Research proposal definition

A research proposal is a detailed summary of what you intend to research. It includes a major question or central issue you need to address through the research paper.

Your research paper proposal explains the significance of the topic and the processes and procedures you intend to follow to make sure the final research is successful.

Writing a research paper proposal is a crucial part of your academic life as it proves to the reader that you have the ultimate ability to communicate complex matters in a simplified way, ensuring the reader understands what you intend to reveal through your research. 

Besides, based on your research proposal, you will get an appropriate supervisor specialized in the specific area for easy collaboration.

How to write a topic proposal for a research paper

Your research proposal should have a topic addressing the issue you intend to cover. In some cases, you may be given several topic options to choose from, or you may get the freedom to pick a researchable topic of your own.

In any case, you should revise your research proposal topic well to ensure it meets the set requirements. If possible, you can ask your tutor to help you decide on a perfect topic.

Note: In the research proposal, you should explain the importance of the topic and why it matters a lot that you had to perform the research.

That is why it is always recommended that you pick a topic that interests you and a topic you can easily find materials for research. You can always review apa research proposal example topics to gain inspiration.

The structure of a research proposal

Although the presentation of a research paper will vary slightly based on the topic subject, the following elements are general, and it could be ideal if you learned and mastered how to present the sections:

• Title page
• Introduction
• Literature review
• Research design
• Reference list

Note: even if the research proposal sections vary in one way or the other, the overall purpose is always the same. Therefore, make sure you stick to making your research proposal a simplified plan to help you feel okay with the direction you have decided to follow and to generally get organized.

Pro tips to help you write the best research proposal

If you’ve sampled a research paper proposal example apa but still can’t figure out how to write a good one, use the following tips:

• Create a research proposal timeline

Since writing a research proposal may seem a draining and unending task, you might need to consider breaking it into small and manageable tasks to give you the psych and motivation to fulfill the objectives of the paper.

• Keep it simple

Avoid complex terms and phrases in your research proposal to make it easy for reviewers to understand your points. Besides, ensure your final draft is free from grammar errors and mistakes to prove you can handle the research well.

Conclusion

Are you in the process of writing a research proposal? Do you have a proposal for research paper example to relate to? Well, writing a compelling research proposal shouldn’t be a hard task. Simply follow the details highlighted in this guide, and everything else will fall into place.

There could come a moment after you’ve done the research, compiled all the ideas you have, and put them up in a paper but haven’t reached the required number of words. Remember, you must submit your paper after fulfilling all the requirements. In such a scenario, what’s the best way forward? How do you go about it to ensure you meet the required word count? Keep reading to understand how to lengthen a paper easily.

How long should a research paper be?

Before evaluating how to make your paper longer, maybe you are wondering how long is a research paper.

Well, while the length of every research paper differs based on the topic or subject matter, it is significant to note that an average research paper will require about 4,000 – 6000 words. However, based on your tutor’s guidelines and the nature of your topic, you can get to write a research paper of more than 10,000 words or as less as 2000 words. Just ensure you master the art of writing such a paper and the best approaches on how to make research paper longer.

Tricks to make research paper longer

Should you fail to meet the required research paper length, the following tips will always come in handy:

1. Always create an outline for the paper

One practical way how to make a paper longer is drafting an outline as you prepare to write the final paper. A detailed outline will help you figure out the appropriate number of words to include in every section to meet the required word count.

2. Include examples in your points

Several examples in your essay will for sure lengthen your paper. When adding value points to support your topic or thesis statement, you will be making a claim, which you must describe and give supporting details for the reader to understand. Therefore, using examples in different scenarios will help you to write a longer essay.

3. Hire a professional editor

When you feel like you’ve exhausted all you can when writing your research paper and don’t know how to lengthen a paper anymore, this is the right time to get help by hiring a professional.

An expert in academic writing tasks can quickly read through the paper’s requirements, analyze what you’ve written, and identify instances where there is a need for more content or more explanation.

Getting professional help will not only increase your research paper length but also help you submit a high-quality paper, free from grammar and typo mistakes.

4. Cite as you write

Most students often prefer to write a paper first, then do the citations later, which is a wrong move. Citing later can leave you with less number of words. Therefore, whenever you write your paper, always cite as you move forward. This will put you in a better position to keep track of the word count.

5. Review sections that aren’t clear

Once you finish writing any research paper, there is a possibility that some points or sections aren’t quite clear. As a way of making your paper longer, try to review such sections as you add more context to meet your word count target.

6. Include quotes

It is okay to add insightful quotes in your essay after describing an argument. However, make sure you cite the quotes appropriately and that the quotes align with the subject matter of your paper. Such quotes will not only help you lengthen your paper but also help you argue out your points.

Conclusion

Not once or twice, you will often find yourself stuck with your paper as a result of not attaining the required word count. In such instances, do not submit a paper that doesn’t meet the required word count. Apply some of the above tricks, and you will be good to go.