Guidelines for research proposal preparation are presented to assist graduate students. The following components of educational research proposals are described: title page, introduction, methodology, schedule and budget, and bibliography or references. The introductory section enables the researcher to: define the study's purpose, review relevant literature, state research questions and hypotheses, and discuss the significance of the study. Preparing the methodology section requires consideration of the research design, data sources, experimental treatments, instrumentation, data collection methods, and data analysis methods. The degree of detail that should be included in the methodology section is dependent on whether enough information is provided for a reader to carry out the study. The schedule indicates when major events (e.g., those described in the methodology) will occur. For the budget, a two column format can be used to communicate anticipated research expenditures. Categorizing the items under major headings (e.g., instructional materials, travel) is helpful. (SW)