Writing a Research Proposal: Question, Feasibility and Milestones · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Propose work you can actually finish

Science · Chemistry · ages 23-24
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. When is a question narrow enough?

    • When it sounds impressive
    • When you can name what changes, what is measured, and what stays same
    • When it covers the whole field

  2. What two things must a proposal argue?

    • That the question matters and your group can answer it
    • That the field is large and funds are plenty
    • That rivals are wrong and you are first

  3. A good hypothesis must be testable so evidence could prove it wrong.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. What makes a milestone trustworthy?

    • A reader outside the group could check it
    • It uses impressive words
    • Only your group can judge it

  5. Your plan has one step that may fail. Where do you schedule its test?

    • Never, to stay positive
    • At the very end
    • First, before effort piles around it

  6. Why read your draft like a telescope time committee?

    • Committees fund every proposal
    • Scarce resources force clarity, feasibility, and checkpoints
    • Astronomy pays the best

  7. Stating the riskiest step openly makes the rest of a plan less believable.

    Circle one:   True   False

  8. The central idea fails its early test. What keeps the project useful?

    • Repeating the same test louder
    • Hiding the result and continuing
    • A written fallback: shrink, switch, or report the negative result
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_RYEXqgkeEU-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Propose work you can actually finish W1-mt_RYEXqgkeEU-s1

  1. When you can name what changes, what is measured, and what stays same · Named variables mean one experiment could settle it.
  2. That the question matters and your group can answer it · Worth plus feasibility is the whole pitch.
  3. True · Unfalsifiable statements cannot anchor a proposal.
  4. A reader outside the group could check it · Outsider-checkable marks resist self-grading.
  5. First, before effort piles around it · Early failure is cheap and truthful; late failure sinks.
  6. Scarce resources force clarity, feasibility, and checkpoints · Competition exposes vague questions and untestable plans fast.
  7. False · Honesty about risk shows thought past the happy path.
  8. A written fallback: shrink, switch, or report the negative result · Fallbacks convert failure into knowledge or a smaller win.
Worksheet · LightMySky