Tips for Writing a Strong Master's Project Proposal

Your first draft is simply what it implies – a “first draft.” My intent is to help you develop a clear, focused, strong proposal for your project. You are simply proposing ideas at this stage regarding what you think you may want to do for your project. You may need to make a few revisions which is a normal part of constructing a Master’s Project Proposal. I will grade your final Proposal submission after feedback and suggestions on my part and revisions you make accordingly.

Here are some guidelines to help you write your first Draft of your Proposal for your Master’s Project. Be sure to write your Proposal in APA format using proper English grammar and punctuation. Write it in double-spaced format with APA Subject Headings.

• In this section you should identify your topic and specify the question or questions you are asking, the purpose your project might fulfill, and the goal you hope to achieve.
• Explain how your topic and question applies to clients with SUDs and CODs and where it fits along the continuum of care or prevention or policy change.
• Then write a few paragraphs on your Reflexive Statement explaining how personal and professional experiences led you to this topic and project. Be sure to identify any assumptions you see you may bring to it as well.
• Next identify the research Paradigm you see your project as arising from and why it best fits that paradigm given what you are hoping to do.

• In this initial draft identify, cite, and briefly synthesize 4 to 5 relevant research articles related to your topic and how this research to date helps inform what you want to do for your project. In your initial search of the research look for literature reviews relevant to your topic of interest.
• In this section discuss how you see your project may address a gap in the research or fill a needed area of service for clients with SUD/CODs related to your topic or issue of interest.
• Then discuss how you plan to further search the research literature to help you learn more about your topic and identify areas for needed study. Specify what topics you plan to search, what search terms you may use, and through what means (e.g. Google Scholar, ERIC, etc.).

• In this section discuss what kind of data you think you may need to collect to answer your question and reach your goal or outcome. Specify whether you will use archive data, data from interviews, survey data, and so on.
• Discuss what research methodology or methodologies you think you may want to use to help you with this. Discuss how your proposed methodology fits within the framework of either quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods approaches.
• Identify how you plan to analyze your data and how you plan to apply
• In this section you should also discuss how you may need to plan to protect human participants according to HSRB guidelines if your study involves interaction with human participants.
• Discuss what specific outcome you hope to achieve through your project and how this will help further inform the profession and improve service delivery along the continuum of care.

• Discuss what kind of community partner (Correctional program therapist / Minnesota department of correction) you think you may need to collaborate with for your project and how you anticipate you would work together.
• Discuss what kind of faculty supervisor (Professor at the criminal justice department) you think you would need in terms of her/his background and expertise.