study analysed the perceptions of educational pioneers in India and their views towards privatisation of higher education in India. Methods- The present study is a qualitative research conducted with former vice chancellors, former Higher Education Minister, State of Karnataka and the administrators of private and public higher education institutions. Findings- The findings of the study revealed that a majority of respondents claimed privatisation to bring better prospects as the country’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) needs to be improved. Majority of participants belonging to public higher education institutions stated the significance of privatisation in the educational sector. Conclusions and Implications- Privatisation in Indian higher education should be encouraged; however, there is a need to connect Indian universities with industries to mitigate job crisis which is prevalent with increased human capital.

The WAC Journal

Justin King Rademaekers

Given the fluid and fast-paced nature of Brexit, this thesis incorporates the most recent and relevant political and legislative updates on both sides of the Channel and examines the future of UK-EU trade in financial services through the prism of the EU’s third-country equivalence regime on the one hand, and the 2014 Ukraine-EU Association Agreement on the other hand. Chapters 1 lays out the approach and methodology as well as the overarching assumptions used in created an analytical baseline; namely that the UK will negotiate on the basis of Prime Minister Theresa May’s ‘red lines’ on the customs union, internal market membership and CJEU oversight and that the UK’s withdrawal will thus take the form of a ‘hard’ Brexit. Chapter 2 begins by tracing the historical and political evolution of Anglo-European relations and then placing this evolution within the context of the 2016 Referendum. The chapter concludes by outlining the most recent developments in both the EU and the UK’s negotiating positions. Chapter 3.1 pays specific attention to the harmonisation of financial regulation at the European level before, during and after the 2008 financial crisis. The analysis therein posits the recent financial crisis as a turning point in the EU’s regulatory framework. Chapter 3.2 then discusses the UK’s position within the EU financial services sector in order to set the stage for the ensuing discussion on the future modalities for trade in financial services. Chapter 4 analyses the EU’s current framework for third-country equivalence relevant to four sub-sectors of the financial services industry: (1) market infrastructure, (2) investment firms and investment services, (3) asset management and (4) insurance and reinsurance. The chapter concludes with a discussion and analysis of the pitfalls of the EU’s current equivalence regime as applicable to the UK financial services industry and the possibility of Brexit serving as a catalyst for a rejigged ‘enhanced equivalence’ regime. Chapter 5 analyses the second modality for future trade (for the purposes of this comparison): an association agreement under Article 217 TFEU. The Ukraine-EU Association Agreement is specifically utilised as a framework given its depth vis-à-vis the EU’s other association agreements and the creation of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area between the EU and Ukraine. After discussing the Agreement’s specific provisions on liberalisation with respect to financial services, the chapter concludes by assessing the framework of the Ukraine agreement’s viability as a future model for the United Kingdom. Chapter 6 concludes with a restatement of the issues vis-à-vis the current equivalence regime and the regulatory approximation requirements within the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement. Finally, the conclusion juxtaposes the UK’s scope for regulatory arbitrage and the trade-offs between any de jure regulatory autonomy the UK may have post-Brexit against the de jure and de facto harmonisation that will likely entail any market access agreement between the EU and the UK.

Alice Myatt

Aksha Memon

A research proposal is a pre-written document which gives an overview of the research tactics. It gives a general idea of the objectives to be achieved and the ways and means to achieve it. Writing research proposal is however a challenging feat. Due to lack of clear guidance from any source, there are many substandard research proposals which are placed before evaluation committee. The researcher came across various people who had no clear understanding of the process and structure of research proposal or research design. This problem has led the researcher to develop a framework to guide the prospective researchers in framing their research design based on the following research questions.1) what is the procedure of writing the research proposal 2) what are the components of the research proposal.So, to give a clear picture about the problem the paper is divided into two parts I) Procedure of writing the research proposal II) Components of the research proposal. The procedure for writing the research proposal is discussed with regards to: 1) Identifying the problem 2) Deciding on the topic 3) Deciding the locale of study 4) Deciding on the data needs 5) Planning the source of data collection 6) Plotting down ways to collect data 7) Identifying methods for analyzing data collection 8) Establishing a basis for designing the Proposal. While the components of research proposal are discussed with regards to : 1) Cover page 2) Abstract 3) Keywords 4) Introduction 5) Review of literature 6) Statement of problem 7) Objectives of the study 8) Hypothesis of the study 9) Period of study 10) Methodology 11) Data analysis 12) Limitation of the study 13) Chapter framework 14) References 15) Appendices.

Journal of Academic Writing

Tiffany Chiu , Olga Rodriguez-Falcon

This research aims to evaluate the impact of an inclusive writing approach, which strives to embed academic literacy into subject curriculum, an initiative that ran across schools at a UK-based post-1992 university in 2015-16. As an exploratory investigation, this research drew on a redesigned social science transitional module, where academic writing provision is closely in line with the subject content and assessments. This project explores student perceptions and experiences of the embedded writing provision and the extent to which the intervention contributed to student attainment. Data were drawn from focus group discussions, where 41 students participated, and from student grades for the comparison of attainment rates across 2014-15 and 2015-16. The focus groups were analysed using NVivo 11 to identify key themes in relation to student views of the embedded academic literacy provision. Student grades were explored using MS Excel for the relative progress across academic years. The findings reveal the positive impact of the provision on students' attainment and confidence as learners and writers in higher education. This paper concludes with pedagogical implications and a discussion of potential areas for further research to investigate the diversification of support modes as to accommodate different learning styles of students.

Oxana Poverjuc

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Whether you're new to APA or have been using it for some time, these resources will set you on track for becoming more comfortable writing in this style.

• APA 7th Edition Paper Template in Word The template comes pre-structured with the correct headings, subheadings, and page layout, including font, margins, and spacing.
• APA 7th Edition Sample Paper
• APA Paper Checklist Consult this list to ensure that your APA paper includes all of the required elements and formatting.
• APA Tutoring Peer tutors can help you improve your use of APA style. Schedule an appointment with a Writing Lab peer tutor for assistance with available APA resources.
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• Last Updated: Jul 25, 2024 1:50 PM
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Proposal Templates

7+ apa research proposal templates – pdf, word.

The APA Style was developed by a team of social scientists that aimed to establish academic writing standards. The APA style is popular in the fields of Social Sciences but it can also be used in the student research proposal .

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How to write an APA Research Proposal

• Start with an abstract that will summarize the entire research proposal.
• Explain in detail the problem you chose to research and present the effects it will have on the scientific community. For a wider selection of research agreement templates, check out more options here.
• Make a list of all the research questions and the hypothesis that arise from those questions. You can also check for outline research proposal.
• Write the theoretical background of the research with adequate literature review.
• Choose carefully the research method you will follow and state it clearly and in detail in your proposal.

Tips to write Effective APA Research Proposal

• Conduct an extended literature review in order to cover all aspects of the research problem.
• Use formal writing in order to give a professional and academic look.
• In an academic proposal outline you need to use at least 10 references in order to add academic credibility to your work.
• Review your document for spelling and grammar, because errors will be considered as a fault.
• Don’t forget to state the significance of the study in order to show how it will add to the scientific knowledge. Check out more research report templates available here.

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The scientific method requires researchers or scholars to follow a specific set of guidelines and structure. After they have obtained the data, the researchers or scholars will need to create a structured research paper that will introduce and explain the finding to interested parties. The title page is the first part of the research paper the reader will encounter.

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11. Sample Traditional Title Page

What Is a Title Page?

The title page or the cover page is a single part of the research paper that will hold the title or label of the research paper. Not only that, but the title page will also list the significant people who have mainly contributed to the writing of the whole research paper.

How to Create an APA Title Page

The APA title page is very easy to make as it follows an easy-to-use APA format . The most recent variation of the title page follows the guidelines the APA 7 th edition has proposed.

Step 1: Ensure Proper Margin

The APA title page requires a 1-inch margin on all sides of the paper. This margin will be present throughout the whole research paper. You may also opt to use an outline or an APA outline format to help with the margins and the spacing of the APA title page.

Step 2: Write the Title of The Study

You must write down the title of the study at the beginning of the title page. Ensure that the title is centered, bold, and in Times New Roman with proper APA capitalization.

Step 3: List Out the Author/s’ Names and Institutional Affiliations

After you have written down the title of the study, you must list all of the authors’ names below the title with a double-spaced gap. The authors’ names must be alphabetically ordered. Afterward, you will need to write the authors’ institutional affiliation and their professor’s full name. Note that this portion of the title page is written in Times New Roman, with a font size of 12, and is centered below the title.

Step 4: Write Down the Date of Submission

You will also need to write down the date of submission below the name of the professor. Be sure that the date is the same day you will have to send and submit your research paper.

Step 5: Insert the Title Header

The APA format requires the person to add a running head with the title on the top part of the page. Said header will have the title of the paper on it following the APA capitalization rules.

What are the elements of an APA title page?

The APA title page follows a very stringent format or template that will always have or consist of five distinct elements or parts. The first and most prominent element of the APA title page is the title, which is the name of the label or the name of the whole research paper. The running head is the second element of an APA title page and is the title listed in the header. The next is the name of the institute or the institutional affiliation, which indicates the academic affiliation of the researcher/s. The last element of the APA title page is called the author’s note. These are the five elements that compose the APA title page.

MLA vs. APA Title Page; what is the difference between an MLA and an APA title page?

In the MLA style of writing the title page or cover page is fused with the introduction of the whole research paper. This means that the MLA title page is a single paragraph that will preface the paper. The only caveat is if one of the requirements for the MLA paper is a title page. The APA title page on the other hand is a single entity or element in the whole research paper eliciting its page. If one were to make an APA title page due to it being a requirement then one should make it similar to the APA title page.

Should an essay have a title page?

The presence of a title page entirely depends on whether or not the professors demand it. Unlike the bibliography or the APA format reference page , most essays do not have a title page and will instead follow the MLA format of having the title over the initial paragraph. If the essay is required to have a title page, then one should follow either a format given to them by their school or educator or use the format of an APA title page,

The title page is a single page that will list the whole title of the research paper alongside the author’s name and institutional affiliation. The main purpose of the title page is to provide the reader with small amounts of pertinent information about the research study and give a title to said the study. In conclusion, if one wants to make an APA research paper, then one will need to know how to create a properly formatted title page.

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2024 PRF Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Grant

Applications for the 2024 PRF Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Grant are now open.  

The Physiotherapy Research Foundation (PRF) is delighted to launch the PRF Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Grant.  

The purpose of this Grant is to assist Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander early-career physiotherapy researchers to undertake research that will contribute to the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The overarching principle of this grant is that research is led by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  

Applicants are required to complete an expression of interest (EOI) form, followed by a full application for those who are shortlisted. There is one $12,000 grant on offer in this round.  

Applications are considered predominantly on the basis of scientific merit, significance and positive impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples health and wellbeing, as well as team track record.

Grant writing tips

2024 prf grant writing tips.

Tips for grant success from the PRF Grants Review Committee 

Part of the purpose of the PRF grant application process is to enhance physiotherapists’ grant writing skills so they can be more competitive for this and other funding opportunities. To this end, the Grants Review Committee has provided some suggestions based on their experience assessing PRF and other successful grant applications. 

Ensure you directly address the evaluation criteria. 

• Read the evaluation criteria carefully as applications that do not address these will not score highly. 
• Use key words from the criteria and directly outline how your project addresses them. 

Make sure the methodology you are using, including your statistical analysis, is appropriate to answer each of the research questions proposed. 

• If your proposed study is a pilot/feasibility trial, ensure you utilise appropriate outcomes. 

Ensure all relevant research components are adequately discussed in the research proposal. 

• Allocate a proportionate amount of the application to all aspects (quantitative and qualitative as relevant) of the project. 
• If your proposed study is mixed or multi-methods, ensure all aspects are adequately discussed. 
• Describe the quantitative methodology including the recruitment strategy, eligibility criteria, sample size, outcome measures and analysis in detail, as relevant. 
• Describe the qualitative methodology including the sampling approach, eligibility criteria, sampling framework, sample size, and analysis in detail, as relevant. Ensure trustworthiness and rigour discussions are appropriate for qualitative research (e.g., not ‘reliability’ or ‘bias’ but ‘richness/depth’, ‘transferability’, ‘reflexivity’ or similar). 
• Use references to support your chosen methodology. 
• Discuss how you or your team have sufficient experience in your chosen study design and methodologies. 

Ensure adequate details are included for the knowledge translation strategy. 

• This section requires further details than simply saying you will publish your findings in a peer-reviewed journal and present at a particular conference (as these are considered passive dissemination strategies). 
• The strategy does not have to be completed within the project timeframe: it can include future plans of how you see your research findings being translated by, and generating impact for, relevant stakeholders, including healthcare providers, managers, policy-makers, informal caregivers, patients, and the public in the improvement of health. 
• Consider including a variety of elements of knowledge translation such as knowledge synthesis, knowledge dissemination, knowledge exchange and knowledge application. 
• The strategy should be appropriate for the project. For example, for basic science research, knowledge translation may also comprise application of the findings to future research (and an explanation of how this will be achieved). 
• Describe how you will access your target populations (e.g., team members have existing connections). Cont…/ 2024 PRF Grant Writing Tips 

Make sure you have a research team with the appropriate skills, expertise and time commitment to support your project. 

• Where appropriate, please consider including consumers/people with lived experience of the condition on the team. 

Consider your audience

• Your application might be reviewed by people who do not have specific expertise in this area. Have someone not associated with the project carefully read the application to identify any areas that are not clear or inconsistent. Offer to do this for other people too! Reading other grants is a great way to improve your skills. 

Address feedback from the EOI stage in the full application (only applicable if shortlisted to this stage) 

• Make sure you carefully consider any issues identified by reviewers. 
• While you do not necessarily need to provide a formal response, make sure it is clear in your full applications how any concerns will be addressed.

The applicant must: 

• be the Chief Investigator of the project
• hold current unconditional registration as a physiotherapist with AHPRA
• be an Australian Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander person currently reside in Australia
• be a financial member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) and maintain APA membership at the time of application and for the duration of the grant
• be an early career researcher.

For the purposes of this grant, an Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander person is someone who: 

• is of Australian and / or Torres Strait Islander descent
• identifies as an Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander person; and 
• is accepted as such by the community in which he or she lives or has lived.  

The applicant must not have received: 

• a PRF Seeding, Project or Tagged Grant previously as a Chief Investigator or 
• any research grant of more than $20,000 as a named lead investigator (e.g., CIA) including at the time of awarding this grant.

The completed EOI form and any relevant documents are to be sent via email to: Jenine Fleming

All submissions must be received by Sunday 18 August 2024, 11:30 pm AEDT . Receipt of your application will be acknowledged by return e-mail. 

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