How to Write a Qualitative Research Proposal
Qualitative research involves talking to people directly about a set of issues pertinent to a product, their behavior or their plans. Companies large and small use qualitative research to plan strategies. Writing a proposal for this kind of market research involves identifying the best approach to conduct the study, estimating the costs involved, explaining the process to the client and setting a deadline. Proposals can take considerable time to put together since you have to think the entire research study through in order to write a comprehensive proposal that covers all aspects of the work to submit a bid.
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Instructions
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Discuss the scope of work with the client and verify that you understand all the issues the client wants to uncover in the qualitative research. If you feel you need more information than the client gives you, research the topic independently until you think you have an understanding and perspective on the topics the client needs covered in the research.
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Estimate the costs involved in conducting the study, including any incentives you use to improve the response rate, like a monetary incentive or a chance to win something. Costs can include renting a space if you are conducting a focus group, production and mailing expenses for mail surveys, or fees to another vendor for telephone or online surveys. You also need to include your fee for the work. Clients may or may not have the ability to increase their payment to you if you underestimate the expenses involved in conducting the survey, so anticipating the expenses is crucial.
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Write the proposal as clearly and concisely as you can. The purpose of the study is to find answers to the issues, which should be clearly stated in the proposal. Set estimates of the time it may take to execute each stage of the survey and provide a reasonable deadline for the work. Include a breakdown of the cost of the work and spell out the payment schedule for the project. Many consultants require a 50-percent retainer up front to cover the cost of conducting the study. Explain any time contingencies you may face in conducting the study that may affect the deadline.
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Outline the proposal based on a logical sequence of information. You can start the proposal with a discussion about what the client needs to find out from the research project, moving on to the methodology and survey type. Discuss the timeline and budget in the last sections of the proposal. You can put the proposal in the form of a letter, or if the proposal is complex, write a cover letter and treat the proposal as more of a report, using a table of contents and section headers.
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Ask a colleague or a peer to review the proposal for items you may have overlooked or for common spelling or content errors.
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Bind the proposal if it exceeds several pages to make it easier to review. Produce as many copies as the client requests, and be sure to make one for yourself to write notes on when you discuss the project with the client.
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References
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