Did you know that a poorly written research proposal is one of the reasons for the rejection of a research application?
Whether you are a nursing student whose goal is to fulfill the course requirements or a nursing researcher looking for funding or a grant, knowing how to write a research proposal is a critical skill. If you are coming from other fields, such as humanities or social sciences, you might be tempted to think that your experience writing a project proposal should be the same. However, that is not the case.
The standards for research proposals in nursing are stricter, given that you might be dealing with human subjects. You need to convince the ethics committee, supervisor, or funder through a well-written and well-organized proposal document.
You have to justify why your problem is worth researching and explain why you chose the strategies you chose to investigate it.
An outstanding quality of a proposal is that it you will always write it in the future tense. Having written thousands of research proposals successfully, we have the expertise to advise you on what to do to succeed.
In this post, expert writers from our online nursing proposal writing service have shared the steps and tips needed to write a great proposal.
A nursing research proposal is a type of document that convinces a supervisor, university, or committee that you have a worthwhile project, competence, and a plan to execute it. In other words, your nursing research paper proposal is a detailed description of your proposed study. A proposal is based on a study to address a selected nursing topic or to address a hypothesis, nursing problem, or research question. It is about selling your study idea so that you can receive the go-ahead or the funding for its completion.
Your instructor will ask you to write a nursing research paper proposal for the following reasons:
Please note that your nursing research proposal should not be more than 2000 words. This word count is enough for you to sell your ideas without boring them with irrelevant information.
Some of the weaknesses seen in most nursing research paper proposals are:
A good research proposal should cover the following: why, how, and what. Asking the right questions will ensure you write a compelling proposal.
A nursing research proposal must follow the correct structure to ensure you correctly sell your ideas. Our expert nursing research proposal writers suggest that the following parts must be present in your research proposal.
Title
NOTE: Depending on the length of your proposal, you might want to include a table of contents and an abstract.
Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
Ethical Considerations
Timeline
Budget
References
Appendices
From our assessment, we have noticed that many nursing students and novice researchers do not comprehend the structure of a research proposal. Some do not even recognize its real value, yet it is a powerful research tool.
A shorter research proposal can be 5-8 pages, while there are longer ones that range from 9-30 pages, depending on the complexity of the topic at hand. Before anything else, similar to any other academic activity, it is always prudent to read the instructions. You need to be very deliberate and seek clarification early.
With that being said, writing a comprehensive nursing research paper proposal involves following key steps to ensure your work is structured, organized, and convincing. Here are detailed steps you should follow:
The first and most important step to writing a research paper proposal is choosing a great topic. A good research proposal topic is clear, specific, targeted, concise, and convincing.
Brainstorm some topics you are interested in nursing. Focus on current issues in healthcare, particularly nursing, research gaps, and any problems that need immediate solutions. If you are already undertaking clinicals, think of some of the issues that your current clinical setting is facing.
Once you have identified a good topic, conduct preliminary research to help you identify whether there is any existing research or gaps in knowledge. To arrive at a good topic, ask yourself:
Based on the readings you have done, formulate a research question that will guide your whole research and help you clarify your thinking.
Ensure you formulate questions that are specific and focused and can be answered through empirical research. The answer to your research question should be open to scrutiny and be reproduced by other researchers and scientists.
Overall, ensure your research question can contribute meaningfully to nursing practice.
Your nursing research proposal should introduce your topic and show its significance and relevance in the nursing field. The introduction should do the following:
Once you have chosen a topic, conduct a literature review of previously published works, which include both academic and professional nursing journal articles. PubMed, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Google Scholar are some of the best areas to start.
Ensure you read and summarize key findings from studies in your area of interest. As you do this, check for trends, gaps, and areas that require further research. Be clear on how your research will contribute to the ongoing discussion in your subject area.
You can achieve this by:
A strong literature review shows readers that you have done enough research and have a solid foundation for your research problem. It also shows that you are not repeating what other researchers in your field have done.
Once you have conducted a thorough literature review, summarize and integrate your findings to provide a clear background and rationale for the study.
Identify the methods and design you intend to use to conduct your research. Use these tips:
This stage aims to convince readers that your research design and methods will properly address your research problem and answer the research question. In other words, your research design and methods are directly connected to the objectives of your research.
Please take into account that your research should be replicable, so ensure that the methodology is justifiable as well. The best way to achieve this is to draw examples from the literature review.
Nursing research faces moral and ethical problems, which are not common in other research, particularly in data collection. Therefore, ensure that you address the ethical standards when interacting with your participants.
Some institutions will require that if you are to conduct research that involves human participants, you write to the IRB to get the necessary permissions. Ensure that you mention this in your proposal.
Show how you intend to obtain consent from everyone involved in your research. Obtain informed consent from the participants, research site, relevant authorities, and institutional review board. Also, ensure that their information will be kept private and confidential.
A research proposal timeline is an essential plan showing how you will conduct your study, from the initial ideas to writing the final report. It is important to track your progress.
Set a timeline for each aspect of the research. Break down the project into milestones and deadlines, ensuring a realistic time allocation for each phase. Ensure you consider potential setbacks to maintaining flexibility in your work.
Providing a turnaround time for your research shows readers that your study is doable and can be completed within the time that you have set aside.
Some schools will not require you to provide a budgetary allocation for a simple academic research paper. However, if you are required to, please do so; write down how much it will cost to conduct the research from start to finish.
Your budget should include costs for all aspects of the research, Divided like this:
Just like any other nursing writing, you must include a reference section. A reference section of your research proposal is essential to show what sources you used in the study.
Remember, when conducting research, you are adding information to the nursing field. So, help readers know which sources have helped you contribute to the nursing field by listing them. This will also help readers.
The last part of your research paper proposal is the appendices, which provide information about the supplementary material that is not an important part of the main text but still essential to providing a comprehensive understanding of the research. This information may be cumbersome to include in the text.
After writing, go through the research paper proposal to check for problems with grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and overall quality of your paper. Many nursing students skip this stage and submit their work the way it is without knowing that it will cost them a good grade.
As you revise your paper, check for the content and organization of the paper. If possible, go back to the research stage and find more information to include in your proposal.
Writing a research paper proposal is not easy. However, if you know the tips and tricks, it can be a smooth process. Here are some of the tips for research proposal
Please go through the instructions given by your instructor or nursing departments and follow them to the letter. This will ensure that you write a proposal that aligns with the academic standards and expectations of your department.
Every nursing school will have some guidelines about what to do and not to do when writing a research paper proposal; these could include things like:
Following these instructions will demonstrate your commitment to follow instructions, which is an essential skill in nursing.
Additionally, it means that you will structure your research paper proposal effectively and address all the relevant parts, thus increasing the chances of your work being accepted.
Writing a proposal is a complex and challenging endeavor because you will need to review various literature, formulate effective research questions, and develop the right methodology. You must also adhere to the academic standards and ensure the significance of your research.
Setting aside enough time to plan, research, write, revise, and address any potential issues in your proposal will ensure you create a compelling paper that passes all scrutiny.
One of the biggest considerations instructors must consider when reviewing nursing research paper proposals is the feasibility of the proposed study. You could develop a great research proposal topic, but if there is any doubt about the feasibility of the study, it will be rejected.
Therefore, check your pilot study, available literature, data collection, and analysis methods to ensure your research is doable.
Additionally, it would be best if you communicated that your research is feasible. If you want to convince your instructor or professor, show them that the study is doable. Alleviate all their concerns and prove that you have what it takes to pull off the research.
Research proposal writing should use professional and serious language; in other words, an academic voice. Remember you are writing for academic professionals who have certain expectations about your writing. Understanding who your audience is will help you tailor your proposal to fit their needs.
Thus, ensure your research paper proposal demonstrates your voice and not that of other authors or researchers. To achieve this, ensure it comprises of the following:
It would be best if you took time away from the research paper proposal before reviewing it for any errors. Take a few hours or days away from your draft, then come back and review it. This will help you look at the paper with fresh eyes and, hence, identify areas that need to be revised.
When revising, ensure you check the focus of the paper. Ensure that your topic is not too broad or narrow. Also, check that you stayed on track throughout the research and answered the research question.
Your instructor may provide a topic for your research or ask you to choose one. If this is the case, you must choose a good topic. To get you started, our expert nursing research paper writers have provided a list of research topics for nursing students.
Related Readings:
Yes, circumstances in our lives make it necessary to delegate such work as writing a research proposal. Thankfully, nursing paper writing services like NurseMyGrade exist for that same purpose.
Writing a nursing research paper proposal is challenging, especially if you lack the necessary experience or do not have time. However, the help of an expert writer can make things easier for you. After all, writing a research paper proposal is part of nursing education and training. It is an essential opportunity to show your skills and understanding of nursing studies and prove that you have the right skills to be a great nurse. When an expert writer works with you, you will understand the flow of things, contribute to the completion of your paper, and gain the confidence you would need during the presentations or defense.
One of the biggest concerns is finding a good research paper writing service. Many online nursing research proposal-writing services promise heaven on earth but fail to deliver. The good thing is that our nursing writers at NurseMyGrade.com can help you; they are the right writing service for any nursing assignment or paper you have. Since we have done this for years, we assure you that:
Writing a high-quality research proposal might not be as hard as people claim. With the right guidance and preparation, you can master the skill. Even then, you might want someone to hire to write your nursing proposal paper assignment. If you are looking for a website with professional writers who can walk the journey with you, seek no further.
NurseMyGrade has expert proposal writers with experience in nursing paper writing. We offer affordable nursing proposal writing services. The good thing is that you can access your writer and discuss the topic, research questions or hypotheses, data collection methods, data analysis methods, and any other aspect pertaining to your paper. We guarantee you 100% satisfaction.
You will get a model paper that is organized, structured, and of top quality. We are also reliable. Our quality assurance team ensures that all research paper proposals are original, free of plagiarism, and delivered before the deadline. Feel free to place an order today for a high-quality research paper proposal.
NurseMyGrades is being relied upon by thousands of students worldwide to ace their nursing studies. We offer high quality sample papers that help students in their revision as well as helping them remain abreast of what is expected of them.
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