research paper prospectus

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How to Write a Prospectus

Last Updated: November 23, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 146,167 times.

A prospectus is, in effect, a research proposal. The purpose of this document – be it a single page or dozens of pages long – is to sell your idea to the appropriate professor or research committee. You may be writing a prospectus for an undergraduate research project, a grad school study, or a doctoral dissertation. A prospectus also is used to apply for grants or other funding from universities or nonprofit organizations. [1] X Trustworthy Source Investor.gov Website maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commision’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy providing free resources about investing. Go to source

Things You Should Know

• State your topic of study and the questions you intend to answer; then, explain how and why your study will answer those questions.
• Outline the chapters of your prospectus and each stage of research, and include an estimate of the project's costs and timeline.
• Use standard formatting unless otherwise instructed, with a table of contents and bibliography.
• Carefully proofread your prospectus before submitting it for evaluation.

Describing the Goals of the Study

• Your topic isn't as broad as an entire subject such as history or sociology. Rather, you're going to list a specific aspect of that subject, such as "The Causes of World War II" or "The Impact of Globalization in Latin America."
• This topic generally would be far too broad to write a single paper (or even a single book) about and even begin to cover it in a more than superficial manner.
• In a shorter prospectus, such as for an undergraduate research paper, you typically won't need to devote more than a sentence to your topic before moving on to your research questions.

• Before you start formulating your questions, you may want to look at other research projects in your discipline to get a good idea of the types of questions typically asked.
• For example, a history question may involve extensive research and synthesis of that research to discover any patterns that may emerge.
• In contrast, questions in the social sciences such as political science may be based more on data gathering and statistical analysis.
• In a short prospectus, this may simply be a bullet-point list of specific questions you expect to address through your research.
• 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.

• The more advanced you are in your discipline, the more crucial this portion of your prospectus is going to be.
• 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.

• 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.

• At this level, you're not just selling your idea, you're also selling your own knowledge, passion, commitment, and skills as a researcher to find the answers you seek.
• 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.

Explaining the Organization of the Study

• Keep in mind that this is just a plan – nothing's set in stone. 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.

• For example, if you're doing a statistical analysis, you must first gather the data, then compile statistics from that data, then analyze the statistics you create.
• 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.

• For graduate research projects or dissertations, the timeframe may be more open-ended. 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.

• This is especially important if you're applying for a grant, as the people who review your prospectus will want a detailed breakdown of what you intend to do with the money if you're awarded the grant.
• 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.

Formatting 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.
• Your assignment information also may specifically state how long each section is supposed to be, and which sections must be included.

• Type your prospectus in a standard, legible font such as Times New Roman or Helvetica.
• Typically you'll have one-inch margins on all sides of the paper, and your text will be double-spaced. Include page numbers if your prospectus is more than one page.
• Follow the guidelines from your professor or department in regard to creating a cover sheet or using special formatting or headers on the first page.
• If footnotes or end notes are required, set these up in your word processing app before you start working on your prospectus.

• The table of contents essentially is a list of chapters for your final report, and gives the readers of your prospectus an idea of what the final report will look like and how long it will be.

• Some professors or departments require an annotated bibliography, in which you not only cite the sources you plan to use but provide a detailed description of what the source is and how it fits into your research.
• Check the guidelines from your professor or department to make sure you're using the correct citation method for your bibliography.

• Reading your prospectus backwards is a good way to proofread and catch errors you might have missed otherwise.
• In addition to editing for grammar and punctuation, you also should check your language carefully. Make sure everything is written in a formal, professional tone.
• Keep your audience in mind as you edit. While you may be writing your prospectus for professors or a department committee that has full understanding of your project's topic, you shouldn't assume any particular level of understanding. Rather, your prospectus should be written so that it can be understood by a generally intelligent person without any special knowledge in your field.

Expert Q&A

• Be realistic about what you can accomplish through your research. Writing a prospectus that seems narrow in scope, but feasible, is better than writing a prospectus that seems overly ambitious and impractical. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Don't worry if your final paper or study ends up deviating from your prospectus. This often happens when you get further into your research, and is to be expected. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/investing-basics/glossary/prospectus
• ↑ https://www.wichita.edu/academics/fairmount_college_of_liberal_arts_and_sciences/english/deptenglish/WritingaResearchProspectus.php
• ↑ https://english.washington.edu/sites/english/files/documents/ewp/academicresearchpapersequence_grollmus.pdf
• ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/planresearchpaper/
• ↑ https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/writing/graduate/writing-through-graduate-school/prospectus-writing
• ↑ https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/investing-basics/glossary/mutual-fund-fees-and-expenses
• ↑ https://examples.yourdictionary.com/reference/examples/table-of-content-examples.html
• ↑ https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-fair/writing-a-bibliography-examples-of-apa-mla-styles
• ↑ https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/writingprocess/proofreading

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Writing a Research Prospectus

A prospectus is a formal proposal of a research project developed to convince a reader (a professor or research committee, or later in life, a project coordinator, funding agency, or the like) that the research can be carried out and will yield worthwhile results. It should provide:

• a working title for your project,
• a statement of your research question or issue,
• an overview of scholarship related to this topic or to the this author,
• a brief summary of your research methods and/or your theoretical approach.

A prospectus is normally accompanied by a bibliography, often annotated, which lists sources you have consulted or plan to consult for your research. In cases where the texts studied exist in multiple editions or in translation, the bibliography should normally state which edition, text, or translation you will be using and why. You also should include a Prospectus Cover Sheet (Word) , complete with the signature of your director and second reader.

Contents:  In most cases, a prospectus will begin with an overview of existing scholarship, summarizing basic arguments relevant to the project. It will then position the project with reference to this scholarship. For this reason, the prospectus will demonstrate that you have conducted enough preliminary research to be able to design a relevant project and carry it through relatively independently. Since at this stage much research remains to be done, a thesis statement usually does not follow this introduction. 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. Because it lays out a framework for your project, the prospectus can provide you with direction during the inevitable moments when you feel overwhelmed or lost. And because you have already clearly demonstrated your ability to carry out your research project, the prospectus can serve to reinforce your confidence and help keep you on track for a timely completion.

Beyond its relevance to your current research project, a prospectus helps you sharpen several important skills. Because a good prospectus demands concise, informative writing, composing one will help hone your writing style. In asking you to persuasively describe a compelling project and establish your ability to carry it out, it draws on abilities applicable to a variety of situations in and out of the academy, such as scholarship and funding applications, proposals for research forums, conferences, or publications, job applications, and preparation for larger and more complex research projects such as those found in Ph.D. programs and a variety of professional settings. The skill is so important that some people—grant writers—make a profession out of writing prospectuses.

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• A Research Guide
• Writing Guide
• Assignment Writing

How to Write a Prospectus for a Research Paper

• What is a prospectus

How to write a prospectus

• Writing Tips
• Prospectus writing format

What is a prospectus?

• Decide on your topic- a prospectus as mentioned earlier should give a solution to a specific problem which, in essence, affects quite some people if not everyone. Hence your prospectus should essentially answer a specific question, and this will give you the topic of your prospectus and give you direction on what you are going to write about and how you are going to put it down. Ensure that your topic is not as broad as a whole subject but just a section of the whole subject.
• Research on the topic- although the question you are going to answer is peculiarly different from what other people have already worked on, it must be of the same subject as what has already been worked on which may shed some light on the topic you are working on. You may find articles that are closely similar to the one you are working on or that is in the same subject as yours. For example, if your proposal is on business but more specifically on importing and exporting, you will find other business articles and others that are about the import and export market. These will help you stay on track and give you very clear pointers to what is expected. For example, incorporation of technology in medical record keeping.
• Enumerate the main questions that your prospect is aimed at answering- helps you to stay on course when writing you proposal as these are the problems you seek to answer in your proposal. The questions are distinct depending on the type of research proposal you are working on such a dissertation proposal will focus more on justifying the questions put forward and explaining these questions, in some other prospectus especially the short ones, they may be just a simple list of questions.
• What are the benefits of incorporating technology into health record keeping?
• What ways can technology be incorporated into the health record keeping process effectively?
• What stands out in your work? This a very important question that every prospectus writer should keep in mind when deciding what to write about and work on. This is important as you are required to focus on the factor that unique between your work and what other people have worked on. Remember that it is this uniqueness that will guarantee the acceptance of your work by your advisors and the hard to please committee members mandated to listen to your idea. This is very important especially when you are requesting for funds from a target and interested companies to enable you to work on your chosen topic.
• The sources you are going to use- even with a clear objective of the topic you are going to work on, it is not possible to come up with the contents of your prospectus on your own. Hence, it is necessary for you to select a wide selection of books, articles, manuscripts and any other write up that will enable you to come up with a credible write-up. Thinking and coming up with the whole content on your own will leave you stressful and may even make you give up on your topic of interest.
• Whose story are you going to tell? After selecting your desired problem, you have to now carefully select the characters in your story especially the protagonist who has to be unique from all others amidst the similarity in the story theme with that of already finished works. This will help you identify how you are going to plot your story and build your story.
• Consider how you are going to tell your story- you should decide the plot of your story and the themes you are going to expound on or that which your story is going to be centered upon, each chapter has to build on a specific theme to make the story flow well. Remember that you have to maintain a good and clear flow of ideas.
• Design your timeframe- working with a clear timeline is essential in ensuring that you complete your research well before the stipulated time and enable you to do the same unruly hence minimize the number of mistakes you are likely to make and give you time to keenly proofread your write up.
• Create a workable budget for your research work-  a research work, most definitely, is accompanied by costs for equipment and data collection from different sources among other things that you may be required to purchase during your research work.
• Once you have carefully considered all these points, you are more than ready to get your idea on paper, and the results will most assuredly be awesome and much more rewarding but only if you put in all your mind and heart to your work. It’s a matter of hard work, precision, assertiveness, and dedication towards achieving your goal.

Read also: One of the best ways to get a degree is to buy dissertation from trustworthy writing service.

Some important prospectus writing tips

• Consider the topic you have chosen- it is important that you stay on course and focus on that specific problem or rather question that you are bound to answering. The themes or chronological order of events that you have chosen to work within your prospectus should be what you will follow to ensure that there is a systematic order of events hence a smooth flow of ideas and in turn, easier reading and comprehension of your document. Moreover, the topic you choose should be one that you are most comfortable in and will engage your thoughts effectively.
• Formatting- human is to err, and no matter how advanced you are in the field you are working on, or how confident you are with yourself and your work, you are bound to make mistakes. Thus, it is prudent to take your time and go through your work over and over again before submitting it. You may even choose a trustworthy person to give you a second opinion.
• Go through the guidelines provided by your advisor to ensure that your research has captured all the areas outlined.
• Format your work just like you would any type of research paper- standard font should be used that is visible, use one-inch margins and double-spaced text. If there are any formatting specification given by the advisor, follow these specifications to the latter.
• Precision and accuracy- avoid unnecessary grammatical and sentence structure errors that you can easily avoid. Also, ensure that the sources you choose to derive your content from are credible to ensure accuracy in your story or write up.
• Keep in mind the audience that your write up will be directed to the beginning with your advisors to the committee members. Make the content as comprehensive as possible to the target audience get your whole idea.
• Ensure that your story is as realistic and believable as possible so that even convincing the committee members will be such a walk in the park.
• Allow your ideas to flow without any hindrance or holding back to give you a wide scope of content for your prospectus. Do not be afraid of pouring out your heart and mind as there is room for formatting to erase anything that is irrelevant and out of context.
• Make your prospectus as interesting as it can be. Play around with words, include ideologies where necessary, questions that will prompt the audience to ponder on what you have written, rhetorical questions and many more. However, you should be careful not to overdo it to so much so that your story loses focus on the main theme and objective it was intended for.
• Originality is key in a prospectus, and there should be a clear margin of difference between that which you are researching on and what other researchers’ in your field have already done.

Useful information: Read more about professional dissertation writing services .

Prospectus writing format – how to apply it

• The topic of your prospectus- this is basically what the document is all about. In longer research proposals, you may have to give a brief outline of the topic you have chosen to write on whereas, in shorter proposals such as those of undergraduates, it is not necessary to include this section.
• The questions that your prospectus is aimed at answering or rather the problems that you are aimed at solving through your work. As mentioned the type of questions and whether or not you will explain or elaborate them depends on the kind of research proposal you are working on.
• Impact of the answers to the questions you have identified- for a prospectus to be easily accepted by the people and most importantly by interested parties, especially in the case of the dissertation prospectus, its importance to improving the field and even people’s lives should be clearly outlined and hence the importance of this section. Also, you should be careful to state something that is attainable, and that can be scientifically supported by facts or other preliminary research works on the topic.
• The next section should involve detailed and clearly stated means by which your research will be able to answer the stated questions or problems. This section carries the weight and should be done with much thought and consideration of the topic and the questions you are looking forward to answering.
• Your qualifications and interests- this is a small but rather important section of your prospectus where you should give a summary of your knowledge, commitment and drive towards the chosen topic. This section is very important especially when you are presenting your work to get grants or funds to complete your work hence it is your opportunity to build quite an impressive reputation. In some prospectus, it may be necessary also to include how you will access sources of information.
• Create a plot or draft of the chapters that your research is going to include- this may change in the course of your research but will give you clear guidance on the order of chapters so just create a draft to get you started.
• Divide your work into sections- this is mainly applicable in scientific research papers where you have to follow a specific procedure from the methodology, experiment, data collection, data analysis and interpretation which have to be indicated in the research proposal.
• Table of contents- this section enumerates the research paper chapters and give the pages of each of the subtopic to enable easier navigation through your research paper and gives an idea of how long the paper is.
• Bibliography- this is a list of all the sources that you derived your content. It should include: the author’s name, title, edition, year of publication and the page from which you derived your content.

Read also: Trustworthy research proposal writing service to handle all your writing tasks.

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