As mentioned in Chapter 3.5, background research presents 4 types of information: (1) common knowledge; (2) other investigators’ previous research that is relevant to your proposed research and proposed methods; (3) your previous research that is relevant to your proposed research and to the research skills needed in the execution of your proposed methods. Chapter 3 described the Background Section as it relates to the first 2 types of information. This chapter focuses on the third type, your previous research and your research skills, that is presented in a Preliminary Studies/Progress Report Section or as part of a Background Section.

In the Preliminary Studies/Progress Report Section, your credibility comes sharply into focus. Reviewers look to this section to evaluate your preparedness (e.g., your training, competence, and experience) to perform your proposed methods; to assess the likelihood of your successfully achieving your proposed research objective and within the funding period; and to assess the relationship between your preliminary research and your proposed aims.

The Preliminary Studies Section is sometimes termed the Progress Report Section when describing your previous research that was funded by a funding agency, the same funding agency from which you are seeking additional funds in order to continue the line of research.