A longer prospectus, such as a grant proposal or dissertation prospectus, typically devotes several pages to discussing the specific questions that your research will address. Discuss the importance of these answers. The next part of your prospectus will explain how your answers will have an impact on the scholarly research in the field.
If there is already an active discussion of the issues you raise, you should describe how your research will contribute to that discussion. If you're writing a prospectus for a research project in an undergraduate course, your professor likely won't expect you to contribute something new or profound to the field. However, graduate research and dissertations typically attempt to make a unique contribution to the area.
You may need to do some preliminary research before you can write this portion of your prospectus, particularly if you believe you are the only person ever to do research seeking specifically to answer the questions you've listed. Any statement you make regarding the importance of your research should be supported by research, and you should be able to defend those assertions to the people reviewing your prospectus. Make clear how your study will answer the questions you've raised.
Your answers to the questions you've posed is the thesis statement for your research. It is the statement that will guide your research and define what your research will prove. You want your thesis statement to be as clear as possible. If you find it difficult to craft a clear answer to the questions you've presented, it may be that your questions aren't as clear as they could be.
Keep in mind that if your question is vague or muddled, you're going to have a hard time coming up with a clear, definitive thesis statement. Summarize your interests and qualifications. This portion of your prospectus may not be necessary if you're writing a shorter prospectus for an undergraduate project.
However, for graduate projects, dissertations, or grant applications, you typically are expected to explain why you're the right person to complete this project. For grant applications, information about yourself as a person and your personal interest in the topic you plan to research also can be important.
When deciding which projects to fund, having a personal commitment or dedication to a particular issue may give you an edge. Depending on the type of research you plan to do, you also may have to outline your position and your access or ability to gather various types of information, such as archives or classified documents. Part 2. Outline the chapters of your paper or project. For longer papers or books, your prospectus should provide a summary of how the whole project will come together and what your finished product will look like.
At this early stage, your paper likely will change as you get into your research or start gathering the data and crunching numbers to work on your project. You can create specific paragraphs or an outline, or you can write this section in a single seamless narrative. For shorter papers, that's probably all this section will be — essentially a couple of paragraphs that tell the readers how you anticipate you'll organize the final report on the project.
Break down the phases or stages of your research. Particularly in social science or hard science research projects, you'll have a specific order in which your work must be done. If you're not doing any experiments or data collecting on your own, this section may not be applicable. For scientific experiments, this is the place where you'll describe the steps in the experiment.
If you're doing a project in the humanities, the stages of your research may not be as clear-cut as they would be if you were doing a research project for a more scientific discipline. Estimate the time it will take you to complete your project. If you're writing a prospectus for a class research project, your time may not be flexible — you must complete your project by the end of the class.
In these situations, you should provide an estimate in your prospectus of when you believe your project will be completed. Coming up with a timeline and ultimate deadline of when the research will be completed is particularly important if you're applying for a grant.
How long you think it will take to complete your research affects the feasibility of the project, which is ultimately how your prospectus will be evaluated. Be realistic in what you can do within the time constraints you have.
Keep in mind that while you may be able to get an extension if your research ends up taking longer than you anticipated in your prospectus, you also may be expected to justify the reasons you need more time or explain why the initial estimate in your prospectus was incorrect.
Calculate the amount of money your project or study will cost. Particularly for larger research projects, you'll need to describe all of the costs of performing your study, and how you arrived at any estimations.
Typically you'll need to include expenses such as fees for access to archives or for copying, any costs for data collecting, and rentals of lab or other equipment. You also should include a list of any resources you plan to use for which you anticipate there being no cost, such as use of the university library or computers and employment of student volunteers.
Part 3. Review any assignment information. If you're writing your prospectus for a university project, your professor or department likely will have specific guidelines you must follow to format and submit your prospectus.
The guidelines also typically will include details on which citation method you should use, and may include details on using a particular style guide that will govern word usage, grammar, and punctuation rules.
Instead, include a statement of hypothesis or of the central research questions. The prospectus should then offer an overview of the project organization. If the project is large enough for chapters, include a breakdown of them.
If special skills or assistance such as foreign language competency, access to archives or special collections, technical skills, or access to technical equipment are needed to complete your project, the prospectus should address your preparation in these areas.
Part of your goal is, in essence, to "sell" your research supervisors on both your project and yourself as a researcher. Cover the ground well, presenting yourself and your project as intellectually convincing.
Developing an initial prospectus will help faculty understand where you are in the research process and help you bring focus to your research throughout the experience. For graduate students looking for expert advice on planning, drafting, and revising their research paper, dissertation, presentation, or any other writing project.
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