There are very few limitations to the question and design you choose: the proposal must be
related to memory function, and it should be able to be approved by a scientific ethics review
board. If you are interested you can find a summary of the core principles of the Tri-Council
Ethics Policy Statement here:
http://www.ethics.gc.ca/eng/policy-politique/initiatives/tcps2-eptc2/chapter1-chapitre1/ and a
summary of Canadian Council of Animal Care policy statement on ethics of animal investigation
here: http://www.ccac.ca/en_/standards/policies/policy-ethics_animal_investigation.

Your research proposal should be no more than 9 pages double-spaced (regular margins and 12
pt font) and include the following sections:

Introduction: You should include a clear statement of the research purpose here. The
introduction generally flows from a relatively broad scope (not too broad, it should still be
specific to the question you are trying to answer), and narrows into the specific aim of the
proposed project. The introduction should include background information based on previous
research findings, and mention how the current study would be building on prior work, or filling
in a gap in current knowledge etc. Of course, you should also include your predictions of the
outcome of the research here. Be specific in your predictions (which IV will affect which DV,
and in which direction).

Method: This section should be as detailed as possible. It should include the same information
as a typical method section of research that has already been conducted, except it should be
written in future tense. Make sure you include information about participants (number, sex,
inclusion and exclusion criteria; see published articles for an idea), a description of all stimuli
with examples or all items listed in an appendix, and detailed descriptions of the design (between
subjects or within subjects design, how many groups or conditions? etc) and procedure.

Results: This section will necessarily be shorter than a results section from already conducted
research. You should describe the statistical test(s) that you plan to use (ANOVA, t-tests,
regressions etc.) and the pattern of predicted results. You don’t have to include specific expected
numbers in this section, but do discuss which direction you expect the results to take (e.g. you
might predict an increase in the LTM recall in group 1 vs group 2, which would mean that group
1 would recall a greater number of items than group 2).

Discussion: This section should be based on your predicted results. If you find the pattern you
predicted above, what would that teach us about memory? You should also discuss why you
think this research is important.