Effective Strategies for Research Proposal Development in Higher Education

Abstract

Writing a research proposal is a requirement for obtaining an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at institutions of higher education globally, however many students struggle to write such a proposal. This is especially true for students who are writing a proposal for the first time, despite research methodology modules that introduce them to the process. This often leads to their studies being delayed, which can result in them not graduating on time. In certain extreme cases, students withdraw from their studies because they have not completed the dissertation required to obtain their intended degree, even when they have passed their coursework. Higher education institutions could use the content of this chapter to develop appropriate targeted interventions and ongoing strategies for use by students and study supervisors to address the challenges that students face when writing their research proposals.