WRITING PROPOSALS
At various times, you may be asked to submit a proposal. Of course, the most important part of the proposal is the idea being proposed. But a great idea will be ignored, turned down, or criticized if your audience does not understand the proposal. Thus, the writing--successfully communicating your idea--becomes paramount. Tips for Writing Proposals Components of a Proposal The following headings and sections will work for most proposals. However, you should tailor your sections (and headers) to fit your topic. Introduction Research question Literature Review Rationale Method Resources Required Projected Timetable Bibliography This handout was developed by Staci Stone, Department of English, University of South Carolina. You are welcome to bring a draft of your paper to the Writing Center for more help. Call 777-2078 for an appointment or for more information.
The purpose of my project/research is to. . .
Explain the topic and your particular research question/project. Begin generally, followed by specifics. A proposal's introduction is similar to an essay's: grab the reader's attention, introduce the topic, describe the key points and significance, and state your idea. The introductory section does not have to be limited to one paragraph.
This section is relatively brief. Simply restate your question and its significance and mention the method. No description or examples are involved here.
Provide the reader with the background information needed to understand the overall topic. Give specific citations to articles and books. Use quotations. If research similar to your proposed project has been conducted, definitely include it and differentiate yours from it. The purpose of this section is to explain the topic and to show that the idea is new.
This section could also be entitled "Significance"; in it you should persuasively argue for your project's value. Why is this research important? How will the results be used?
Provide a detailed description of the proposed research project. This section may have several subsections, as the project dictates. For example, "Subjects or Participants," "Evaluation," "Procedure," "Instrument."
Explain, in paragraph or list form, the items required for completion of the project. Usually, the primary resource needed is financial backing. Attaching a project budget may be necessary.
Include an estimate of how long the proposed project will take. Usually, timetables are presented as charts.
Finally, attach the bibliography; it should include the bibliographic information for all sources cited throughout the proposal. Be sure to use the appropriate citation style, such as APA or MLA.