Reading (this includes previous studies, their limitations, as well as recommendations for future research) is the first step toward writing an effective proposal. The other issues, such as proposal and reference style is likely to be different from university to another one.
The procedure you should follow depends on the organization you are going to apply your proposal for. Each organization has its forms to be filled accordingly.
Agree the research proposal varies depending on the organisation you are submitting the proposal to i.e. a University vs a business but it also varies depending on the discipline as well i.e. a proposal in the field of psychology has different requirement than say history especially in terms of how you address ethical considerations.
I would suggest if you are at a Uni etc you approach a tutor or their website, if a business/company approach who you doing the research for.
The below link is to the structure for a research proposal at the University I am enrolling to do post grad at: