Academic research such as a dissertation will always require some form of proposal. Sometimes this is assessed as part of your taught course of study, other times it is an intrinsic part of your dissertation module. This chapter will not discuss specific proposal framework such as those provided by research funding bodies, here we will look at the various elements of a research proposal: what needs to be said, why it needs to be said and how best to say it. It is up to you to take these elements and translate them into the framework you are required to follow, be that a formal funding application, a written response to questions from a line manager relating to your proposed research or an academic proposal with defined marking criteria. Whatever the external requirements, a research proposal should cover what Kumar describes as the what, how and why of the research:
. What you are proposing to do;
. How you are proposing to do it; and
. Why you have selected the proposed strategy (1999, 170).