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Including citations and preliminary data: Do's and don'ts
Literature review
Reference published research enough, but not too much
You'll want to reference relevant literature throughout proposal. Include enough citations to be credible, but don't
include too many — this can draw attention to problems or make it seem as if you don't know which references are
critical. It's good to use literature to point out relevant gaps in what has previously been published.
If you have an idea of who might review your grant and you know they work in your field, it's always good to
acknowledge their contributions — even if there are discrepancies between your theory and theirs.
Where is it good to include citations?
Specific aims
Include very few citations, if any when writing about your specific aims since this part focuses on the research you
will do. This part can be written in a conceptual way without a lot of detail.
Significance
Include citations that highlight the existence of a gap in knowledge or urgent need that drives the proposal. Cite
work that supports the assertion that your proposed research will lead to benefits.
Innovation
Include citations that illustrate the status quo; this provides the platform on which you will make your claim for
innovation.
Approach
Include citations to justify the need for the research or to support a working hypothesis. They can be used to replace
the need for descriptive method details (and to save space!). Citations of your papers is a means of establishing
feasibility of the work in your hands. You may want to incorporate citations to document the alternative approaches
that are being proposed.
