Methods Section

Now that you have selected a topic, identified your 6 research articles, organized your research, and drafted your literature review, you are ready to begin drafting your research proposal!  Remember, the research you have conducted should inform your research proposal.  What have you learned as a result of the research that has already been conducted?  What questions or gaps still exist on this topic?  What are you curious about?

The methods section of your research proposal is like a recipe card.  It should describe all of the key elements of your study, providing clear directions for anyone wanting to replicate your work.  It should address the who, what, when, where and why of your proposal, making it clear to the reader exactly what you are looking to study and the necessary steps to accomplish this. You will start this process by identifying your research question.  What are you hoping to explore?  This question will serve as the guiding point for the remainder of your work.  The following sections in this chapter will provide helpful information and recommendations as you begin to design your proposal.