ATS3222 Chap.12 Writing the Research Proposal Pitch
Writing the Research Proposal Pitch
A3, the research proposal, is the final summative task, worth 40% and about 1,500 words plus or minus 10%, references excluded. It asks you to present your project as a written pitch, casting yourself as a researcher early in their career who wants backing, with colleagues outside your specialism as the audience.
The instructions explain that researchers often have to explain ideas accessibly, for example when applying for jobs or grants or when speaking to the public.
The Week 11 workshop maps directly onto the task, with four elements of a research pitch: context and significance, research problem or questions, an overview of research design, and expected outcomes and benefits.
Each is worth 20% in the rubric, with a further 10% for effective written communication and 10% for expression and referencing. A minimum of ten references is expected, starting on a separate page.
The workshop ends with a three to five minute practice pitch and peer feedback, and Week 12 is set aside for final preparation.
This chapter models all four elements on one project about young people leaving team sport, offers a working word plan derived from the rubric, and closes with practice on outcomes statements and peer feedback questions.
Because the proposal draws on the whole semester, the chapter repeatedly points back to earlier ones: the mapping task for context, the frameworks and methods chapters for design, and the feasibility chapter for limits.
Reading those sections again while drafting is the fastest way to strengthen each element.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Purpose and audience of the proposal
- 02
Context and significance
- 03
Research problem and questions
- 04
Overview of research design
- 05
Expected outcomes and benefits
- 06
A working word plan
- 07
Practice pitch and final drafting
Worked example · free
Sharpen a vague research question for the pitch
- +1Narrow the population and setting: Year 11 and 12 students in one metropolitan area.
- +1Name the specific phenomenon: how they decide which news sources on social media to trust.
- +1Write the question: 'How do senior secondary students in one city decide which news on social media to believe?'
Key terms
- Research proposal
- A document setting out what a planned study will investigate, why it matters, how it will be done and what it may achieve.
- Significance
- The reasons a project matters, including who is affected by the problem and what could change if it is answered.
- Expected outcomes
- The findings or products a researcher anticipates and the scholarly, social or policy contributions they could make.
- Research pitch
- A short, persuasive presentation of a proposed project to an audience whose support is sought.
Writing the Research Proposal Pitch FAQ
What sections does the research proposal need?
Context and significance, research problem and/or questions, research design, and expected outcomes and benefits, followed by a reference list of at least ten sources starting on a separate page.
Who is the intended reader of the proposal?
A panel of colleagues who are not specialists in your field. You write as a researcher early in their career asking for backing, so clarity, accessibility and persuasiveness are essential.
How is the proposal marked?
Four criteria worth 20% each cover significance, the research problem, an appropriate design, and expected outcomes and benefit; effective written communication and expression with referencing are worth 10% each.
When is the research proposal due?
The Moodle Assessments page lists Friday 23 October 2026 at 11:55 PM. Week 12 is reserved for final preparation, and students are asked to bring drafts in case they need feedback.
How should I divide the word count across sections?
The instructions set only the total of 1,500 words, plus or minus 10%. Because the four content sections are weighted equally in the rubric, giving each a broadly similar share is a sensible starting plan.
What is the most common weakness in research proposals?
A vague outcomes section is a frequent problem. The rubric gives expected outcomes and benefit the same weight as the design, so state concretely who would benefit, how, and which scholarly, social or policy conversation would gain.
Assessment move
Draft the four elements separately, each in plain language, before joining them. Read the joined draft as a non-expert would and mark any sentence that relies on background knowledge. Check that the design reflects the limits you identified in A2, that each content section has roughly comparable space, and that every citation appears in the reference list.
Leave at least a day between finishing the draft and the final read, so you see it as the panel will.
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