Tips on writing your PhD research proposal

If you have decided to apply for a PhD with your own research proposal, it is
important to ensure that your proposal is of a high quality. It will be used to
confirm the quality of your ideas, your ability to think originally and critically, to
ensure that you really have understood the depth of investigation that your
doctoral research will entail, and that you have a good understanding of the key
theories and literature. We would normally expect your proposal to be a
minimum of 1,500 words and a maximum of 2,500 words in length (excluding
references).
When writing a research proposal, you need to demonstrate that you have gone
beyond generally thinking about an issue to the stage where you can begin to
systematically and rigorously investigate it. In your research proposal you should
clearly specify the area in which you wish to research, questions you wish to look
at, and your intended approach. A good research proposal will include the
following:
A proposed title of the research topic
Overview of the research area
You should provide a brief abstract of your intended research topic. You might
also refer to the way in which your own research topic fits in with broad research
themes advertised by ABS academics.
Development of research problem
Theoretically demonstrate the practical importance of your research design and
provide a brief but focused review of the literature. In your review, highlight what
is known and what is important but not known as a motivation for your
study. This section should conclude with a statement of your research objectives
and potential contributions of your study.
Theoretical framework
This section should detail the theory that underpins your research and a
justification of its appropriateness for the issues you intend to examine.

 Extended literature review

In this section you should demonstrate your awareness of the debates and
issues raised in the relevant literature and how they inform your research
problem.
Methodology
This section should demonstrate preliminary ideas about design and how you
intend to implement your research. You should specify and justify the approach
you feel will be most appropriate.
Research planning and timelines
You should demonstrate an awareness of the need for planning and provide
rough timelines for your intended research.
Bibliography

What to Avoid

Submitting a research proposal in a discipline that does not fall under any
of ABSs Academic Group subject areas.
Vague research proposals which are not grounded in the extant literature.
Poor referencing.
Failure to articulate the added value or potential contributions of the
intended study.

Useful Resources
You may find the following resources useful when writing your research proposal:
Bentley, P. (2006): The PhD Application Handbook, (Open University Press,
Milton Keynes)
Philips, E. and Pugh, D. (2005): How to Get a PhD: A Handbook for Students
and Their Supervisors, (Open University Press, Milton Keynes)