The abstract is a brief summary of your Ph.D. Research Proposal, and should be no longer than words. It starts by describing in a few words the knowledge domain where your research takes place and the key issues of that domain that offer opportunities for the scientific or technological innovations you intend to explore. Taking those key issues Sample Initial PhD Research Proposal By Dr. H. Hameed A short search of the World Wide Web will indicate to you that the structure of the initial proposal varies slightly from one example to another. But, at the same time, you would notice that many contain the following elements, although the order of the parts may differ File Size: KB Nov 20, · Sample Initial PhD Research Proposal – Oxford University. Posted November 20, February 1, admin. Students are expected to submit an initial research proposal at the time of application. The purpose of this paper is to assist the students to prepare the proposal. The final proposal is usually developed under supervision in the first semester of candidature and, therefore, the initial
Well-Written PhD Research Proposal Sample
View our latest COVID updates. This tutorial is designed for graduate students who are required to submit a research proposal as a condition of their candidature or who wish to write one for their own purposes. The purpose of this tutorial is to help you develop an approach for writing a clear and focused research proposal. We will begin by looking at the broad purpose and requirements of proposals.
We will then break down the research proposal into its core components and examine them individually. Even if the completion of a research proposal is not a requirement of your candidature, it is a good idea to write one.
Writing a research proposal will encourage you to clarify your objectives and key ideas. It will enable you to think about each stage of the research process so that you can develop a clear and detailed plan. It will also help you to foresee problems that you may encounter during your candidature and prompt you to think about how you will manage them when they arise. Writing a research proposal engages a number of skills. These skills can be grouped into three clusters:.
The proposal gives you an opportunity to exhibit your mastery of subject knowledge and familiarity with current research trends. A good research proposal displays evidence of advanced analysis, evaluation and synthesis skills, as well as creativity and the ability to combine vertical and lateral thinking. It is necessary to keep these skills in mind as you work on your proposal as your readers will be looking for evidence of them in your writing, structure of phd research proposal. The required content and structure of a research proposal varies from one field structure of phd research proposal study to another.
You should therefore consult closely with your supervisor so that you are made aware of any particular requirements in your field of study.
In general, however, a research proposal consists of the following elements:. It is useful to think of a research proposal as an exercise in zeroing in from the big picture the broad academic field to a specific target your project. First, the proposal needs to identify a specific research area in the broader landscape of the discipline, and establish why it is significant and worth exploring.
Secondthe proposal needs to identify an existing or newly identified gap in knowledge that can be developed into a significant research problem. Thirdthe proposal needs to build a convincing case for your project structure of phd research proposal a viable way of approaching the research problem.
This aspect is often the most structure of phd research proposal and creative part of the proposal. It allows you to showcase how your project design brings a new approach to an existing or newly identified problem. Finallythe proposal needs to demonstrate that your approach to the problem is achievable within the period of your candidature. It is best to pitch your explanation to an academic audience that lacks expertise in the specific field.
For this reason, you may need to provide some background information about the emergence and evolution of the topic. Focus here on the dominant trends, landmark studies and, if appropriate, more recent developments in scholarship. Why is this topic significant to you? Why should others be interested in it? You might find it helpful to think about what led you to undertake research in this area.
You might also consider how scholars in the field discuss its importance. In what ways is your understanding of its significance similar or different?
Identifying gaps in the academic literature in your field is essential to creating new knowledge. However, you will need to demonstrate that the gap you have identified is worth exploring. This will require an understanding of key questions, problems, structure of phd research proposal, and developments in your chosen field of study and close consultation with your supervisor.
Identifying a significant gap also helps you to identify key concepts and relationships. In other words, it should begin with the broad field and gradually zero in your own project. Remember that the purpose of the proposal is to communicate and justify the fundamentals of your research project, so it is recommended that you use clear and precise language.
Assemble a draft introductory section. Place the options in the most suitable order by following the suggested sequence. Note that this is a brief sample intended to illustrate effective sequencing for an introductory section.
The size, structure of phd research proposal, format and content of the sample will not necessarily be appropriate for your proposal and field of research.
Constructing a clear and focused research question or questions is crucial to producing a good research proposal and, more importantly, shaping the direction of your research. The question indicates exactly what you want to explore and allows the reader to assess whether or not your project is viable. It also gives the reader a sense of the arguments or findings that you might produce in response. This allows them to provide you with useful feedback on the direction of structure of phd research proposal research.
The criteria for a good research question vary from one field of study to another. It is therefore advisable that you consult with your supervisor and closely examine examples from other theses and published studies to get a sense of the requirements in your field.
In general terms, however, a good research question should be:. In cases where there is more than one research question, the questions must be clearly related to each other so that they add up to a coherent whole. The wording of your research question or questions is important because it will direct your approach and writing and help to shape the feedback that you receive from readers of your proposal. It is important to understand that you can change your research question at a later date if you think that the wording needs to be changed or if you make discoveries that encourage a different approach to the topic.
It is highly likely, in fact, that the question that you pose in your proposal will be different from the question or questions that your thesis actually answers. Wording of research questions can vary significantly from one field of study to another, so it is advisable that you consult with your supervisor and seek out examples from other research proposals, theses, structure of phd research proposal, or published papers, structure of phd research proposal.
However, the following general points can be made:. Below you will see examples of three different research questions on the topic of national identity construction structure of phd research proposal Kosovo, which declared its independence in The research problem that the student has identified is the relevance of national identity for a population whose identities are primarily based on ethnic and religious associations.
Pair the sample question with the most appropriate description of its strengths and limitations as a research question. After the initial drafting of your research question you should interrogate it to highlight strengths and weaknesses in your thinking or wording. Write responses to the following questions:.
The literature review surveys key academic works in your field of research, such as books, structure of phd research proposal, refereed journal articles, and postgraduate theses. The review should summarise, analyse, categorise and compare the most significant works - it does not need to cover everything that has been written on the topic.
Most importantly, it should clearly demonstrate the gap or problem that your research project will address by outlining both the strengths and the limitations of previous research. For more information on how to plan and write your literature review see Write a literature review.
See also the library guide on Researching for your literature review. A useful way to generate ideas for your literature review is to brainstorm the key scholars, texts, arguments, sources and methods that are related to your research topic.
Write down responses to the following questions. Your answers might take the form of brief dot points or you might prefer to write more extensive responses. Extensive responses are often a useful way of thinking through a question or issue that you find challenging:.
You will have now generated some ideas and can begin to plan the content and structure of your literature review. Highlight your most significant points and think about how and where you should present these in your review. It is important that you explain the design of your project in a clear and logical way. Above all, it needs to establish that these structure of phd research proposal constitute the most effective way of exploring the research problem.
It is therefore necessary to:. Specify the particular activities that you will undertake and show how they will contribute to the investigation of your research problem e. Finally, structure of phd research proposal, anticipate any potential barriers that you will face in carrying out your research design.
No method is perfect, so you need to describe what the shortcomings will be and explain how you will address them. You might find it useful to organise your responses into a table, mind-map, or flow-chart see example below.
Many researchers prefer this approach as it allows them to visualise their project in its entirety, and draw connections between data and research goals that they may not have previously considered. The following example shows a partially constructed mind-map for a thesis on media representations of the London Riots.
It does not show a complete study design structure of phd research proposal this project. It illustrates the advantages of mapping out goals, sources and theories as a means of planning your study design.
The timeline demonstrates to the reader that your project can be completed within the period of candidature. The timeline should consist of a series of goals that you will need to meet in order to complete all aspects of your thesis, from initial research to the final editing, with an expected date of completion for each step.
It should also contain a statement of the progress that you have made to date. The timeline should also factor in other research related activities such as conferences and publications if applicable.
Conclude your research proposal by stating your expected outcomes, structure of phd research proposal. At this stage in the research process, what arguments and conclusions do you expect to reach? Your reader will understand that these are projected outcomes based on the extent of research at the time of writing, and that they will almost certainly change in the light of further research.
It is essential, however, that you give your reader a sense of what conclusions may be drawn. This will allow your reader to further assess the structure of phd research proposal and validity of your project. It will also indicate to your reader that you have thought ahead and considered the potential outcomes and implications of your research.
To avoid repetition with the description of your research aims and significance earlier in the proposal, focus on how structure of phd research proposal envisage your research will contribute to debates and trends in your field. What impact might your findings have on how the problem is perceived? What impact might your methods have on how research is conducted in the future? Miner, J. Models of Proposal Planning and Writing, structure of phd research proposal.
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How To Write A Strong Research Proposal - Thesis or Dissertation
, time: 11:00Writing a research proposal - Research & Learning Online
The thing about the PhD research proposal is that you have to encapsulate everything that you want to accomplish, communicate in a concise way what you want to do, the resources that it will require, and finally you have to convince the reader of the viability and necessity of the project. It’s difficult to know where, to begin with writing something like this, but with the help of a PhD research proposal example though, a research proposal should generally include six main sections, as detailed below: 1) a clear working title for your research project o what will you call your project? Sample Initial PhD Research Proposal By Dr. H. Hameed A short search of the World Wide Web will indicate to you that the structure of the initial proposal varies slightly from one example to another. But, at the same time, you would notice that many contain the following elements, although the order of the parts may differ File Size: KB
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