do you write a research proposal in first person

We Vs. They: Using the First & Third Person in Research Papers

Writing in the first , second , or third person is referred to as the author’s point of view . When we write, our tendency is to personalize the text by writing in the first person . That is, we use pronouns such as “I” and “we”. This is acceptable when writing personal information, a journal, or a book. However, it is not common in academic writing.

Some writers find the use of first , second , or third person point of view a bit confusing while writing research papers. Since second person is avoided while writing in academic or scientific papers, the main confusion remains within first or third person.

In the following sections, we will discuss the usage and examples of the first , second , and third person point of view.

First Person Pronouns

The first person point of view simply means that we use the pronouns that refer to ourselves in the text. These are as follows:

Can we use I or We In the Scientific Paper?

Using these, we present the information based on what “we” found. In science and mathematics, this point of view is rarely used. It is often considered to be somewhat self-serving and arrogant . It is important to remember that when writing your research results, the focus of the communication is the research and not the persons who conducted the research. When you want to persuade the reader, it is best to avoid personal pronouns in academic writing even when it is personal opinion from the authors of the study. In addition to sounding somewhat arrogant, the strength of your findings might be underestimated.

For example:

Based on my results, I concluded that A and B did not equal to C.

In this example, the entire meaning of the research could be misconstrued. The results discussed are not those of the author ; they are generated from the experiment. To refer to the results in this context is incorrect and should be avoided. To make it more appropriate, the above sentence can be revised as follows:

Based on the results of the assay, A and B did not equal to C.

Second Person Pronouns

The second person point of view uses pronouns that refer to the reader. These are as follows:

This point of view is usually used in the context of providing instructions or advice , such as in “how to” manuals or recipe books. The reason behind using the second person is to engage the reader.

You will want to buy a turkey that is large enough to feed your extended family. Before cooking it, you must wash it first thoroughly with cold water.

Although this is a good technique for giving instructions, it is not appropriate in academic or scientific writing.

Third Person Pronouns

The third person point of view uses both proper nouns, such as a person’s name, and pronouns that refer to individuals or groups (e.g., doctors, researchers) but not directly to the reader. The ones that refer to individuals are as follows:

• Hers (possessive form)
• His (possessive form)
• Its (possessive form)
• One’s (possessive form)

The third person point of view that refers to groups include the following:

• Their (possessive form)
• Theirs (plural possessive form)

Everyone at the convention was interested in what Dr. Johnson presented. The instructors decided that the students should help pay for lab supplies. The researchers determined that there was not enough sample material to conduct the assay.

The third person point of view is generally used in scientific papers but, at times, the format can be difficult. We use indefinite pronouns to refer back to the subject but must avoid using masculine or feminine terminology. For example:

A researcher must ensure that he has enough material for his experiment. The nurse must ensure that she has a large enough blood sample for her assay.

Many authors attempt to resolve this issue by using “he or she” or “him or her,” but this gets cumbersome and too many of these can distract the reader. For example:

A researcher must ensure that he or she has enough material for his or her experiment. The nurse must ensure that he or she has a large enough blood sample for his or her assay.

These issues can easily be resolved by making the subjects plural as follows:

Researchers must ensure that they have enough material for their experiment. Nurses must ensure that they have large enough blood samples for their assay.

Exceptions to the Rules

As mentioned earlier, the third person is generally used in scientific writing, but the rules are not quite as stringent anymore. It is now acceptable to use both the first and third person pronouns  in some contexts, but this is still under controversy.  

In a February 2011 blog on Eloquent Science , Professor David M. Schultz presented several opinions on whether the author viewpoints differed. However, there appeared to be no consensus. Some believed that the old rules should stand to avoid subjectivity, while others believed that if the facts were valid, it didn’t matter which point of view was used.

First or Third Person: What Do The Journals Say

In general, it is acceptable in to use the first person point of view in abstracts, introductions, discussions, and conclusions, in some journals. Even then, avoid using “I” in these sections. Instead, use “we” to refer to the group of researchers that were part of the study. The third person point of view is used for writing methods and results sections. Consistency is the key and switching from one point of view to another within sections of a manuscript can be distracting and is discouraged. It is best to always check your author guidelines for that particular journal. Once that is done, make sure your manuscript is free from the above-mentioned or any other grammatical error.

You are the only researcher involved in your thesis project. You want to avoid using the first person point of view throughout, but there are no other researchers on the project so the pronoun “we” would not be appropriate. What do you do and why? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

I am writing the history of an engineering company for which I worked. How do I relate a significant incident that involved me?

Hi Roger, Thank you for your question. If you are narrating the history for the company that you worked at, you would have to refer to it from an employee’s perspective (third person). If you are writing the history as an account of your experiences with the company (including the significant incident), you could refer to yourself as ”I” or ”My.” (first person) You could go through other articles related to language and grammar on Enago Academy’s website https://enago.com/academy/ to help you with your document drafting. Did you get a chance to install our free Mobile App? https://www.enago.com/academy/mobile-app/ . Make sure you subscribe to our weekly newsletter: https://www.enago.com/academy/subscribe-now/ .

Good day , i am writing a research paper and m y setting is a company . is it ethical to put the name of the company in the research paper . i the management has allowed me to conduct my research in thir company .

thanks docarlene diaz

Generally authors do not mention the names of the organization separately within the research paper. The name of the educational institution the researcher or the PhD student is working in needs to be mentioned along with the name in the list of authors. However, if the research has been carried out in a company, it might not be mandatory to mention the name after the name in the list of authors. You can check with the author guidelines of your target journal and if needed confirm with the editor of the journal. Also check with the mangement of the company whether they want the name of the company to be mentioned in the research paper.

Finishing up my dissertation the information is clear and concise.

How to write the right first person pronoun if there is a single researcher? Thanks

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11.2 Steps in Developing a Research Proposal

Learning objectives.

• Identify the steps in developing a research proposal.
• Choose a topic and formulate a research question and working thesis.
• Develop a research proposal.

Writing a good research paper takes time, thought, and effort. Although this assignment is challenging, it is manageable. Focusing on one step at a time will help you develop a thoughtful, informative, well-supported research paper.

Your first step is to choose a topic and then to develop research questions, a working thesis, and a written research proposal. Set aside adequate time for this part of the process. Fully exploring ideas will help you build a solid foundation for your paper.

Choosing a Topic

When you choose a topic for a research paper, you are making a major commitment. Your choice will help determine whether you enjoy the lengthy process of research and writing—and whether your final paper fulfills the assignment requirements. If you choose your topic hastily, you may later find it difficult to work with your topic. By taking your time and choosing carefully, you can ensure that this assignment is not only challenging but also rewarding.

Writers understand the importance of choosing a topic that fulfills the assignment requirements and fits the assignment’s purpose and audience. (For more information about purpose and audience, see Chapter 6 “Writing Paragraphs: Separating Ideas and Shaping Content” .) Choosing a topic that interests you is also crucial. You instructor may provide a list of suggested topics or ask that you develop a topic on your own. In either case, try to identify topics that genuinely interest you.

After identifying potential topic ideas, you will need to evaluate your ideas and choose one topic to pursue. Will you be able to find enough information about the topic? Can you develop a paper about this topic that presents and supports your original ideas? Is the topic too broad or too narrow for the scope of the assignment? If so, can you modify it so it is more manageable? You will ask these questions during this preliminary phase of the research process.

Identifying Potential Topics

Sometimes, your instructor may provide a list of suggested topics. If so, you may benefit from identifying several possibilities before committing to one idea. It is important to know how to narrow down your ideas into a concise, manageable thesis. You may also use the list as a starting point to help you identify additional, related topics. Discussing your ideas with your instructor will help ensure that you choose a manageable topic that fits the requirements of the assignment.

In this chapter, you will follow a writer named Jorge, who is studying health care administration, as he prepares a research paper. You will also plan, research, and draft your own research paper.

Jorge was assigned to write a research paper on health and the media for an introductory course in health care. Although a general topic was selected for the students, Jorge had to decide which specific issues interested him. He brainstormed a list of possibilities.

If you are writing a research paper for a specialized course, look back through your notes and course activities. Identify reading assignments and class discussions that especially engaged you. Doing so can help you identify topics to pursue.

• Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) in the news
• Sexual education programs
• Hollywood and eating disorders
• Americans’ access to public health information
• Media portrayal of health care reform bill
• Depictions of drugs on television
• The effect of the Internet on mental health
• Popularized diets (such as low-carbohydrate diets)
• Fear of pandemics (bird flu, HINI, SARS)
• Electronic entertainment and obesity
• Advertisements for prescription drugs
• Public education and disease prevention

Set a timer for five minutes. Use brainstorming or idea mapping to create a list of topics you would be interested in researching for a paper about the influence of the Internet on social networking. Do you closely follow the media coverage of a particular website, such as Twitter? Would you like to learn more about a certain industry, such as online dating? Which social networking sites do you and your friends use? List as many ideas related to this topic as you can.

Narrowing Your Topic

Once you have a list of potential topics, you will need to choose one as the focus of your essay. You will also need to narrow your topic. Most writers find that the topics they listed during brainstorming or idea mapping are broad—too broad for the scope of the assignment. Working with an overly broad topic, such as sexual education programs or popularized diets, can be frustrating and overwhelming. Each topic has so many facets that it would be impossible to cover them all in a college research paper. However, more specific choices, such as the pros and cons of sexual education in kids’ television programs or the physical effects of the South Beach diet, are specific enough to write about without being too narrow to sustain an entire research paper.

A good research paper provides focused, in-depth information and analysis. If your topic is too broad, you will find it difficult to do more than skim the surface when you research it and write about it. Narrowing your focus is essential to making your topic manageable. To narrow your focus, explore your topic in writing, conduct preliminary research, and discuss both the topic and the research with others.

Exploring Your Topic in Writing

“How am I supposed to narrow my topic when I haven’t even begun researching yet?” In fact, you may already know more than you realize. Review your list and identify your top two or three topics. Set aside some time to explore each one through freewriting. (For more information about freewriting, see Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” .) Simply taking the time to focus on your topic may yield fresh angles.

Jorge knew that he was especially interested in the topic of diet fads, but he also knew that it was much too broad for his assignment. He used freewriting to explore his thoughts so he could narrow his topic. Read Jorge’s ideas.

Conducting Preliminary Research

Another way writers may focus a topic is to conduct preliminary research . Like freewriting, exploratory reading can help you identify interesting angles. Surfing the web and browsing through newspaper and magazine articles are good ways to start. Find out what people are saying about your topic on blogs and online discussion groups. Discussing your topic with others can also inspire you. Talk about your ideas with your classmates, your friends, or your instructor.

Jorge’s freewriting exercise helped him realize that the assigned topic of health and the media intersected with a few of his interests—diet, nutrition, and obesity. Preliminary online research and discussions with his classmates strengthened his impression that many people are confused or misled by media coverage of these subjects.

Jorge decided to focus his paper on a topic that had garnered a great deal of media attention—low-carbohydrate diets. He wanted to find out whether low-carbohydrate diets were as effective as their proponents claimed.

Writing at Work

At work, you may need to research a topic quickly to find general information. This information can be useful in understanding trends in a given industry or generating competition. For example, a company may research a competitor’s prices and use the information when pricing their own product. You may find it useful to skim a variety of reliable sources and take notes on your findings.

The reliability of online sources varies greatly. In this exploratory phase of your research, you do not need to evaluate sources as closely as you will later. However, use common sense as you refine your paper topic. If you read a fascinating blog comment that gives you a new idea for your paper, be sure to check out other, more reliable sources as well to make sure the idea is worth pursuing.

Review the list of topics you created in Note 11.18 “Exercise 1” and identify two or three topics you would like to explore further. For each of these topics, spend five to ten minutes writing about the topic without stopping. Then review your writing to identify possible areas of focus.

Set aside time to conduct preliminary research about your potential topics. Then choose a topic to pursue for your research paper.

Collaboration

Please share your topic list with a classmate. Select one or two topics on his or her list that you would like to learn more about and return it to him or her. Discuss why you found the topics interesting, and learn which of your topics your classmate selected and why.

A Plan for Research

Your freewriting and preliminary research have helped you choose a focused, manageable topic for your research paper. To work with your topic successfully, you will need to determine what exactly you want to learn about it—and later, what you want to say about it. Before you begin conducting in-depth research, you will further define your focus by developing a research question , a working thesis, and a research proposal.

Formulating a Research Question

In forming a research question, you are setting a goal for your research. Your main research question should be substantial enough to form the guiding principle of your paper—but focused enough to guide your research. A strong research question requires you not only to find information but also to put together different pieces of information, interpret and analyze them, and figure out what you think. As you consider potential research questions, ask yourself whether they would be too hard or too easy to answer.

To determine your research question, review the freewriting you completed earlier. Skim through books, articles, and websites and list the questions you have. (You may wish to use the 5WH strategy to help you formulate questions. See Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” for more information about 5WH questions.) Include simple, factual questions and more complex questions that would require analysis and interpretation. Determine your main question—the primary focus of your paper—and several subquestions that you will need to research to answer your main question.

Here are the research questions Jorge will use to focus his research. Notice that his main research question has no obvious, straightforward answer. Jorge will need to research his subquestions, which address narrower topics, to answer his main question.

Using the topic you selected in Note 11.24 “Exercise 2” , write your main research question and at least four to five subquestions. Check that your main research question is appropriately complex for your assignment.

Constructing a Working ThesIs

A working thesis concisely states a writer’s initial answer to the main research question. It does not merely state a fact or present a subjective opinion. Instead, it expresses a debatable idea or claim that you hope to prove through additional research. Your working thesis is called a working thesis for a reason—it is subject to change. As you learn more about your topic, you may change your thinking in light of your research findings. Let your working thesis serve as a guide to your research, but do not be afraid to modify it based on what you learn.

Jorge began his research with a strong point of view based on his preliminary writing and research. Read his working thesis statement, which presents the point he will argue. Notice how it states Jorge’s tentative answer to his research question.

One way to determine your working thesis is to consider how you would complete sentences such as I believe or My opinion is . However, keep in mind that academic writing generally does not use first-person pronouns. These statements are useful starting points, but formal research papers use an objective voice.

Write a working thesis statement that presents your preliminary answer to the research question you wrote in Note 11.27 “Exercise 3” . Check that your working thesis statement presents an idea or claim that could be supported or refuted by evidence from research.

Creating a Research Proposal

A research proposal is a brief document—no more than one typed page—that summarizes the preliminary work you have completed. Your purpose in writing it is to formalize your plan for research and present it to your instructor for feedback. In your research proposal, you will present your main research question, related subquestions, and working thesis. You will also briefly discuss the value of researching this topic and indicate how you plan to gather information.

When Jorge began drafting his research proposal, he realized that he had already created most of the pieces he needed. However, he knew he also had to explain how his research would be relevant to other future health care professionals. In addition, he wanted to form a general plan for doing the research and identifying potentially useful sources. Read Jorge’s research proposal.

Before you begin a new project at work, you may have to develop a project summary document that states the purpose of the project, explains why it would be a wise use of company resources, and briefly outlines the steps involved in completing the project. This type of document is similar to a research proposal. Both documents define and limit a project, explain its value, discuss how to proceed, and identify what resources you will use.

Writing Your Own Research Proposal

Now you may write your own research proposal, if you have not done so already. Follow the guidelines provided in this lesson.

Key Takeaways

• Developing a research proposal involves the following preliminary steps: identifying potential ideas, choosing ideas to explore further, choosing and narrowing a topic, formulating a research question, and developing a working thesis.
• A good topic for a research paper interests the writer and fulfills the requirements of the assignment.
• Defining and narrowing a topic helps writers conduct focused, in-depth research.
• Writers conduct preliminary research to identify possible topics and research questions and to develop a working thesis.
• A good research question interests readers, is neither too broad nor too narrow, and has no obvious answer.
• A good working thesis expresses a debatable idea or claim that can be supported with evidence from research.
• Writers create a research proposal to present their topic, main research question, subquestions, and working thesis to an instructor for approval or feedback.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Writing a Research Proposal

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One of the earliest documents that doctoral scholars have to write is a research proposal in which they provide a rationale and motivation for the research study they plan to undertake. This chapter discusses the form and function of a typical research proposal and provides a range of tools and techniques that can assist doctoral or graduate students in conceptualising and writing this high-stakes document.

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In the North American context, PhD submissions are known as dissertations , while in countries with British higher education traditions, they are referred to as theses. In this chapter, I use them interchangeably to refer to the written submission of a doctoral candidate for examination.

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Starfield, S. (2018). Writing a Research Proposal. In: Phakiti, A., De Costa, P., Plonsky, L., Starfield, S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Applied Linguistics Research Methodology. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-59900-1_9

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Can You Use First-Person Pronouns (I/we) in a Research Paper?

Research writers frequently wonder whether the first person can be used in academic and scientific writing. In truth, for generations, we’ve been discouraged from using “I” and “we” in academic writing simply due to old habits. That’s right—there’s no reason why you can’t use these words! In fact, the academic community used first-person pronouns until the 1920s, when the third person and passive-voice constructions (that is, “boring” writing) were adopted–prominently expressed, for example, in Strunk and White’s classic writing manual “Elements of Style” first published in 1918, that advised writers to place themselves “in the background” and not draw attention to themselves.

In recent decades, however, changing attitudes about the first person in academic writing has led to a paradigm shift, and we have, however, we’ve shifted back to producing active and engaging prose that incorporates the first person.

Can You Use “I” in a Research Paper?

However, “I” and “we” still have some generally accepted pronoun rules writers should follow. For example, the first person is more likely used in the abstract , Introduction section , Discussion section , and Conclusion section of an academic paper while the third person and passive constructions are found in the Methods section and Results section .

In this article, we discuss when you should avoid personal pronouns and when they may enhance your writing.

It’s Okay to Use First-Person Pronouns to:

• clarify meaning by eliminating passive voice constructions;
• establish authority and credibility (e.g., assert ethos, the Aristotelian rhetorical term referring to the personal character);
• express interest in a subject matter (typically found in rapid correspondence);
• establish personal connections with readers, particularly regarding anecdotal or hypothetical situations (common in philosophy, religion, and similar fields, particularly to explore how certain concepts might impact personal life. Additionally, artistic disciplines may also encourage personal perspectives more than other subjects);
• to emphasize or distinguish your perspective while discussing existing literature; and
• to create a conversational tone (rare in academic writing).

The First Person Should Be Avoided When:

• doing so would remove objectivity and give the impression that results or observations are unique to your perspective;
• you wish to maintain an objective tone that would suggest your study minimized biases as best as possible; and
• expressing your thoughts generally (phrases like “I think” are unnecessary because any statement that isn’t cited should be yours).

Usage Examples

The following examples compare the impact of using and avoiding first-person pronouns.

Example 1 (First Person Preferred):

To understand the effects of global warming on coastal regions,  changes in sea levels, storm surge occurrences and precipitation amounts  were examined .

[Note: When a long phrase acts as the subject of a passive-voice construction, the sentence becomes difficult to digest. Additionally, since the author(s) conducted the research, it would be clearer to specifically mention them when discussing the focus of a project.]

We examined  changes in sea levels, storm surge occurrences, and precipitation amounts to understand how global warming impacts coastal regions.

[Note: When describing the focus of a research project, authors often replace “we” with phrases such as “this study” or “this paper.” “We,” however, is acceptable in this context, including for scientific disciplines. In fact, papers published the vast majority of scientific journals these days use “we” to establish an active voice.   Be careful when using “this study” or “this paper” with verbs that clearly couldn’t have performed the action.   For example, “we attempt to demonstrate” works, but “the study attempts to demonstrate” does not; the study is not a person.]

Example 2 (First Person Discouraged):

From the various data points  we have received ,  we observed  that higher frequencies of runoffs from heavy rainfall have occurred in coastal regions where temperatures have increased by at least 0.9°C.

[Note: Introducing personal pronouns when discussing results raises questions regarding the reproducibility of a study. However, mathematics fields generally tolerate phrases such as “in X example, we see…”]

Coastal regions  with temperature increases averaging more than 0.9°C  experienced  higher frequencies of runoffs from heavy rainfall.

[Note: We removed the passive voice and maintained objectivity and assertiveness by specifically identifying the cause-and-effect elements as the actor and recipient of the main action verb. Additionally, in this version, the results appear independent of any person’s perspective.] 

Example 3 (First Person Preferred):

In contrast to the study by Jones et al. (2001), which suggests that milk consumption is safe for adults, the Miller study (2005) revealed the potential hazards of ingesting milk.  The authors confirm  this latter finding.

[Note: “Authors” in the last sentence above is unclear. Does the term refer to Jones et al., Miller, or the authors of the current paper?]

In contrast to the study by Jones et al. (2001), which suggests that milk consumption is safe for adults, the Miller study (2005) revealed the potential hazards of ingesting milk.  We confirm  this latter finding.

[Note: By using “we,” this sentence clarifies the actor and emphasizes the significance of the recent findings reported in this paper. Indeed, “I” and “we” are acceptable in most scientific fields to compare an author’s works with other researchers’ publications. The APA encourages using personal pronouns for this context. The social sciences broaden this scope to allow discussion of personal perspectives, irrespective of comparisons to other literature.]

Other Tips about Using Personal Pronouns

• Avoid starting a sentence with personal pronouns. The beginning of a sentence is a noticeable position that draws readers’ attention. Thus, using personal pronouns as the first one or two words of a sentence will draw unnecessary attention to them (unless, of course, that was your intent).
• Be careful how you define “we.” It should only refer to the authors and never the audience unless your intention is to write a conversational piece rather than a scholarly document! After all, the readers were not involved in analyzing or formulating the conclusions presented in your paper (although, we note that the point of your paper is to persuade readers to reach the same conclusions you did). While this is not a hard-and-fast rule, if you do want to use “we” to refer to a larger class of people, clearly define the term “we” in the sentence. For example, “As researchers, we frequently question…”
• First-person writing is becoming more acceptable under Modern English usage standards; however, the second-person pronoun “you” is still generally unacceptable because it is too casual for academic writing.
• Take all of the above notes with a grain of salt. That is,  double-check your institution or target journal’s author guidelines .  Some organizations may prohibit the use of personal pronouns.
• As an extra tip, before submission, you should always read through the most recent issues of a journal to get a better sense of the editors’ preferred writing styles and conventions.

Wordvice Resources

For more general advice on how to use active and passive voice in research papers, on how to paraphrase , or for a list of useful phrases for academic writing , head over to the Wordvice Academic Resources pages . And for more professional proofreading services , visit our Academic Editing and P aper Editing Services pages.

Capstone Form and Style

Scholarly voice: writing in the first person, first-person point of view.

Since 2007, Walden academic leadership has endorsed the APA manual guidance on appropriate use of the first-person singular pronoun "I," allowing the use of this pronoun in all Walden academic writing except doctoral capstone abstracts, which should not contain a first-person pronoun.

In addition to the pointers below, the APA manual provides information on the appropriate use of first person in scholarly writing (see APA 7, Section 4.16).

APA Style and First-Person Pronouns

APA prefers that writers use the first person for clarity and self-reference.

To promote clear communication, writers should use the first person, rather than passive voice or the third person, to indicate the action the writer is taking.

• This passive voice is unclear as it does not indicate who collected these data.
• This third-person voice is not preferred in APA style and is not specific about who "the researcher" is or which researcher collected these data.
• This sentence clearly indicates who collected these data. Active voice, first-person sentence construction is clear and precise.

Avoid Overusing First-Person Pronouns

However, using a lot of "I" statements is repetitious and may distract readers. Remember, avoiding repetitious phrasing is also recommended in the APA manual.

• Example of repetitive use of "I": In this study, I administered a survey. I created a convenience sample of 68 teachers. I invited them to participate in the survey by emailing them an invitation. I obtained email addresses from the principal of the school…
• We suggest that students use "I" in the first sentence of the paragraph. Then, if it is clear to the reader that the student (writer) is the actor in the remaining sentences, use the active and passive voices appropriately to achieve precision and clarity.

Avoid Second-Person Pronouns

In addition, avoid the second person ("you").

• Example using the second person: As a leader, you have to decide what kind of leadership approach you want to use with your employees.
• It is important for writers to clearly indicate who or what they mean (again back to precision and clarity). Writers need to opt for specificity instead of the second person. Remember, the capstone is not a speech; the writer is not talking to anyone.

Restrict Use of Plural First-Person Pronouns

Also, for clarity, restrict the use of "we" and "our." These should only be used when writers are referring to themselves and other, specific individuals, not in the general sense.

• Example of plural first-person pronoun: We must change society to reflect the needs of current-day children and parents.
• Here, it is important to clarify who "we" means as the writer is not referring to specific individuals. Being specific about the who is important to clarity and precision.

Avoid Unsupported Opinion Statements

When using the first-person "I," avoid opinion statements.

As writers write, revise, and self-edit, they should pay specific attention to opinion statements. The following phrases have no place in scholarly writing:

• I think…
• I believe…
• I feel…

Writers and scholars need to base arguments, conclusions, and claims on evidence. When encountering "I" statements like this, do the following:

• Consider whether this really an opinion or whether this can be supported by evidence (citations).
• If there is evidence, remove the “I think…”, “I believe…”, “I feel…” phrasing and write a declarative statement, including the citation.
• If there is no evidence to cite, consider whether the claim or argument can be made. Remember that scholarly writing is not based on opinion, so if writers cannot support a claim with citations to scholarly literature or other credible sources, they need to reconsider whether they can make that claim.
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Writing Your Research Proposal

5 Essentials You Need To Keep In Mind

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | June 2023

Writing a high-quality research proposal that “sells” your study and wins the favour (and approval) of your university is no small task. In this post, we’ll share five critical dos and don’ts to help you navigate the proposal writing process.

This post is based on an extract from our online course , Research Proposal Bootcamp . In the course, we walk you through the process of developing an A-grade proposal, step by step, with plain-language explanations and loads of examples. If it’s your first time writing a research proposal, you definitely want to check that out. 

Overview: 5 Proposal Writing Essentials

• Understand your university’s requirements and restrictions
• Have a clearly articulated research problem
• Clearly communicate the feasibility of your research
• Pay very close attention to ethics policies
• Focus on writing critically and concisely

1. Understand the rules of the game

All too often, we see students going through all the effort of finding a unique and valuable topic and drafting a meaty proposal, only to realise that they’ve missed some critical information regarding their university’s requirements. 

Every university is different, but they all have some sort of requirements or expectations regarding what students can and can’t research. For example:

• Restrictions regarding the topic area that can be research
• Restrictions regarding data sources – for example, primary or secondary
• Requirements regarding methodology – for example, qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods-based research
• And most notably, there can be varying expectations regarding topic originality – does your topic need to be super original or not?

The key takeaway here is that you need to thoroughly read through any briefing documents provided by your university. Also, take a look at past dissertations or theses from your program to get a feel for what the norms are . Long story short, make sure you understand the rules of the game before you start playing.

2. Have a clearly articulated research problem

As we’ve explained many times on this blog, all good research starts with a strong research problem – without a problem, you don’t have a clear justification for your research. Therefore, it’s essential that you have clarity regarding the research problem you’re going to address before you start drafting your proposal. From the research problem , the research gap emerges and from the research gap, your research aims , objectives and research questions emerge. These then guide your entire dissertation from start to end. 

Needless to say, all of this starts with the literature – in other words, you have to spend time reading the existing literature to understand the current state of knowledge. You can’t skip this all-important step. All too often, we see students make the mistake of trying to write up a proposal without having a clear understanding of the current state of the literature, which is just a recipe for disaster. You’ve got to take the time to understand what’s already been done before you can propose doing something new.

3. Demonstrate the feasibility of your research

One of the key concerns that reviewers or assessors have when deciding to approve or reject a research proposal is the practicality/feasibility of the proposed research , given the student’s resources (which are usually pretty limited). You can have a brilliant research topic that’s super original and valuable, but if there is any question about whether the project is something that you can realistically pull off, you’re going to run into issues when it comes to getting your proposal accepted.

So, what does this mean for you?

First, you need to make sure that the research topic you’ve chosen and the methodology you’re planning to use is 100% safe in terms of feasibility . In other words, you need to be super certain that you can actually pull off this study. Of greatest importance here is the data collection and analysis aspect – in other words, will you be able to get access to the data you need, and will you be able to analyse it?

Second, assuming you’re 100% confident that you can pull the research off, you need to clearly communicate that in your research proposal. To do this, you need to proactively think about all the concerns the reviewer or supervisor might have and ensure that you clearly address these in your proposal. Remember, the proposal is a one-way communication – you get one shot (per submission) to make your case, and there’s generally no Q&A opportunity . So, make it clear what you’ll be doing, what the potential risks are and how you’ll manage those risks to ensure that your study goes according to plan.

If you have the word count available, it’s a good idea to present a project plan , ideally using something like a Gantt chart. You can also consider presenting a risk register , where you detail the potential risks, their likelihood and impact, and your mitigation and response actions – this will show the assessor that you’ve really thought through the practicalities of your proposed project. If you want to learn more about project plans and risk registers, we cover these in detail in our proposal writing course, Research Proposal Bootcamp , and we also provide templates that you can use. 

Need a helping hand?

4. Pay close attention to ethics policies

This one’s a biggy – and it can often be a dream crusher for students with lofty research ideas. If there’s one thing that will sink your research proposal faster than anything else, it’s non-compliance with your university’s research ethics policy . This is simply a non-negotiable, so don’t waste your time thinking you can convince your institution otherwise. If your proposed research runs against any aspect of your institution’s ethics policies, it’s a no-go.

The ethics requirements for dissertations can vary depending on the field of study, institution, and country, so we can’t give you a list of things you need to do, but some common requirements that you should be aware of include things like:

• Informed consent – in other words, getting permission/consent from your study’s participants and allowing them to opt out at any point
• Privacy and confidentiality – in other words, ensuring that you manage the data securely and respect people’s privacy
• If your research involves animals (as opposed to people), you’ll need to explain how you’ll ensure ethical treatment, how you’ll reduce harm or distress, etc.

One more thing to keep in mind is that certain types of research may be acceptable from an ethics perspective, but will require additional levels of approval . For example, if you’re planning to study any sort of vulnerable population (e.g., children, the elderly, people with mental health conditions, etc.), this may be allowed in principle but requires additional ethical scrutiny. This often involves some sort of review board or committee, which slows things down quite a bit. Situations like this aren’t proposal killers, but they can create a much more rigid environment , so you need to consider whether that works for you, given your timeline.

5. Write critically and concisely

The final item on the list is more generic but just as important to the success of your research proposal – that is, writing critically and concisely . 

All too often, students fall short in terms of critical writing and end up writing in a very descriptive manner instead. We’ve got a detailed blog post and video explaining the difference between these two types of writing, so we won’t go into detail here. However, the simplest way to distinguish between the two types of writing is that descriptive writing focuses on the what , while analytical writing draws out the “so what” – in other words, what’s the impact and relevance of each point that you’re making to the bigger issue at hand.

In the case of a research proposal, the core task at hand is to convince the reader that your planned research deserves a chance . To do this, you need to show the reviewer that your research will (amongst other things) be original , valuable and practical . So, when you’re writing, you need to keep this core objective front of mind and write with purpose, taking every opportunity to link what you’re writing about to that core purpose of the proposal.

The second aspect in relation to writing is to write concisely . All too often, students ramble on and use far more word count than is necessary. Part of the problem here is that their writing is just too descriptive (the previous point) and part of the issue is just a lack of editing .

The keyword here is editing – in other words, you don’t need to write the most concise version possible on your first try – if anything, we encourage you to just thought vomit as much as you can in the initial stages of writing. Once you’ve got everything down on paper, then you can get down to editing and trimming down your writing . You need to get comfortable with this process of iteration and revision with everything you write – don’t try to write the perfect first draft. First, get the thoughts out of your head and onto the paper , then edit. This is a habit that will serve you well beyond your proposal, into your actual dissertation or thesis.

Wrapping Up

To recap, the five essentials to keep in mind when writing up your research proposal include:

If you want to learn more about how to craft a top-notch research proposal, be sure to check out our online course for a comprehensive, step-by-step guide. Alternatively, if you’d like to get hands-on help developing your proposal, be sure to check out our private coaching service , where we hold your hand through the research journey, step by step. 

Psst… there’s more!

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

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Other assessments: Research proposals

• Scientific writing style
• Case studies
• Journal critique
• Research proposals
• Dissertations
• Literature reviews
• Assessed discussion
• Video assignments

On this page:

“the proposal should be informative, explanatory, clear and succinct and should not leave any possibility of misinterpretation of what you intend to do and how you intend to do it.” Denis F. Reardon, Doing your undergraduate project

Whilst writing a research proposal is the first step of undertaking an independent project or dissertation, it is often given as a separate assignment, usually in the second year of undergraduate study or early in masters study, and we have therefore given it its own guide.

Writing a proposal can be tricky. There is usually a tight word count and a lot to say. This guide looks at the process of choosing a topic, reviewing the literature, developing your research questions and showing how your proposed research will answer them.

The function of research proposal

The main function of a research proposal is to convince the reader that your research is well thought through, has a clear purpose and should be approved. That means it should:

• Clearly articulate your research focus (what it is and what it isn't).
• Justify the need for your research (filling a gap, new approach/angle, usefulness etc).
• Show how it is achievable (in the time/with the resources/ethics considered etc).
• Give all the important details of how the research will be undertaken.

If you can make a convincing, clearly written case for the research then not only should it be approved, but the proposal itself should achieve a high mark (if it is being marked as a separate assignment).

Selecting a topic

Usually research proposals are the first stage of the process leading to your dissertation or independent project, even if they are being marked as a separate assignment. It is therefore important to spend some time making sure you choose the right piece of research to propose!

You may have been provided with a list of potential topics or even specific questions to choose from. It is more common for you to have to come up with your own ideas and then refine them with the help of your tutor. This is a crucial decision - if the proposal forms the basis of your dissertation or independent project then you will be immersing yourself in it for a long time. You could get ideas by considering the following:

Choose a topic that you find interesting . This may seem obvious but a lot of students go for what they think will be easy over what they think will be interesting - and regret it when they realise nothing is particularly easy and they are bored by the work. Think back over your lectures or talks from visiting speakers - was there anything you really enjoyed? Was there anything that left you with questions?

Choose something distinct . Whilst at undergraduate or masters level you do not have to find something completely unique (unlike at doctoral level), if you find something a bit different you have more opportunity to come to some interesting conclusions. Have you some unique experiences that you can bring: personal biography, placements, study abroad etc?

Don't make your topic too wide . If your topic is too wide, it will be harder to develop research questions that you can actually answer in the context of a small research project.

Don't make your work too narrow . If your topic is too narrow, you will not be able to expand on the ideas sufficiently and make useful conclusions. You will also struggle to find enough literature to support it.

Scope out the field before deciding your topic . This is especially important if you have a few different options and are not sure which to pick. Spend a little time researching each one to get a feel for the amount of literature that exists and any particular avenues that could be worth exploring.

Think about your future . Some topics may fit better than others with your future plans, be they for further study or employment. Becoming more expert in something that you may have to be interviewed about is never a bad thing!

Once you have an idea (or even a few), speak to your tutor. They will advise on whether it is the right sort of topic for a future dissertation. They have a lot of experience and will know if it is too much to take on, has enough material to build on etc.

Essential elements in a research proposal

Working title.

Titles of projects change as you work on them so don't spend too much time over this. It should, however, be informative and concise. It should include:

• The broad topic
• The context
• An indication of the methodology (optional but useful)

Here is an example: 

Transgender support in higher education: An ethnographic comparison of experiences in UK and Finnish universities.

• Broad topic: Transgenderism
• Focus: Experiences of support
• Context: = UK and Finnish universities
• Methodology: Ethnography

This isn't perfect, but it's fine as a working title.

Introduction

This section will introduce the reader to the research problem and position it within existing literature.

It should provide:

• a broad overview of the topic.
• an explanation of any key terms and jargon.
• a review of the literature (see below). This may be given its own section after the introduction. Check what your tutor prefers.
• if appropriate, an indication of why now (is it topical?).
• a justification for your research and the approach you are using (see box for examples).
• Your research aims.
• Your specific research questions.
• If appropriate, an indication of what you are NOT going to be covering (give your research a boundary).

Examples of ways to justify:

• Your research looks at something in a different context (country, industry, etc) and this may have unique factors that are not taken into account by existing research.
• Recent events have changed things since previous research was undertaken and your research will bring it up to date .
• You are using a different methodology to existing research in order to add richer or more specific data to the overall picture.

Methodology

Some disciplines may prefer this to be titled 'Materials and Methods' or 'Research Design' - check your instructions or ask your tutor.

• Explain which methods you will be using and most importantly why you have chosen them  - how will they enable you to answer your specific research questions? More about this is given in "Selecting your methodology" below.
• Show that you have been informed by the literature - either what methods have worked to study something similar or what methods you may be choosing because they have not been used on your particular topic before. Refer back to your literature review for this.
• For masters or doctoral proposals, especially in social sciences, it may be necessary to discuss your  research philosophy  briefly as part of your research design, but there is rarely a need for this at undergraduate level - though it may be needed for a masters proposal in some areas. Check with your tutor if you are unsure.

Ethical considerations

Show how your research will comply with ethical guidelines. If you have people or animals in your research you will almost certainly have to fill in a separate Ethical Approval form. You should show in your proposal that you have considered these issues and give an indication of how you will ensure your research will meet ethical standards.

Risk assessments

Some research (usually in the sciences) may have health and safety considerations and need risk assessing. Check with your supervisor if you think this may be the case. You would need to mention that you have completed a risk assessment in your proposal and probably have this attached as an appendix.

Your proposal should be fully referenced.

Reviewing the literature

The main features of a review for a proposal, as compared with a full review for the actual project, are brevity and purpose. You usually have a tight word count and getting your information across succinctly but effectively is essential.

The purpose of the literature review is to answer the ' why ?' questions of your proposal. Why is this a piece of research that needs doing? Why do it the way you are suggesting? Existing literature is used to help you answer these questions.

At undergraduate or even masters level you may not be finding a true 'gap' in the literature but you still need to show how your research will add something . The review has to show where that extra something will fit with what has already been done.

The third purpose of the review is to show that you are in a good position to undertake the research, i.e. you know your stuff . You are aware of the field. As this is only the proposal, it does not need to be in great detail at this stage - but if you did not mention some key piece of literature in the field in your proposal, your reviewers may question your suitability to undertake the research.

Finally, remember that you need to very specifically connect the literature to your research questions and overall aims. Show how it links to what you are trying to achieve and where the literature connects.

We have a complete SkillsGuide on   Literature Reviews   which includes pages on reviewing for research and the process of reviewing. We recommend that you take a look at these for more specific advice.

Developing your research questions

Although your research questions must be referred to in your literature review, they also come  from  your literature review. This may seem a paradox but it is simply that the literature review is two things: first, the process of reading the literature and second, the piece of writing about the literature. The process will help you develop questions and then you write about it with your questions in mind. They may change during this process, but then you just have to edit your writing to take this into account. Notice that at this stage your questions are only indicative . It is very common for them to change during the research process.

Aims versus objectives

To develop your research questions you need to be sure of your research objectives . These are not the same as your overall research aim (which may be referred to in your title). Objectives are the smaller parts of your research which, when achieved, will work together to achieve your aim.

For example, the aim of a football team is to win a match. Examples of objectives would be to win more corners and free kicks, defend well, score goals etc. Similarly, your aim may be to get a first in an essay, your objectives would be to research well, create an effective structure, write clear paragraphs etc.

So, if we look at the title from earlier: 

Transgender support in higher education: An ethnographic comparison of experiences in UK and Finnish universities

The aim of the research is to compare the experiences of transgender students in the different situations, but to do this you may need to find out more specific things (your objectives).

The objectives may be:

• Find out what support transgender students are offered in a UK university
• Find out what support transgender students are offered in a Finnish university
• Discover if English students used the support
• Discover if Finnish students used the support
• Find out how each group felt about the support they received

Suitable research questions may be:

• What support have UK transgender students experienced whilst at university?
• What support have Finnish transgender students experienced whilst at university?
• How do experiences of support differ between students at UK and Finnish universities?

These are questions that can be used to develop research instruments that can be used to collect suitable data to answer them.

Selecting a methodology

You may begin to get an idea of which methodology you will use to gather and analyse your data during the process of reviewing the literature. There may either be traditional approaches for your topic area or you may purposefully be deciding to choose a different approach to help you consider a different aspect of the topic. Remember at this stage, as with your questions, you are actually providing an indicative methodology. This is not written in stone and your questions or approaches may develop during the research process.

Quantitative or qualitative?

Research methodologies are generally split into quantitative and qualitative designs. These gather, analyse and present data in different ways and allow you to answer different types of research questions:

Mixed methods

Some studies use both approaches to enable the researcher to see the wider picture (through numerical measurement) as well as explore certain issues in a deeper way. Generally this takes one of the following forms:

• Your in-depth research (perhaps using interviews) provides some interesting insights and you want to see if these are applicable or repeated on a wider scale (using a survey).
• Your wide-scale research (perhaps using a survey) provides some insights and you want to dig deeper to find out more about some of these (using interviews).

Which is best for you?

Ultimately, this is something that you will need to decide in discussion with your supervisor or tutor and it will very much depend on your research questions. The table above may help you approach the conversation armed with an idea of what type of research feels right for you, and you may want to adapt your research questions to fit with the approach you feel comfortable with. Remember, your proposal must include the reasons  why  you selected the methodology not just describe it, so you need to be sure that the methods you have chosen will give you the best chance of answering the questions you are proposing.

Considering the ethics

Your proposal should state what you consider any possible ethical considerations to be and how you propose to manage them. You may be required to complete an ethics approval form for review at a later stage, but your proposal should flag up the sort of things that this will include. Generally, if you have human or animal participants, you will definitely need to gain ethical approval. If your research does not involve human or animal participants, you should still explain this and why there should be no ethical issues.

Research involving human participants

Any research involving human participants, even if they are anonymous, will need ethical approval and a statement including in your proposal. The statement should:

• indicate how you will recruit your participants and ensure that the have all the information they need to be able to give informed consent. Include information about how you will receive and document consent. For research involving minors, you will need to explain how you will receive informed consent from their guardians.
• describe how you will minimise any possible harm: physical, mental or social to your participants and ensure they are treated with respect throughout the course of the research and its dissemination.
• show how you will maintain the anonymity of your participants (if appropriate).
• explain how you will ensure the safety and security of the data you collect, especially anything identifying an individual or group of individuals. Include information about how and when data will be disposed of following the end of the research process.

Research involving animals

All research involving animals (vertebrates and cephalopods) needs stringent ethical review and is carried out under licences regulated by the Home Office. The university is committed to replacing, reducing and refining the use of animals in research as set out in the ARRIVE guidelines so you may wish to refer to those in your proposal in order to justify your use of animals. Your supervisor will guide you with the ethical approval procedures for such research.

Assessing risk

If your research has the potential to involve any of the following, you should complete a risk assessment:

• Hazardous locations (laboratories, remote locations, high crime areas, overseas, close to or in water, in extreme weather conditions, in participants' homes, industrial sites, high or confined spaces etc).
• Hazardous activities (physically strenuous activities, mentally distressing activities, night-time or weekend working etc).
• Hazardous machinery (electrical equipment, machinery/instruments with moving parts etc).
• Hazardous substances (flammable, dangerous/explosive substances; asphyxiating gases; allergens; biological agents, blood and blood products).
• Hazardous physical agents  (excessive noise, vibration, radiation, lasers etc).

Risk assessment templates and help with filling them in will be available from your faculty. 

Writing style

Be concise and specific.

You have a lot to fit into a tight word count so make sure you only include the information needed to enable a reviewer to evaluate your proposal. For example, your literature review should not go into the sort of detail that you will have in the literature review for your project itself. Don't include lengthy explanations of your methods, again, leave these for writing up the project itself. 

Try to be specific without giving too much detail. It can be a fine line but keep thinking 'is that enough to judge if I will be able to answer my questions?'

Be assertive

Do not be too tentative in your style. We are used to being cautious in academic writing but in your proposal you should be a bit more definite. So, instead of 'This research might...' or 'This research could...' write 'This research will...'.

Use the future tense

The majority of your proposal should be written in the future tense as you are explaining what you will be doing. The only place where you should use the past or present tenses is in the review of the literature where you are showing what research has gone before and what the situation currently is.

Check the use of first person writing

Some tutors specifically want you to put yourself into your proposal (after all it is you that will be carrying out the research) and so encourage and prefer the use of 'I' and 'my'. Others may be more traditional and require you to write in the third person ('interviews will be manually transcribed' rather than 'I will manually transcribe the interviews'). Check with them directly to find out their preference.

Related books and eBooks from our collection

Useful external resources

• Examples of research proposals These proposals from York St John University use a standard form template but they give good examples of the sort of information you need to include.
• How to Write a Research Proposal - from the GradCoach YouTube video on writing a proposal. Very comprehensive.
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The First Person in Research Papers: Pros and Cons.

This article will explore the debate surrounding the use of first person in research papers, with a focus on identifying both the advantages and disadvantages associated with this practice. Through an analysis of different perspectives and scholarly sources, this paper will provide readers with a thorough understanding of why authors should or should not employ first person language when writing academic texts. Additionally, practical examples from existing research publications will be discussed to demonstrate how authors can use pronouns like “I” and “we” effectively while adhering to formal conventions. Ultimately, it is hoped that after reading this article readers would have gained insights into whether using first person within their own work is suitable for them or not.

I. Introduction

Ii. the pros of writing a research paper from the first person perspective, iii. the cons of writing a research paper from the first person perspective, iv. approaches to using the first person in academic writing, v. factors influencing decisions to use or not use ‘i’ and ‘we’ in academic texts, vi. strategies for overcoming issues related to employing an authorial voice in scientific articles, vii. conclusion.

The introduction is the first section of any research paper, and its importance cannot be overstated. It serves to capture a reader’s attention and provide necessary context for understanding the rest of the document. Additionally, it should briefly outline what will follow in subsequent sections.

In many cases, introductory paragraphs include an overarching statement or argument that helps set up what comes later on. This could mean directly addressing relevant theoretical debates within your field or introducing a novel concept you are proposing to explore throughout your study. As such, crafting an effective introduction requires considerable thoughtfulness about how best to summarize important points concisely and effectively so as not to overwhelm readers with too much detail while still conveying essential information.

• Can Research Papers Have First Person?

Writing from first person perspective (e.g., using “I” statements) is generally discouraged in formal academic writing as it can introduce bias into arguments; however there may be some flexibility depending on individual disciplinary standards or specific instructor requirements for assignments/papers . Ultimately , when deciding whether this approach is appropriate , it’s important to consider if use of personal language would actually benefit understanding by providing additional insight rather than detracting from scholarship .

The first person perspective can be advantageous when writing a research paper. One major benefit is that it allows for personal expression of the author’s ideas, thoughts and feelings which may increase reader engagement with the material. Furthermore, the use of “I” as an active participant in experiments or surveys provides authenticity to findings by demonstrating authorship over their own work.

Additionally, this style encourages stronger connections between researchers and readers while allowing for more intimate narration within scholarly works. Even if authors are referring to third-person sources or other people’s opinions, using “I” helps establish themselves as experts on said subject matter through firsthand experience they have acquired from exploring various aspects related to it. Can research papers have first person? Absolutely! By doing so, authors lend validity and credibility to both their work and academic field overall.

Analysis of Potential Downsides When writing a research paper from the first person perspective, it is important to consider both its benefits and drawbacks. Even though there may be advantages in some cases, an analysis of potential downsides should also be taken into account.

Firstly, by using “I” or “we” throughout the paper, authors are putting themselves at risk for criticism on the perceived lack of objectivity. While this can still sometimes be overcome if sufficient evidence is presented that backs up their claims and assertions, it will require additional effort in order to convince readers they have not allowed their own opinions to interfere with sound academic judgement. Additionally, while a certain degree of subjectivity may be tolerated when discussing qualitative data or topics such as philosophy where personal views play an essential role – too much bias could render any findings invalid which would adversely affect overall credibility.

Secondly – depending on whether previous studies conducted within the field allow for discussion in terms of “first person” usage – incorporating personal pronouns might reduce research impact due to existing scientific conventions associated with third-person only papers. In other words: can research papers have first person? Yes; however deviations from customary norms should always warrant special attention given associated risks for misunderstanding and misinterpretation among peers

Academic writing is often thought of as a formal and objective form of communication. Yet the appropriate use of the first person can greatly enhance an essay or paper’s readability, especially when presenting research. There are several approaches to using “I” in academic work.

• Acknowledgement:

The simplest approach to first-person usage is to acknowledge authorship with “I” statements such as “In this essay, I will discuss…” This straightforward approach eliminates any ambiguity regarding authorship while still keeping the focus on what follows instead of who wrote it.

• Objective Argumentation:

Utilizing one’s personal experience can be beneficial for developing certain types of arguments or illustrating a point without having to rely solely on factual evidence and third-party sources. This technique does not necessarily mean expressing subjective opinions but rather helping readers understand complex issues by providing thoughtful insights based upon real experiences within certain contexts. Can research papers have first person? Absolutely! In fact, some professors even encourage their students use “I” in order make sure that they do not lose sight about themselves being the author(s) involved in creating something meaningful from available information and resources. It should also be noted that depending upon the topic and its complexity there might even be situations where exclusively utilizing only unbiased facts may not suffice – making room for more subjectivity if deemed necessary for effective argumentation purposes..

Factors Impacting Use of “I” and “We” in Academic Writing

The use of first-person pronouns such as “I” and “we” has become an increasingly popular way to approach academic writing. This is due to a combination of factors, including recent changes in pedagogical approaches emphasizing student experience and the ability for authors to present their unique points of view. These factors have led many instructors or professors to allow personal pronoun usage within research papers; however, there are still debates over when it should be used or avoided.

One primary factor influencing decisions on whether or not to utilize first person pronouns in scholarly works is the level of author involvement with the topic. Those who conducted interviews, gathered data through surveys, or were heavily involved in designing studies will naturally need include personal language about their roles because they played them directly. On the other hand, authors discussing topics that didn’t involve direct participation may prefer third-person language instead since it conveys greater objectivity by avoiding any perceived bias from using I/we statements. Additionally, fields like natural sciences tend towards avoiding these terms while social sciences often encourage them more frequently depending upon context (e.g., describing one’s own work versus generalizing theories). Ultimately though how much personal pronoun usage you employ ultimately depends upon what best communicates your message effectively yet objectively while fitting conventions appropriate for your field .

Maintaining an Objective Writing Voice In the world of scientific writing, a common goal is to maintain an objective writing voice when creating research papers. While employing an authorial perspective can be beneficial in terms of succinctly conveying the message of your paper, it’s important not to lose sight of maintaining neutrality and accuracy in its construction. To keep a scholarly tone throughout your work without slipping into first-person language, consider these strategies:

• Be precise with your language choice; words such as “I believe” or “It seems” should be avoided.
• Use facts rather than opinions—this includes any personal experience which may come through in the text.
• Make sure you provide evidence for all claims made within the article by providing clear citations from valid sources.

Can Research Papers Have First Person? In most cases, using first person language (such as “I” or “we”) is discouraged when crafting scientific articles due to its potential for skewing perceptions and introducing bias. However, there are some exceptions where employing this type of authorial point-of-view might be appropriate depending on certain circumstances. For example, if two authors worked together on a study then including their names alongside each other could help create clarity regarding who wrote what parts. Additionally citing direct quotes from interviews with experts can also make use of first person if applicable.

In concluding this paper, it is evident that research papers can indeed make use of the first-person voice. While there are certainly valid reasons to employ third-person narration in academic writing, such as greater objectivity and an appearance of authority, there are also numerous opportunities for utilizing the power of personal narrative within a scholarly context. Through employing tactics like story or anecdote telling, giving individual accounts or reflections on topics discussed throughout one’s research paper serves to expand upon its ideas more effectively.

Ultimately then, when used sparingly and intentionally – with consideration given to purposeful structuring and citation accuracy – authors may skillfully inject a dose of humanity into their work without compromising any credibility. In doing so they add further depth and value which enhances readers’ experience while still adhering to the conventions expected from an academic piece of writing.

In conclusion, it is important to consider the pros and cons of using “I” as a first person reference in research papers. While this approach can add a personal touch to an otherwise clinical paper, there are potential issues related to objectivity that must be considered before making such a decision. Ultimately, authors should weigh all factors carefully before deciding whether or not the use of “I” is appropriate for their research papers.

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Can I Use First Person In a Research Paper? (Quick Answer)

by  Antony W

July 6, 2022

High school teachers, college tutors, and university professors often frown assignments that include personal pronouns. That’s so because writing in first, second, or third person demonstrates an author’s point of view, which, in many cases, tends to be unacceptable.

With the exception of college admission essays , personal statements , and persuasive essays , the use of personal pronoun in academic writing is something you should avoid completely.

One of the questions we get a lot at Help for Assessment is can I use first person in a research paper?

We understand how difficult choosing the right language for research paper writing can be, particularly because there are many language rules that you need to observe. So our goal with this guide is to help you learn more about personal pronouns in research paper.

By the time you finish reading this article, you will have a very clear picture on the issue of using first person in your research paper assignment. 

What’s First Person Pronoun? 

In written and spoken communication, the use of first person pronoun refers to incorporating text that refers to oneself in an assignment. The reference can be in singular or plural form. First person singular include “I”, “Me”, “Mine”, and “My” and first person plural are “we”, “us”, “our”, and “ours”.

Can I Use First Person in a Research Paper? 

The use of first person in a research paper indicates presentation of information based on what you’ve found from your research.

Unfortunately, you can’t and shouldn’t use first person pronoun in your research assignment. From a scientific and mathematical standpoint, the pronoun presents you to your target audience as a self-serving and arrogant person.

Keep in mind that the purpose of a research paper is to provide a comprehensive analysis and response to the research question . The focus is therefore on the research, not the person conducting the research.

We understand that you might want to persuade readers to consider a certain aspect of your research, especially if it’s a personal opinion you want to give. However, you can do so without necessarily sounding personal.

Another reason why it’s a bad idea to use first person pronouns in your research paper is that they to make your overall assignment. Precisely, the first person pronoun can easily underestimate the findings of your research as readers might wonder whether you based your conclusions on facts or just personal opinions.

What’s Second Person Pronoun? 

The second person pronoun is any word that refers to the reader. These pronouns are “you”, “your”, and “yours”.

This point of view is helpful in the context of providing advice, guides, and tutorials to a given audience.

For example, students searching for programming assignment help online will often land on written and video tutorials that use the second person point of view to give direction on setting up projects and writing code.

Using, the goal of using the second person point of view is to engage an audience to a discussion or a guide, and it tends to serve its purpose quite well.

Can I Use Second Person Pronoun in a Research Paper? 

The problem with the second person pronoun is that it gives instructions to an audience, which means it’s not quite effective in academic writing. As such, you should not use the second person pronoun in your research paper.

What’s Third Person Pronoun?

This point of view can use pronouns of individuals or groups or a person’s name. Words such as “he”, “she”, and “one” refers to individuals and words such as  “everyone”,  “they” and “them” refer to a group of people.

Can I Use Third Person Pronoun in a Research Paper? 

The third person pronoun is usually the most appropriate option to use in scientific paper. However, you need to be very careful with how you integrate them in your writing.

First, you have to use indefinite pronoun to refer back to the subject. Second, you should avoid using feminine or masculine terminologies when using third person point of view. So instead of using him, her, him, or her in your research paper, make the subject plural.

What are the Exceptions to these Rules? 

The argument among academics is that it’s fine to use first person in a research paper. To be precise, you can use the term “I” in the abstract, introduction, discussion, and conclusion in some research papers. However, it’s best to avoid this completely.

If you must use personal pronouns in the assignment, “we” would be the most appropriate.

Also, be careful with how you write the methods and results section. If you must use personal pronouns here, the third person point of view will be most appropriate.

Another important exception that we can’t ignore is the assignment brief. Even if you know certain that personal pronouns are not appropriate in research paper writing, look at the assignment guidelines to figure out what your teacher wants. Your instructor might ask you to use personal pronouns in the assignment, so make sure you don’t skip this part.

When Writing Your Research Paper 

The third person point of view, and particularly referring to subjects and entities by their names (or title) is the acceptable option when writing a research paper.

Another important point worth mentioning is that you need to make sure you’re consistent in your writing. Switching from one point of view to another can only make your research paper hard to read since leads to distraction.

Makes sure you check the assignment guideline provided by your teacher to make sure you’re on the right track as far as using first person pronoun in your assignment is concerned.

Get Help with Research Paper Writing 

Is your research paper almost due but you haven’t started working on it yet? Or maybe you started but you have other urgent assignments to complete? You can take advantage of our  research paper writing service  and get professional academic writing help that enables students to score high grades.

It doesn’t matter if your research topic is complicated or you can’t find the right sources for the assignment. We’re here to help.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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• Indian J Anaesth
• v.60(9); 2016 Sep

How to write a research proposal?

Department of Anaesthesiology, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Devika Rani Duggappa

Writing the proposal of a research work in the present era is a challenging task due to the constantly evolving trends in the qualitative research design and the need to incorporate medical advances into the methodology. The proposal is a detailed plan or ‘blueprint’ for the intended study, and once it is completed, the research project should flow smoothly. Even today, many of the proposals at post-graduate evaluation committees and application proposals for funding are substandard. A search was conducted with keywords such as research proposal, writing proposal and qualitative using search engines, namely, PubMed and Google Scholar, and an attempt has been made to provide broad guidelines for writing a scientifically appropriate research proposal.

INTRODUCTION

A clean, well-thought-out proposal forms the backbone for the research itself and hence becomes the most important step in the process of conduct of research.[ 1 ] The objective of preparing a research proposal would be to obtain approvals from various committees including ethics committee [details under ‘Research methodology II’ section [ Table 1 ] in this issue of IJA) and to request for grants. However, there are very few universally accepted guidelines for preparation of a good quality research proposal. A search was performed with keywords such as research proposal, funding, qualitative and writing proposals using search engines, namely, PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus.

Five ‘C’s while writing a literature review

BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A proposal needs to show how your work fits into what is already known about the topic and what new paradigm will it add to the literature, while specifying the question that the research will answer, establishing its significance, and the implications of the answer.[ 2 ] The proposal must be capable of convincing the evaluation committee about the credibility, achievability, practicality and reproducibility (repeatability) of the research design.[ 3 ] Four categories of audience with different expectations may be present in the evaluation committees, namely academic colleagues, policy-makers, practitioners and lay audiences who evaluate the research proposal. Tips for preparation of a good research proposal include; ‘be practical, be persuasive, make broader links, aim for crystal clarity and plan before you write’. A researcher must be balanced, with a realistic understanding of what can be achieved. Being persuasive implies that researcher must be able to convince other researchers, research funding agencies, educational institutions and supervisors that the research is worth getting approval. The aim of the researcher should be clearly stated in simple language that describes the research in a way that non-specialists can comprehend, without use of jargons. The proposal must not only demonstrate that it is based on an intelligent understanding of the existing literature but also show that the writer has thought about the time needed to conduct each stage of the research.[ 4 , 5 ]

CONTENTS OF A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

The contents or formats of a research proposal vary depending on the requirements of evaluation committee and are generally provided by the evaluation committee or the institution.

In general, a cover page should contain the (i) title of the proposal, (ii) name and affiliation of the researcher (principal investigator) and co-investigators, (iii) institutional affiliation (degree of the investigator and the name of institution where the study will be performed), details of contact such as phone numbers, E-mail id's and lines for signatures of investigators.

The main contents of the proposal may be presented under the following headings: (i) introduction, (ii) review of literature, (iii) aims and objectives, (iv) research design and methods, (v) ethical considerations, (vi) budget, (vii) appendices and (viii) citations.[ 4 ]

Introduction

It is also sometimes termed as ‘need for study’ or ‘abstract’. Introduction is an initial pitch of an idea; it sets the scene and puts the research in context.[ 6 ] The introduction should be designed to create interest in the reader about the topic and proposal. It should convey to the reader, what you want to do, what necessitates the study and your passion for the topic.[ 7 ] Some questions that can be used to assess the significance of the study are: (i) Who has an interest in the domain of inquiry? (ii) What do we already know about the topic? (iii) What has not been answered adequately in previous research and practice? (iv) How will this research add to knowledge, practice and policy in this area? Some of the evaluation committees, expect the last two questions, elaborated under a separate heading of ‘background and significance’.[ 8 ] Introduction should also contain the hypothesis behind the research design. If hypothesis cannot be constructed, the line of inquiry to be used in the research must be indicated.

Review of literature

It refers to all sources of scientific evidence pertaining to the topic in interest. In the present era of digitalisation and easy accessibility, there is an enormous amount of relevant data available, making it a challenge for the researcher to include all of it in his/her review.[ 9 ] It is crucial to structure this section intelligently so that the reader can grasp the argument related to your study in relation to that of other researchers, while still demonstrating to your readers that your work is original and innovative. It is preferable to summarise each article in a paragraph, highlighting the details pertinent to the topic of interest. The progression of review can move from the more general to the more focused studies, or a historical progression can be used to develop the story, without making it exhaustive.[ 1 ] Literature should include supporting data, disagreements and controversies. Five ‘C's may be kept in mind while writing a literature review[ 10 ] [ Table 1 ].

Aims and objectives

The research purpose (or goal or aim) gives a broad indication of what the researcher wishes to achieve in the research. The hypothesis to be tested can be the aim of the study. The objectives related to parameters or tools used to achieve the aim are generally categorised as primary and secondary objectives.

Research design and method

The objective here is to convince the reader that the overall research design and methods of analysis will correctly address the research problem and to impress upon the reader that the methodology/sources chosen are appropriate for the specific topic. It should be unmistakably tied to the specific aims of your study.

In this section, the methods and sources used to conduct the research must be discussed, including specific references to sites, databases, key texts or authors that will be indispensable to the project. There should be specific mention about the methodological approaches to be undertaken to gather information, about the techniques to be used to analyse it and about the tests of external validity to which researcher is committed.[ 10 , 11 ]

The components of this section include the following:[ 4 ]

Population and sample

Population refers to all the elements (individuals, objects or substances) that meet certain criteria for inclusion in a given universe,[ 12 ] and sample refers to subset of population which meets the inclusion criteria for enrolment into the study. The inclusion and exclusion criteria should be clearly defined. The details pertaining to sample size are discussed in the article “Sample size calculation: Basic priniciples” published in this issue of IJA.

Data collection

The researcher is expected to give a detailed account of the methodology adopted for collection of data, which include the time frame required for the research. The methodology should be tested for its validity and ensure that, in pursuit of achieving the results, the participant's life is not jeopardised. The author should anticipate and acknowledge any potential barrier and pitfall in carrying out the research design and explain plans to address them, thereby avoiding lacunae due to incomplete data collection. If the researcher is planning to acquire data through interviews or questionnaires, copy of the questions used for the same should be attached as an annexure with the proposal.

Rigor (soundness of the research)

This addresses the strength of the research with respect to its neutrality, consistency and applicability. Rigor must be reflected throughout the proposal.

It refers to the robustness of a research method against bias. The author should convey the measures taken to avoid bias, viz. blinding and randomisation, in an elaborate way, thus ensuring that the result obtained from the adopted method is purely as chance and not influenced by other confounding variables.

Consistency

Consistency considers whether the findings will be consistent if the inquiry was replicated with the same participants and in a similar context. This can be achieved by adopting standard and universally accepted methods and scales.

Applicability

Applicability refers to the degree to which the findings can be applied to different contexts and groups.[ 13 ]

Data analysis

This section deals with the reduction and reconstruction of data and its analysis including sample size calculation. The researcher is expected to explain the steps adopted for coding and sorting the data obtained. Various tests to be used to analyse the data for its robustness, significance should be clearly stated. Author should also mention the names of statistician and suitable software which will be used in due course of data analysis and their contribution to data analysis and sample calculation.[ 9 ]

Ethical considerations

Medical research introduces special moral and ethical problems that are not usually encountered by other researchers during data collection, and hence, the researcher should take special care in ensuring that ethical standards are met. Ethical considerations refer to the protection of the participants' rights (right to self-determination, right to privacy, right to autonomy and confidentiality, right to fair treatment and right to protection from discomfort and harm), obtaining informed consent and the institutional review process (ethical approval). The researcher needs to provide adequate information on each of these aspects.

Informed consent needs to be obtained from the participants (details discussed in further chapters), as well as the research site and the relevant authorities.

When the researcher prepares a research budget, he/she should predict and cost all aspects of the research and then add an additional allowance for unpredictable disasters, delays and rising costs. All items in the budget should be justified.

Appendices are documents that support the proposal and application. The appendices will be specific for each proposal but documents that are usually required include informed consent form, supporting documents, questionnaires, measurement tools and patient information of the study in layman's language.

As with any scholarly research paper, you must cite the sources you used in composing your proposal. Although the words ‘references and bibliography’ are different, they are used interchangeably. It refers to all references cited in the research proposal.

Successful, qualitative research proposals should communicate the researcher's knowledge of the field and method and convey the emergent nature of the qualitative design. The proposal should follow a discernible logic from the introduction to presentation of the appendices.

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Home » How To Write A Research Proposal – Step-by-Step [Template]

How To Write A Research Proposal – Step-by-Step [Template]

Table of Contents

How To Write a Research Proposal

Writing a Research proposal involves several steps to ensure a well-structured and comprehensive document. Here is an explanation of each step:

1. Title and Abstract

• Choose a concise and descriptive title that reflects the essence of your research.
• Write an abstract summarizing your research question, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes. It should provide a brief overview of your proposal.

2. Introduction:

• Provide an introduction to your research topic, highlighting its significance and relevance.
• Clearly state the research problem or question you aim to address.
• Discuss the background and context of the study, including previous research in the field.

3. Research Objectives

• Outline the specific objectives or aims of your research. These objectives should be clear, achievable, and aligned with the research problem.

4. Literature Review:

• Conduct a comprehensive review of relevant literature and studies related to your research topic.
• Summarize key findings, identify gaps, and highlight how your research will contribute to the existing knowledge.

5. Methodology:

• Describe the research design and methodology you plan to employ to address your research objectives.
• Explain the data collection methods, instruments, and analysis techniques you will use.
• Justify why the chosen methods are appropriate and suitable for your research.

6. Timeline:

• Create a timeline or schedule that outlines the major milestones and activities of your research project.
• Break down the research process into smaller tasks and estimate the time required for each task.

7. Resources:

• Identify the resources needed for your research, such as access to specific databases, equipment, or funding.
• Explain how you will acquire or utilize these resources to carry out your research effectively.

8. Ethical Considerations:

• Discuss any ethical issues that may arise during your research and explain how you plan to address them.
• If your research involves human subjects, explain how you will ensure their informed consent and privacy.

9. Expected Outcomes and Significance:

• Clearly state the expected outcomes or results of your research.
• Highlight the potential impact and significance of your research in advancing knowledge or addressing practical issues.

10. References:

• Provide a list of all the references cited in your proposal, following a consistent citation style (e.g., APA, MLA).

11. Appendices:

• Include any additional supporting materials, such as survey questionnaires, interview guides, or data analysis plans.

Research Proposal Format

The format of a research proposal may vary depending on the specific requirements of the institution or funding agency. However, the following is a commonly used format for a research proposal:

1. Title Page:

• Include the title of your research proposal, your name, your affiliation or institution, and the date.

2. Abstract:

• Provide a brief summary of your research proposal, highlighting the research problem, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes.

3. Introduction:

• Introduce the research topic and provide background information.
• State the research problem or question you aim to address.
• Explain the significance and relevance of the research.
• Review relevant literature and studies related to your research topic.
• Summarize key findings and identify gaps in the existing knowledge.
• Explain how your research will contribute to filling those gaps.

5. Research Objectives:

• Clearly state the specific objectives or aims of your research.
• Ensure that the objectives are clear, focused, and aligned with the research problem.

6. Methodology:

• Describe the research design and methodology you plan to use.
• Explain the data collection methods, instruments, and analysis techniques.
• Justify why the chosen methods are appropriate for your research.

7. Timeline:

8. Resources:

• Explain how you will acquire or utilize these resources effectively.

9. Ethical Considerations:

• If applicable, explain how you will ensure informed consent and protect the privacy of research participants.

10. Expected Outcomes and Significance:

11. References:

12. Appendices:

Research Proposal Template

Here’s a template for a research proposal:

1. Introduction:

2. Literature Review:

3. Research Objectives:

4. Methodology:

5. Timeline:

6. Resources:

7. Ethical Considerations:

8. Expected Outcomes and Significance:

9. References:

10. Appendices:

Research Proposal Sample

Title: The Impact of Online Education on Student Learning Outcomes: A Comparative Study

1. Introduction

Online education has gained significant prominence in recent years, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This research proposal aims to investigate the impact of online education on student learning outcomes by comparing them with traditional face-to-face instruction. The study will explore various aspects of online education, such as instructional methods, student engagement, and academic performance, to provide insights into the effectiveness of online learning.

2. Objectives

The main objectives of this research are as follows:

• To compare student learning outcomes between online and traditional face-to-face education.
• To examine the factors influencing student engagement in online learning environments.
• To assess the effectiveness of different instructional methods employed in online education.
• To identify challenges and opportunities associated with online education and suggest recommendations for improvement.

3. Methodology

3.1 Study Design

This research will utilize a mixed-methods approach to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The study will include the following components:

3.2 Participants

The research will involve undergraduate students from two universities, one offering online education and the other providing face-to-face instruction. A total of 500 students (250 from each university) will be selected randomly to participate in the study.

3.3 Data Collection

The research will employ the following data collection methods:

• Quantitative: Pre- and post-assessments will be conducted to measure students’ learning outcomes. Data on student demographics and academic performance will also be collected from university records.
• Qualitative: Focus group discussions and individual interviews will be conducted with students to gather their perceptions and experiences regarding online education.

3.4 Data Analysis

Quantitative data will be analyzed using statistical software, employing descriptive statistics, t-tests, and regression analysis. Qualitative data will be transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically to identify recurring patterns and themes.

4. Ethical Considerations

The study will adhere to ethical guidelines, ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of participants. Informed consent will be obtained, and participants will have the right to withdraw from the study at any time.

5. Significance and Expected Outcomes

This research will contribute to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on the impact of online education on student learning outcomes. The findings will help educational institutions and policymakers make informed decisions about incorporating online learning methods and improving the quality of online education. Moreover, the study will identify potential challenges and opportunities related to online education and offer recommendations for enhancing student engagement and overall learning outcomes.

6. Timeline

The proposed research will be conducted over a period of 12 months, including data collection, analysis, and report writing.

The estimated budget for this research includes expenses related to data collection, software licenses, participant compensation, and research assistance. A detailed budget breakdown will be provided in the final research plan.

8. Conclusion

This research proposal aims to investigate the impact of online education on student learning outcomes through a comparative study with traditional face-to-face instruction. By exploring various dimensions of online education, this research will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness and challenges associated with online learning. The findings will contribute to the ongoing discourse on educational practices and help shape future strategies for maximizing student learning outcomes in online education settings.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on 30 October 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on 13 June 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 organised 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, frequently asked questions.

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

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

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 synthesise 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. Emphasise 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?

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.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, June 13). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved 15 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/the-research-process/research-proposal-explained/

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Grant Writing: First or Third Person?

The ultimate writing dilemma.

As a grant writer, should I write grants in the first or third person? Ah, a question as old as...grant writing. We get it. It’s a good question. We have asked that very question ourselves because our high school English teachers and college professors hammered in that using the first person was not appropriate for research papers, but does grant writing need to abide by that same rule? Also, wowza, it just doesn’t feel right to only use the third person in grant proposals. Can you relate?

The short answer to that question, “Should I write grants in the first or third person?”, is that both the first and the third person are fine! You should use a blend of the first person and the third person when writing proposals. In this blog post, we’ll break down what is the difference between the first person and the third person, what style of writing grant writing really is, our reasoning for using a blend, an example of blending in action, the importance of writing with the end goal in mind, and a few extra tips for successful writing. In other words, continue reading for the long(er) answer. 👇

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What is the difference?

First, what is the difference between the first person and the third person? According to Owl at Purdue , the first person or first person point-of-view refers to using the first-person pronouns like I or We . Conversely, the third person or third person point-of-view refers to the use of third-person pronouns like he, she, they, and it .

Generally, the use of first person point-of-view is usually avoided in academic writing (the reason why good ol’ Ms. Brooks was liberal with that red pen on our research papers!). Typically, the third person point-of-view has a wide range of uses in both creative and academic contexts. This wide range of appropriate usage makes it a bit more challenging to determine when and where to use the third person.

More of a YouTube person? Watch the video on this topic here.

What is grant writing?

Even more challenging is that grant writing is its own particular style of writing. Grant writing is a combination of creative storytelling and more technical or academic style writing. According to the Association of Fundraising Professionals, a grant is, “a financial donation given to support a person, organization, project, or program.” We know that a grant is only successful if we meet the requirements in the funding guidelines (and some!) and if we can tell our organization’s story in a compelling way while including appropriate technical information.

Basically, how we tell our story or write our proposal is just as important as what our story is and what information our proposal includes. In that regard, grant writing requires stylistic finesse. Thus, the question of writing in the first person or the third person matters. It matters a great deal. The fact that you are curious about it says a lot about you as a grant writer. It says that you care about your work and your organization. We love working with people who care. :)

People also ask us if grant writing is hard. Doubtless, grant writing is a unique skill complete with its own challenges, but that’s why Learn Grant Writing exists. We are here to give you grant writing help, transform you into a grant writing unicorn, and teach you how to win grants to make tangible, positive change in your community.

Why use both first person and third person in grant writing?

In short, we teach people to use both the first and the third person because we really are no different than you: we want to have our cake and eat it too. We want the best of both worlds.

Breaking it down, you could use the third person or “Churches United for the Homeless” throughout the entirety of your narrative. This would come across as specific and formal. It would also offer repeated subliminal advertising of the organization during the review process. Subliminal advertising is using images and sounds to influence consumers' responses without their being conscious of it. It’s a little sneaky, but it works. At the same time, using “Churches United for the Homeless” often takes up more space in your already significantly limited word count requirement. It can sometimes also appear impersonal or aloof.

On the other hand, the first person point of view has the benefits of sounding more personal, relatable, and collaborative. To some funders, it may also come across as being a bit too vague. Applicants lose the advantage of reminding reviewers who the organization is because other proposals will also be using the universal “we” source. For example, if your proposal is 30 pages long and you only used the first person, there’s no doubt that by page 29 the reviewer will have forgotten who the applicant organization is. You’re just another “we” and “our organization” trying to do good work in the world.

In our decades of experience, we have found that it is antiquated to write strictly in the third person and that it is too informal to write strictly in the first person. Used on their own, neither form achieves what we want. Thus, we prefer to use a blend to reap the advantages of both forms. Using a blend makes the proposal more readable and personable for our narrative reviewers. Moreover, a mix of both creates a natural sentence structure variety which is key to producing good writing.

Our biggest hard and fast rule is to never say “I” but use “we” and “our” to refer to your organization.

Grant writing made easy: blending in action

We’ll go through an example with you. Take a look at the excerpt below from a grant application below:

“Much of our focus has been devoted to tackling recidivism. We now need support to kick-start the Department’s objectives regarding recovery services.”

That above excerpt is written in the first person and the third person. It reads nicely, huh? No hiccups. No issues.

Comparatively, in the blurb below we changed everything to the third person:

“The Department’s resources have been focused on tackling recidivism. The organization needs support to kick-start the Department’s objectives regarding recovery services.”

That excerpt does not read as smoothly as the original version. There are only so many different ways to rephrase “the Department ”. Furthermore, at only two words, “the Department”, is a relatively short name for an organization. But think of other names: Churches United for the Homeless (five words!), Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Red River Valley (nine words!), Missions in Motion International Ministries (five words!). What a mouthful it would be to use the third person with an organization name as long as those.

There is no good reason for us to repeat that name multiple times in one sentence or even in one paragraph. Trying to do so makes the excerpt extra clunky when it doesn’t need to be. To be abundantly clear, clunky is not a characteristic of high quality, readable, and compelling writing.

Sure, there are instances you can abbreviate like RMHC for Ronald McDonald House Charities, but we don’t encourage many abbreviations. Grant reviewers don’t know or won’t remember all of your organization’s unique acronyms or abbreviations. You’re ingrained into your organization’s work and at staff meetings everyone knows what you’re talking about when you speak in acronyms. However, the grant reviewer is not at those same staff meetings and they do not understand what you’re talking about when you use an excessive amount of acronyms. You need to keep it simple and crystal clear for your grant reviewers. In other words, you need to limit the amount of acronyms and abbreviations you include in your proposal.

Our end goal: why grant writing is important

Our goal is to create a positive experience for our narrative reviewers. We want to combine our story with persuasive statistics and only include the most helpful and purposed words. We want our narrative to read like an informative, compelling, well-written book. We do all of that in order to win the grant funding we are requesting so that we can incite positive change in our community—the whole reason why grant writing is so important! Solely writing in the first person or the third person does not bring us closer to reaching that goal.

For more on how we teach about using the first and third person in grant writing, check out Module 3 in our program called the Global Grant Writers Collective . At about the 10-minute mark, we offer a deep dive into the question. Meredith reads aloud a few examples so that you can physically hear the difference between a perfectly blended first and third person sentence and clunky sentence.

Write with the end goal in mind. Think carefully about your grant reviewers and what their perspective is when reading your proposal. Think about them especially when you’re in the editing stages of the grant writing process.

Trust yourself

At the end of the day, writing is a bit about feeling or, at the very least, the flow of your written word. Sometimes it is okay to ask yourself, “what feels most right in this sentence to you?” First or third person? As long as your grammar, punctuation, and spelling are on point, you needn’t worry too much about royally messing up the rest of the sentence. Chances are that you are golden. So, if it seems like the first person might work and flow better than the third person, go with that.

A favorite trick we constantly use and recommend is to read the sentence or paragraph in question out loud. Listen, we promise that all the best writers do it . You can trust that you are in good company when you sit at your desk or walk around the block with paper in hand reading your work out loud to yourself—we do it too. (You better believe that at least one person on our team read this very paragraph aloud.)

Something different happens when you physically hear the words rather than simply see them again for the millionth time. When you hear your words you can catch mistakes, bad words, needless words , clarify the flow of your proposal, and figure out if you should use the first person or the third person. We encourage you to read your work aloud, edit as necessary (with the end goal in mind), then read it aloud a final time. It sounds better after your edits, huh?

Additionally, as grant writers, we need to trust our gut. Rarely does our gut steer us in the wrong direction. Plus, remember that we are powerful grant writing unicorns and with great power comes great responsibility. Part of the responsibility of being a unicorn is taking ourselves seriously (but not too seriously), trusting our intuition, and making moves with confidence! Make this small move of deciding the first person or the third person with confidence.

As a final fail safe, ask your editor. Per best practice, here at Learn Grant Writing, we always recommend having an outside individual complete a final read-through of your grant application prior to submission. If you’re concerned, ask that individual to specifically review your use of first and/or third person.

Final Takeaway

In summary, as grant writers we need to use both the first person and third person in our narratives. Write grants in a blend of the first and the third person for readability and sentence structure variety. The ultimate goal is preparing a clear, easy to read narrative that will effectively compel grant reviewers to fund our request. We need both first and third person to make our goal a reality.

Grant Writing Resources

Keep reading our blog articles . Specifically, this one has more tips for writing draft narratives . This post highlights the top mistakes grant writers make and how to avoid them .

Also, check out our FREE Class on Writing Grants in just 7 easy steps!

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About the author...

Alexis Swenson serves as Unicorn Coach and Content Director for Learn Grant Writing. The product of small-town northwestern Minnesota, she is a self-declared “old soul” and grounded free spirit. She has secured over $2.7 million in grant funding in her career. Alexis writes to help people learn, laugh, and not be so hard on themselves.

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