BTR Dashboard › Writing the Proposal

Writing the BTR Proposal

Demonstrating your ability to design and plan independent scientific research

2000
Max Words
15%
of BTR Grade
4
Weeks to Write
15+
Min References

📖 Overview & Purpose

What the proposal is and why it matters

📋 Requirements

Word count, format, and technical specifications

📝 Required Content

What your proposal must include

✍️ Writing Tips

Citations, references, and word count guidelines

📤 Submission

Deadline and how to submit via Collent

📊 Grading

Who grades it and how feedback works

📖 Overview & Purpose

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What is the BTR Proposal?

Proposals should be informative and persuasive: they attempt to educate and convince the reader that the research in question is worthwhile (now it is for a high grade, but in the future it may be for funding in the form of grants). Your proposal should not only persuade the reader to consider what is being proposed, but also show the reader that how you will answer your question is practical and appropriate.

Purpose:

The proposal should provide the information that the reviewer needs to know in order to understand why and how you are doing this project. This includes clear time planning. The anticipated results should also be discussed.

Timeline

Duration Details
Time to Write Four weeks from BTR start date
Deadline Four weeks following the start of your thesis (check your cohort calendar)
During Writing Period Students are expected to start with the practical work during the time needed for the writing and assessment of the proposal

Assessment Weight

Grade Value:

The BTR proposal constitutes 15% of your overall BTR grade. It is assessed and graded by both the Research Supervisor and the Internal Advisor.

📋 Requirements & Format

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Word Count

⚠️ Strict Word Limit:

The research proposal should be up to 2000 words, not including the reference list. There is no possibility for a word count extension on the proposal.

Why is the word limit strict?

Many scientific documents such as papers and (more relevant here) grant proposals have very fixed formatting, including word counts. It is important that you learn to adjust your writing to these requirements, not vice versa. What you leave out is as important as what you put in!

Penalty for Exceeding Word Count:

A penalty of 0.5 points is given to proposals that are too long.

What Counts Toward Word Limit?

NOT Included in Word Count INCLUDED in Word Count
  • Title page (title, name, student number, supervisor, word count, etc.)
  • Figures with just explanatory words
  • Figure captions below 50 words
  • Tables (within sensible use)
  • Table captions below 50 words
  • Equations (within sensible use)
  • References
 All the main text, including paragraph subtitles or anything else associated to a proper layout.

It is the Student's responsibility to thoroughly check the wordcount and declare this in the title page.
Important Notes:
  • If you are clearly using tables to put information in instead of summarising them, you might be penalised
  • DO NOT save your tables as a figure, as this might affect readability of the document
  • If you cover three pages in a mathematical derivation you might be penalised
  • Being in breach of the 2000 words will cause penalties

Appendices

Appendices are not contemplated. If there is a specific case in which you feel like the proposal truly needs an appendix, it should be discussed with the BTR Coordinator.

Special Considerations

Using LaTeX/Overleaf:

If you are using LaTeX, please inform the BTR Administrator (msp-btr@maastrichtuniversity.nl) before submission. This is especially relevant when using software like LaTeX/Overleaf or even Word when the "not included" features are considered.

📝 Required Content Elements

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Your proposal should contain the following elements. Absence of any might result in penalization.

1. Background to the Research / Literature Review

The introduction should provide a clear and comprehensive background to the research, based on cited literature that you have read.

⚠️ Critical Rule:

You should not simply cite references you have read about in other papers – which themselves may not have represented them accurately. You will be downgraded if you have obviously done this.

What to include:

  • Take a broad perspective and place your research within this context
  • Explain the "story so far"
  • What has been done in this area
  • Where there are gaps in our knowledge
  • Move smoothly towards the topic you are studying
Balance:

We expect that about half of your research proposal focuses on this background/literature and that the other half focuses on the research, its expected outcomes and importance.

2. Aims and Hypotheses of the Research

Clearly state what you intend to investigate and what you expect to find.

3. Methodological Outline

Must include:

  • Clear time planning
  • Alternative approaches in case the research progresses differently than expected
Good Practice:

It is good to describe alternatives in case the research progresses differently than expected. This shows you've thought critically about potential challenges.

4. Anticipated Outcomes

The anticipated results should be discussed. What do you expect to find, and why?

5. Description of the Importance of the Research

A statement of the project impact need not be long – not more than a paragraph in total. The impact of your research does not need to be ground breaking, but it is assumed that there is some reason for research on your chosen topic.

This could include:

  • The contribution of your research to the broader scientific picture
  • How your research is innovative, unique or different
  • How your project will increase knowledge in the field
  • How your research can be used by others
  • Whether there is a direct impact on society or a particular community (e.g. people with a certain sickness)

6. Brief Discussion of Ethical Issues

⚠️ Essential:

There is no piece of science devoid of ethics. Your proposal should contain a short consideration of ethics related to the work.

Ethics might include:

  • Issues related to the treatment of organisms (including humans) in experiments
  • Issues related to data, such as accessibility to others for the wider good
  • Whether your research is the best use of (public) money, given competing societal demands
  • Data availability to the wider community
  • Whether research of "purely" academic interest diverts funds from more worthy causes

7. Plan/Timeframe

Provide an overview of how/when certain goals are reached throughout your BTR.

✍️ Writing Guidelines

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References & Citations

Minimum Requirement:

It should contain a minimum of 15 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles that you have read and cited within the text (i.e. you should not use references copied from elsewhere that you have not read).

Most of these references will be in an extensive literature review.

Citation Style

⚠️ Required: Numbered Citations

The BTR proposal enforces the use of numbered citations. Please use number citations for in text citations.

All proposals should have sequentially numbered references. This is often referred to as Vancouver style, in case you want to look at examples of it by yourself.

Citation Style Flexibility:

You are under no obligation to follow the APA citation method usually used at MSP. However, ensure your references must be consistent in appearance, format and content for whichever style you choose. The style you use for the references at the end might vary according to the preference of your supervisor.

Typical Reference Format:

References should typically contain:

  • Author(s)
  • Year of Publication
  • Title of Paper
  • Title of Journal
  • Volume Number (Issue Number)
  • Page numbers
  • DOI (preferably as a hyperlink)

Reference Management

Best Practice:
  • Avoid leaving references until the very last minute
  • Proofread them carefully - many marks are lost through sloppily produced references
  • If you find yourself uncertain about the rules of your chosen citation style, look online for clear explanations and examples

Consider utilising the programme EndNote, which can be freely used with our UM campus license. Some may find it more suitable than others.

Word Count Checking

Your Responsibility:

Make sure you check your word count by using multiple software tools to ensure you meet the word count requirements. It is the Student's responsibility to thoroughly check the wordcount and declare this in the title page.

Academic Integrity

⚠️ Plagiarism:

Your work has to be original and written by you. Plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the research proposal and will be dealt with according to the MSP Rules and Regulations.

Violations related to plagiarism include but are not limited to:

  • Copying from previous thesis work without appropriate citations
  • Failure to include references or to cite said references
  • Copying from internet sources
  • Using ghostwriters, text generators and other tools that negate your own intellectual property contribution to the proposal

📤 Submission Process

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Deadline

Submission Deadline:

The deadline for submission of the research proposal is four weeks following the start of your thesis. Check the calendar provided at the start of your thesis for your specific cohort deadline.

How to Submit

⚠️ CRITICAL: Collent Only

The submission of the proposal is only possible on Collent. Any other means of proposal submission will not be counted and the proposal will be considered missing.

Prepare Your File

File Naming: Name_IDNumber_SubmissionType

Example: AbedNadir_i612346_BTRProposal

File Size: Maximum 10MB upload limit

Access Collent

Log in to: Collent Platform

Upload Your Proposal

Navigate to Bachelor Thesis Research > Proposal Submission and upload your file

Confirm Submission

You should receive a confirmation via Collent

Late Submission Penalties

Timing Penalty
Within 1 hour late 0.5 grade reduction
Within 12 hours late 1.0 grade reduction
After 12 hours late Will not be accepted

Multiple Submissions Penalty

⚠️ Important:

If more than one version is submitted, the student will be penalized 0.5 for each additional submission, even if further versions are submitted before the deadline. If further versions are submitted after the deadline, the student will also receive a grading penalty for those.

Best Practice:

Carefully proofread and finalize your proposal before submitting. Only submit once to avoid penalties.

📊 Grading & Feedback

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Who Grades Your Proposal?

Research Supervisor

Weight: 50%

Your (external) Research Supervisor assesses your proposal

Internal Advisor

Weight: 50%

Second assessor for balanced evaluation

Final Grade:

The proposal is graded by both the Research Supervisor and the Internal Advisor. Grades should be uploaded in Collent by the deadline provided. The final grade = 15% of your total BTR grade.

Feedback

Where to Find Feedback:

Feedback will be provided in Canvas. Here, you can obtain your grades and feedback forms. The grading in Collent is done by the Research Supervisor and the Internal Advisor. When the grades are released, the students will be able to see the rubrics.

The feedback can be very valuable, providing important ways to improve the methodological approaches and improving the writing (parts of the proposal may be useful for the introduction of your thesis). Thus, it can improve both the subsequent practical execution and presentation of the thesis.

If You Haven't Received Feedback:

If you have not received feedback within three-four weeks of submitting your proposal or you have questions about the received feedback, you should contact your supervisor/advisor to arrange a feedback session.

Supervisor Feedback Policy

⚠️ Limited Feedback on Drafts:

To ensure a "level playing field" for the assessment of proposals, it is expected that the research supervisor will give the student feedback on ONE draft of the proposal and not more since we expect the proposal to reflect the student's own capabilities.

This feedback might be provided on parts of the proposal as you write, or on the entire document in one go.

Internal Advisors:

Internal advisors do not check drafts.

🛠️ Resources & Help

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Essential Resources

📋 Detailed Guidelines

Make sure to go to Canvas for more guidelines on the proposal

📊 Proposal Rubric

Available on Canvas - see exact grading criteria

📖 EndNote

Reference manager available with UM campus license

📚 Vancouver Style

Look online for examples of numbered citation style

Where to Get Help

👨‍🔬 Research Supervisor

Discuss ONE draft and get feedback on your research plan

📧 BTR Office

msp-btr@maastrichtuniversity.nl

For clarification, administrative questions, or LaTeX submissions

📚 Library Services

Help with literature searches and reference management

Start Early:

You have four weeks to write your proposal. Students are expected to start with the practical work during the time needed for the writing and the assessment of the proposal. Plan your time wisely!