How to Write a Research Proposal

A research proposal explains what you will study, why it matters, how you will do it, what it will cost and how you will manage risks. A good proposal is concise, logically consistent and shows that you have thought through feasibility and ethics.

Structure and what each part must answer

Writing steps

1. Start with the question and objectives.
2. Write the methods as if explaining them to an expert reviewer.
3. Justify the sample size or explain why none is calculated.
4. Add risks and mitigation (recruitment, missing data).
5. Draft background last, to match what the methods need.
6. Ask a mentor to review for logic and feasibility.

Illustrative example

Invented for teaching. A weak methods paragraph: "We will study patients with diabetes." Stronger: "We will include adults aged 18 or older with type 2 diabetes attending the outpatient clinic from January to June 2027, excluding pregnancy. The primary outcome is HbA1c at 6 months, abstracted from clinical records, analysed with a linear model adjusted for baseline HbA1c."

Common pitfalls

• A background that reads like a review and ignores the question.
• Methods that do not match objectives.
• Unrealistic timelines.

Key takeaways

• Make the logic visible: gap → question → methods → analysis.
• Use MRN's free research proposal template as a scaffold.

This page is general educational information about research methods. It is not medical, legal or regulatory advice; follow your institution's ethics board and your target journal's instructions.