research proposal for social science

Regardless of the research problem you are investigating and the methodology you choose, all research proposals must address the following questions: What do you plan to accomplish? Be clear and succinct in defining the research problem and what it is you are proposing to investigate.

The purpose of a research proposal is a) to persuade your reader of the value of your research question, b) to show you have a clear idea of where your research sits in existing knowledge, and c) to demonstrate how you plan to answer your question.

Writing Research Proposals for Social Sciences and Humanities in a Higher Education Context. By George Damaskinidis and Anastasia Christodoulou. This book first published 2019 . Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK.

The goal of a research proposal is to present and justify the need to study a research problem and to present the practical ways in which the proposed study should be conducted.

You will find here two examples of proposals for postgraduate research from the Department of Social Policy and Criminology. They both give good indication of the sorts of things that need to be included.

This Guide is intended to provide a simple and basic overview of funding for social and behavioral science graduate students that describes predoctoral opportunities, and also provides guidance for postdoctoral and early career funding.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research. The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements: Title page; Introduction; Literature review; Research design; Reference list

How to write a research proposal. 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.

Research Proposal Aims. Relevance. Show your reader why your project is interesting, original, and important. Context. Demonstrate your comfort and familiarity with your field. Show that you understand the current state of research on your topic. Approach. Make a case for your methodology.

This guide was originally created for AN510 / AR510: Proposal Writing for Social Science Research. Advanced undergraduate and graduate students in other social science and humanities fields may also find this guide helpful as they prepare to write grant proposals, theses or dissertations.