APA Style: An Example Outline of a Research Proposal
Your Name
School of Health & Applied Human Sciences
UNC Wilmington

(TITLE: Must be specific and concise [20 word limit]. Must include variables. Must include
mention of population. Do not use jargon. )

Research Paper Guidelines
Understanding the process that undergirds principles of research is a primary objective
for this course. This project includes a thorough review of literature related to some aspect of
exercise science, community health education, physical education and health, athletic training, or
recreation, sport leadership & tourism management. This project should include (1) a title page;
(2) an abstract; (3) an introduction to the paper; (4) the review of literature; (5) a methods
section; (6) a complete list of references used (not a bibliography); and, (7) an appendix (IRB
application and Informed Consent agreement). The format, which follows, is typical of most
journals related to health and wellness / Kinesiology , and subscribes to APA style (American
Psychological Association, 2009).
The paper that you will submit should be organized to carefully review research done on
a particular topic of your choosing. In the review of literature, you will find it easier and more
consistent to use the past tense when describing studies because they have already been
completed. Therefore, you should write in the past tense for a scholarly audience, and should
use clear and short sentences that generally avoid the use of personal pronouns (e.g., “I”). APA
guidelines specify that your manuscript should be double spaced throughout, left justified (with
regular “ragged right” margins), and margins should be set to 1 inch on all sides. Please check
the Sixth Edition of the Publication Manual of the APA (APA, 2009). Please see the following
link for an example paper: http://my.ilstu.edu/~jhkahn/APAsample.pdf

Structure of the Paper
Title Page and Credits
Title. The title should summarize the main idea of the paper and include the main topic
and actual theoretical issue investigated. Good titles are short (< 20 words) and would serve as a
type of index of the main issues covered, including the nature of the tasks, participants, or other
important variables. Type the title centered, in upper and lower cases, double-spaced. For
example:
The Effects of Peer vs Expert Models on Learning a Novel Throwing Skill
Author’s Name and Affiliation. The author’s name and affiliation appears on the title
page. You should pick a “byline” that you plan to use for all future publications. That is, decide
now if you will be known by your full name, initials only, or a mixture.
Running head. Each page of your manuscript has a brief “title” (running head) printed in
the upper right hand corner of the manuscript. It should be a maximum of 50 characters, and be
followed by the specific page number for that page. A notation as to the specific Running head
should be located in all caps, flush left at the top of the title page. For example, on your title
page you would show (in the upper left hand corner, on line two):
Running head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL GUIDELINES: APA STYLE
Research Proposal Guidelines: APA Style - 3

On every subsequent page the running head would be right-justified with the page number.
[Note: your running head would specify the content of your selected review] For example:
Research Proposal Guidelines: APA Style - 2

Abstract
(This is your section header; centered on the page)
Page two is the Abstract for the paper. It is a brief (150-200 words) comprehensive summary of
the research proposal. The Running head and the number 2 are typed in the upper right-hand
corner of the page. The word “Abstract” is centered as the first line of type on this page. Type
the abstract as a single paragraph in block format (i.e., without paragraph indentation). You may
also want to list keywords from your paper in your abstract. To do this, center the text and type
Keywords: (italicized) and then list your keywords. Listing your keywords will help researchers
find your work in databases.

Introduction (2-3 pages)
Page three should begin with your title, centered (and no indication of the author or
affiliation so that it could be “blind reviewed”). The title should be self-explanatory.
You will need to bring all your written communication skills to this project. You will be
very careful with proper citation. You will not use direct quotes. The whole of this paper is to
be in your words. Ideas and information used from other authors are to be cited.
The introduction is the opening of the paper, and because of its unique location, does not
require a heading or label. It provides an introduction and statement of the problem that will be
studied (or reviewed). It sets the stage for the entire paper by establishing the nature of the
question. It should demonstrate why this question was important to you by providing brief
background information.
First address the problem! State the overall area of concern (populations-at-risk for
injustice or discrimination; need for more functional affiliations for individuals and groups;
unethical policies/practices; lack of knowledge in the field, etc.). Arouse the reader’s interest; tell
the reader what to expect in the rest of your paper. Provide brief statistics to indicate the
incidence of the problem. Next, discuss how this problem area affects individuals, communities,
and society as a whole (what are issues of physical and economic health).
The potential utility of your study can be: 1) an addition to current knowledge of a
problem or a vulnerable population; 2) to put theory to an empirical test; 3) to better understand
the relationship between variables (e.g., adherence and technology); or 4) to determine the
effectiveness of a treatment method, technology, or program.
Variables
Conceptually define your major variables in a clear and concise manner, e.g. “wellness”
or “compliance.”

Summary
In the closing two – three paragraph of the introduction, establish the need for future
study related to this topic. That is, why did you decide to review this topic? What did your
review of literature tell you (summary)? What do we need to study next to advance knowledge
in this area?

Review of Literature (3-4 pages)
(This is your section header; centered on the page)
The review of literature should generally begin on a new page. Discuss the literature
related to your proposed study. This section is designed to inform readers about past studies that
have already been conducted, and provides perspectives on your area of interest. The review
should include a brief discussion of any “classical studies” in this area, if appropriate, but the
major portion of the content should focus on the past decade of research. It should close with a
logical summary of past research and transition to a statement about what should be studied next.
Use the skills and resources that were discussed in our library session with Lisa Williams.
As you begin, you need to share your theory base with the readers so they understand
how what you are presenting is influenced by that theory base. As you read articles on your topic
look for what other authors have to say about a theoretical framework for understand the
problem and pointing a direction for solutions.
It is a good idea to organize your Review of Literature by topical clusters. For example,
you might be studying the effect of email support, and believe that it is advantageous for quitting
smoking. If you do, you could organize your report of past research based on the frequency of
emails. Or you might believe that the critical difference is web-based vs. web 2.0-based
technology; or children vs. adults; or … In general, it is better to use a topical organization
rather than merely reporting studies in chronological order.
All research cited must relate specifically to your topic (the question being studied) and
should be properly referenced, using APA style. You will find it easiest to write the entire paper
in the past tense, since everything you eventually report has already happened. Current research
articles may serve as an excellent source to guide you to past research in the specific area. In
addition, citation indices, reference books, Sports Discus, and other computer searches will also
help.
After you present what is already known, make your case for your research either
answering a new question, getting a new answer to an old question, answering a question about a
new population, etc. After you have made your case that your research is going to give new
information, you will summarize the major points. Remember that the Introduction discusses the
problem. The review of literature should concentrate on solutions (those that exist, those that
are still required). Finally, you will formulate (in the last sentence) your research question or
your hypothesis.

Research Proposal Guidelines: APA Style - 5
When you cite studies in your review of literature, be sure to properly format the citations
based on APA style. For example, within a sentence, you would cite Hunlew and Wang (2009)
or within a parenthesis, it would be (Hunlew & Wang, 2009; Jackson, 2010) in alphabetical
order. If there are more than three authors on a paper (and less than six) you would cite all three
the first time, e.g., Bunker, Hunlew and Wang (2008), and Bunker et al. (2008) thereafter (see
Publication Manual of the APA (2009).

Method (3-5 pages)
(This is your section header; centered on the page)
Do not introduce the topic again. Introduce the general methodology most authors have
taken on this topic and the one you will be using and why (tie to the literature review). The
purpose is a statement of what you intend to study not what you intend to find. There are
typically three or four major subsections in the Methods section, although there can be more,
which are separated by headings:

Participants. This brief section describes the people who participated in your study (they should
be called “participants,” not “subjects”). Give as much information about the population that has
been gathered from your review of the literature: age range, gender mix, education, etc. This
will be used to compare to your sample’s demographics in the Results section.

Research Design. Are you doing qualitative or quantitative research; is it exploratory,
descriptive or explanatory? Explain why you are using this type of study and what you plan to
explore, describe, or explain (again tie it to the literature review). Do you plan to use
interventions, interviews, behavior observation, questionnaires, etc.? What subtype of each do
you plan to employ (e.g., structured vs. unstructured interviews or closed vs. open-ended
questions)? State your rationale for your approach (lit. review). List all of your variables, which
ones are independent or dependent? What level of measurement do you plan to use for each
variable? This is not an exhaustive list, nor are these chronological questions to be answered.
Instrumentation. This section describes the tests or instruments used to collect data. Do you
plan to use a standardized instrument or design your own? How does this instrument affect
issues of reliability and validity (discuss)? Discuss instrument biases. Identify independent &
dependent variables. Discuss how this instrument will be scored.

Procedure. This section describes in great detail the data-collection procedures. Describe how
participants were recruited, whether they participated alone or in groups, how informed consent
or assent was obtained, what they were asked to do, how they were compensated for their
participation, etc. You should describe the procedure in a way that another researcher could
conduct the same study (i.e., replicate it) just by reading about the procedure.

Data Analysis Plan
What statistics do you plan to collect: descriptive/univariate statistics (frequency,
central tendency, etc.) Inferential statistics (Pearson’s r, ANOVA, etc.) Bivariate,
multivariate statistics, and how do you plan to do your analysis?
Research Proposal Guidelines: APA Style - 6

Ethical Consideration (Human Participants Protections)
When and how will you submit for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval? What
safeguards are in place in your study to protect human participants? Consider both
emotional and / or physical harm. Consider who the participants are and if children or
some other vulnerable population.

Assumptions
What do you need to take for granted to answer your question or test your hypothesis?
(e.g. honest responses from participants, typical population, heuristic value of a certain
theory, normal distribution, etc.).
Limitations. Now that you have an idea (from your literature review) how broad your topic
could be, tell the reader what it is that you are deliberately not going to study. What aspects of
the problem are outside your interests at this point (or for this paper)? Then, if you had 3 years
and $1,000,000 what are some of the things you could or would improve about your design,
sample, analysis, etc.

References (1-2 pages)
(This is your section header; centered on a new page)
Each citation mentioned in your paper must be presented in APA format in the list of
references. The accuracy of the references must be double-checked by returning to the original
source and confirming all information (authors, titles, pages, dates, etc.). It is your obligation to
have actually read the original source or cite it as a “secondary source.” Only materials that were
actually cited in the paper are presented in the reference list. This is not a bibliography, but a list
of those papers “referenced” in the actual manuscript.
You are required to use a minimum of 6 journal articles (from last 10 years). All
reference material must be from “peer” reviewed scholarly journals. Newspapers, internet sites
such as Wikipedia, and non “peer” reviewed reference material will not be accepted for
assignments.

References are listed by author, and the general format is in “hanging indent style” with
the second or third lines indented, and the first line at the left margin. Everything is double
spaced and should be in APA format. For example:
References

Swinnen, S.P., Schmidt, R.A., Nicholson, D.E., & Shapiro, D.C. (1990). Information
feedback for skill acquisition: Instantaneous knowledge of results degrades learning.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 19, 1321-1344.

Appendix
(This is your section header; centered on a new page)
Include a copy of your survey/questions/instrument, IRB application, informed consent
agreement, etc. in the Appendix section
************************
Note: This project is on your honor and all written work must be yours alone.

 

 

Research Proposal Assessment Criteria
Title Page (5 points)

Abstract (5 points)

Introduction (20 points)

Reviews current research (<10 yrs) on problem area_____/10

Clearly states the research question _____/5

Organization: blended ideas rather than a string of abstracts 

and appropriately uses APA formatting _____/5

Methods (20 points)

Participants

Detailed explanation of participants _____/5

Measures/Instrumentation
Questionnaires/Surveys provided/explained _____/5

Procedures
Written in detail so that replication of study possible _____/10

 

Results ( 5 points)

Describe the logic to assign appropriate statistical analysis____/5

Discussion-(10 points)

What would hypothesized results mean?

How would different results relate to existing literature?___/5

Limitations and concerns_____/5

References (10 Points)

General Writing Style (25 Points)
Clarity of style and descriptions _____/10
Proper use of quotes and citations _____/3
Grammar, syntax, punctuation, 3rd person, _____/7
tense, singular/plural matches, etc.
appendices-Surveys, Instruments, Questionnaires, etc. _____/5