What should the final section of a proposal include?

Your proposal cannot exceed 10,000 words so please follow the instructions carefully. All proposals have to cover the same core material: description of a problem or issue, a review of relevant literature, identification of research questions or hypotheses, description of appropriate methods to address those concerns.

Different disciplines have different styles in how they structure this material. This page provides two different templates and more be added as they are developed or needed. Please check with your supervisors as to the template they want you to use.

Template 1: For students working in sociological, philosophical, and critical theory perspectives.

Template 2: For students working in psychological and scientific perspectives.

One or two paragraphs that summarise what you will do in the research project and how you will do it.

2. Problem, question or hypothesis

The key details, approaches or framings the research project will focus on. If hypotheses are appropriate they should be stated along with a rationale. If a hypothesis isn’t appropriate, the research problems or questions should be clearly stated and examined.

3. Importance of the research topic

Your thesis must make an original contribution to knowledge. Thus, you must show how your proposed research is important enough to justify your efforts (and the efforts of anyone else involved in your research). You should should also include a statement about how the solution to the problem, or the answer to the question, can influence educational theory or practice.

4. Significant prior research

This should comprehensively demonstrate that you are aware of the major relevant sources of information in your chosen area. Most research projects arise out of considerable prior research, which should be summarised. You also need to show the relationship between your question or problem and this prior research.

5. Research methodology

The methodology section is one of the most important sections of your proposal. It demonstrates your understanding of the steps and skills necessary to undertake your intended research. It should be as explicit as possible, detailing how you will collect, analyse and present your data or research.

Examples of methodologies include:

Quantitative or qualitative research
Experimental methods in psychological research
A specialised approach to analysing concepts in philosophical research

Your choice of methodology should be justified by your research questions. For example if you are examining the relationship between two or more phenomena, a correlational methodology would be appropriate. Alternatively, a case study methodology would be appropriate for researching complex phenomena in their natural setting.

Be sure to describe your intended data collection and analysis techniques with as much detail as possible. They might change as you conduct your research, but you must still demonstrate that you have given a lot of thought into the practicalities of your research at this early stage. You should also note any major questions yet to be decided upon.

If you are gathering a sample of people or documents, you should outline your procedures for choosing this sample.

If you intend on giving interviews or handing out questionnaires, you should provide examples of the types of questions you will ask.

If you intend on using experimental situations to collect data, you should describe as many of its elements as possible. This could include:

Your chosen subject types (age, school level, quantity)
Types of materials to be used
What will be measured (achievement, attitudes, beliefs, etc)
Data collection methods (self-reporting, observation, clinical diagnosis)

6. Ethical considerations

All university research is expected to conform to acceptable ethical standards and proposals. Research involving human participants must also be approved before the research commences by the University of Auckland Human Subjects Ethics Committee.

Ethical concerns can arise in how research is conducted and the ways these research findings may later be used. You must take into account any areas of responsibility towards your research subjects at the planning stage, and provide strategies for addressing them in the methodology.

Examples of areas of responsibility could include:

The securing of informed consent
Confidentiality
Preservation of anonymity
Avoidance of deception or adverse effects

A research proposal involving Māori and minority groups/communities should demonstrate that the researcher has had adequate background preparation for working in that area. It should also outline the extent to which members of that group/community will be involved or consulted in the overall supervision of the project and the dissemination of the research findings.

To read the University’s ethics guidelines and submit an application, visit the Human Participants Ethics Committee page.

7. Analysis of information

How you intend to analyse your gathered information is a vital part of the assessment of your research proposal. You should clearly describe how you can answer your research questions based on the information you have gathered. In other words, "How will you figure out what it all means?"

Be explicit. For example, if you plan to collect evidence by a questionnaire and subsequent statistical analysis, you should describe the likely method of analysis and possible outcomes.

In another example, if you plan to use a case study approach, describe how you plan to identify the key themes and patterns in your data and the procedures you will use to check the validity of your analysis.

Sample analysis description

"The analysis of variance procedure will be used to determine whether the total score on the questionnaire is greater for experienced teachers, as expected than, for teachers in training.

“If, however, teachers in training are found to have a higher score this would mean that…"

This section should contain a paragraph or two that defines the limits of your research. It’s common for students to try to do too much. This section is useful in defining how much you will undertake and the key assumptions that you will follow in building your arguments, models, or experiments.

Again be specific. Make statements such as, "This argument assumes that…", and "This research will not…".

9. References or bibliography

This final section details the major readings cited in your proposal, or the literature that contextualises your proposed research.

A proposal is the document that facilitates a professional relationship between an organization and outside contributors. Typically, a project proposal is the initial framework for establishing the concept of the project and includes what you want to accomplish, an explanation of objectives and plans for achieving them. It is common for a project proposal to include a list of activities or tasks that will be associated with the project, illustrate the significance of this specific project idea and explain the origins of this project.

A proposal is also the marketing document that kicks off a relationship between an organization and outside project stakeholders. Creating a proposal allows an organization to establish a formal, logical presentation to an outside worker or project donor. Proposals are generally drafted during one of the early phases of your project (before detailed plans are made and resources are allocated). Therefore, time and budget estimates are often rough, at best.

First and foremost, a proposal is required to get executive buy-in for a new project, program, or service at your organization. Secondly, it is used to get everyone on the team thinking about the same goals and priorities. Lastly, it serves as as way for the organization to know when they need to make new hiring decisions or budget adjustments. Successful organizations get granular with their project proposals and engage in project planning before seeking out budget or executive buy-in.

Clear proposals prove the viability of a project or program.

Increase clarity regarding requirements and project roadmap.

Structure and organization is established up front, reducing the chance for misalignment.

Successful proposals lead to approved budgets and financial support for organizational growth and project replication.

Proposals play an integral part in organizational growth, helping in budget approval and new client adoption.

Reaching out to stakeholders and building alliances increases credibility and exposure in the community at large.

Having detailed your project’s methods and measurement tools in advance builds accountability into every step of your work.

Integrating grant writing into day-to-day work turns proposals into useful planning documents and detailed templates for project implementation.

A formally solicited project proposal is established in response to an official request for a new proposal. In this case, a Request for Proposal (RFP) document is used to outline client demands and specific needs. A formally solicited proposal is the structured and specific response to said RFP. Having an RFP makes the entire proposal process easier. As the specifics are spelled out, project planning can prevent misunderstandings or a lack of information that may cause complications later.

An informally solicited proposal does not require an RFP. That is, there is no specific document required to outline customer or audience demands. This is the initial rough starting point when proposing a project’s viability. The major differentiator between a formal and informal project proposal is the number of details involved in planning. Informal proposals lack granular project details, such as goals, deliverables and methods. An informally solicited project proposal can be understood as a proposal request that is lacking specifics.

Unsolicited project proposals can be compared to a cold call — no one asked for or expected to receive one, but if the audience can relate to the proposal, it can prove extremely valuable. An unsolicited proposal is typically formed from more ad-hoc activities, such as an “aha” moment or an enlightening conversation with a customer. Unsolicited proposals can be the most difficult types to write, as you will have to put extra work in to convince the audience of the project’s viability. Many times, these proposals require the most research and the most finesse, as the audience is unaware that the proposal is even coming their way.

Continuation project proposals are essentially an update or reminder for ongoing and already approved projects. This type of proposal is the simplest to construct, as it is a continuation of already existing documentation. A continuation proposal can be thought of as a check-in with the audience to ensure the correct funds are provided for the next phase, as well as discussing progress and accounting for any changes before moving forward.

A renewal project proposal is required when an ongoing project has been terminated or the resources and support behind such project can no longer be used. This proposal is more about proving that the return on investment is greater than the money being spent on resources so that the project can begin again.

A supplemental project proposal is required when more resources are required to complete a project than were originally proposed. The main goal of a supplemental proposal is to prove the value of adding resources and update the audience with a timeline based on this new plan. Many times, a supplemental proposal is required when the original project scope has grown beyond initial expectations. It can be seen as a continuation of the original proposal document.

A project proposal is not a contract. It’s easy to confuse it with a Business Proposal (a document in which legal terms are outlined). Clients or sponsors merely sign the project proposal to approve its contents. After signing and approving the project proposal, a business starts drafting a contract in addition to items such as a project charter and a project plan.

After considering what type of proposal is the best fit for you and your project, it is time to start planning your document.

It is imperative to keep in mind that, regardless of the proposal type, you will always want to check the following boxes when starting a proposal document.

Define your audience.
Determine the problem being solved by your proposal.
Conduct research on the current state of the issue and potential solutions.
Proactively determine the effect that this project will have on company success.
Establish a timeline and determine the type and amount of resources required.
Begin to outline your proposal document.

Sample Project Proposal Outline

This section intends to provide a high-level picture of the project as well as convey the most critical project details.

Include the following in this section

Name of the Organization
Project Title
Project Summary
Project Timeframe
Prepared By
Attached Documentation
Project Contacts (any individuals involved in the project)

The goal of this section is to present the reasons for doing this project as well as stating all of the objectives. In this section in particular, it is very important to write concisely and clearly. Some project professionals even suggest writing the project summary last.

Before you begin writing, you should be able to answer the following questions.

Why are you doing this project?
What will you be doing?
How will you be doing it?
Who will be doing it?
Where will it be done?
How long will it take?
How much will it cost?
Project Background This section of the proposal requires a few succinct sentences that clarify the problem your proposal is tackling. Here, it is critical to explain the current state of the problem and why your audience should care about solving it. Make sure to include references and statistics in this section. Best practice is to keep this no longer than 1 page.
Project Objectives Use this section of the proposal to explicitly list the goals that the project is trying to achieve.

The project methodology section of a proposal is where you detail the plan for how the objectives mentioned in the previous section will be achieved. This is the first section of the proposal that details the course of action to remedy the problem and is meant to prove that adequate research has been done for this decision. To start, outline the methodology being used, the population being addressed and establish the process for reaching your objectives.

This section is typically broken into three parts

The Project Approach Summary Use a few sentences to describe the overall approach to the project. This includes how the team will be organized, what tools will be used and how changes will be addressed during execution.
Task Breakdown and Time Estimates This is the section of the proposal where a detailed project schedule is presented. To start, make a list of tasks that are required for the project as well as an estimation of the hours required to complete each one. From there, you can take a look at your resource pool and allocate your team accordingly. The purpose of this section is to establish the time and steps it will take to achieve the solution, as well as the resources involved in each section. Here is where you start to see ideas turn into action. A project proposal will often include a gantt chart outlining the resources, tasks and timeline.
Project Deliverables This is where you list out all the deliverables you expect to see after the project is closed. For example, this could be products, information, or reports that you plan to deliver to a client. Ensure that each deliverable has an associated estimated delivery date.

This section is dedicated to managing change during project execution. Clients know that a proposal rarely covers everything that is required to achieve the given project, so change management techniques are required. Establish how you will monitor project success throughout its entire life cycle to show clients that when and if change occurs, the project will not go haywire.

This section is broken into two parts

Risk Management Plan A detailed plan of action to minimize the chance of risk or change during the project lifecycle.
Risk Register A line-item list of risks and potential counter efforts that will be used to counteract these risks.

This section is dedicated to estimating the overall cost of the proposed project.

This section is broken into three major parts

Project Budget This should be a detailed, line-item budget broken up by different project categories, such as travel, salary, or supplies. Ensure all overhead or indirect costs are also included in the budget.
Budget Narrative This is a brief list of commentaries on the budget if any further clarification or justification is needed.
Additional Financial Statements Some projects, depending on complexity, will require additional financial statements like a profit and loss statement, a tax return, or funding sources.

The conclusion section of a project proposal intends to be a brief review of all the points already discussed. This is your last chance to win over your audience, so ensure that you incorporate the most important evidence to receive approval. This is also the final moment to prove you have adequately researched all solutions and your proposed method is the best for business.

This section is dedicated to any additional charts, graphs, images, or reports that were cited in the proposal. Many times, referenced material will go into the appendix as it does not naturally fall into the main body copy of the proposal.

Determine your project proposal type first for an effective presentation.
Make sure your proposal targets your audience and clearly defines the problems it will solve.
Follow the seven sections of a proposal to more effectively convince your audience.

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