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• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on October 12, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on November 21, 2023.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.

The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements:

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organized and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.

Table of contents

Research proposal purpose, research proposal examples, research design and methods, contribution to knowledge, research schedule, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research proposals.

Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application , or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation .

In addition to helping you figure out what your research can look like, a proposal can also serve to demonstrate why your project is worth pursuing to a funder, educational institution, or supervisor.

Research proposal length

The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.

One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.

Download our research proposal template

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Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.

• Example research proposal #1: “A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management”
• Example research proposal #2: “Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use”

Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

• The proposed title of your project
• Your supervisor’s name
• Your institution and department

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.

Your introduction should:

• Introduce your topic
• Give necessary background and context
• Outline your  problem statement  and research questions

To guide your introduction , include information about:

• Who could have an interest in the topic (e.g., scientists, policymakers)
• How much is already known about the topic
• What is missing from this current knowledge
• What new insights your research will contribute
• Why you believe this research is worth doing

As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review  shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.

In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:

• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesize prior scholarship

Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.

For example, your results might have implications for:

• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research

Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .

Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.

Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.

Download our research schedule template

If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:

• Cost : exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification : why is this cost necessary to complete the research?
• Source : how did you calculate the amount?

To determine your budget, think about:

• Travel costs : do you need to go somewhere to collect your data? How will you get there, and how much time will you need? What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials : do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help : do you need to hire any research assistants for the project? What will they do, and how much will you pay them?

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

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Research Proposal Example/Sample

Detailed Walkthrough + Free Proposal Template

If you’re getting started crafting your research proposal and are looking for a few examples of research proposals , you’ve come to the right place.

In this video, we walk you through two successful (approved) research proposals , one for a Master’s-level project, and one for a PhD-level dissertation. We also start off by unpacking our free research proposal template and discussing the four core sections of a research proposal, so that you have a clear understanding of the basics before diving into the actual proposals.

• Research proposal example/sample – Master’s-level (PDF/Word)
• Research proposal example/sample – PhD-level (PDF/Word)
• Proposal template (Fully editable) 

If you’re working on a research proposal for a dissertation or thesis, you may also find the following useful:

• Research Proposal Bootcamp : Learn how to write a research proposal as efficiently and effectively as possible
• 1:1 Proposal Coaching : Get hands-on help with your research proposal

FAQ: Research Proposal Example

Research proposal example: frequently asked questions, are the sample proposals real.

Yes. The proposals are real and were approved by the respective universities.

Can I copy one of these proposals for my own research?

As we discuss in the video, every research proposal will be slightly different, depending on the university’s unique requirements, as well as the nature of the research itself. Therefore, you’ll need to tailor your research proposal to suit your specific context.

You can learn more about the basics of writing a research proposal here .

How do I get the research proposal template?

You can access our free proposal template here .

Is the proposal template really free?

Yes. There is no cost for the proposal template and you are free to use it as a foundation for your research proposal.

Where can I learn more about proposal writing?

For self-directed learners, our Research Proposal Bootcamp is a great starting point.

For students that want hands-on guidance, our private coaching service is recommended.

Psst… there’s more!

This post is an extract from our bestselling Udemy Course, Research Proposal Bootcamp . If you want to work smart, you don't want to miss this .

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The When: Setting realistic timeframes for your research

In the first two articles of this series, we explored The What: Defining a research project and The Where: Constructing an effective writing environment . In this article, we are focused on The When: Setting realistic timeframes for your research. Discussion from this TweetChat event focused on accurately estimating the amount of time necessary for completing writing projects and strategies to better manage the time commitments during the writing project.

Q1/1a: Do you regularly track the time spent on research efforts? When planning a research project, do you tend to accurately predict, overestimate, or underestimate the time required?

If you aren’t tracking the amount of time you spend on research efforts, it is difficult to accurately predict the amount of time a new project will require. Even if you aren’t tracking your time yet, you can still assess how accurately you are estimating the time requirements of your writing projects.

Eric Schmieder admitted during the TweetChat that failing to track time on projects results in a tendency to underestimate time requirements for other projects. “I tend to underestimate the time requirements – probably because I do not track the time on projects very well.”

Chase Reeves shares 5 Tips to Help you Estimate how Much Time a Project Will Take as follows:

• Double your estimation
• Plan with an accountability partner
• Reverse engineer a truly minimum viable product
• Keep a daily productivity journal
• Rediscover why you are doing this project

According to a paper titled Five keys to estimating , presented at PMI® Global Congress 2008, John Stenbeck claims, “In the realm of project management, nothing is more valuable than estimates that accurately reflect reality, motivate their fulfillment, and facilitate rigorous accountability.” He further explains that estimating is both a science and an art.

If you find that your to-do list is forcing you to make unrealistic estimates or is otherwise overly ambitious in your commitment to academic writing projects, Jane Jones offers five principles for making a better to-do list as follows:

• Be honest with yourself
• Set boundaries
• Decide on a pace
• Schedule according to the peaks and valleys in your semester

Q2/2a: What challenges do you face in scheduling time for research activities and writing? What strategies do you have for overcoming those challenges?

For Schmieder, the challenge is “Balancing those activities [research and writing] with other obligations such as family, work, volunteer efforts, etc.” Balance is essential.

According to Cassie Premo Steele who offers 4 ways to work-life balance in 4 minutes , “The thing about balance is that each person has to define it for herself. What works for one person may not work for someone else. What helped you at one point in your life may not be helpful now.” But how do we find the balance that works for us now?

Susan Robison says, “ Don’t manage time, manage goals ”. In managing goals, she says there are five things you can do:

• Anchor your tasks to a sense of meaning and purpose
• Prioritize which tasks are worthy of your resources of time, talent, energy, and attention
• Allocate tasks across units of time
• Account for the results of the allocation
• Build and broaden your resilience and happiness while you do the above things

Meg Keeley of Bucks County Community College echoes this mindset, saying “As you look at how you spend your time, ask yourself if this matches your priorities.” in an online resource titled Managing Your Time and Study Environment . She then offers seven tips to using your time wisely:

• Clear your schedule. Don’t overextend yourself.
• Get motivated.
• Prioritize.
• Make sure you understand the task.
• Break down the task into chunks.
• It doesn’t have to be perfect.
• When you really hate it, try to make it as enjoyable as possible.

Q3: What tools or resources do you use to improve your time management?

Kirstin O’Donovan states in a Lifehack article , “If you’re not taking advantage of one of the hundreds of time management apps and tools out there, you’re definitely missing a trick.” In the same article she shares 18 of the best available.

MindTools has a curated list of 62 time management tools in their list, but regardless of the tool, the purpose remains the same – track your time and know where it is being spent and what is available for the projects you’re working on.

Schmieder relies on a shared calendar approach to balance projects with family life. “I maintain a shared calendar with my wife through Google where all events are shared so I can find time between the planned activities for the research and writing efforts”, he said.

Q4: How can working with others impact your ability to maintain a realistic schedule?

Schmieder commented that “being dependent on the schedules of others and coordinating time for review and discussion can add to the challenges of predicting and maintaining a project schedule.” That dependency and additional scheduling elements introduce complexities beyond individual control.

Another interesting factor worth considering is the way each collaborator views deadlines. In a study conducted by Meng Zhu , an associate professor of marketing at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, she found that “people tend to choose impractical and ineffective approaches to tasks and deadlines” and “misperceptions of deadlines [and] urgency influence time management and performance.”

Q5/5a: How does the size of the project impact your ability to set realistic schedules? How do you manage large projects to better manage the time necessary for smaller pieces?

As projects increase in size and scope, it is naturally more challenging to estimate the total amount of time necessary for completion. After all, there are more places for schedules to change – for better or worse.

According to Meggin McIntosh, “academics have between 20 and 50+ writing projects at any given time, but ‘people don’t do projects.’ Projects can be broken into hunks, but you don’t do hunks. Hunks can be broken into chunks, but you don’t do chunks. Chunks can be broken into bites. You do bites!” For more about breaking a project into bites that can get done, read the TAA article, How to actually complete your writing projects: One bite at a time .

In addition to simply breaking down a project into smaller pieces, Schmieder stated, “Larger projects are easier to manage when the smaller pieces are considered in relation to one another. Items that are dependent on earlier steps must account for the time to complete the other steps as well.” Project management software and principles can help determine the interdependency of smaller pieces of a large project and ensure that things are completed in an optimal order.

Q6: How can you best balance your time when working on multiple research projects at the same time?

Schmieder shared that “often multiple research projects have some overlap due to discipline and research interests. Finding that overlap and focusing time where you can collect or review literature for multiple projects at once can help overall.” Dr. Janet Salmons agreed, suggesting “look for efficiencies and overlaps, so use time to accomplish more than one goal.”

Cited in a TAA article, Time management strategies: Take a time inventory , William Weare shared “one of the strategies he has used to become more productive is taking a time inventory to visually see where his time goes.” In conducting the time inventory, the focus is on granularity, so he suggests tracking everything you do in a day. “And he means everything: I get to work; I logged on; I put my milk in the refrigerator; I unpacked my stuff; I checked the weather; I checked in with my staff; I went to the restroom.”

Noelle Sterne suggests that meditation and mindfulness may be helpful in accomplishing your academic projects. Before ruling this idea out, consider the responses to “ five big excuses for not practicing meditation or mindfulness and suggests how to overcome them ” presented by corporate training consultant Karen Exkorn and summarized by Sterne.

• No time” means you haven’t made the time. Even three minutes works (your timer again).
• “Too busy” means you don’t have to add special time for the practice. Use mindfulness doing what you’re doing, only more consciously (dishes, diapering, grading papers).
• “Too stressed”? Focus on doing one thing with full consciousness. Exkorn uses eating Hershey Kisses. You can use anything—a banana, driving, listening to a student pleading for an extension.
• “Tried it”? For how long? Give it a fair chance, like any new habit.
• “Too New Agey”? As Exkorn points out, mindfulness was featured on a January 23, 2014, Time magazine cover and in a New York Times article. Mindfulness has been praised and regularly practiced by actors, professional athletes, sports teams, and business leaders. And mindfulness and meditation are used by staff at Google, General Mills, Twitter, and many corporations. Recently, a PBS special aired titled “Mindfulness Goes Mainstream.”

Salmons added, “I am not a clock-watcher, and setting time limits/goals doesn’t work for me. We each need to find own strategy!”

Whatever your individual strategy, we hope that these resources help you to better manage your writing projects and set realistic timeframes for completing them.

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Research projects & dissertations

Managing a research project.

The following guide has been created for you by the  Student Learning Advisory Service . For more detailed guidance and to speak to one of our advisers, please book an  appointment  or join one of our  workshops . Alternatively, have a look at our  SkillBuilder  skills videos.   

The stages of a research project

The basic stages involved in undertaking a university research project are as follows:

1. Choose your research area

Usually, it is best choose an area that you have already studied or are studying within your academic field. Not only will this help you identify potential research, but you can be confident in finding a suitable supervisor and reliable sources within the university. Choosing an area that you also find particularly interesting will help sustain your engagement. 

2. Conduct preliminary research (scope out the topic)

Survey current research surrounding your chosen subject area. Reflect on it carefully, and take advice from academic staff to establish what has already been written on your chosen subject area. This will enable you to identify what you can do that has not been done before.

3. Decide your research topic

Clearly define and delineate your research topic. The more clearly you do so the more confidence and clarity you will have in what you are trying to achieve, and the easier it will be for you to monitor your progress. If you’re uncertain what you’re trying to achieve, how will you know whether you’re on course or not?

At this stage you might also formulate a provisional research question – that is, the question your research will answer:

Research topic: Investigate ‘A’ and ‘B’ to see if/how they interrelate.

Research Question: ‘To what extent is A caused by B?’

4. Decide your methodology

As you are deciding your topic, you should be investigating and considering your research methodology – how you will conduct your research. Is it going to be experimental, observational, theoretical, textual, qualitative, quantitative? Will it involve human subjects? Are there ethical considerations – specific protocols, procedures or approaches to follow? Think about the research method you have chosen; what advantages does it give? What insights might it yield? What difficulties might it pose? How has it been used before in your field of study?

5. Submit/present your research proposal for approval

Most schools have a formal deadline for receiving research proposals/dissertation plans, and a formal approval process. In some cases this is an assessment stage – so make sure you know exactly what you need to submit, and when, in order to progress with your project. Your school will have given you guidance about what your proposal should include. Generally, the common elements are:

• Your main research question/problem/title
• Questions or concerns that will help you solve your main research problem
• A brief literature review or list of key texts/sources
• An overview of your methodology
• A timeline showing your main research project tasks

6. Finalise your topic and methodology

You may need to revise your research plan in the light of feedback you receive during the approval process. Many students are overambitious in their aims; academic staff have a much clearer idea of what is achievable and necessary in terms of a successful research project, so be guided by their advice. You may also need to modify your methodology in the light of your initial research, or a pilot study. It may be necessary, for example, to alter a questionnaire that isn’t generating the data you were expecting.

7. Conduct your research (fieldwork)

This might take place in a laboratory, in a library or archive, at a computer, on the streets or in a field. Whatever the location, this is the practical activity of collecting raw information or data. Be aware that what you think you are going to find out, and what you actually do find out, can often be very different, so be prepared to alter your research aims/question accordingly.

8. Analysis/data processing

Whatever your research topic, you will need to analyse and process the information you have collected in order to make sense of it. This might involve statistical analysis, generating graphs, charts or tables, organising information into categories, or critical appraisal of texts or events. As well as finding out something, you need to understand what it means within your academic field.

9. Writing up

This is the process of producing the written document – your dissertation or thesis – upon which your research project will be assessed. Allow enough time to improve and revise your work through a series of drafts, and to edit and proof-read the final document – including ensuring that any graphs/images referred to in the text are properly numbered and labelled, and that your referencing is error-free – before formatting and binding the finished document. Do not underestimate how long the writing up process will take.

10. Submission

All academic research projects are time constrained, so you will have a specific deadline for submitting your work. With longer research projects, you will also have intermediate deadlines (e.g. progress/upgrade boards). Consequently, you will need to time-manage each stage of your work to ensure that you complete the overall project on time.

Project managing your research

Any complex project involving multiple activities and deadlines requires some form of management. Using simple project management techniques will allow you to keep control of your research project – to schedule your work more effectively, to identify how much time you have to spend on each stage, to create intermediate milestones that will tell you if you’re on schedule or not (and allow you to respond accordingly) and give you a clear overview of your progress.

One simple but highly effective technique is to produce a Gantt chart. This provides you with a clear visual plan of your research project, based on scheduling the different stages involved against a time base. The example below (Figure 1) is based on the ten basic research project stages, scheduled against two (hypothetical) formal deadlines – submission of the proposal in week 10 and submission of the finished dissertation in week 24:  

Figure 1: Simple research project Gantt chart    

This example is typical of an undergraduate or taught Masters’ dissertation. Longer research projects (PhD, Masters by research, etc.) will generally have more activities spread over a longer timeframe (See below, Figure 2, for an example of a project plan for a humanities PhD).  

Figure 2: Humanities PhD example Gantt chart

In project management, the scheduling of individual activities is always worked backwards from the deadline. Thus, the amount of time that you have to complete each task is a function of the overall project schedule. As shown above, some tasks have to be carried out consecutively (i.e., you can’t start the next task until you’ve completed the previous one), but other tasks can be carried out at the same time, or started before the previous task has been completed, (e.g. you might be able to start analysing your data whilst you’re still collecting it). What you also need to bear in mind with undergraduate dissertations is that your research project constitutes only one part (25%) of your academic activities, and that you’ll be working on other assignments, reading, exam revision, etc, at the same time. As such, it is important that you make full use of the available time period and balance your priorities accordingly.

Tip: With longer-term projects such as these, it can be difficult to stay focused and motivated. Try to dedicate some time to your project every day/week (depending on your other academic commitments) and break your tasks down into smaller chunks so that they are more manageable. The Pomodoro technique can also be helpful for generating small bursts of concentration. If you are struggling, maybe read an article on your topic to remind yourself of your interest in the area, or talk to fellow students or your supervisor(s).    

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How to Write the Scope of the Study

• By DiscoverPhDs
• August 26, 2020

What is the Scope of the Study?

The scope of the study refers to the boundaries within which your research project will be performed; this is sometimes also called the scope of research. To define the scope of the study is to define all aspects that will be considered in your research project. It is also just as important to make clear what aspects will not be covered; i.e. what is outside of the scope of the study.

Why is the Scope of the Study Important?

The scope of the study is always considered and agreed upon in the early stages of the project, before any data collection or experimental work has started. This is important because it focuses the work of the proposed study down to what is practically achievable within a given timeframe.

A well-defined research or study scope enables a researcher to give clarity to the study outcomes that are to be investigated. It makes clear why specific data points have been collected whilst others have been excluded.

Without this, it is difficult to define an end point for a research project since no limits have been defined on the work that could take place. Similarly, it can also make the approach to answering a research question too open ended.

How do you Write the Scope of the Study?

In order to write the scope of the study that you plan to perform, you must be clear on the research parameters that you will and won’t consider. These parameters usually consist of the sample size, the duration, inclusion and exclusion criteria, the methodology and any geographical or monetary constraints.

Each of these parameters will have limits placed on them so that the study can practically be performed, and the results interpreted relative to the limitations that have been defined. These parameters will also help to shape the direction of each research question you consider.

The term limitations’ is often used together with the scope of the study to describe the constraints of any parameters that are considered and also to clarify which parameters have not been considered at all. Make sure you get the balance right here between not making the scope too broad and unachievable, and it not being too restrictive, resulting in a lack of useful data.

The sample size is a commonly used parameter in the definition of the research scope. For example, a research project involving human participants may define at the start of the study that 100 participants will be recruited. This number will be determined based on an understanding of the difficulty in recruiting participants to studies and an agreement of an acceptable period of time in which to recruit this number.

Any results that are obtained by the research group can then be interpreted by others with the knowledge that the study was capped to 100 participants and an acceptance of this as a limitation of the study. In other words, it is acknowledged that recruiting 100 rather than 1,000 participants has limited the amount of data that could be collected, however this is an acceptable limitation due to the known difficulties in recruiting so many participants (e.g. the significant period of time it would take and the costs associated with this).

Example of a Scope of the Study

The follow is a (hypothetical) example of the definition of the scope of the study, with the research question investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.

Whilst the immediate negative health problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic have been well documented, the impact of the virus on the mental health (MH) of young adults (age 18-24 years) is poorly understood. The aim of this study is to report on MH changes in population group due to the pandemic.

The scope of the study is limited to recruiting 100 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 24 who will be contacted using their university email accounts. This recruitment period will last for a maximum of 2 months and will end when either 100 volunteers have been recruited or 2 months have passed. Each volunteer to the study will be asked to complete a short questionnaire in order to evaluate any changes in their MH.

From this example we can immediately see that the scope of the study has placed a constraint on the sample size to be used and/or the time frame for recruitment of volunteers. It has also introduced a limitation by only opening recruitment to people that have university emails; i.e. anyone that does not attend university will be excluded from this study.

This may be an important factor when interpreting the results of this study; the comparison of MH during the pandemic between those that do and do not attend university, is therefore outside the scope of the study here. We are also told that the methodology used to assess any changes in MH are via a questionnaire. This is a clear definition of how the outcome measure will be investigated and any other methods are not within the scope of research and their exclusion may be a limitation of the study.

The scope of the study is important to define as it enables a researcher to focus their research to within achievable parameters.

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The term monotonic relationship is a statistical definition that is used to describe the link between two variables.

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Research Time Management

• Research time management
• Identify project expectations
• Write a project summary
• Create a project timeline
• Stay motivated
• Get help and support
• Workshop recording

Write a Project Timeline

 creating a project timeline .

• Project Timeline Template

Other subtasks

Tests, lab reports, and presentations , for a speech or presentation, consider the following subtasks.

• identifying a topic
• writing talking points
• creating visual aids, including finding images 
• transitions
• practice timing the speech

For a lab report, consider the following subtasks

• understanding the experiment
• completing the experiment
• interpret and synthesize results
• research for introductory, support information
• write lab report
• revisions and edits

Studying for a test, consider the following subtasks

• Organize materials and notes
• First review of notes and materials, big picture
• Second review a few days later, to review more challenging concepts
• Third review, a few days later, synthesize
• Fourth review/self test a few days before the test
• Schedule a time to meet with instructor to review concepts you don't understand
• day of pep talk, relax, quick review an hour before the exam.

Strategies for multi-semester projects

Research time management for multi-semester projects.

Strategies for a longer research project are similar to short projects: identify the scope, break the project down into smaller stages, target deadlines. 

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• Last Updated: Oct 23, 2023 12:13 PM
• URL: https://libguides.wmich.edu/timemanagement

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Research Tips and Infromation

03 Proven Steps to Write Timeline Section of Research Grants Proposal

Grants are a critical source of funding for many research projects, where technology is advancing rapidly, and new discoveries are being made every day. Writing a successful grant proposal requires a combination of technical expertise, innovative ideas, and effective communication skills.

One essential component of a research grant proposal is the timeline section, which outlines the project plan and demonstrates how the proposed activities will be executed within a specific timeframe.

In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of creating a clear and concise timeline section for a research grant proposal. We will explore how to identify major milestones and activities, divide activities into specific time periods, use a chart or table to represent the timeline, label and describe each activity, and review and refine the timeline section to increase your chances of securing funding.

Whether you are a seasoned researcher or a newcomer to grant writing, this post will provide you with practical tips and examples for creating a persuasive and effective timeline section that showcases your expertise and potential impact.

In case you are not familiar with writing research grant proposals, then please visit my post on  Research Grants Uncovered: A Step-by-Step Guide to Funding Your Research Projects . This post will help you in writing powerful research grant proposals in minimal time.

Introduction

I. identifying major milestones and activities, ii. dividing activities into specific time periods, iii. using a chart or table to represent the timeline.

Grant proposals are often submitted to secure funding for research projects. The timeline section is an essential part of a grant proposal that outlines the expected duration of the project and the sequence of events that will take place. A clear and concise timeline section is crucial in convincing the reviewers that the project is feasible and can be completed within the given timeframe.

The purpose of the timeline section is to provide a roadmap of the research project and show how the various activities and milestones will be achieved over time. It helps to demonstrate that the project has been carefully planned and that the researchers have considered the necessary resources, equipment, and personnel needed to carry out the research.

Creating a timeline section involves several steps, including identifying the major milestones and activities, dividing these activities into specific time periods, using a chart or table to represent the timeline, labeling and describing each activity, and reviewing and refining the timeline section.

For example, in a computer science research project, the timeline section might include activities such as:

• Literature review: Conducting a thorough review of existing research on a particular topic and identifying gaps in the literature.
• Data collection: Gathering relevant data from various sources, such as surveys, experiments, or simulations.
• Data preprocessing: Cleaning and preparing the data for analysis.
• Data analysis: Using statistical or machine learning techniques to extract insights and patterns from the data.
• Model development: Creating a mathematical or computational model that can be used to predict outcomes or simulate scenarios.
• Implementation: Implementing the model or algorithm in software or hardware.
• Testing and validation: Testing the model or algorithm to ensure that it produces accurate results and validating the results against real-world data.
• Publication and dissemination: Writing research papers, presenting at conferences, and sharing the findings with the broader scientific community.

By following the steps outlined in this blog post, researchers can create a timeline section that effectively communicates the scope of their research project and demonstrates their ability to complete the project within the given timeframe.

In research projects, it’s essential to identify the major milestones and activities that need to be accomplished. These milestones and activities are critical to achieving the research objectives and completing the project within the given timeframe.

Examples of activities that may be included in a computer science research grant proposal include:

• Design and development of new algorithms or software
• Data collection and analysis
• Testing and validation of the algorithms or software
• Integration with existing systems or platforms
• Writing research papers and presenting at conferences
• Dissemination of research findings to the scientific community
• Collaboration with industry partners or other researchers

Once you have identified the major milestones and activities, it’s important to prioritize them based on their importance and their impact on the research project. For example, some activities may be more critical than others, and delaying them could have significant consequences on the overall project timeline.

One way to prioritize activities and milestones is to use a technique called critical path analysis. This involves identifying the activities that are critical to the project’s success and ensuring that they are completed on time. By focusing on these critical activities, you can ensure that the project stays on track and is completed within the given timeframe.

For example, the design and development of new algorithms or software might be a critical activity. If this activity is delayed, it could impact the entire project timeline and delay other activities, such as testing and validation. Therefore, it’s important to prioritize this activity and ensure that it’s completed on time.

In summary, identifying major milestones and activities and prioritizing them is crucial in a research project. This helps to ensure that the project stays on track and is completed within the given timeframe.

Once you have identified the major milestones and activities in your research project, the next step is to divide them into specific time periods. This involves determining the duration of each activity and scheduling them in a logical sequence to create a timeline.

Dividing activities into specific time periods is important for several reasons. It helps to ensure that the project stays on track and is completed within the given timeframe. It also enables you to monitor progress and identify potential delays or roadblocks early on, allowing you to take corrective action as needed.

When choosing time periods for your activities, there are several considerations to keep in mind. For example, you may choose to use weeks, months, or even quarters as your time units. The choice of time units will depend on the nature and complexity of your research project, as well as the preferences of the funding agency.

Another consideration is to ensure that the time periods are realistic and achievable. It’s essential to estimate the time needed for each activity accurately. Overestimating or underestimating the time needed for an activity can lead to delays or a compressed timeline, which can impact the quality of the research.

Here are some tips for estimating the time needed for each activity:

• Break down each activity into smaller tasks: This can help you to estimate the time needed for each task more accurately.
• Consider dependencies between tasks: Some tasks may be dependent on others, and delays in one task may impact the entire project timeline.
• Take into account any potential roadblocks or delays: For example, if your project involves collecting data from multiple sources, you may need to factor in the time needed to negotiate access to the data.
• Consider the experience and skill level of the research team: If your team is new to a particular research methodology or technology, it may take longer to complete certain activities.

For example, in a computer science research project, if the design and development of new algorithms or software is a critical activity, you may estimate that it will take six months to complete. You may then break this activity down into smaller tasks, such as requirement gathering, design, coding, testing, and documentation. You can then estimate the time needed for each task and schedule them in a logical sequence to create a timeline.

In summary, dividing activities into specific time periods is an essential step in creating a timeline section in a research grant proposal. It helps to ensure that the project stays on track and is completed within the given timeframe. By carefully estimating the time needed for each activity and considering potential roadblocks, you can create a realistic and achievable timeline.

After identifying major milestones and activities and dividing them into specific time periods, the next step is to represent the timeline visually. Using a chart or table is an effective way to present the timeline section of your research grant proposal.

Here are some benefits of using a chart or table to visually represent the timeline:

• Provides a quick overview: A chart or table can provide a visual representation of the timeline, allowing readers to quickly understand the project’s duration, major milestones, and activities.
• Easy to understand: A well-designed chart or table can make the timeline section of your proposal easy to read and understand, even for non-experts.
• Highlights critical activities: By using color-coding or other visual cues, you can highlight critical activities or milestones that are essential to the project’s success.
• Demonstrates organization and planning skills: A well-organized chart or table demonstrates your organizational and planning skills, which are critical in research projects.

Here are some example timeline formats that can be used in computer science research grant proposals:

• Gantt Chart: A Gantt chart is a popular tool for representing a timeline visually. It shows the project’s duration, major milestones, and activities, and their interdependencies in a horizontal bar chart.
• Table Format: A table format is another way to represent the timeline visually. It typically includes columns for the activity or milestone, start and end dates, and the duration of each activity.
• Calendar View: A calendar view provides a visual representation of the timeline in a monthly or weekly format. It can be helpful for projects that are time-sensitive or involve multiple team members.

Here are some tips for creating an effective and easy-to-read chart or table:

• Use a clear and concise title: The title of your chart or table should clearly indicate the project’s duration, major milestones, and activities.
• Use color-coding or other visual cues: Color-coding or other visual cues can make it easy to distinguish between different activities and milestones.
• Include relevant information: The chart or table should include all relevant information, such as start and end dates, duration, and interdependencies between activities.
• Keep it simple: The chart or table should be easy to read and understand, even for non-experts. Avoid cluttering the chart or table with too much information.

For example, in a research project, a Gantt chart might be a good choice to visually represent the timeline. You could include major milestones and activities, along with their interdependencies, in a horizontal bar chart. You could color-code the chart to highlight critical activities or milestones that are essential to the project’s success.

In summary, using a chart or table to visually represent the timeline section of your research grant proposal can be an effective way to present the information in a clear and concise manner. By using color-coding or other visual cues and keeping the chart or table simple, you can create an easy-to-read and understandable timeline.

Example of a Gantt chart :

In this example, the activities are listed in chronological order, and their durations are specified. The timeline is divided into months, and each task is assigned a start and end date within the appropriate month. This format allows for a clear understanding of the timeline and how each task fits into it.

However, it should be noted that a Gantt chart is usually a more visually intuitive way to present a timeline, as it shows the relative duration of tasks more clearly than a table.

Here is an example of a timeline table in tabular format:

This table includes the same information as the Gantt chart example in the previous answer, but in a different format. Each row represents an activity or milestone, and there are columns for the start and end dates, as well as the duration of each activity.

This format can be useful for presenting a timeline in a more compact way and can be easier to read for individuals who may have difficulty interpreting a visual representation of the timeline.

However, it should be noted that a table format may not be as effective at conveying the interdependencies and relationships between different activities and milestones, which can be more easily represented using a Gantt chart or other visual format.

Here is an example of a timeline in a calendar view:

This calendar view shows a monthly breakdown of the activities and milestones in a research grant proposal. Each row represents a week, and each column represents a month. The activities and milestones are listed under the appropriate week and month in which they occur.

This format can be useful for presenting a timeline in a way that is easy to follow and understand. It can also be helpful for projects that involve multiple team members or are time-sensitive, as it provides a clear view of deadlines and the duration of each activity.

However, it should be noted that a calendar view may not be as effective at conveying the dependencies and relationships between different activities and milestones, which can be more easily represented using a Gantt chart or other visual format.

How to label and describe activities in the timeline section of a research grant proposal, specifically in the computer science domain:

• Activity: Software Development Description: Develop and test software modules to meet project requirements. This includes designing and implementing algorithms, creating user interfaces, and debugging code.
• Activity: Data Collection Description: Gather data from online sources, research databases, and other relevant sources. This includes extracting and preprocessing data, and ensuring data quality.
• Activity: Prototype Testing Description: Conduct usability and functionality testing on the project prototype to identify and fix bugs, and improve the user experience.
• Activity: Report Writing Description: Summarize research findings and project outcomes in a clear and concise report. This includes creating data visualizations, discussing limitations and implications, and drawing conclusions.

When labeling and describing each activity, it’s important to be concise and specific. Use action verbs to describe what will be done during each activity, and provide enough detail to give a clear understanding of the task. It’s also important to consider potential roadblocks or contingencies that may arise during each activity, and plan accordingly. For example, you may include a contingency plan for software development, in case additional debugging or testing is required.

Overall, labeling and describing each activity in the timeline section of a research grant proposal is crucial for communicating the scope and goals of the project, and for helping reviewers to understand how the project will be executed. By providing clear and concise descriptions, you can help ensure that your proposal stands out and is successful in securing funding.

Here are some examples of how to review and refine the timeline section of a research grant proposal in the computer science domain:

• Importance of reviewing and refining: The timeline section is a critical component of a research grant proposal, as it communicates how the project will be executed and whether it is feasible within the proposed timeline. It’s important to review and refine the timeline section to ensure that it accurately represents the project plan and is free from errors or inconsistencies.
• Tips for getting feedback: To get feedback on the timeline section, consider sharing it with colleagues or mentors who have experience in grant writing or project management. Ask them to review the timeline section for accuracy, completeness, and clarity. Additionally, consider seeking feedback from individuals who are not familiar with the project, to ensure that the timeline section is easy to understand and communicates the project plan effectively.
• Common mistakes to avoid: When reviewing and refining the timeline section, it’s important to avoid common mistakes that can undermine the credibility of the proposal. For example, avoid overestimating the time required for activities, as this can make the proposal appear unrealistic or unfeasible. Additionally, avoid using ambiguous language or unclear labels, as this can make it difficult for reviewers to understand the project plan.

Overall, reviewing and refining the timeline section of a research grant proposal is crucial for ensuring that the proposal accurately represents the project plan and is free from errors or inconsistencies. By seeking feedback from colleagues and mentors and avoiding common mistakes, you can help ensure that your proposal stands out and is successful in securing funding.

A clear and concise timeline section is a crucial component of any research grant proposal, where projects can be complex and involve multiple team members. By identifying major milestones and activities, dividing activities into specific time periods, using a chart or table to represent the timeline, labeling and describing each activity, and reviewing and refining the timeline section, you can effectively communicate your project plan and increase your chances of securing funding.

It’s important to remember that the timeline section is not only a planning tool but also a persuasive document that demonstrates the feasibility of the project. By carefully crafting a timeline section that is realistic, feasible, and well-organized, you can showcase your expertise, commitment, and potential impact, and inspire reviewers to invest in your project.

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Estimating Activity Durations: Definition, Methods, Practical Uses

Before you begin developing the schedule of a project , you need to know the expected durations of all activities of a project. Project management frameworks such as the PMI’s PMBOK contain different tools and techniques for estimating durations. The expected amount of time for the completion of an activity is the basis for developing the project schedule. It can also serve as an input for estimation of the cost of an activity, depending on the type of the activity and the estimation technique.

In this article, we introduce the concept of estimating activity durations, the tools and techniques and the typical uses in project management.

What Is the Basis of (Duration) Estimates?

Overview of estimation methods, expert judgement, analogous estimating, parametric estimating, three-point-estimating, bottom-up estimating, formulas and calculation, how can activity durations be shortened, what are activity duration estimates.

The purpose of estimating activity durations is to determine the amount of time it takes to complete an activity. Estimate activity durations is a process of the Project Schedule Management knowledge area according to PMI’s Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®, 6 th  ed., ch. 6.4).

This process requires several input parameters, which include, in particular, the scope of work and the list and characteristics of planned activities as well as the resources that are deployed to perform the work.

The PMBOK lists

• expert judgment,
• analogous estimating,
• parametric estimating,
• bottom-up estimating, and
• three-point estimation

as techniques to determine duration estimates. Read on for an overview of these estimation techniques.

The estimation of durations is normally done on the level of activities (see below image). Determining the total duration of a work package or the whole project requires scheduling of activities, taking their individual durations into account.

This includes the consideration of dependencies between activities and often involves the development of a critical path (the longest chain of activities to achieve the desired outcome). It is therefore typically not accurate to simply calculate the sum of activity durations if you determine the duration of work packages or whole projects. This is because the sum of activity durations may overstate (sometimes understate) the total time to completion of a project as some activities can run in parallel while others are dependent on the completion of a preceding activity.

The basis of estimates is a documented set of assumptions and constraints that underlay a duration estimate. This document also describes the methods applied to produce an estimate, the range of potential outcomes as well as the confidence of the estimate(s).

This documentation is important in projects for several reasons. It makes the constraints and assumptions transparent that have been considered for the estimation. Once an assumption becomes invalid, this may trigger the need for a new estimation. A project manager can also use these documents to ensure consistency across the different activities in a project, as a justification for the project schedule and for the communication with stakeholders .

How Is Activity Duration Estimated?

The estimation process requires some input information and documents and implies the use of one or multiple estimation techniques. The following subsections elaborate on these requirements.

The estimation of activity durations should generally be done by the person who is the most familiar with the activity’s type of work. This is even more important if an estimation technique is used that relies on the expertise and experience of the estimator(s) instead of historical data.

The output of duration estimations is always a number of time periods (e.g. days, weeks, months; source ). The level of confidence and whether it is a single estimate or a range depend on the estimation technique that is applied.

Regardless of the estimation technique, it is good practice that a document accompanies the estimated number that sets out all underlying assumptions and constraints, the estimate ranges and the expected level of accuracy. In PMI terminology, this document is called the ‘basis of estimates’.

The PMBOK lists a number of inputs which are grouped under the project management plan, project documents, enterprise environmental factors and organizational process assets. While the knowledge of the complete list is likely relevant for project management exams (you will find it in ch. 6.4.2 of the PMBOK), an estimation can be done with the following minimum key input parameters:

• list of activities and their attributes,
• assigned resources (material and team members, incl. availability and skills), and
• historical data (for some estimation methods).

The more information you can consider – such as risk register or enterprise environment factors – the better your estimates.

Tools and Techniques

The following table summarizes the most common estimation techniques that are also introduced in the PMBOK.

Follow the links in the ‘references’ row of the table to read more about the respective method (incl. examples). You can also use our project management calculators to calculate final duration estimates.

*The PERT method can also be used for scheduling multiple activities which however is not in the scope of this article.

According to the PMI, activity duration estimates are subject to progressive elaboration . This implies that they could be rather rough estimates at the initial stage of scheduling the project. During the course of the project, they are then enhanced and become more accurate as more information and details are known.

Expert judgment means that an estimator or a group of estimators determine the expected duration of an activity based on their experience and expertise in the respective area.

The accuracy of these types of estimates can vary greatly. It depends on the characteristics of the work and the experience of the estimators.

Expert judgment can also be applied to supplement one of the other types of estimates, e.g. in cases where historical data are only applicable for portions of the work.

Analogous estimating is a technique that involves using either historical data or the experience of estimators to determine the expected duration of an activity. It is also referred to as top-down estimating.

Read more details and an example here .

The Parametric estimating technique makes use of historical data and statistical approaches to predict the durations of planned activities.

This can be one of the most accurate methods if the data availability, quality and statistical correlations are strong. However, it may require some efforts and resources to perform the estimation.

You will find more explanations and an example in this article .

As the name suggests, this technique requires determining three different duration estimates:

• an optimistic,
• a pessimistic, and
• a ‘most likely’ estimate.

It can be used as a range estimate or further processed, e.g. by calculating a final estimate using a triangular or Pert distribution .

As duration estimations relate to activities, the bottom-up estimation technique is implicitly the main approach for activity durations. Activities are typically the most granular planning components of a project. However, even activities can be further broken up, e.g. into steps or procedures, to increase the accuracy of an estimate.

The technique suggests that those who are responsible for the execution of work are also estimating the duration of that work.

For the estimation of project cost, the granular estimates are rolled up to determine the total cost estimate of the entire project. However, doing this for the project schedule is more complex. It actually requires some scheduling techniques to account for activities’ interdependencies and the options to have activities running in parallel.

You can read more in this guide to bottom-up estimating (incl. examples).

The aforementioned estimation techniques come with their own way of computation. Parametric estimation requires a statistical correlation and subsequent calculation (ranging from a rule of three to complex statistical models). Expert judgment and analogous estimating are typically done without calculations.

When referring to the “formula of duration estimates”, people usually think of the three-point estimation method.

Assuming a triangular distribution of the three estimates the calculation of the final estimate is:

E = (O + M + P) / 3

where: E = Expected amount of time using three-point estimation, O = Optimistic duration estimate, M = Most likely duration estimate, P = Pessimistic duration estimate.

An alternative to this triangular calculation is the Pert method. You will find a comparison of both approaches in this article .

Note that three-points estimating is only one of several methods that can be used for forecasting durations. Refer to the previous sections and the detailed articles to familiarize yourself with the other techniques.

How are Activity Durations Used in Project Management?

Activity durations are a critical piece of information in project management. They are the basis for the creation of the project schedule and help determine the time it takes to complete deliverables. If the critical path technique is used to develop the overall schedule, the duration estimates of activities that are part of the critical path directly affect the whole project’s timeline. Thus, a high level of accuracy is recommended for the duration estimates related to these activities ( source ).

Duration estimates on the activity level also help test whether work can be performed under a given set of constraints. For instance, a project often has a predefined completion date and set of deliverables. The project is then broken down all the way to the level of activities where resources are estimated and assigned as well. Estimating the duration of activities implies a check whether the combination of assigned resources, expected outcomes and other constraints are workable.

As duration estimates refer to activities, further scheduling techniques need to be used to determine the duration of the entire project. Activity duration estimates are an input to these methods.

Activity durations may also serve as a basis for cost estimates. This is the case where cost is determined as a product of time and resource cost per time unit. This is a common approach bottom-up cost estimating , for instance.

There are several ways to shorten the time it takes to complete activities. The different approaches can be grouped into three categories:

• Narrowing the scope of the work of an activity,
• Increasing the amount or number of resources for that activity, and
• Increasing the efficiency of the work.

Activities are usually planned after the work breakdown structure has been completed. Every activity is linked to a work package that is supposed to produce a deliverable or parts of a deliverable.

Therefore, changes to the scope would be a rather drastic step at the point when activity durations are estimated. However, estimating durations can help shifting steps and procedures between activities if this increases the overall productivity and, therefore, lowers the duration.

There are also numerous other ways to increase efficiency which may include but not be limited to automation of work, a higher skill level of resources, improved working environment (e.g. collocation), optimization of the sourcing of materials and products, better quality assurance, etc.

A common way to shorten activity durations is to raise the number of resources assigned to an activity. This is particularly common for labor-intensive types of work.

In practice, there are certain limitations to the effects of such measures. New team members would have to have a fitting skill level. They would also need some onboarding which would affect other members’ time to do their own work.

The PMBOK also lists the law of diminishing marginal returns – this means that the additional (marginal) productivity gain decreases with every newly added resource.

Estimating the duration of activities is crucial to prepare the schedule of a project. In the early stages of a project, it can also serve as a test for high-level assumptions. Thus, the need for adjustments (e.g. resource assignments) can be made transparent.

The techniques used for duration estimating are also applicable to cost estimates , and the PMBOK is regularly cross-referencing between both chapters.

If you are preparing for your PMP exam , you should therefore familiarize yourself with these methods.

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Top 5 Research Timeline Samples with Templates and Examples

Ashima Monga

When it comes to doing a thesis, project report, or dissertation, you spend lots of time doing research through case studies. It, however, always works best if you planned everything in a given timeline. Thus, a research timeline template is beneficial for writing a research report or project presentation for sponsors or investors.

To address this pain point of business, SlideTech offers you invaluable help in building innovative research timeline templates that give you the outline to create perfect project reports, add or remove new tasks and milestones, and change the deliverable dates of your project with a few clicks. Our templates provide an overview of the project plan’s events, highlight important points in time, break down the project’s agenda and distill important information about your products or services, etc.

In this blog, we are introducing our top-notch research timeline templates that are perfect for telling stories and visualizing the processes of your project. 

Template 1: Projected Research Timeline Milestone PPT PowerPoint Presentation Ideas Backgrounds

If you need to learn how to make a research document and set schedule activities for each step, then use this fantastic research template that encompasses the content of a well-maintained research paper. Organize your activities and map meetings according to project milestones with this expert-curated template. For instance, use this template to mark out when your ‘reading and research starts and mark it as task 1, with the color-coded legend. Then task 2 could be topic presenting that starts, as soon as task 1 ends. Then, topic interpreting can be task 3 with the same start as the work on the topic started. This editable template lets you change font styles and color themes with a few clicks.

Download Now!

Template 2: Projected Research Timeline Elements PPT Presentation Infographic Template Skills

When you introduce your new products and services to the customers, get this template where steps are needed to analyze, plan, design, implement, and evaluate a specific product. Adapt this PPT Template to give a comprehensive overview of your products to target audience that you value. This handy template design guides your project from inception to completion dividing your project research tasks into Elements, Tasks and Actions. 

Template 3: Projected Research Timeline Planning PowerPoint Presentation Icon Backgrounds

Manage your planning with this PPT Template design to complete your project research, enlist tasks or activities with its deadline. You can measure the activities you planned through it by going to the timetable you set and evaluating the work progress. Business owners can easily visualize data with customizable maps, widgets, graphs, and charts. The phases are also listed out in detail in this template.

Template 4: Dissertation Projected Research Timeline Analysis PPT PowerPoint Presentation Professional

Fashionably present your research project through this ready-made Presentation Template and keep track of project deadlines. This goal- oriented template breaks down your project’s events or tasks in chronological order, giving a high-level view of the project's planning and reflecting your business plan. Use color hues for each task that differentiate each task from others on the timeline, schedule prioritize tasks, and make information more visual.

Template 5: Dissertation Projected Research Timeline Research PPT PowerPoint Presentation Topics

Grab this research timeline to illustrate and represent roadmaps for your project and highlight the planning process’s goals and tasks over a specific period. Color-coding of this template makes your design more readable, differentiating tasks, defining specific daily, weekly, or monthly activities, etc. The project manager can visualize processes and their status quo and also create natural flow of information among team members. 

The Final Word

Running a business smoothly is a very tricky job and sometimes may be hard to manage. Our beautifully crafted research timeline templates provide the most solid foundation that builds something genuinely remarkable for your business that will captivate your audience, stakeholders, investors, etc. Our research timeline templates communicate the business’s core message clearly and emphasizes timely project delivery to your potential customers. You can always modify our templates to fit your business’s needs. 

FAQs on Research Timeline

What is a research timeline.

A research timeline is an essential part of any project proposal. It defines the chronological order of events of your project plan that includes aspects such as reading & research, analysis results, milestones, preliminary data results, literature review results, etc. It gives a broad overview of your project’s planned activities at a glance.

How do you write a research timeline?

Writing a research document for any project comes with levels of complexity. You must follow some guidelines while writing a research timeline to keep yourself on track. Write the research timeline of the project in stages and give enough time to complete every step of your work.

• Define research ideas, objectives, and resources and then prepare the research proposal.
• Develop a research design for it
• Capture relevant information to create a sampling plan
• Carry out data collection to write it up 
• Prepare data for analysis and draw conclusions or recommendations
• Write the final draft of the application.
• Again, review it and edit it if required and submit the final research proposal.

How long should a research timeline be?

A research timeline project can be eight weeks, six months, one year, two years, three years, or more, depending on the requirement of the project proposal. But it would help if you remembered to complete it timely while planning these periods.

How do you write a  PhD research timeline?

A PhD Research Timeline is a challenging process that spans across years. Sometimes, researchers can feel quite overwhelmed. Some tips for writing a perfect PhD research timeline are:

• Decide what elements like data collection, fieldwork, experiments, data analysis, writing plan, conferences, publications, coursework, etc., you must include in your PhD research timeline.
• Share or discuss your ideas and thoughts with your guide or PhD supervisor and get their views. Note the discussion points during the meeting and edit your provisional PhD research timeline, accordingly. 
• Think about the design of your PhD research timeline and prepare it across tasks and milestones.
• Track your tasks and update your PhD research timeline to prioritize tasks and set achievable and concrete goals when needed.

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Research Project – Definition, Writing Guide and Ideas

Table of Contents

Research Project

Definition :

Research Project is a planned and systematic investigation into a specific area of interest or problem, with the goal of generating new knowledge, insights, or solutions. It typically involves identifying a research question or hypothesis, designing a study to test it, collecting and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions based on the findings.

Types of Research Project

Types of Research Projects are as follows:

Basic Research

This type of research focuses on advancing knowledge and understanding of a subject area or phenomenon, without any specific application or practical use in mind. The primary goal is to expand scientific or theoretical knowledge in a particular field.

Applied Research

Applied research is aimed at solving practical problems or addressing specific issues. This type of research seeks to develop solutions or improve existing products, services or processes.

Action Research

Action research is conducted by practitioners and aimed at solving specific problems or improving practices in a particular context. It involves collaboration between researchers and practitioners, and often involves iterative cycles of data collection and analysis, with the goal of improving practices.

Quantitative Research

This type of research uses numerical data to investigate relationships between variables or to test hypotheses. It typically involves large-scale data collection through surveys, experiments, or secondary data analysis.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research focuses on understanding and interpreting phenomena from the perspective of the people involved. It involves collecting and analyzing data in the form of text, images, or other non-numerical forms.

Mixed Methods Research

Mixed methods research combines elements of both quantitative and qualitative research, using multiple data sources and methods to gain a more comprehensive understanding of a phenomenon.

Longitudinal Research

This type of research involves studying a group of individuals or phenomena over an extended period of time, often years or decades. It is useful for understanding changes and developments over time.

Case Study Research

Case study research involves in-depth investigation of a particular case or phenomenon, often within a specific context. It is useful for understanding complex phenomena in their real-life settings.

Participatory Research

Participatory research involves active involvement of the people or communities being studied in the research process. It emphasizes collaboration, empowerment, and the co-production of knowledge.

Research Project Methodology

Research Project Methodology refers to the process of conducting research in an organized and systematic manner to answer a specific research question or to test a hypothesis. A well-designed research project methodology ensures that the research is rigorous, valid, and reliable, and that the findings are meaningful and can be used to inform decision-making.

There are several steps involved in research project methodology, which are described below:

Define the Research Question

The first step in any research project is to clearly define the research question or problem. This involves identifying the purpose of the research, the scope of the research, and the key variables that will be studied.

Develop a Research Plan

Once the research question has been defined, the next step is to develop a research plan. This plan outlines the methodology that will be used to collect and analyze data, including the research design, sampling strategy, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques.

Collect Data

The data collection phase involves gathering information through various methods, such as surveys, interviews, observations, experiments, or secondary data analysis. The data collected should be relevant to the research question and should be of sufficient quantity and quality to enable meaningful analysis.

Analyze Data

Once the data has been collected, it is analyzed using appropriate statistical techniques or other methods. The analysis should be guided by the research question and should aim to identify patterns, trends, relationships, or other insights that can inform the research findings.

Interpret and Report Findings

The final step in the research project methodology is to interpret the findings and report them in a clear and concise manner. This involves summarizing the results, discussing their implications, and drawing conclusions that can be used to inform decision-making.

Research Project Writing Guide

Here are some guidelines to help you in writing a successful research project:

• Choose a topic: Choose a topic that you are interested in and that is relevant to your field of study. It is important to choose a topic that is specific and focused enough to allow for in-depth research and analysis.
• Conduct a literature review : Conduct a thorough review of the existing research on your topic. This will help you to identify gaps in the literature and to develop a research question or hypothesis.
• Develop a research question or hypothesis : Based on your literature review, develop a clear research question or hypothesis that you will investigate in your study.
• Design your study: Choose an appropriate research design and methodology to answer your research question or test your hypothesis. This may include choosing a sample, selecting measures or instruments, and determining data collection methods.
• Collect data: Collect data using your chosen methods and instruments. Be sure to follow ethical guidelines and obtain informed consent from participants if necessary.
• Analyze data: Analyze your data using appropriate statistical or qualitative methods. Be sure to clearly report your findings and provide interpretations based on your research question or hypothesis.
• Discuss your findings : Discuss your findings in the context of the existing literature and your research question or hypothesis. Identify any limitations or implications of your study and suggest directions for future research.
• Write your project: Write your research project in a clear and organized manner, following the appropriate format and style guidelines for your field of study. Be sure to include an introduction, literature review, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusion.
• Revise and edit: Revise and edit your project for clarity, coherence, and accuracy. Be sure to proofread for spelling, grammar, and formatting errors.
• Cite your sources: Cite your sources accurately and appropriately using the appropriate citation style for your field of study.

Examples of Research Projects

Some Examples of Research Projects are as follows:

• Investigating the effects of a new medication on patients with a particular disease or condition.
• Exploring the impact of exercise on mental health and well-being.
• Studying the effectiveness of a new teaching method in improving student learning outcomes.
• Examining the impact of social media on political participation and engagement.
• Investigating the efficacy of a new therapy for a specific mental health disorder.
• Exploring the use of renewable energy sources in reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change.
• Studying the effects of a new agricultural technique on crop yields and environmental sustainability.
• Investigating the effectiveness of a new technology in improving business productivity and efficiency.
• Examining the impact of a new public policy on social inequality and access to resources.
• Exploring the factors that influence consumer behavior in a specific market.

Characteristics of Research Project

Here are some of the characteristics that are often associated with research projects:

• Clear objective: A research project is designed to answer a specific question or solve a particular problem. The objective of the research should be clearly defined from the outset.
• Systematic approach: A research project is typically carried out using a structured and systematic approach that involves careful planning, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
• Rigorous methodology: A research project should employ a rigorous methodology that is appropriate for the research question being investigated. This may involve the use of statistical analysis, surveys, experiments, or other methods.
• Data collection : A research project involves collecting data from a variety of sources, including primary sources (such as surveys or experiments) and secondary sources (such as published literature or databases).
• Analysis and interpretation : Once the data has been collected, it needs to be analyzed and interpreted. This involves using statistical techniques or other methods to identify patterns or relationships in the data.
• Conclusion and implications : A research project should lead to a clear conclusion that answers the research question. It should also identify the implications of the findings for future research or practice.
• Communication: The results of the research project should be communicated clearly and effectively, using appropriate language and visual aids, to a range of audiences, including peers, stakeholders, and the wider public.

Importance of Research Project

Research projects are an essential part of the process of generating new knowledge and advancing our understanding of various fields of study. Here are some of the key reasons why research projects are important:

• Advancing knowledge : Research projects are designed to generate new knowledge and insights into particular topics or questions. This knowledge can be used to inform policies, practices, and decision-making processes across a range of fields.
• Solving problems: Research projects can help to identify solutions to real-world problems by providing a better understanding of the causes and effects of particular issues.
• Developing new technologies: Research projects can lead to the development of new technologies or products that can improve people’s lives or address societal challenges.
• Improving health outcomes: Research projects can contribute to improving health outcomes by identifying new treatments, diagnostic tools, or preventive strategies.
• Enhancing education: Research projects can enhance education by providing new insights into teaching and learning methods, curriculum development, and student learning outcomes.
• Informing public policy : Research projects can inform public policy by providing evidence-based recommendations and guidance on issues related to health, education, environment, social justice, and other areas.
• Enhancing professional development : Research projects can enhance the professional development of researchers by providing opportunities to develop new skills, collaborate with colleagues, and share knowledge with others.

Research Project Ideas

Following are some Research Project Ideas:

Field: Psychology

• Investigating the impact of social support on coping strategies among individuals with chronic illnesses.
• Exploring the relationship between childhood trauma and adult attachment styles.
• Examining the effects of exercise on cognitive function and brain health in older adults.
• Investigating the impact of sleep deprivation on decision making and risk-taking behavior.
• Exploring the relationship between personality traits and leadership styles in the workplace.
• Examining the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating anxiety disorders.
• Investigating the relationship between social comparison and body dissatisfaction in young women.
• Exploring the impact of parenting styles on children’s emotional regulation and behavior.
• Investigating the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for treating depression.
• Examining the relationship between childhood adversity and later-life health outcomes.

Field: Economics

• Analyzing the impact of trade agreements on economic growth in developing countries.
• Examining the effects of tax policy on income distribution and poverty reduction.
• Investigating the relationship between foreign aid and economic development in low-income countries.
• Exploring the impact of globalization on labor markets and job displacement.
• Analyzing the impact of minimum wage laws on employment and income levels.
• Investigating the effectiveness of monetary policy in managing inflation and unemployment.
• Examining the relationship between economic freedom and entrepreneurship.
• Analyzing the impact of income inequality on social mobility and economic opportunity.
• Investigating the role of education in economic development.
• Examining the effectiveness of different healthcare financing systems in promoting health equity.

Field: Sociology

• Investigating the impact of social media on political polarization and civic engagement.
• Examining the effects of neighborhood characteristics on health outcomes.
• Analyzing the impact of immigration policies on social integration and cultural diversity.
• Investigating the relationship between social support and mental health outcomes in older adults.
• Exploring the impact of income inequality on social cohesion and trust.
• Analyzing the effects of gender and race discrimination on career advancement and pay equity.
• Investigating the relationship between social networks and health behaviors.
• Examining the effectiveness of community-based interventions for reducing crime and violence.
• Analyzing the impact of social class on cultural consumption and taste.
• Investigating the relationship between religious affiliation and social attitudes.

Field: Computer Science

• Developing an algorithm for detecting fake news on social media.
• Investigating the effectiveness of different machine learning algorithms for image recognition.
• Developing a natural language processing tool for sentiment analysis of customer reviews.
• Analyzing the security implications of blockchain technology for online transactions.
• Investigating the effectiveness of different recommendation algorithms for personalized advertising.
• Developing an artificial intelligence chatbot for mental health counseling.
• Investigating the effectiveness of different algorithms for optimizing online advertising campaigns.
• Developing a machine learning model for predicting consumer behavior in online marketplaces.
• Analyzing the privacy implications of different data sharing policies for online platforms.
• Investigating the effectiveness of different algorithms for predicting stock market trends.

Field: Education

• Investigating the impact of teacher-student relationships on academic achievement.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of different pedagogical approaches for promoting student engagement and motivation.
• Examining the effects of school choice policies on academic achievement and social mobility.
• Investigating the impact of technology on learning outcomes and academic achievement.
• Analyzing the effects of school funding disparities on educational equity and achievement gaps.
• Investigating the relationship between school climate and student mental health outcomes.
• Examining the effectiveness of different teaching strategies for promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Investigating the impact of social-emotional learning programs on student behavior and academic achievement.
• Analyzing the effects of standardized testing on student motivation and academic achievement.

Field: Environmental Science

• Investigating the impact of climate change on species distribution and biodiversity.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of different renewable energy technologies in reducing carbon emissions.
• Examining the impact of air pollution on human health outcomes.
• Investigating the relationship between urbanization and deforestation in developing countries.
• Analyzing the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Investigating the impact of land use change on soil fertility and ecosystem services.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of different conservation policies and programs for protecting endangered species and habitats.
• Investigating the relationship between climate change and water resources in arid regions.
• Examining the impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Investigating the effects of different agricultural practices on soil health and nutrient cycling.

Field: Linguistics

• Analyzing the impact of language diversity on social integration and cultural identity.
• Investigating the relationship between language and cognition in bilingual individuals.
• Examining the effects of language contact and language change on linguistic diversity.
• Investigating the role of language in shaping cultural norms and values.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of different language teaching methodologies for second language acquisition.
• Investigating the relationship between language proficiency and academic achievement.
• Examining the impact of language policy on language use and language attitudes.
• Investigating the role of language in shaping gender and social identities.
• Analyzing the effects of dialect contact on language variation and change.
• Investigating the relationship between language and emotion expression.

Field: Political Science

• Analyzing the impact of electoral systems on women’s political representation.
• Investigating the relationship between political ideology and attitudes towards immigration.
• Examining the effects of political polarization on democratic institutions and political stability.
• Investigating the impact of social media on political participation and civic engagement.
• Analyzing the effects of authoritarianism on human rights and civil liberties.
• Investigating the relationship between public opinion and foreign policy decisions.
• Examining the impact of international organizations on global governance and cooperation.
• Investigating the effectiveness of different conflict resolution strategies in resolving ethnic and religious conflicts.
• Analyzing the effects of corruption on economic development and political stability.
• Investigating the role of international law in regulating global governance and human rights.

Field: Medicine

• Investigating the impact of lifestyle factors on chronic disease risk and prevention.
• Examining the effectiveness of different treatment approaches for mental health disorders.
• Investigating the relationship between genetics and disease susceptibility.
• Analyzing the effects of social determinants of health on health outcomes and health disparities.
• Investigating the impact of different healthcare delivery models on patient outcomes and cost effectiveness.
• Examining the effectiveness of different prevention and treatment strategies for infectious diseases.
• Investigating the relationship between healthcare provider communication skills and patient satisfaction and outcomes.
• Analyzing the effects of medical error and patient safety on healthcare quality and outcomes.
• Investigating the impact of different pharmaceutical pricing policies on access to essential medicines.
• Examining the effectiveness of different rehabilitation approaches for improving function and quality of life in individuals with disabilities.

Field: Anthropology

• Analyzing the impact of colonialism on indigenous cultures and identities.
• Investigating the relationship between cultural practices and health outcomes in different populations.
• Examining the effects of globalization on cultural diversity and cultural exchange.
• Investigating the role of language in cultural transmission and preservation.
• Analyzing the effects of cultural contact on cultural change and adaptation.
• Investigating the impact of different migration policies on immigrant integration and acculturation.
• Examining the role of gender and sexuality in cultural norms and values.
• Investigating the impact of cultural heritage preservation on tourism and economic development.
• Analyzing the effects of cultural revitalization movements on indigenous communities.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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How to plan and write a budget for research grant proposal?

Medical research can have an enormous positive impact on human health. Health research improves the quality of human lives and society which plays a vital role in social and economic development of the nation. Financial support is crucial for research. However, winning a research grant is a difficult task. A successful grant-winning application requires two key elements: one is an innovative research problem with best probable idea/plan for tackling it and appropriate planning of budget. The aim of the present paper is to give an insight on funding agencies providing funding for health research including traditional Indian medicine (from an Indian perspective) and key points for planning and writing budget section of a grant application.

1. Introduction

Why health science research is important and why should it to be funded? Science and technology innovations and health research can have an enormous impact on human health. They improve public health, quality of human lives, longevity and have made society better [1] , [2] . Healthy humans with better quality of life are crucial for the social and economical development of the nation [3] . Medical research led to the expansion of knowledge about health problems/conditions and their mechanism, risk factors, outcomes of treatments or interventions, preventive measures and proper management. Clinical studies or trials provide important information about the safety and efficacy of a drug/intervention. Innovative basic science research had led to the discovery of new technology, efficient diagnostic and therapeutic devices. So, currently, an effort with multidisciplinary approach is a demand for better understanding of clinical conditions and providing safest health care to the community [2] , [4] .

Whether it is basic or applied, clinical or non-clinical, all research needs financial support. Considering the importance of research in economic growth of a nation, many countries are increasing their budget for research and development in science. A study on impact of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) on research and development in science among Asian countries has found that one who spends more on research has more research outcomes in the form of total number of research documents, citations per documents and h-index [5] . About 95% of the NIH (National Institutes of Health, USA), budget goes directly to research awards, programs, and centers; training programs; and research and development contracts [6] . Total expenditure carried out for research in India is too less than USA and China. Percentage of GDP for research and development in India is 0.88%, while South Korea, USA and China have 4.292%, 2.742 and 2.1% respectively [7] .

Owing to the increasing competition among the researchers, especially the young ones, for their academic growth, preparing and planning a winning research proposal becomes very essential. A successful grant-winning application requires two key elements: (1) innovative research problem with best probable idea/plan for tackling it and (2) appropriate planning of budget. The aim of the present paper is to give an insight on funding agencies (from an Indian perspective) and key points for planning and writing budget section of a grant application.

2. What is the purpose of the budget plan in a grant application?

A budget is the quantitative expression of a financial plan for future expenses on the project in a given period of time [8] . Budget plan is a key element of a grant application. It demonstrates the required cost for the proposed project. It is a prediction of expenses and serves a plan for funders on how the organization will operate the project, spend the money in a given set of period and where their money will go. It shows the funders exactly what they can support and also helps the institution and investigating team in management of the project. Moreover, budget plan requires for accountability [9] .

3. Which are the funding agencies that sponsor health research in India?

Various national and international sponsoring agencies have identified health problems of priority for funding a research. Some of the leading funding agencies providing grant for health research including alternative systems of medicine in India are given in Table 1 . State Universities/deemed Universities also have a provision of funding for medical research.

Table 1

List of funding agencies those promote health research.

4. What constitutes a research project budget?

Proforma of the research grant applications and presentation of budget section may vary among the sponsoring agencies. However, major parts of budget plan in the applications of the above mentioned funding agencies are quite similar. The budget section is broadly divided into two categories: direct and indirect costs.

4.1. Direct costs:

These are the costs incurred specifically to carry out a project [10] . Direct costs include expenses towards personnel, materials, equipments, consumables and travel. These particulars are further categorized into recurring and non-recurring expenses on the basis of their occurrence during the study period. A brief description of the sub-sections under direct cost is given below:

4.1.1. Personnel:

Budget for personnel can be mentioned in this section in case human resources are required for the study and as per funding agency guidelines. Salaries with allowances can be budgeted for human resources such as site manager, research assistant, junior research fellow (JRF), senior research fellow (SRF), research associate, technician, data entry operator and attender. Most of the Indian funding agencies do not have a provision for salaries for the principal investigator (PI) and co-investigators (Co-PI). Ministry of AYUSH [11] and Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Science (RGUHS), Karnataka [12] provide one-time minimal fees for investigators and supporting staff respectively. There is a provision for salaries of investigators in Wellcome trust-DBT India alliance grants [13] .

4.1.2. Recurring expenses:

Recurring expenses are those which are variable and which keep on occurring throughout the entire project duration. Particulars categorized in this category are consumables, chemicals, glasswares, laboratory test charges, diagnostic kits, stationery, prints, photocopies, communication, postage, telephone charges, survey tools, questionnaires, publication charges, reprints, binding etc. Other expenses could be allowances for patients/participants, food charges and physician fees.

4.1.3. Non-recurring expenses:

Non-recurring expenses are those which are one-time in nature or which do not recur at regular intervals. Particulars included in this category are equipments or instruments with its accessories, software's, computer, printer, electrical and electronic items and accessories of the existing instrument in your lab. Percentage of budget allocated for equipment varies among the funding agencies from 25% to 90% of the entire budget. Some of the agencies do not have provision for equipment in budget. Vision Group on Science and Technology allocated their maximum grant (up to 90%) for development of infrastructure of laboratories [14] .

4.1.4. Traveling expenses:

Budget allocated for traveling can be used for attending meetings, conferences, workshops and training programs. Foreign travel is not allowed by any Indian funding agency. Traveling expenses for collection of data, survey and visit to other centers in multicentric study can be budgeted in this sub-section.

4.2. Indirect costs:

These are the costs which cannot be directly attributed to specific expenses of a project, but are required to run a project. It is also termed as overhead charges. Laboratory, electricity, water, library and other facilities are provided by the institution to run a proposed research project. Therefore, a fixed cost (usually) of about 5–15% of the total budget is provisioned as institutional overhead charges which goes to the institution directly. The range may, however, be flexible on the basis of the type of funding agency.

5. Budget justification

Most of the funding agencies require submission of a budget justification with all the items described above. Sometimes it is also called as budget narrative. Explanation of need for each line item in the budget with item-wise and year-wise breakdown has to be provided. Quantification of total costs of each line-item and document cost calculation should be done. When writing a budget justification, it is important to follow the same order as that in an itemized budget. For example, if equipment such as color doppler is required, then justify the need of a device with respect to the proposed methodology of the study. Similarly, for non-recurring expenses, breakdown the consumables item-wise and year-wise with its cost and calculation according to the protocol of the study and justify accordingly.

6. Budget summary

An item-wise and year wise summary of the total budget is usually required in most of the applications. Budget summary outlines the proposed grant and often (most of the format) appears at the beginning of the proposal. It should always be prepared at the end, after the grant proposal has been completely developed. A sample budget summary (as an example) for a proposed study for the duration of three years is shown in Table 2 . In the personnel section, a research fellow salary with allowances is budgeted year-wise. The salary of the research fellow for the first and second year is Rs. 2,30,000 per year (JRF) with an enhancement to Rs 2, 59,000 for the third year (SRF) as per the guidelines of the funding agency. As non-recurring expenses are one time in nature, a budget for equipment was budgeted only for the first year. Under the section of recurring expenses, more budgets are allocated in the second year for consumables because recruitment of subjects in large number will be done during the second year of the proposed study. Similarly, expenses toward travel, investigator fee and other miscellaneous costs year-wise have been budgeted. The emoluments and guidelines on service conditions for research personnel employed in research project by ICMR has been given in reference section [15] , [16] .

Table 2

Sample budget summary (year wise).

7. How to plan a simple research budget?

Planning of the research budget begins with an innovative research question, objectives and design of the study. Before starting to write a budget plan, it is essential to understand the expectations of funding agencies, University/Institute and the team of researchers. It is imperative to keep in mind that the research proposal will be reviewed by both scientific and financial (non-scientific) experts. Hence, the proposal should be prepared in such a way that it can be easily understood by even non-scientific experts.

Firstly, a list of what is essential and would add value for research such as focus of research, primary and secondary outcomes of the study, the source of the sample, study setting, sample design and sample size, techniques used to collect data, method of data analysis and available resources should be made [17] .

Secondly, the instructions, format of the application and rules of the funding agency should be read thoroughly. Budget specifications, limitations of recurring and non-recurring costs, and necessity of budget justification with cost breakdown should be checked. Note that one should not deviate or modify the proforma of the funding agency.

Thirdly, a list of items should be made and categorized into recurring and non-recurring expenses. Breakdown of the budget into item-wise and year-wise with cost calculation should be done. It should be ensured that costs are reasonable, allowable and related to the research proposal, so that the budget appears realistic. Travel expenses should be calculated as per the rules of the funding agency.

Fourthly, item-wise and year-wise justification of the requirement in a same sequence of format should be provided. A well-justified budget can enhance the evaluation of the research proposal by reviewers and funding body.

The last most important part is to review the budget and verify the costs and calculation. It is better, if other research team members can review the budget plan and re-calculate the costs thoroughly. Remember, too high budget and too low budget with respect to the research proposal are suspicious and chances of receiving a grant are less.

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Earn a free Microsoft Fabric certification exam!  

We are thrilled to announce the general availability of  Exam DP-600 , which leads to the  Microsoft Certified: Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate  certification.   

Microsoft Fabric’s common analytics platform is built on the instantly  familiar Power BI experience , making your transition to Fabric Analytics Engineer easier. With Fabric, you can build on your prior knowledge – whether that is Power BI, SQL, or Python – and master how to enrich data for analytics in the era of AI.  

To help you learn quickly and get certified, we created the  Fabric Career Hub.  We have curated the  best   free   on-demand and live training, exam crams, practice tests and more .  

And because the best way to learn is live, we will have  free live learning sessions  led by the best Microsoft Fabric experts from Apr 16 to May 8, in English and Spanish. Register now at the  Learn Together  page.

Also,  become eligible for a  free certification exam  by completing the  Fabric AI Skills Challenge.  But hurry, the challenge only runs from  March 19 – April 19  and free certs are first-come, first-served! (limit one per   participant,  terms and conditions  apply).  

• Version number: v: 2.128.751.0
• Date published: 4/8/24
• New Visual – 100% Stacked Area Chart 
• Line enhancements 
• Enhance Q&A with Copilot-generated Linguistic Relationships  

Snowflake (Connector Update)

Storytelling in powerpoint – improved image mode in the power bi add-in for powerpoint, storytelling in powerpoint – continuous slide show auto refresh, storytelling in powerpoint – auto populating the slide title.

• Introducing the Fabric metadata scanning sample app 
• Dynamic Subscriptions for Power BI and paginated reports 

Supporting Folders in workspace

New “clear barcode” action in the report footer, open power bi items in full screen mode.

• New Visuals in AppSource
• KPI MatrixGrowth Rate Chart by DJEENI v1.4Aimplan Comment Visual

Financial Reporting Matrix by Profitbase

Horizon chart by powerviz, drill down scatter pro by zoomcharts, image gallery, horizontal bar chart, multi-pane card 1.1.

New Visual – 100% Stacked Area Chart

Introducing the new 100% Stacked Area Chart, now available in our core visuals gallery. These visuals display the relative percentage of multiple data series in stacked areas, where the total always equals 100%. It’s perfect for showing the proportion of individual series to the whole and how they change over time. Find it in the visual gallery, on-object dialog, or format pane, right next to the Stacked Area Chart. Give it a try and share your feedback with us!

For more detailed information about this new visual, and the new line enhancements you can read our article: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pbicorevisuals_powerbi-pbicorevisuals-activity-7183990356642775041-lsFE?utm_source=combined_share_message&utm_medium=member_desktop

Line enhancements

Take your line charts to the next level with our new line control features.

• Adjust line color transparency under Lines > Colors > Transparency.
• Control the color and transparency of each series by selecting them in the ‘Apply settings to’ dropdown.
• Use Monotone and the new Cardinal smooth type for full control of smooth lines.
• Choose from before, center, and after step lines to align your visual with your story.

Try out these new features and enhance your line charts.

Enhance Q&A with Copilot-generated Linguistic Relationships

Improving your linguistic schema is an important step in making sure that the Q&A visual can understand the wide range of questions people might ask about their data. This is why, back in September , we added a new section into the Q&A setup menu to help you add linguistic relationships to teach Q&A about words which qualify or relate your data.   

But we also know that coming up with all the different words people might be using to refer to your data can take time and effort, and we’ve been working on ways to make that process easier for you! In November , we introduced a way for you to quickly generate new synonyms for the names of tables and columns in your model; this month, we’ve introduced the same functionality for linguistic relationships!   

When you open a report with a Q&A visual, if you have Copilot enabled and you’ve already added synonyms, you’ll now see a banner prompting you to get relationships with Copilot as well.   

Unlike with synonyms, Copilot-generated relationships will not be used to understand natural language inputs until you have approved them, so make sure you accept the ones which work for your model!   

Allow Copilot to help interpret Q&A questions.

You can also now use Copilot to improve the Q&A engine’s term recognition when you ask questions! This new feature will trigger when you ask Q&A a question which uses words or phrases which Q&A doesn’t recognize, but which it detects might be referring to data entities like tables or columns. Then, Copilot will also check those unknown words or phrases to see if there is any reasonable match — and, if so, return the answer as a visual as though a suggested synonym had been applied.

This feature is not a replacement for synonyms! In fact, adding synonyms for the entities in your semantic model is even more important to create good matches, as they increase the surface area to check for similarities. It will widen the range of inputs Q&A will recognize, but like a multiplier, it will improve recognition for well-modeled data much better than it will for poorly modeled data.   

This feature will be automatically enabled when you choose to get synonyms with Copilot, but you can also turn it on or off manually in the suggestion settings menu in the Synonyms tab in Q&A setup.  

Data Connectivity

The Snowflake connector has been updated to support the use of Snowflake dynamic tables .

We’ve made saving Power BI content as an image simpler and more powerful.

First, we’ve added a new dropdown menu to the add-in’s footer. In that menu, you can choose whether you want to see live data or a snapshot. So now it is much easier to find where to switch between live data and a static image.

Second, for snapshots, you now have two options:

• Public snapshot: Anyone who can view the presentation can view the image.
• Snapshot: Only those who have permission to view the report in Power BI will be able to see the snapshot.

Third, we’ve disabled the default snapshot, so that the slide thumbnail doesn’t show the image by default (this also applies when you copy & paste the slide into an email for example), but only after the add-in is loaded and the required permissions have been checked.

And lastly, we honor this setting also when you open the presentation in PowerPoint for the web. You still cannot change a live view into a snapshot in PowerPoint for the web, but if you or someone else has changed the view to snapshot in the PowerPoint desktop app, this will be respected, and you will see the snapshot also in PowerPoint for the web.

PowerPoint allows you to continuously playback a presentation. This is especially useful when you want to present information in public displays without any human interaction.

If a presentation that is running continuously has slides that include the Power BI add-in, the data in the add-in might become outdated, since the add-in gets the data from Power BI when the slide is loaded, or when the user manually refreshes the data being presented.

With the new automatic refresh in slide show feature, you can set the add-in to automatically pull fresh data from Power BI while the presentation is in slide show mode, ensuring that the presentation will always show the most recent data.

Note that auto refresh only happens in slide show mode and not while you’re editing the presentation.

When you add the Power BI add-in to an empty slide that doesn’t have a title yet, the Power BI add-in is here to help. It offers you suggestions for the slide title based on the content of you add-in. The title can be the report name, the page/visual name, or both. Just select the desired option and hit Add title .

Introducing the Fabric metadata scanning sample app

We’re delighted to announce the availability of the new Fabric metadata scanning app. This sample application builds upon the metadata scanning capabilities of Fabric’s set of Admin REST APIs collectively known as the scanner APIs. This new app can be used as a reference for admins interested in utilizing the Scanner API to catalog and report on all the metadata of their organization’s Fabric items.

The Fabric metadata scanning sample app handles all the steps for calling the scanner API including authentication, parallelism, throttling, and incremental scanning. In addition, it provides a central configuration file which can be easily modified to suit the specific needs of the caller. Currently authentication is supported both by using a service principal and a delegated token.

The app is available as a Microsoft open-source project, and is open for suggestions and improvements here:

https://github.com/microsoft/Fabric-metadata-scanning/

Dynamic Subscriptions for Power BI and paginated reports

We’re pleased to announce that you can now send dynamic per recipient subscriptions to up to 1000 recipients instead of the earlier limit of 50 recipients from the data in the Power BI semantic model. For existing subscriptions, we will automatically send subscriptions up to 1000 recipients if your Power BI semantic model contains that many rows of data. You need to edit the subscription if you don’t want to automatically send subscriptions. Learn more about creating dynamic per recipient subscriptions for Power BI Reports and paginated reports .

This feature will be available in some regions as soon as today, however depending on the geography in which your Power BI tenant is located, it may take up to two weeks to appear.

The Power BI Mobile apps support folders in workspace. So, you can access items that are organized in folders inside of your workspace directly from the mobile app.

Workspace and folders are Fabric entities, which means that you can add items that are not necessarily Power BI items to a workspace. But the Power BI Mobile apps only support a subset of Power BI items. Therefore, only the Power BI item will be accessible when you are browsing the folder content from the app. If a folder contains only non-Power BI items, it will appear empty in the mobile app.

When a field in your model is marked as a barcode, you can use your mobile device camera to scan the barcodes of real objects to filter reports that are built on this model. This feature is extremely useful for retail, where you can scan the barcode on a piece of merchandise to get a report showing data about the item directly in your mobile app (for example, inventory information, product selling data, etc.).

To make it easier and more intuitive to use barcodes and based on feedback we’ve gotten from our users in stores, we’ve added a new button to the report footer that makes it a one-click action to clear any previously scanned barcode from the report’s filter.

Learn more about scanning barcode from the mobile app

We continue to simplify the experience of using the Power BI Mobile apps, always keeping in mind the frontline workers who need quick access to their content. In this monthly update we’ve made it possible to open Power BI items on full screen, so users can view their data at its max.

Opening an item on full screen is supported both for launch items and when using a universal link.

A launch item is a Power BI item (report, page, app, etc.) that the user has selected to automatically open when they open the app. Now, you can also tell the Power BI Mobile app to open this item in full screen mode.

To set a launch item to open in full screen mode, go to Settings > Launch item and enable the Open in full screen toggle.

Using an MDM tool that supports an AppConfig file, mobile device administrators can also configure a launch item to be opened in full screen mode for their users.

You can also add the query parameter? fullscreen =1 to a Power BI item’s link. When you use a link with this parameter on your mobile device, the mobile app will open the item in full screen mode.

Visualizations

New visuals in appsource kpi matrix growth rate chart by djeeni v1.4 aimplan comment visual.

Making financial statements with a proper layout has just become easier with the latest version of the Financial Reporting Matrix.

Users are now able to specify which rows should be classified as cost-rows, which will make it easier to get the conditional formatting of variances correctly:

Selecting a row, and ticking “is cost” will tag the row as cost. This can be used in conditional formatting to make sure that positive variances on expenses are a bad for the result, while a positive variance on an income row is good for the result.

The new version also includes more flexibility in measuring placement and column subtotals.

Measures can be placed either:

• Default (below column headers)
• Above column headers

If you have multiple fields showing on your column headers, you can now decide which of these fields you want a column subtotal for.

This is in addition to the already existing features of the Financial Reporting Matrix:

• Adding custom rows
• Applying company/customer specific themes
• Expand/collapse columns
• Conditionally hide columns
• + much more

Highlighted new features:

• New Format Pane design
• Measure placement – In rows
• Select Column Subtotals
• Row Options

Get the visual from AppSource and find more videos here !

A Horizon Chart is an advanced visual, for time-series data, revealing trends and anomalies. It displays stacked data layers, allowing users to compare multiple categories while maintaining data clarity. Horizon Charts are particularly useful to monitor and analyze complex data over time, making this a valuable visual for data analysis and decision-making.

Key Features:

• Horizon Styles: Choose Natural, Linear, or Step with adjustable scaling.
• Layer: Layer data by range or custom criteria. Display positive and negative values together or separately on top.
• Reference Line : Highlight patterns with X-axis lines and labels.
• Colors: Apply 30+ color palettes and use FX rules for dynamic coloring.
• Ranking: Filter Top/Bottom N values, with “Others”.
• Gridline: Add gridlines to the X and Y axis.
• Custom Tooltip: Add highest, lowest, mean, and median points without additional DAX.
• Themes: Save designs and share seamlessly with JSON files.

Other features included are ranking, annotation, grid view, show condition, and accessibility support.

Business Use Cases: Time-Series Data Comparison, Environmental Monitoring, Anomaly Detection

🔗 Try Horizon Chart for FREE from AppSource

📊 Check out all features of the visual: Demo file

📃 Step-by-step instructions: Documentation

💡 YouTube Video: Video Link

📍 Learn more about visuals: https://powerviz.ai/

✅ Follow Powerviz : https://lnkd.in/gN_9Sa6U

ZoomCharts has just launched the latest addition to their suite of user-friendly custom visuals – Drill Down Scatter PRO . It provides all the features you would expect from a great scatter chart visual, but what sets Scatter PRO apart is the ability to easily drill down . Simply click on a data point and see all the values underneath it.

This way, you can quickly find your answers while also gaining a full understanding of where they come from. Furthermore, the visual’s UI is designed to be smooth and user-friendly for PCs and touch devices , and with cross-chart filtering you can use Scatter PRO to build incredible reports for immersive data exploration.

Main features:

• Drill Down: Create a multi-level hierarchy and drill down with just a click.
• Dynamic formatting : Apply custom marker colors, shapes, or images to each data point directly from data.
• Trendlines: Show a linear or polynomial regression line on the chart.
• Thresholds: Display up to 4 line or area thresholds on each axis.
• Area Shading: Highlight up to 8 custom areas with rectangles or ellipses.

🌐 Learn more about Drill Down Scatter PRO

Documentation | ZoomCharts Website | Follow ZoomCharts on LinkedIn

The Image Gallery is the first visual to be certified by Microsoft that allows for the display of high-quality images and their exportation along with other report content. There is no need to upload images to the Cloud, a CDN, or use any datasets . Simply import your images directly into the visual and share them instantly with your colleagues.

This visual boasts several impressive capabilities:

• Microsoft certification ensures that the visual doesn’t interact with external services , ensuring that your images are securely stored and encrypted within the report, consistent with your report’s sensitivity settings.
• Automatically saves your selected image in preview mode , allowing your colleagues to view the exact image you have highlighted.
• Images can be uploaded or removed exclusively in Edit Mode. Users in View Mode can only view the images.
• The visual is compatible with Power BI’s export functionality to PDF and PowerPoint.

LINK: https://appsource.microsoft.com/en-us/product/power-bi-visuals/pbicraft1694192953706.imagegallery?tab=Overview

A space-saving horizontal bar chart designed with category labels placed inside the bars for clarity

This horizontal bar chart serves as an efficient filter to navigate through your data more effectively, optimizing space by placing the category labels within the bars themselves.

• Adjustable Bar Thickness and Spacing: Offers the flexibility to adjust the thickness of the bars and the spacing between them. This allows for optimal use of space and improves readability, especially when dealing with large datasets.
• Tooltip Details on Hover: Displays detailed information about each category when the user hovers over a bar. This feature provides additional context and insights without cluttering the visual.
• Data-Driven Category Labels: Automatically updates category labels based on the data source. This ensures that the chart remains accurate and up to date, reflecting any changes in the underlying data.
• Support for Hierarchical Data: Allows users to drill down into hierarchical categories within the chart. This functionality enables a more detailed data analysis without leaving the context of the initial visual.
• Export Options: Offers the ability to export the chart as an image or PDF, facilitating easy sharing and reporting outside of Power BI.

Link: https://appsource.microsoft.com/en-us/product/power-bi-visuals/pbicraft1694192953706.horizontalbarchart?tab=Overview

Introducing the “ Trends ” visual for Power BI – your gateway to leveraging Google Trends data for strategic business analysis. This innovative visual tool allows you to compare brand popularity, monitor market trends, and gain insights into consumer search behaviors directly within your Power BI environment.

With Trends visual, you can:

• Analyze the ebb and flow of brand interest over time to identify market opportunities and competitive threats.
• Compare the popularity of products to inform marketing strategies and product development decisions.
• Understand seasonal trends to optimize your marketing campaigns and inventory planning.

Securely integrated and easy to use, “Trends” transforms your Power BI reports into a dynamic analysis tool, offering a comprehensive view of the market landscape. Dive into data-driven decision-making with “Trends” and stay one step ahead in the competitive business environment.

New visual: Multi-pane Card can be used to group and show data in multiple collapsible panes in Power BI reports. It is an alternative to multi-row card visual, but it can combine columns into a few groups and put each group’s data in each pane. It is suitable to show data in detail with a reduced number of report pages.

Screenshot 1 (Show data in 3 groups: Area and Population, GDP and Foreign Exchange Reserves for countries)

Data can be sorted by a specified column and numbers can be converted to a human readable string. You can also set up how many rows that you want to show on the card. Using these features, it will be very easy to show “Top 10 best performing stores” or “Top 10 worst performing stores” for retail businesses.

Screenshot2 (Combined with drilldown choropleth map to show the top 10 richest countries by GDP per capita for each continent and subregion)

You can go to Microsoft AppSource( https://appsource.microsoft.com/en-us/product/power-bi-visuals/mylocsinc1648311649136.tcard )to download and try it.

To learn more on how to use it, please read tutorials ( https://www.mylocs.ca/tutorials.html#multi-pane-card ).

Introducing Copilot pane in Power BI Desktop 

Earlier this year, we announced preview of Copilot for all customers with Premium/Fabric capacity in Power BI web . We’re thrilled to share that the same Copilot experience for report creation is now available for preview in Power BI Desktop. With our current preview, users can create reports faster and easier in the Power BI Desktop experience. You can now open the Copilot pane in report view and ask Copilot to:

• Create a report page – Copilot will create an entire report page for you by identifying the tables, fields, measures, and charts that would help you get started.
• Summarize a semantic model – Copilot will help you understand your Power BI semantic model by summarizing the data in your model.
• Suggest a topic – Copilot will suggest topics for your report pages.

Click here to learn more about how to get started.

That is all for this month! Please continue sending us your feedback and do not forget to vote for other features that you would like to see in Power BI! We hope that you enjoy the update! If you installed Power BI Desktop from the Microsoft Store,  please leave us a review .

Also, don’t forget to vote on your favorite feature this month on our community website. 

As always, keep voting on  Ideas  to help us determine what to build next. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

• paginated reports
• power bi desktop
• Visualization