Developing Effective Research Proposals

With brand new chapters on ethics and mixed methods, this indispensable guide continues to provide readers with everything they need to develop effective and successful research proposals.

This book is incredibly useful for graduate students attempting to work out the ‘rules of the game’ of research proposal writing. Especially helpful are the exercises that can support students with tricky aspects such as developing research questions.

This third edition is a ′must have′ for demystifying the proposal writing process. It includes mixed-method approaches and provides additional insights, tips, strategies, and examples that are indispensable. Just wish I had this book when I was struggling with my first proposal!


It provides a clear and easy-to-follow guide to putting together a proposal with detailed discussion of the topics that need to be included. The structure of the book reflects the proposal development process, from developing the general framework to writing different elements of the proposal. It begins with a helpful discussion of the reviewer, their expectations and the functions that the proposal needs to fulfill, which has relevance across all types of research proposal.

Keith Punch is Emeritus Professor of Education in the University of Western Australia. He is the author of several books on research methods in education, covering quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, and he has supervised a very large number of graduate students working on dissertations and theses for higher degrees in education.