Writing a Research Proposal
Full course description
You will learn to write a professional research proposal.
In the project context of applying for a research grant, the focus will lie on the process steps of writing a research proposal, and communicating a clear research focus, both in writing, as well as via a short personal proposal presentation (pitch).
Each session will focus on the conventions and requirements for writing a specific section of the proposal, along with guidelines on the effective use of academic English in writing a research proposal.
The outcome will be a research proposal that could be submitted to an external Grants office, such as the UM Universiteitsfonds.
Course objectives
At the end of this project:
- Students will be aware of the importance of analysing a real-life problem sufficiently in order to formulate an adequate research question and hypotheses in the context of an academic grant proposal;
- Students will have practiced presenting their research focus and answering critical questions, both in writing and verbally;
- Students will have developed abilities needed to successfully complete a research proposal (planning, writing, evaluating, presenting);
- Students will have improved relevant soft skills (planning, communication, as well as providing and processing peer feedback).
Prerequisites
VSK2004 Academic writing
Recommendations: VSK2001 Argumentation or VSK2016 Advanced Logic
Recommended reading
No essential reading list is provided. Depending on their topic of choice, students are expected to search for and identify credible and relevant sources by themselves, and arrive at a short list of required reading.
Nevertheless, the following are recommended:
- Fowler, H. R., & Aaron, J. E. (2004). The Little, Brown Handbook (9th ed, or higher). New York: PearLongman.
- Kumar R. Research Methodology – a step-by-step guide for beginners. ISBN9781446269978