Research Proposal Format

We are asking for a short (approximately 5 pages) research proposal on your intended topic. Again, this may not be exactly what you do in the program, but it will provide insight into how you are thinking about your topic.

Please ensure that you include in-text citations and references. Format style (Chicago, APA, MLA, etc.) is up to you.

The “mini proposal” should include the following:

Title

1. Introduction

• Outline the goals/aims/objectives of the study and the problem it addresses
• What is the main research question?

2. Background

• Succinctly summarize what is already known about the topic and how your research fits into it.

3. Research Design (Methodology and Methods)

• Describe how you might go about answering your research question. For example, what methods would you use? How would you collect and analyze the data?

4. Summary

• End with a brief summary of your proposal. e.g. goals, what it will contribute, potential relevance, and implications.

5. References

• Full bibliographic citations of references used in your proposal.