1. Identify the research problem: In this step, you should identify the problem that you want to investigate. For example, "The impact of social media on mental health among teenagers."
2. Review the literature: You should review the existing literature on the topic you want to investigate. For example, "The existing literature on social media and its effects on mental health among teenagers."
3. Define the research questions and objectives: You should clearly define the research questions that you want to answer and the objectives of your study. For example, "What is the relationship between social media usage and depression among teenagers? What are the factors that contribute to this relationship?"
4. Develop a research hypothesis: Based on your research questions and objectives, you should develop a hypothesis to test. For example, "Increased social media usage is positively correlated with higher levels of depression among teenagers."
5. Determine the research design: You should choose a research design that is appropriate for your study. For example, "A cross-sectional study that uses surveys to collect data from a sample of teenagers."
6. Select the sample: You should select a sample that is representative of the population you want to study. For example, "A random sample of 500 teenagers between the ages of 13-18 from different schools and regions."
7. Collect and analyze the data: You should collect data using appropriate methods and analyze the data using statistical tools. For example, "Collect data using a self-administered survey and analyze the data using regression analysis."
8. Write and present the research proposal: Finally, you should write a clear and concise research proposal that outlines all of the steps above. For example, "A research proposal that includes the problem statement, literature review, research questions and objectives, hypothesis, research design, sample selection, data collection and analysis, and expected outcomes."