how to write a phd research proposal

how to write a phd research proposal

Guide on Writing a PhD Research Proposal

1. Introduction to PhD Research Proposals

When you are making an application to undertake doctoral research, you may be asked to write a research proposal, which is a requirement for entrance into a doctoral research program at a university. A PhD research proposal is a statement of possible research that a student proposes to study during his/her PhD course. Usually, PhD research proposals are more comprehensive and 750-2,500 words long, whereas masters research proposals are shorter and less detailed.

Research proposals are written to provide support for a student’s dissertation research project. Your research proposal may be a part of your dissertation at the undergraduate or masters level – especially if you are studying an unusual area or a topic that you have not studied before. In practice, your proposal will develop as you move along within your dissertation, but in the beginning, it will allow you to establish a clear structure for the study of your dissertation.

It is advisable to write a research proposal for a number of reasons. A research proposal seeks to establish your academic knowledge and skills. It reveals your writing ability, computational skills, whether you know how to conduct research alone or with a team of other researchers, and whether it can be done in the available time. A research proposal seeks to encourage individual study, aiding educational curriculum improvement. It also supports the teaching of new methodologies in addition to ensuring that the needs of student researchers are recognized. Furthermore, it encourages PhD students to start their research early, especially if they are not in the field of medicine, psychology, law, humanities, and those social studies that are focused more on interviews. A research proposal will also allow you to develop your evidence of relevant participation in your subject area. This will, in turn, provide the academic department with evidence of their opinion of potential supervision capacities.

2. Key Components of a PhD Research Proposal

Before writing a PhD research proposal, you should have identified the narrow topic area, question, or discussion that will form the subject of your research. A clear understanding of the question can focus the research and enable you to make a contribution. Get reacquainted with academic papers in this subject.

The central idea and purpose of the PhD research proposal is to contribute something to the academic subject in which you have chosen to conduct your research.

The first section of a PhD research proposal should outline the area of research chosen for study and the problematic or question where the study will focus more. Objectives: Research objectives outline the goals of the research. This could be in the form of aims or hypotheses. In many cases, regardless of changing objectives, it is best to write a hypothesis rather than themes. This is the most difficult and produces the most award-winning project in many national competitions. This could be used.

Background of proposed research: This could be subdivided into two sections. The first could be a statement: “The thesis will investigate whether the mainstreams of global politics are affected by small states.” The second subsection or paragraph deals with why you think this problem or issue is important.

Provisional timetable for the research: The timetable should be divided into clearly identified stages. For example, Stage 1 – Review the Literature (three months); Stage 2 – Data Collection (three months), etc.

3. Structuring and Formatting Your Proposal

Your proposal must be well-structured and organized, one which clearly and effectively communicates the details of the research you intend to undertake. The sections and structure you use are generally dictated by the faculty and the research degree that you are proposing to undertake. However, some of the conventions of a research proposal are common across many research areas. You should put together a draft of the proposal to discuss with your potential supervisor or academic who will be able to provide feedback on your proposal. This postgraduate research proposal guide gives guidance on how to draft a research proposal. Postgraduate Research Services accompanies this guide.

As well as your creativity, research methods, and other materials needed in your proposal, the structuring of your proposal is important as it will dictate the cohesiveness of your work and the logical flow of your work. Here are some things you should include when structuring your proposal sections. Specific components of the proposal are indicated here. Remember to always check with the department for structure. Your proposal should be typed out with no less than 12 font. Times New Roman is a common choice for legibility. Double-spacing the sentences is a rule of thumb, but always check with the department if there are any formatting rules to follow. Use headings to differentiate sections. Make your proposal look professional but not too overstated. Make an effort but do not go over the top. The research proposal is not to impress the reader with what you know yet. It is to suggest how you are going to conduct research. It is important, however, that the writing of the proposal be comprehensive and clear; make sure that the principal points are made and that the writing is engaging. You will be judged both on the actual research and writing of the proposal.

4. Writing a Compelling Research Question

Crafting a compelling research question is a key element of any PhD research proposal. The question you ask should be “compelling” in that it prompts a reader to consider not only the subject matter you propose to address but also the specific angle you plan to pursue. The question should also be “focused” in that it is specific enough to be practically addressable within the constraints of a PhD, and “researchable” in that it is both answerable and situated within the relevant contemporary debates. Ideally, it will also suggest a consideration of something important or fundamental to the organization of some area of scholarly endeavor, or else of immediate interest to scholars working on a variety of topics.

Research questions can prompt a variety of analytical and interdisciplinary approaches. Regardless of their form, however, all strong PhD thesis questions possess two main characteristics. Firstly, their responses offer potential to develop or resolve arguments that are stalled, static, contentious, or fragmented, exacerbating these problems, or based on unfair or oversimplifying assumptions. Secondly, they are original or innovative, not only with regard to the particular texts they will be discussing or the observations they will be making, but in their very approach to texts and observations, offering a fresh intellectual problem or set of intellectual problems. The heart of any successful research project lies in its central question. This question defines the scope of the research, as well as its intellectual and practical stakes. Moreover, it represents something worth knowing: by the end of your research project, you will have not only answered your research question but also argued for why the question is worth answering.

5. Tips for a Successful Proposal Submission

The tips below are meant to assist you in the writing and perfectly set your proposal submission.

It is vital that the problem you are addressing is clearly and correctly formulated. The conceptual framework is the system of interrelated components that organize and define problems. The conceptual framework serves as a base upon what studies are written. Whether you are doing quantitative or qualitative research, it is important that you outline your study in a way so that a reader will understand its aims and objectives. A poorly written and presented proposal can be confusing and have the effect of discouraging the panel.

In addition, you must demonstrate your understanding of the approaches employed in your chosen area of research and what is going to be new about your study. It demonstrates that you have the ability and possess the command of the knowledge in your field. Secondly, your proposal’s likelihood of becoming a research commitment is greatly enhanced if you can present it as coherent and future-directed. It demonstrates that you have a general road map to follow in pursuing the analysis in your field. The information provided here is not exhaustive but encompasses the important points that must be included in a successful research proposal. Your submission should convince the selection committee that you are familiar with the research topic or area we are interested in.

Finally, avoid mistakes in submission such as duplication, exceeding the required length, grammar, typographical errors, etc. Recipients of scholarship will have these tips in mind and will be looking for comments, complaints, etc about the products you are studying or developing, the methods, and approaches you ought to adopt. So, it is important for your submission to respond in detail to one or more of the questions listed above. Encoding information from an abundance is important for decision making (improving the work of the researcher); therefore, the committee does not look up information easily found online (e.g. the population of a city). This information can be found in books, statistical yearbooks, and standard references published by official bodies and included in online trend databases.