Proposal写好了，等于整个research就成功了一半。
Proposal Title(研究标题):在这里把即将进行的研究及时书面报告的完整标题呈现，表明研究的主题和内容。
Abstract(摘要):万字左右的论文，200词左右的摘要差不多了，简要介绍研究的目的，主题，方法，可能的研究发现等
Introduction(引言):和abstract有点类似，不过这部分通常交代一下研究topic的背景和本proposal的主要内容和目的。
Research Significance(研究意义):这部分主要是表明即将开展的研究是有意义的，或是弥补了前人尚未研究完善或未研究彻底的课题，或是出现了新的问题需要本研究来解决等，总之不管在理论还是实践上都必须有价值，否则研究毫无意义。
Research Background(研究背景):这里可以交代一下这个研究问题、目前学术界的研究进展，研究条件等。
Research Objectives and Research Question(研究目标和研究问题):这部分尤为关键，是整个研究的核心，没有研究目标和亟待回答的研究问题，研究就会没了方向，好比一艘船没了掌舵的，这样的研究是难以进行的。
Literature Review(文献综述): 这个部分的作用是对所研究领域或专业的课题，问题或研究专题大量相关资料；通过分析，阅读，整理，提炼当前课题，问题或研究专题的最新进展，学术见解或建议，做出综合性介绍和阐述。自己的研究需要相对于前人的研究有所补充或发展。
Methodology(方法论):这部分包括研究设计(research design)，具体研究方法(research methods)，数据收集(data collection)，抽样(sampling)和数据分析(data analysis)。methodology简单规划了研究是以何种方式进行的。
Timescale(时间规划):这部分相当于是对研究的每个部分所花时间，每个时间段做什么，整体进度，整体截止日期等的一个计划。
Budget(预算):一些研究步骤是需要花费一定金钱才能完成的，预算一般包含personnel services，travel expenses，technology cost等。
另外，有些研究还需要做访谈，问卷调查等来获取数据，这个时候，proposal里面还需要以appendix(附录)形式附上访谈的问题或者问卷的items，加上这些，才能算是一份完整的研究计划。
Research proposal是研究计划，是申请高校时要提交的一份材料，和PS不同，RP是纯学术的，需要有一个明确清晰完整的研究计划对对其有良好的掌控。
相信对每个出国留学的同学来说都不陌生，即便不是文科商科，例如音乐美术等一些专业，你都逃不了写Proposal。在写毕业论文前，申请博士学位前，导师都会要求你写研究计划。
1.Research Proposal是什么？
Research Proposal解释申请人读博要做什么的，是读博课题和计划的解释汇总。Research Proposal就是清楚告诉你导师你研究课题的价值，你是否具备完成这个课题的能力，以及包括一个完整的工作进度表。
2.写Proposal难点在哪里？
从未写过Proposal，也没有相关课程教怎么写。再者本科生的写学术文章比较少，语句，表达方面较差（用第一人称）。而且不具备强大的检索、阅读、整理、分析英文文献综述的能力。
3.Research Proposal结构：
Research question（研究课题）
也就是题目，用一小段话概括你整个研究计划。
Abstract/outlining（研究摘要）
包含研究主题，目标和研究方法，主要陈述你的研究理由，问题等一些问题
Introduction（引言）
作为Research Proposal的第一部分，这里可以陈述你的研究问题，研究背景，研究目的等。
Literature Review（文献综述）
作为研究背景的第二部分补充，有的同学喜欢把LR作为一个独立部分写，也有放进引言部分的。文献综述就是对前人研究的总结，需要一定的时间去阅读相关文献，对前人研究进行分析整理，对前人的研究进行评论和分析。
Research Methods（研究方法）
研究计划的方法，并陈述这些方法的可行性。包括你的研究假设，所采用的研究方法，研究方法可能有多种，不同选题，研究方法也不一样，常用的有访问和调查问卷。至少两种以上研究方法，定量研究和定性研究。
Reference（参考文献）
不多说。。
4.Research Proposal怎么写?
写这个东西主要是为了让导师了解你，你可以觉得是你的个人简历/自我介绍，不是用来作为未来学术规划。
这给研究计划怎么写，应该要说清楚，你做过什么，有那些学术基础，你这些经历的价值所在，这些东西目前的进度进展如何，怎么去解决
要确定和解决三个问题（2W1H）:
1.打算做什么？
2.为什么这样做？
3.如何做？
比如：为什么这个问题重要？为什么他很难解决？为什么要解决他？
英国读研究生毕业论文一般是50分及格，有两次机会，都没通过只能拿到Postgraduate Diploma，这个不是硕士学位，只是一个高等教育文凭，国内也不认可的，最简单的办法就是把diploma认成degree
英国硕士的毕业论文确实很难写，我当初就是找英国翰思教育辅导的。他们会给安排专业对口的老师帮你梳理专业知识点，还会辅导你毕业论文写作结构还有注意要点，写好之后还会帮忙进行一个润色修改，还会提供查重率检测报告，服务态度很好，而且专业度很强，强推！
每个学术研究者必须经历的一道关卡，就是Research Proposal的写作。它大致对应中文里的“开题报告”、“选题报告”、“研究报告”，是一项研究开始之前的提纲、规划和陈述；既是为了帮助自己梳理文献、整理思路、廓清方向，也常常是写给相关他人的说明：研究动机和意义何在？可能有何成果？为什么它值得你的资助/认可/支持/批准？不知道是否可以说，好的proposal是研究成功的一半。但实际而功利的说，如果你的proposal很烂，可能根本就不会有开始研究的机会。
How to write a research proposal?
能否写出漂亮的proposal，本质上取决于你对研究的思考深度和专业水准。但形式也很重要。英文的Research Proposal自有一套“八股”。程式化和结构化的好处就在于，可以让读者直接集中注意到最本质的内容上，而不是为形式分神。对于非英语native speaker的我们，如何理解英文学术世界的规范或曰思维定势，也是写作proposal之前必备的背景知识。下面这篇流传甚广的Research Proposal写作指南，言简意赅，颇具启发，对我自己的写作有所帮助，也希望能给更多的学界同仁带来便利。
文章作者Paul T. P. Wong, Ph.D., C.Psych. (Research Director, Graduate Program in Counselling Psychology. Trinity Western University Langley, BC, Canada). 题为：How to Write a Research Proposal. 全文转载如下：
Most students and beginning researchers do not fully understand what a research proposal means, nor do they understand its importance. To put it bluntly, one’s research is only as a good as one’s proposal. An ill-conceived proposal dooms the project even if it somehow gets through the Thesis Supervisory Committee. A high quality proposal, on the other hand, not only promises success for the project, but also impresses your Thesis Committee about your potential as a researcher.
A research proposal is intended to convince others that you have a worthwhile research project and that you have the competence and the work-plan to complete it. Generally, a research proposal should contain all the key elements involved in the research process and include sufficient information for the readers to evaluate the proposed study.
Regardless of your research area and the methodology you choose, all research proposals must address the following questions: What you plan to accomplish, why you want to do it and how you are going to do it.
The proposal should have sufficient information to convince your readers that you have an important research idea, that you have a good grasp of the relevant literature and the major issues, and that your methodology is sound.
The quality of your research proposal depends not only on the quality of your proposed project, but also on the quality of your proposal writing. A good research project may run the risk of rejection simply because the proposal is poorly written. Therefore, it pays if your writing is coherent, clear and compelling.
This paper focuses on proposal writing rather than on the development of research ideas.
Title:
It should be concise and descriptive. For example, the phrase, “An investigation of . . .” could be omitted. Often titles are stated in terms of a functional relationship, because such titles clearly indicate the independent and dependent variables. However, if possible, think of an informative but catchy title. An effective title not only pricks the reader’s interest, but also predisposes him/her favourably towards the proposal.
Abstract:
It is a brief summary of approximately 300 words. It should include the research question, the rationale for the study, the hypothesis (if any), the method and the main findings. Descriptions of the method may include the design, procedures, the sample and any instruments that will be used.
Introduction:
The main purpose of the introduction is to provide the necessary background or context for your research problem. How to frame the research problem is perhaps the biggest problem in proposal writing.
If the research problem is framed in the context of a general, rambling literature review, then the research question may appear trivial and uninteresting. However, if the same question is placed in the context of a very focused and current research area, its significance will become evident.
Unfortunately, there are no hard and fast rules on how to frame your research question just as there is no prescription on how to write an interesting and informative opening paragraph. A lot depends on your creativity, your ability to think clearly and the depth of your understanding of problem areas.
However, try to place your research question in the context of either a current “hot” area, or an older area that remains viable. Secondly, you need to provide a brief but appropriate historical backdrop. Thirdly, provide the contemporary context in which your proposed research question occupies the central stage. Finally, identify “key players” and refer to the most relevant and representative publications. In short, try to paint your research question in broad brushes and at the same time bring out its significance.
The introduction typically begins with a general statement of the problem area, with a focus on a specific research problem, to be followed by the rational or justification for the proposed study. The introduction generally covers the following elements:
1. State the research problem, which is often referred to as the purpose of the study.
2. Provide the context and set the stage for your research question in such a way as to show its necessity and importance.
3. Present the rationale of your proposed study and clearly indicate why it is worth doing.
4. Briefly describe the major issues and sub-problems to be addressed by your research.
5. Identify the key independent and dependent variables of your experiment. Alternatively, specify the phenomenon you want to study.
6. State your hypothesis or theory, if any. For exploratory or phenomenological research, you may not have any hypotheses. (Please do not confuse the hypothesis with the statistical null hypothesis.)
7. Set the delimitation or boundaries of your proposed research in order to provide a clear focus.
8. Provide definitions of key concepts. (This is optional.)
Literature Review:
Sometimes the literature review is incorporated into the introduction section. However, most professors prefer a separate section, which allows a more thorough review of the literature.
The literature review serves several important functions:
1. Ensures that you are not “reinventing the wheel”.
2. Gives credits to those who have laid the groundwork for your research.
3. Demonstrates your knowledge of the research problem.
4. Demonstrates your understanding of the theoretical and research issues related to your research question.
5. Shows your ability to critically evaluate relevant literature information.
6. Indicates your ability to integrate and synthesize the existing literature.
7. Provides new theoretical insights or develops a new model as the conceptual framework for your research.
8. Convinces your reader that your proposed research will make a significant and substantial contribution to the literature (i.e., resolving an important theoretical issue or filling a major gap in the literature).
Most students’ literature reviews suffer from the following problems:
* Lacking organization and structure
* Lacking focus, unity and coherence
* Being repetitive and verbose
* Failing to cite influential papers
* Failing to keep up with recent developments
* Failing to critically evaluate cited papers
* Citing irrelevant or trivial references
* Depending too much on secondary sources
Your scholarship and research competence will be questioned if any of the above applies to your proposal.
There are different ways to organize your literature review. Make use of subheadings to bring order and coherence to your review. For example, having established the importance of your research area and its current state of development, you may devote several subsections on related issues as: theoretical models, measuring instruments, cross-cultural and gender differences, etc.
It is also helpful to keep in mind that you are telling a story to an audience. Try to tell it in a stimulating and engaging manner. Do not bore them, because it may lead to rejection of your worthy proposal. (Remember: Professors and scientists are human beings too.)
Methods:
The Method section is very important because it tells your Research Committee how you plan to tackle your research problem. It will provide your work plan and describe the activities necessary for the completion of your project.
The guiding principle for writing the Method section is that it should contain sufficient information for the reader to determine whether methodology is sound. Some even argue that a good proposal should contain sufficient details for another qualified researcher to implement the study.
You need to demonstrate your knowledge of alternative methods and make the case that your approach is the most appropriate and most valid way to address your research question.
Please note that your research question may be best answered by qualitative research. However, since most mainstream psychologists are still biased against qualitative research, especially the phenomenological variety, you may need to justify your qualitative method.
Furthermore, since there are no well-established and widely accepted canons in qualitative analysis, your method section needs to be more elaborate than what is required for traditional quantitative research. More importantly, the data collection process in qualitative research has a far greater impact on the results as compared to quantitative research. That is another reason for greater care in describing how you will collect and analyze your data. (How to write the Method section for qualitative research is a topic for another paper.)
For quantitative studies, the method section typically consists of the following sections:
1. Design -Is it a questionnaire study or a laboratory experiment? What kind of design do you choose?
2. Subjects or participants - Who will take part in your study ? What kind of sampling procedure do you use?
3. Instruments - What kind of measuring instruments or questionnaires do you use? Why do you choose them? Are they valid and reliable?
4. Procedure - How do you plan to carry out your study? What activities are involved? How long does it take?
Results:
Obviously you do not have results at the proposal stage. However, you need to have some idea about what kind of data you will be collecting, and what statistical procedures will be used in order to answer your research question or test you hypothesis.
Discussion:
It is important to convince your reader of the potential impact of your proposed research. You need to communicate a sense of enthusiasm and confidence without exaggerating the merits of your proposal. That is why you also need to mention the limitations and weaknesses of the proposed research, which may be justified by time and financial constraints as well as by the early developmental stage of your research area.
Common Mistakes in Proposal Writing
1. Failure to provide the proper context to frame the research question.
2. Failure to delimit the boundary conditions for your research.
3. Failure to cite landmark studies.
4. Failure to accurately present the theoretical and empirical contributions by other researchers.
5. Failure to stay focused on the research question.
6. Failure to develop a coherent and persuasive argument for the proposed research.
7. Too much detail on minor issues, but not enough detail on major issues.
8. Too much rambling — going “all over the map” without a clear sense of direction. (The best proposals move forward with ease and grace like a seamless river.)
9. Too many citation lapses and incorrect references.
10. Too long or too short.
11. Failing to follow the APA style.
12. Slopping writing.
下面是来自其他一些学术从业者关于如何写proposal的意见：
Writing Research Proposals, Drew University On-line resources for writers.
Guide to Writing a Research Proposal, University of Technology, Sydney. (A research proposal is required for admission to the program.)
Beginners Guide to the Research Proposal, University of Calgary Centre for Advancement of Health.
The Art of Writing Proposals: Some Candid Suggestions for Applicants to Social Science Research Council Competitions, Adam Przeworski and Frank Salomon.
The Elements of a Proposal, Frank Pajares, Emory University.
以及，关于如何写学位论文proposal的指导（Dissertation Proposal Writing and some strategies for completing the dissertation）
Dissertation Proposal Workshop, Institute of International Studies, UC-Berkeley.
Writing and Presenting your Thesis or Dissertation , LearningAssociates.net.
Dissertation/Project Hints: Proposal Writing, Hazel Hall, School of Computing, Napier University, Edinburgh, UK.
Writing Theses and Dissertations, Claremont Graduate University Writing Center.
