Book & CD. This book bridges the gap between the theory and practice of writing research or funding proposals in the social sciences, including psychology, education and social work. It will give readers a clear understanding of the key concepts and principles of a research proposal and equip them with the skills needed to write and prepare a state-of-the-art document with a quantitative, qualitative or mixed-method orientation. Easy to read, this book nonetheless has been written in such a way as not to dilute the conceptual and terminological complexities involved. The book provides an overview of some of the most current insights into the field of proposal writing in the social sciences. Some of its key features include: Step-by-step guidelines to follow when writing a first research (or funding) proposal; Simple explanations of intricate concepts; Practical examples of actual research proposals that have been developed under the authors' guidance on a CD; A template on CD that could be used for particular research proposals; A section on writing a proposal for funding; Sections on the triangulation and crystallisation of ideas, which few other textbooks deal with; A section on referencing, figures and tables, and the use of bulleted points. All sections of the text are followed by practical exercises structured so as to gradually build up towards a 'submittable' proposal. Both nationally and internationally, novice and experienced researchers, lecturers, students and practitioners in the social sciences will find this book an extremely useful tool.