How to Write a Research Proposal on Smoking

Each year, cigarette smoking causes one out of every five deaths in the United States. Though the research focusing on the harmful effects of smoking is plentiful, many unexplored research topics related to smoking still exist. Prior to engaging in such potential research, you might have to write a research proposal focusing on smoking. Writing a research proposal on smoking requires you to identify the particular focus of your proposed research, as well as the objectives and methodology of your research program.

Contextualize the topic of your proposed research in the proposal’s introduction. Reference contemporary research related to your topic (government or independent studies on the effects of second hand smoke on infants, for example), as well as the importance of your topic to your particular field of research (chemistry, sociology, public health, and so on).

Indicate the problem which your proposed research hopes to address. Fortify the significance of the problem by framing it as a logical conclusion of contemporary research. For example, if another expert in your field recently conducted a study pertaining to the effects of print advertisements on would-be smokers, you might indicate your hope to extend his research by focusing on the effects of anti-smoking advertisements on would-be smokers.

Articulate the objectives of your proposed research plan. At least one of your objectives is to provide an overview of all contemporary smoking-related research studies pertaining to your proposed research program. A second objective is to analyze and evaluate this research. A third objective is to formulate recommendations based on the conclusions of your research program.

Define your intended methodological processes during the completion of your proposed smoking-related research program. For example, if operating within a social science field such as sociology, you might indicate that you will distribute surveys and questionnaires to smokers and family members of smokers. If operating within a medical field, you might indicate that you will conduct autopsies of victims of smoking-related illnesses. If working within a humanities field, you might indicate that you will read, analyze and evaluate primary and secondary literature pertaining to the smoking-related topic of your research program.

List the resources you need to complete your research proposal on smoking. These range from physical resources, such as lab equipment or access to smokers, non-smokers or ex-smokers, to personnel resources like lab assistants to research or travel-oriented resources, such as access to a particular library’s archives.

Provide your qualifications or your team’s qualifications to conduct the research program suggested in your proposal. If possible, include any past publications related to smoking-related research or previous smoking research programs completed or ongoing.

Reiterate the objectives of your smoking-related research program, identifying the ways in which your program advances smoking-related research in your field, as well as the significance of smoking research related to your topic.