ASWDNet Guide to Writing (Academic Research Brief| Proposal | Thesis)

This page is about the documents that you will need to produce as part of student research. These are:

• Proposal brief or research proposal brief (RPB)
• Research Proposal (RP)
• Academic Research Report (thesis or dissertation) (ARR)

Writing, editing, formatting and presentation styles of academic, research institutions and publishing institutions vary. The information provided below was produced by ASWNet, and is relevant to most institutions. This guide is part of a larger guide that covers most writing and publishing done by academics, practitioners and students in the social, human, community or development disciplines.

A Research Proposal Brief (RPB)

Also known simply as a brief or research brief, this short document provides initial ideas about a research project. It is written in the future tense. It should be between one and 2 pages. It purpose is to highlight your research direction, knowledge and writing skills to a trainer, supervisor or funder. It covers:

Mandatory content:

• Report name: (Research Brief or Research Proposal Brief) – at the top
• Title of the research project in mind.
• Researcher details (full names, academic institution or employer, qualifications and job title, as applicable).
• Introduction
• Research problem or gap, include some literature
• Philosophical, Theoretical and Conceptual approaches or frameworks
• Justification for wanting to address this problem – include your position (positionality)
• Research questions, objectives or hypothesis
• Methods in mind
• References list

Optional content:

• Philosophical approach
• Theory/theories
• Ethics
• Resources – state if a scholarship will be required
• Timeline

Important tips

• Prioritise African knowledge (philosophy, theories and literature) right at the beginning
• Do not ‘copy and paste’ from the internet or books
• It is allowed to use first person language, to personalize the brief because it is yours
• No need for cover page

Research Proposal 

A research proposal is an extension of a brief, and its purpose is to report what has been agreed between researchers or between a student and a supervisor. It should be 10-20 pages long, with the following sections:

Mandatory content:

• Cover page
  • Report name: Research Proposal
  • Title of the research project.
  • Researcher details (full names, academic or employing institution).
  • Receiver details – department and institution this is being submitted to
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Research problem or gap
• Philosophical, Theoretical and Conceptual approaches or frameworks
• Justification for wanting to address this problem – include your position (positionality)
• Literature – what other researchers have researched about the problem and what gap or questions remain unanswered
• Research questions, objectives or hypothesis
• Methods to be used, including design or approach (e.g. decolonial design), target population, sampling & recruitment, data collection methods & tools, data analysis, reporting and dissemination and ethics & protocols
• Resources and Budget – state if a scholarship or funding or any equipment will be required
• Timeline or Schedule
• References list

Optional content:

• Key words
• One or two additional documents as appendices
• Previous publications list

Important tips

• All important tips already shared are applicable
• Print and revise thoroughly before submitting

Academic Research Report (Thesis or Dissertation) (ARR)

A research report is written in the past tense to provide details about research that has already been completed (or at times in progress). Research reports can be called thesis or dissertation, if they are produced for academic purposes. Although some institutions make a distinction between these two, to us they are the same. Usually, it is divided into chapters. A report varies in size. It can be:

• Up to 10 000 for a subject project (done as part of a research subject)
• Up to 20 000 words for an honours degree (done as a stand alone subject)
• Up to 40 000 words for a masters degree
• Up to 60 000 for a master of philosophy degree
• Up to 100 000 for a doctor of philosophy degree

The contents of an academic report are:

• Cover page
  • Report name: Research Report
  • Title of the research project.
  • Researcher details (full names and academic institution).
• Abstract
• Introduction – can be a chapter or section
• Background – chapter
• Literature – chapter
• Philosophical, Theoretical and Conceptual approaches or frameworks – chapter, can be a section under Introduction, Background or Literature
• Methodology – chapter
• Findings – one to three chapters
• Discussion – one chapter
• Conclusions, Implications and Recommendations – can be part of Discussion chapter or separate chapter
• Conclusion – a separate chapter or section
• References list
• Appendices
• Publications from the research

In-depth Reading

Click links below to read more. Some of the information refer to journal articles not academic research reports but relevant or useful in most cases.

• Title
• Abstract
• Key Terms
• Introduction
• Background
• Methodology
• Literature review
• Other Review Types
• Findings or Results
• Discussion
• Recommendations or Implications
• Conclusion
• Citing and References List
  • Key issues
  • Examples of reference list entries

ASWDNet Guide to Writing (Journals)

Twelve (12) Tips and Information for Prospective Doctoral Students