You should also show that you're aware of the limitations of your research, qualifying the parameters that you plan to introduce. Remember, it's more impressive to do a fantastic job of exploring a narrower topic than a decent job of exploring a wider one. Concluding or following on from your methodology, your timetable should identify how long you'll need to complete each step - perhaps using bi-weekly or monthly timeslots.
This helps the reader to evaluate the feasibility of your project and shows that you've considered how you'll go about putting the PhD proposal into practice. Finally, you'll provide a list of the most significant texts, plus any attachments such as your academic CV. Demonstrate your skills in critical reflection by selecting only those resources that are most appropriate. Before submitting this document along with your PhD application, you'll need to ensure that you've adhered to the research proposal format.
This means that:. To get a better idea of how your PhD proposal may look, some universities have provided examples for specific subjects:. Jobs and work experience Search graduate jobs Job profiles Work experience and internships Employer profiles What job would suit me?
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Search US. Writing your research proposal Your proposal is your chance to tell us why you want to study your PhD at Sussex. Your research proposal If you are considering studying a PhD, there are two options available to you. You can: apply for a funded PhD where you research a set project design your own research project, which you can either fund yourself, or apply for external funding.
Plan your research proposal You should contact the relevant academic department before applying to Sussex and check if there are any additional requirements for your research proposal.
Even at this early stage, you may be asked questions regarding your research, and so you should start thinking about: the questions driving your research how your research makes 'an original contribution' to your field and how will you achieve this if your research provides new knowledge, or reinterprets existing ideas in an original way how you intend to do the research i. Ask for advice If you need further advice you can contact our academic staff working in your field.
If so, breaking it down into the traditional sections below may help you organise and manage your thoughts: title introduction research background research methods timetable bibliography. Find a supervisor Choosing the right supervisor is one of the most important steps towards a successful and rewarding PhD. Discover how to find a supervisor Write your proposal You may now be in a position to start writing your proposal. A strong research proposal: formulates a precise, interesting research question establishes the relevance and value of the proposed research question in the context of current academic thinking describes the data or source material your research requires outlines a clear and practical methodology, which enables you to answer the research question states clearly what you hope to discover at the end of your research and what new areas it might open up.
The exact content and structure of your research proposal will depend on your subject area. Below you can see information from each academic school which shows what they expect a research proposal to contain: University of Sussex Business School Length: 2, words Your research proposal should include the following sections: Introduction You should: include a short summary of the central question behind your research explain the background of your proposed project describe the expected outcome of your project.
Thesis statement Write a summary of your overarching research question and include: why your research area is of academic and practical interest how your research builds on existing work what has inspired you to pursue your area of research your knowledge of the research area. Literature review You must show you have the ability to review current research literature and papers within your field of study. Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework provides the rationale behind your research proposal.
Methodology You must show how you will carry out the research and analyse your findings. Ethical considerations Outline any ethical concerns which arise from your research topic or your proposed methods. Bibliography List the sources you have used in your literature review and any potential sources you may use for your research. For more information visit the School of Business, Management and Economics. Title You must provide a working title for your research.
Introduction Write a summary of the overarching research question and include: why the subject is important to you why it is an important area of research for the field how your research will contribute to our knowledge and understanding.
Background Describe the purpose of your study and your goals for your research. Methods Show how you plan to carry out your research and include information about: how you plan to select participants how you plan to collect data how you plan to analyse the data. Timetable Provide a timeline, including the time it takes to analyse your data and write your final thesis.
References Include citations for texts you have used to support your arguments and provide a bibliography at the end of your research proposal. For more information visit the School of Education and Social Work. Length: 2, words You should identify which research group you want to work with and check that we can support your area of research before writing your research proposal.
Your research proposal should include: your interest in the particular research area and the topic you want to study the specific research questions you want to investigate a description of your knowledge of the subject the relevant research literature you have read the methods and techniques you will use for your research an explanation of your motivations for applying for a PhD degree and an outline of your career aspirations a timetable for your project monthly for the first year, and quarterly for subsequent years.
For more information visit the School of Engineering and Informatics. Length: about 2, words Your research proposal should include the following sections: Title You must provide a working title for your research. Introduction You should introduce the questions and issues central to your research and explain how your research will benefit the field.
Research background Expand on the information you have given in your introduction and try to answer the following questions: what are the key texts already existing in your field? Research methods Show how you plan to carry out your research: does your project involve archives, databases or specialist libraries? Timetable Set out your timescale for completing your study. Bibliography Include a bibliography, which lists the books and articles, you have referred to in the proposal.
Extra information Some of these sections will be easier to write than others at this preliminary stage. For more information visit the School of English. Length: 1,, words Your research proposal should include the following sections: Introduction Include a short summary of your central question. Thesis statement and literature review Explain the subject matter of your project, and why you think the issues raised are important.
Theoretical framework The theoretical framework provides the rationale behind your research proposal. Methodology Show how you plan to carry out your research and how you will analyse the findings. Ethical considerations Outline any ethical concerns which arise from either your research topic or your proposed methods of collating data. Bibliography List the sources you have used in your literature review and point to potential sources for your research.
For more information visit the School of Global Studies. Length: 2, words Your research proposal should include the following sections: Title You must provide a working title for your research, this is likely to change over time, but provides a good starting point for your proposal. Bibliography Include a bibliography, which lists the books and articles you have referred to in the proposal. Length: words excluding bibliography Your research proposal should include the following sections: Title Your title should give a clear indication of your proposed research approach or key question.
Introduction Include a short summary of your central question. Thesis statement and literature review Explain the subject matter of your project and why you think the issues raised are important. Research Design Show how you plan to carry out your research including fieldwork and how you will analyse the findings.
Ethical considerations Outline any ethical concerns that arise from either your research topic or your proposed methods of collecting and collating data. Bibliography List the sources you have used in your literature review. Length: 2,, words Your research proposal should include the following sections: Introduction You should: include a short summary of the central question behind your research explain the background of your proposed project describe the expected outcome of your project.
Thesis statement Write a summary of your overarching research question and include: why your research area is of academic and practical interest how your research builds on existing work what has inspired you to pursue your area of research.
Literature review You must show you have the ability to review current research within your field of study. For more information visit the School of Law, Politics and Sociology. If you want to get a head start, you might want to consider our research proposal template. It will offer you a structure to follow and give you an idea on what to write in each section.
Yes, as mentioned, you need to demonstrate the feasibility of your project within the given time frame and with the resources you need, including budgets. This will change from one institution to another but these things will generally have a big impact on the reviewers:. So, here is what your PhD proposal should contain and how it should look. How to write a PhD proposal: a step-by-step guide with examples The first words: your project title Introduce your research supervisor Outline the proposed mode of research List your aims and objectives Give a brief synopsis give an example Get into details with your background Expected research contribution: what are you bringing to the table?
Explain your proposed methodology Provide a detailed work plan List all your required resources List all your sources in the bibliography section The pros and cons of templates for PhD proposals Conclusion: writing a PhD proposal Step 1. Step 2. Introduce your research supervisor Right after your project title, you have to state the name, department, and faculty of your supervisor.
Step 3. Step 4. Here is an example: Aim of the research: Establish whether the occurrence of adolescent violence can be caused by the portrayal of violence in the media.
Objectives: Assess the current relevant literature and establish a potential correlation with incidence and portrayal of violence; Analyze the available quantitative and qualitative data on the origin of violence among adolescents; Compare the effects of media on individuals from a behavioral standpoint to the effects of other factors like family environments and upbringing; Conduct a field study with adolescents […] As you can see, the aim is a broad statement while objectives are more specific.
Step 5. Give a brief synopsis give an example A synopsis is a brief summary of what your research is about. Here is an example of a brief summary. Step 7. Expected research contribution: what are you bringing to the table? Start by answering the following questions: What is lacking in the current research? How will it impact the entire discipline? What will be the final outcome of your research? Step 8. Step 9. Provide a detailed work plan Your work plan is essentially a detailed timeline that shows how you plan to execute your research through the course of your postgraduate studies.
You can also provide a detailed plan for year one with more general overviews for later years. Here is an example of a work plan for the first year. Year Month Goals Activities 1 Writing the introduction and overall outline Reading relevant literature: Writing the first chapter [approx. It should all be boiled down to a single proposed budget. Item Qty. List all your sources in the bibliography section Finally, there is the obligatory Bibliography section where you need to mention all the references you used throughout the proposal.
Where possible, provide links to the publications.
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