Thesis Proposal Guidelines

Thesis Proposal Guidelines

Due: Wednesday, July 12 2017 at 3pm
(Firm deadline – no extensions!)

Prepare a succinct proposal (typically 6-8 double-spaced pages, 1” margins, 12 pt font) concisely
describing your proposed project, why it is important, and what you hope to learn from it. Avoid
unnecessary details that do not directly pertain to your hypothesis, as that may mislead a reader.
A reader – either a member of the Harvard faculty (HDRB, MCB, CPB) or Board of Tutors in
Biochemical Sciences (MCB and CPB only) – will use your proposal to determine whether your
proposed project is acceptable as a senior thesis project. The reader will evaluate the proposal
according to its scope, feasibility, and clarity.
A primary goal of your thesis proposal is to convince the reader that you can accomplish your thesis
project in the given time frame. You can provide evidence for feasibility in different ways, including:
presenting your own preliminary data; describing your lab’s preliminary data; and citing the
literature in your field. Preliminary data are not necessary; you may include key data you have
obtained if it supports your thesis project.
IMPORTANT: Your research sponsors (HDRB, MCB, CPB) and Tutor in Biochemical Sciences (MCB
and CPB only) are invaluable resources for feedback and suggestions on your thesis proposal, and
can help you define your project and ensure that you communicate your experimental plan
effectively. Make every effort to discuss your proposal with them and provide drafts of your
proposal well in advance of the due date so that you have time to incorporate their comments and
suggestions.

Organization:
i) Title page (1 page)
• A tentative thesis title
• Your name and your lab sponsor’s name and departmental affiliation
• A short summary that frames your topic, what is currently known about it, and what you hope
to learn through your thesis research. Make sure to include a statement of your hypothesis.
• A list of your specific aims; each aim should be stated in a single sentence.
o Example: “Aim 1: Determine whether protein X binds to protein Y.”
o When crafting your aims, use specific terms such as “identify,” “define,” “determine,” or
“ascertain” rather than more passive terms such as “observe,” “study,” “examine,”
“describe,” “measure,” or “investigate”.
o Specific aims are a key component of every NIH and NSF grant and fellowship
application, so you may want to consult grant previous applications from your lab for
further guidance.
The title page thus provides an overview of your proposal. In planning your project, keep in mind:
• Thesis proposals ordinarily consist of 2-3 specific aims. Each aim should stand alone. The
aims can be related or sequential, but should not depend on the success of a previous aim.
• Develop a hypothesis, develop aims that would test your hypothesis, and design experiments
that will achieve your aims. Never assume that your hypotheses are correct.
• Your short summary should address why you want to investigate these aims, and why the
outcome of your research is important.

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 Thesis Proposal Guidelines

ii) Background (1-2 pages)

• Introduce your project by briefly summarizing the current state of knowledge of the field.
• State your research questions and hypothesis/hypotheses.
• Describe the experimental objectives.
Optional: Preliminary data (1-2 pages)
• If you already generated relevant data that supports your hypothesis and/or the feasibility of
your proposal, you may include key elements of it in a separate section between the
“Background” and the “Experimental Approach.”
• Alternatively, you could include the preliminary data pertinent to each experimental aim at
the beginning of the discussion of the aim in “Experimental approach section”.
• Preliminary data should only be included if directly related to your project. For example, if
you had previously worked on a different project, it is not helpful to include your previous
work.
• No preliminary data are necessary. Your proposal should be focused on future experiments!
iii) Experimental approach (2-3 pages)
• The approach section should be divided according to your specific aims, using each aim as a
subtitle. The section can also contain a short introductory and/or concluding section.
• Be specific about the work you will do in a page or less for each aim; do not describe the
overall research plan of your host laboratory.
• Justify the experimental approach you propose (i.e., why are these techniques appropriate to
answer the question you are posing?)
iv) Works Cited
• Provide key references regarding the background and experimental design of your project.
• Use in-text citations (author, date) and include a “Works Cited” section at the end of your
proposal with complete reference information (authors, year, title, journal, volume, page #s).
• You must use reference management software program. Students report success several
programs including Endnote, Mendeley, ReadCube, and Zotero. The choice is yours!
Optional: Figures
A thesis proposal does not necessarily need to have a figure included. Figures or diagrams can be
used e.g. to help illustrate a complicated biological process, pathway, or experimental setup since
images often help convey information to the reader. For data figures, only key preliminary results, if
available, should be included. The figures should each be referenced in the text and accompanied by
a brief legend. They can be embedded in the text or placed at the end of the document.

Submission process:
Send to Office: Save your thesis proposal as a PDF and upload it here:
https://lifesci.wufoo.com/forms/thesis-proposalinformation-upload-summer-2017/
When you upload your proposal, you’ll need to provide your name, email, HUID, and the title of
your proposal, as well as the names and emails of your PI and direct supervisor (the person who
mentors you on a day-to-day basis in the lab).
Send to Lab: Deliver your thesis proposal directly to your PI and direct supervisor in the format
they most wish to see it in, whether that is PDF, a Word file, or as hard copy. You are responsible
for getting your proposal to your lab sponsors!
Your thesis proposal will be evaluated over the summer, and we will let you know by e-mail
whether your proposal has been approved or requires revision.

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 DAAD Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst
German Academic Exchange Service

How to Write a Research Proposal

Introduction
When applying for a doctoral position or a research grant in Germany you will usually be asked to submit
a research proposal, at least in part, since individually led research is still the norm in most subject areas.
Even if you are applying to an established research project, you will probably be expected, as a part of the
university application procedure, to explain how your particular research would develop the basic aims of
the overall project.

The purpose of the proposal is to ensure that the candidates have done sufficient preliminary
reading/research in their area of interest, that they have thought about the issues involved and are able to
provide more than a broad description of the topic which they are planning to research. The proposal is of
course not a fixed blueprint. Findings cannot be predicted beforehand and often the research may need to
be modified as you go along. There is also no fixed formula for writing a proposal. However, your proposal
will have to convince members of the academic community that you have identified a scientific problem
and a methodical approach to solve the problem within a realistic time frame and at a reasonable cost.
Please note: The following recommendations are suggestions only. They do not guarantee a successful research application. They
may, however, help you prepare a carefully conceptualized proposal. This may not only be important to the professors or the
members of the selection committee who have to decide on your application, but also to yourself, giving you a clear structure for your
own work, a rough idea of where you are going and a timetable in which to accomplish your research successfully.

General Information
Most research proposals are between 4 and 15 pages, but some institutions or departments specify a
word limit. It is rarely possible to write a comprehensive proposal in fewer than 1500 words. The proposal
should have a proper layout (typeface and line spacing) as well as a table of contents and page numbers.
Remember that professors often have to read large numbers of research proposals. Therefore good
legibility and conciseness of your proposal will be appreciated.
Keep in mind that your research proposal has to be written by you. Any passage from another
source has to be appropriately cited. This applies even to single sentences taken from other
authors. Plagiarism may result in your disqualification.
If your host institution provides you with a research proposal, please feel free to include it in your DAAD
application. However, please make sure that you include in addition a proposal written by yourself, that
shall outline the role you will play within the research plan of your host institution as well as your
motivation, your preparation and long-term plan regarding your stay in Germany. Please make sure that
you always clearly mark which parts of the proposal are written by yourself or by somebody else.

Title Page
On the title page, state your personal data, such as: name, academic title (if applicable), your position at
your own university, e.g. junior lecturer, your date of birth, nationality, your work and private address
including telephone and e-mail address. This should be followed by the title of your planned dissertation
(or research project). Keep in mind that at this stage, the title can only be a working title. Nevertheless, all
words in the title should be chosen with great care, and their association with one another must be
carefully considered. While the title should be brief, it should be accurate, descriptive and comprehensive,
clearly indicating your research area. Note that you will only be ready to devise a title once you are clear
about the focus of your research. You should also state the area of your research, e.g. Political Science -
Theory of International Relations - or Empirical Social Science etc. You may also want to give a realistic
time frame in which you plan to complete your project. For a PhD this should not normally exceed three
years.
General Overview of Research Area and Literature
Give a short and precise overview about the current state of research that is immediately connected with
your own research project. Name the most important contributions of other scientists. The proposal should
contain a clear and logical discussion of the theoretical scope of the framework of ideas that will be used
to back the research. The proposal needs to show that you are fully conversant with the ideas you are
dealing with and that you grasp their methodological implications. Your research review should indicate an
open problem which then will be the motive for your project.

Key Research Questions and Objectives

Give a concise and clear outline of what you intend to find out in your project and what objectives you
want to achieve. Research questions may take the form of a hypothesis to be tested against a specific set
of criteria or a more open-ended inquiry. Together with the general overview this section should establish
the relevance and value of the proposed research in the context of current academic thinking. Your
proposal needs to show why the intended research is important and to justify the reason for doing the
research.

Methodology
This is a very important part of your research outline and should receive a lot of attention. It may well be
the longest section of your proposal. Give detailed information about how you intend to answer your
research questions. Anyone who reads your proposal will want to know the sources and quality of
evidence you will consult, the analytical technique you will employ, and the timetable you will follow.
Depending on the discipline and the topic, suitable research strategies should be defined. You will need to
describe for example the intended methods of data gathering, the controls you will introduce, the statistical
methods to be used, the type of literature or documentary analysis to be followed and so on. Ethical
issues as well as difficulties in gathering data and other material could also be discussed in this section.

Tentative Timetable
Give information about your estimated timetable (if possible in table form), indicating the sequence of
research phases and the time that you will probably need for each phase. Take into account that at this
stage, it can only be estimated, but make clear that you have an idea about the timespan that will be
needed for each step.

Selective Research Bibliography

List the academic works which you have mentioned in your research outline. At least some of them should
be recent publications, indicating that you are aware of the current discourse in your area of research. List
only publications which you have actually used for the preparation of the research outline. Never ever just
copy bibliographies from other papers. In case important publications are not available in your home
country, list them separately and make clear that you have had no possibility to read them.

Editing
Once you have finished the conceptual work on your proposal, go through a careful editing stage, in which
you make sure your proposal does not contain any grammatical mistakes or typing errors. Check whether
the title, the abstract and the content of your proposal correspond with each other. If possible, ask
someone within the academic community to proofread your proposal in order to make sure it conforms to
international academic standards.

Checklist for a Research Proposal

In most cases your research proposal will need to include the following:
9 Table of Contents 9 Data Collection, Analysis and Evaluation of Data
9 Abstract (in empiric research)
9 Introduction to the General Topic 9 Analysis of texts and documents
9 Problem Statement and Justification of the Research Project 9 Expected Results and Output of the Study
9 Hypothesis and Objectives of the Study 9 Bibliography
9 Literature and Research Review 9 Appendix, e.g. Tables, Graphs, Questionnaires etc.
9 Research Method(s) 9 Timetable
Graduate School of Education - How to write a PhD research proposal

In order to help you with your application, this document aims to give some
guidance on how a typical research proposal might look.

Your aim in the proposal is to showcase your ability to carry out

postgraduate research and to develop an original proposal. What your
‘original’ proposal looks like will change over time. It is perfectly acceptable
for research to change over time in response to reading, the courses you
take or changes in preference/supervision. PhD proposals should be
approximately 1,000 words in length.

Title: A short, indicative title

Introduction: Give a brief introduction to the document and your proposed

study

Rationale for the research project: This might include an outline of the
question/debate/phenomenon of interest, and the context(s) and situation
in which you think the research will take place; an explanation of why the
topic is of interest to you; and an outline of the reasons why the topic
should be of interest to research and/ or practice (the 'so what?' question).
This will include references to some literature and/or policy references from
the field to show how your proposal might sit alongside existing work that
has been done.

Issues and initial research question: What is the research problem or

issues you intend to investigate? Discuss some of the key literature and
theoretical perspectives that might inform the issues (again, indicative at
the application stage); and, as precisely as you can, what is the question
you are trying to answer? A research proposal can and should make a
positive and persuasive first impression and demonstrate your potential to
become a good researcher. In particular, you need to demonstrate that you
can think critically and analytically as well as communicate your ideas
clearly. If you have a key theoretical position in mind, please outline this in
your application, together with some understanding of any critiques that
have been raised.
Intended methodology and research design: How do you think you
might go about answering the research questions? What methodology are
you proposing? At Bristol we supervise an incredibly wide range of PhDs,
including theoretical, empirical, historical, comparative or policy-focused
work. Indicate why you think this is the best methodology for your proposed
study. If you are planning to do empirical work, do please give some
indication of what your methods might be - for example quantitative
(surveys, statistics etc.); qualitative (interviews, observations, diaries etc.)
or mixed methods. Include some discussion of the ethical issues raised in
your project and how you would (in outline) address these.

Expected outcomes and impact: how do you think the research might
add to existing knowledge; what might it enable organisations or interested
parties to do differently? Increasingly in academia (and this is particularly
so for ESRC-funded studentships) PhD students are being asked to
consider how their research might contribute to both academic impact
and/or economic and societal impact. This is well explained on the ESRC
website if you would like to find out more.

Timetable: What is your initial estimation of the timetable of the

dissertation? When will each of the key stages start and finish (refining
proposal; literature review; developing research methods; fieldwork;
analysis; writing the draft; final submission). There are likely to overlaps
between the stages.

References: Do make sure that you cite what you see as the key readings
in the field. This does not have to be comprehensive but you are illustrating
the range of sources you might use in your research.

January 2016
 How to write a research proposal
When applying for a research degree here with the University of Gloucestershire, you are required
to write and submit a 1000-word research proposal as an essential part of your application. The
following guidelines should be consulted by prospective research students in order to ensure that
your proposal is not only clearly worded and structured, but also aims to leave the reader with a
positive impression and inspires interest in your research.

Before you begin – general points to consider

• Your proposal potentially marks the beginning of your research journey with the University
of Gloucestershire and, as such, you are expected to spend time and effort in writing it. It is
not a contract, however – if you are accepted onto the chosen programme, you will continue
to develop your ideas and methodology in the early stages;
• There is a 1000-word limit (not including bibliography) – keep your proposal concise, clear
and coherent, avoiding overly-long descriptions and jargon that would not be understood by
a non-expert reader;
• Your proposal must show an ability to think clearly, independently and critically, must
demonstrate a potential contribution to existing knowledge (for doctoral research) and
show that your research will be achievable within the allotted timeframe of your chosen
course of study – it can help to include a timetable or Gantt chart showing how/when you
intend to achieve your objectives;
• It is your proposal, detailing a topic that you should be personally interested in – try to make
your interest in the topic apparent to the reader;
• Along with qualifications and references, your proposal will be used to determine whether
or not you will be accepted onto the programme. Besides the quality of the proposal itself,
it will be reviewed in terms of whether or not the topic fits with existing interest within the
university, which in turn will inform potential supervision;
• Proofread your proposal before submission, checking for typographical and grammatical
errors. A well-written proposal free of spelling mistakes will show that time and care has
been spent on it.

Guidelines on structure

A well-structured research proposal should normally contain the following:

1. Working title – the title should contain key words that describe your intended research.
Titles can change as research progresses, but at this stage it is necessary to state clearly and
succinctly what the research is about.
 2. Introduction – this should be a paragraph giving a brief overview of the general subject area,
why you are interested in it, why you think your research is significant and giving a summary
of what you intend to research.
3. Literature review – use this section to demonstrate your awareness of the current literature
in your field of research, giving examples of issues, debates and shortcomings within that
literature. Briefly refer to key texts, displaying understanding of their relevance and specify
the gap in current literature which your research intends to fill.
4. Research question(s) – What are the specific aims and objectives of your research? Keep
your research question(s) succinct, clear and concise. Avoid listing too many – a maximum
of three research questions is usually enough for a research proposal at this stage.
5. Methodology – use this section to explain how you intend to conduct your research. Specify
what research methods or approaches you will utilize, justify why you have chosen them and
what the limitations might be (if any).
6. Outcomes – specify what your intended outcomes are. What are you aiming to achieve with
your research?
7. Bibliography – make a list of the key articles and texts you have referred to in preparing
your research proposal. You may also list other relevant texts not directly drawn upon when
writing your proposal, to show awareness of the scope of literature in your subject. Use a
standard referencing style – accepted styles for the University of Gloucestershire can be
found here.

Things to avoid

• Avoid writing an overly-long proposal – remember there is a 1000-word limit! If your

proposal is too long, you will be asked to shorten it before your application can be
processed.
• Avoid proposals that are too broad in scope and/or too vague – this will show that you have
not thought enough about what you plan to research, how it fits into current literature or
how you intend to achieve the research in the time available.
• Avoid submitting a proposal for which there is no interest within the university – check our
website for staff profiles and current research to ensure your topic fits within current
academic interests.

Checklist before submission

Before submitting your proposal, make sure you can answer ‘Yes’ to the following questions:

• Have I explained clearly what my research is about?

 • Have I shown why I want to research this topic and how it is significant?
• Have I identified potential theoretical/practical contributions my research will make?
• Have I identified the gap(s) in relevant literature?
• Have I shown how I plan to carry out this research?
• Have I explained what I hope to achieve?
• Have I checked the university website to ensure my research can fit within, and contribute
to, current academic research interests?
• Have I kept the proposal within the 1000-word limit?
• Have I proofread my proposal to check for typographical and grammatical errors?

Final thoughts

• If accepted, your proposal will set the topic and direction of your research for the duration
of the programme (for a part-time PhD this could be up to 7 years!), so it must be something
that you are personally interested in. You will need self-motivation and commitment and,
above all, you should be able to enjoy exploring your chosen topic.
• Aim to leave the reader of your proposal excited, interested and wanting to know more. The
reader should be left with a clear sense of purpose of the research, and should be able to
understand what you hope to achieve without having to re-read the proposal.
• You are not expected to know everything at this stage! But you are expected to spend time
and thought on your proposal in order to clearly present your ideas for a research topic. The
proposal is about you demonstrating that you are capable of the chosen level of study and
have the potential to carry it through to a successful conclusion.

Master’s level research vs. doctoral level research

There are significant differences between writing a research proposal for master’s level study and
writing one for doctoral level study. If you are applying for a Master of Research (MRes), Master of
Philosophy (MPhil) or Master’s by Research programme, your proposal does not necessarily need to
show originality in terms of the intended outcome. You will need to show in your proposal,
however, that you understand the scope and complexity of current knowledge in your field of
research and can apply originality in its application to your research objectives. In contrast, doctoral
research is judged on its ability to be a significant piece of work that advances knowledge through
original research. It also incorporates within it the development of research as a career.
Proposing a PhD Research Project

A PhD proposal is a statement of intent. It is a difficult document, because it has to be written before you have done the
research. It should consist of not more than five pages, which should include a short bibliography of up to ten relevant
sources, and must quickly and simply communicate your research project to any reader. The proposal will likely require a
number of drafts before you get it right, but each will bring greater clarity to your project.

A PhD proposal should be written in an active voice, and make statements like, “this research will,” do so-and-so. You can
break the text up with sub-headings, suggestions for which are included in the numbered sections below. But any reader
will want to know what you will work on, why it’s important and how you will do it. One way to convey this is to make clear
what your main research questions are, why these are important questions to research and how you are going to do the
research to answer the question. The reader will also require a quick picture of the overall structure of the thesis, and
section 5 below will help to deliver this.

1. Introduction: Following the title, open your proposal with a simple and strong statement describing your research
topic. Use only a couple of sentences for this, and quickly show the reader what issue you intend to tackle. This needs
to be more focused than merely to name a field of study. Remember also that you can give additional detail later in the
document. To construct these introductory sentences, ask yourself: What is the central problem I am interested in?
What specific question(s) will I investigate? What hypothesis does my research seek to test? What is my research
about? What is its primary aim? What will it do?

2. Background to the Project: Try to state, in a second paragraph, why it is that your chosen problem is important.
Here, you begin to give background to the research project, and to outline the way in which your question relates to
current debates in your area of study. This section can be almost a short literature review, and should include a few
select references. It concludes with the reason your chosen topic is important. How do you justify your project? What
is the point of doing it? What other research is going on around this topic? What is original about your project? What
do you have to say that’s different?

3. Project Outline: Here, you can give more detail on what you will actually do. Having established why your project is
important and new, and how it relates to existing research, you now have an opportunity to give more detail on
precisely what your project will entail. What additional detail on the nature of the project does the reader require? Is
there a particular secondary question you intend to address? What will your research achieve or produce?

4. Research Methods: Try to describe how you intend to go about researching your chosen problem. It is here that you
show the research method(s) (sometimes referred to as ‘methodology’) you will use to collect data, and the areas of
knowledge you will need to cover in order to deliver on your aims. What literature, data, bodies of knowledge, must be
covered in order to deliver this thesis? What research methods will you use to collect data? (Quant? Qual?) Is the
research primarily empirical or theoretical? If both, how will they be weighted and how will they relate? Is there a
comparative component to your research, and if so, how will this work? Do you need special research or language
skills to collect your data? If so, do you have them? If not, how do you plan to get them? What problems must you
allow for in using these research methods? Are there any ethical or confidentiality issues arising?

5. Provisional Chapterisation: To give a sketch of how the thesis will be structured, list around six chapter headings
with clear and communicative titles. Put a couple of sentences under each to show what will be in them. Indicate
some of the literature to be covered in each chapter by including names in brackets.

6. Bibliography: Up to ten key sources.

 Writing a successful PhD Proposal
General notes
It is assumed that the proposal will be presented in typescript, with minimal typographical
errors, and written in an appropriately mature and grammatical style. The following is a
suggestion as to the information that will be required by CLS to make a decision on your
proposal; you do not have to follow this exact format. Note that if applying for studentships
or to other funding bodies, pay attention to the relevant rules and guidelines for submitting
such an application, which take priority over these general guidelines.

When writing your proposal, bear in mind that the proposal is what we judge your
application on, assuming your qualifications are appropriate. It therefore needs to identify
the subject matter of the proposed research clearly. This enables us not only to judge the
quality and originality of the proposed work but allows us to identify whether we have the
resources to support you and whether an appropriate supervisor is available.

There is no set length for a proposal, but do remember that you need to give us enough
information to judge your proposal, but without becoming unnecessarily wordy or repetitive.
As a general guideline, a proposal will usually be at least 2,000 words long, plus references
and bibliography.

When identifying a topic keep in mind the requirements for a PhD. You need to think about
how your study will demonstrate originality; it is not enough simply to reproduce existing
knowledge. There are many ways in which you can demonstrate originality. For example,
you could:
• study something that has genuinely never been studied before (consider areas where
technology is developing fast) or analyse new developments in the law, whether case
law or new legislation;
• identify problems, such as inconsistencies or gaps in protection, with existing case
law/legislation;
• bring together areas of work that have not been brought together before;
• compare the topic in the English legal system with the same topic in another
specified legal system (comparative study);
• analyse legal issues from a new perspective, or work between disciplines e.g. by
bringing philosophical or sociological ideas to legal issues;
• undertake an empirical case study to see if the law is achieving its objectives.

Each of these different projects could require different methodologies, or a mixture of

methodologies (see below).

Note that PhD proposals are not fully binding. As your work progresses, your ideas will
mature resulting in your research taking a slightly different form from that which you
envisaged at the start. Nonetheless, you will be committed to the area, in broad terms, that
you identify in your proposal.
Working Title
The title should describe the nature of your project. Do not give uninformative titles. Often
students indicate the nature of their approach in the title – for example, indicating a
comparative study, or if a particular theoretical framework is adopted. Being clear helps
CLS identify appropriate supervisors.

Statement of Topic and Aims

Identify the general subject area and how your thesis fits in with this general field. Explain
why it is a significant/important topic and state briefly what contribution your work will make.
CLS will be looking for clear focus and a clearly identified problem.

This section may involve summarising events, legislation, case law or any legal source
directly related to the problems to be considered. Whilst facts may well be important, it is
essential to tie them into a legal framework. If you are considering issues relating to a
country other than the UK, you should explain why studying them in England is useful: for
example, the legal approach adopted in England and Wales on a given subject may help
you in your analysis of the issue. If you are thinking about a comparative study, be clear
about which legal systems you will be studying; comparative studies have implications for
skills and resources (see below). Likewise, if you intend to undertake empirical work, be
clear about this; it too will have implications for how your structure you research.

Review Literature
In order to show how your proposal adds to existing work, you need to show (briefly) what
the existing state of the art is, and how your work fits in to that framework. This section of
the proposal should illustrate that you have some knowledge of the field and that you know
enough to spot where further work of value may be carried out. The section can be used to
emphasis the relevance of your research questions. So, if you have not done so already,
make it clear why your proposal is important. It is not enough to say that it has not been
studied, you should explain why it should be studied. In one sense, the literature review
can be used to define your 'problem'; the scope of your PhD.

Note that the literature review is not an undergraduate essay; there is no point in
summarising all the law and literature in the field. You should instead be selective and refer
to those aspects which are central to the subject matter you propose to investigate. In
doing so, do not wilfully ignore work that is relevant to your proposed project. Indicate
where existing literature has taken us: identify key trends, latest results, include a critical
assessment, and a summary of the problem in the field you have identified. It may be that
you identify a gap in the existing law/literature, or tackle a problem from a new perspective.

Outline Method/Approach
Having defined the problem and shown its relationship to the rest of the field in previous
sections, you now need to state the way in which you are going to solve it, and the criteria
for success such that you know when you have solved it.

There are many ways of approaching a PhD in law; you should explain the approach you
have adopted and how this particular approach advances your thesis. So for example, if
you are carrying out a comparative study, you should identify the countries to be studied (or
the sectors) and explain why you have picked these case studies -why they, and not others,
are the most relevant to your argument. Some theses adopt a particular theoretical
position, inspired by particular thinkers/philosophers. It is also possible to adopt particular
concepts from such writers and apply those concepts, rather than adopting a whole
philosophy. These may be applied to a particular area of law – for example examining the
jurisprudence of the courts from this particular perspective or using this particular analytical
tool. Outline why this particular analytical approach is valuable.
Most legal research is library-based – relying on information that already exists in some
form, such as journal articles, case reports, legislation, treaties, historical records. Identify
particularly relevant sources. Make sure the sources you identify are up-to-date. Assuming
you plan to rely on library-based research, you need to explain where your sources are
located and how they will be accessed, for example via the library, internet, Lexis or
Westlaw. If yours is a comparative or international study, you will need to explain how you
will obtain the relevant international materials and whether or not this will involve travel.
Bear in mind the financial and skills implications of such work for you, but also consider
whether it is reasonable to expect an English law school to have the resources to supervise
the other jurisdictions not just in terms of source materials but also the supervisor's
knowledge.
Some studies, however, might require the use of fieldwork or empirical data – that is,
gathering information through direct interaction with people and processes, such as
interviews, questionnaires or court observation. If you plan to undertake fieldwork or collect
empirical data, then you need to provide details about why this is an appropriate research
method, who you plan to interview, how many interviews you will carry out, and so on. Just
stating, for example, that you would want to interview stakeholders would be insufficient.
Also bear in mind time-scales when considering fieldwork. Whilst tying yourself to specific
milestones at this point is unrealistic (see below), you should have a broad idea (e.g during
second year of study) of when you would undertake this work; allow time for return of
questionnaires, arranging interviews etc. Note that the university has a policy regarding
empirical research and ethical behaviour, as does CLS: you should comply with these
codes.
You might want to spell out the difficulties or limitations with your project (or perhaps
challenges that you will need to overcome… improving language skills if you are envisaging
a comparative study?). You might also want to raise any ethical issues connected with your
research, if you think this is relevant (e.g. if you are thinking about interviewing).

Time Line
It is helpful if you give some indication of how you envisage your time being spent. Although
not essential, you might try to identify milestones, or chapters and the stage at which you
envisage such milestones being completed (end of first year etc), or even the order in which
you will tackle particular tasks. Note that if you provide such a time line, it is possible to
revise it. It is also particularly important to consider timing if you are planning on
undertaking empirical research.

References and Bibliography

List all references in your proposal using a standard referencing system, such as OSCOLA
(available for download at http://denning.law.ox.ac.uk/published/oscola.shtml); the
bibliography should be fully referenced in the same manner.
 Considering a UK PhD: Your Next Steps

Writing a PhD research proposal:  A 6‐step general guide for prospective PhD 
researchers 
 
Introduction 
 
This short guide is aimed at helping you to write a good research proposal.  It is intended to help you 
to think about your proposed PhD research in a clear, structured and meaningful way.   
 
It should be stressed that the following is only a general guide and it does not guarantee acceptance 
onto a PhD programme.  Accepting PhD students onto a research programme depends on many 
factors, including the nature of your proposed research, the quality of your ideas, your ability to 
commit to an intensive period of research study, the effectiveness of your research proposal in 
communicating your ideas, the “match” between the proposed research and the potential supervisor 
and the capacity of the research department. 
 
The key message in this guide is that it is your research proposal and the quality of it will be a 
considerable factor used in the university’s decision to accept you onto a PhD programme.   
 
In short, the better your proposal, the better your chances of being accepted. 
 
Note:  If you are applying for a specific pre‐defined research project in science, technology, 
engineering, mathematics or medicine you may not need to submit a proposal. 
 
Why a good research proposal is essential to the application process 
 
As outlined above, your research proposal is an integral part of the PhD application process, so it is 
certainly worth investing time and energy into it.  It needs to outline the nature of your proposed 
PhD study and give some indication of how you will conduct your research. 
 
Remember that a research proposal is about what you want to study; it immediately reflects your 
initial understanding of, and commitment to, PhD study. A research proposal can and should make a 
positive and powerful first impression about your potential to become a good researcher. 
Importantly, the main purpose is to enable the university to assess whether you are a good ‘match’ 
for our supervisors and our areas of research expertise. 
 
Therefore, in a good research proposal you will need to demonstrate two main things: 
 
1. that you are capable of independent critical thinking and analysis 
 
2. that you are capable of communicating your ideas clearly   
 
Applying for a PhD is like applying for a job, you are not applying for a taught programme.   
When you start a PhD you will become a valued researcher in an academic department.  Through 
your research proposal your colleagues want to know whether they can work with you, and whether 
your ideas are focussed, interesting and realistic. Try and impress them! 
 
 Considering a UK PhD: Your Next Steps

Since you are going to be investing a minimum of three years of your life working hard on your PhD, 
a few days spent researching and writing a thorough research proposal is a small initial investment to 
make.  In short, a research proposal is an essential first step in your PhD journey.  Make sure you give 
it your fullest consideration and effort. 
 
You are not expected to be the expert 
 
Remember, you do not need to have a PhD to write a research proposal!  Your proposal should be 
indicative and it should outline your areas of interest and your general insight into the research 
topic. You are not expected to be an expert and to be familiar with all the specific details of your 
subject.   However, you are expected to have a good level of knowledge about the subject and where 
you might make a valuable contribution to research. 
 
6 steps to a successful research proposal 
 
Some people seem to think a research proposal is too complicated and an inconvenient part of the 
application process.  A good research proposal should not be complicated.  However, it can be 
challenging to write and it is important to get right.  A PhD is challenging, so it is good training 
working on your research proposal.  
 
Although there is no exact prescribed format for a general research proposal (across all subjects), all 
of the following are deemed important to consider.  You need to check your own subject’s particular 
conventions and expectations (by looking on the appropriate Exeter college website). In summary 
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? 
o what key words would describe your proposal? 
 
2) a clear statement about what you want to work on and why it is important, interesting, 
relevant and realistic  
 
o what are your main research objectives? – these could be articulated as hypotheses, 
propositions, research questions, or problems to solve 
o what difference do you think your research will make?  
o why does this research excite you? 
o what research ‘gaps’ will you be filling by undertaking your project? 
o how might your research ‘add value’ to the subject?  
o is your research achievable in the time allocated? (e.g. 3 years full‐time) 
 
3) some background knowledge and context of the area in which you wish to work, including 
key literature, key people, key research findings  
 
o how does your work link to the work of others in the same or related fields? 
o would your work support or contest the work of others? 
o how does your work relate to the expertise within the department you are applying 
to? 
 Considering a UK PhD: Your Next Steps

 
 
4) some consideration of the methods/approach you might use 
 
o how will you conduct your research?  
o will you use existing theories, new methods/approaches or develop new methods/ 
approaches? 
o how might you design your project to get the best results/findings? 
 
5) some indication of the strategy and timetable for your research project and any research 
challenges you may face 
  
o what would be the main stages of your project? 
o what would you be expecting to do in each year of your PhD? 
o what challenges might you encounter and how might you overcome these? 
 
6) a list of the key references which support your research proposal  
 
o references should be listed in the appropriate convention for your subject area (e.g. 
Harvard).  Such references should be used throughout your research proposal to 
demonstrate that you have read and understood the work of others.   
o other relevant material that you are aware of, but not actually used in writing your 
proposal, can also be added as a bibliography 
 
All of the above six sections are important, but section 2 is particularly important because in any 
research project, establishing your main purpose represents the whole basis for completing the 
research programme.  Therefore, the value of your proposed research is assessed in relation to your 
research aims and objectives. 
 
The appropriate length of a research proposal 
 
A good research proposal is as long as it takes, but a guide would be 1000‐2000 words.  Remember 
that it is meant to be an accurate overview, not a thesis, so you need to provide enough detail for the 
reader to understand it.  It should not be too long, or too short.  A paragraph would not be enough, 
and 5000 words likely too much. 
 
The perfect research proposal 
 
In addition to the above, an excellent research proposal also needs to: 
 
o   follow any university and college/departmental guidance on websites.  Conventions can, 
and do, differ across subjects and therefore across the University of Exeter. Therefore, you 
must check the college/department website for specific (subject) advice and guidance. 
 
o   be refined and edited a number of times before it is submitted.  You must demonstrate that 
you have given your proposal a lot of individual attention and care.  Make sure it is well 
written, without any errors. 
 
 Considering a UK PhD: Your Next Steps

o   leave the reader with a clear sense of the purpose and direction of your research project.  
The reader should not have to read it twice to understand it.   
 
o   leave the reader interested, excited and wanting to find out more about your ideas, and 
about you!   
 
Follow the ‘3 Cs’ rule: 
 
When you have written your research proposal, ask a friend to read it critically and provide you with 
feedback.  Also, ask yourself whether it follows the ‘3Cs’ rule: 
 
CLEAR: is what you have written intelligible and clearly articulated?  Does it make sense, or is it vague 
and confusing? 
 
CONCISE: have you written your proposal in a succinct and focussed way?  
 
COHERENT:  does your proposal link together well so that it tells the reader a short story about what 
you want to do, why you want to do it and how you will do it? 
 
If you can answer all of these ‘3C’ questions with confidence, you have probably put together a good 
proposal.   
 
Last thoughts… 
 
Remember that your research proposal should leave a positive first impression upon the reader 
about your ‘fitness’ to study a PhD.  It is your project, so it is important to demonstrate leadership in 
this first stage of the application process. An ideal proposal should leave the reader feeling in no 
doubt that you have done some preliminary research about your subject and that you are 
knowledgeable and ready to tackle the challenges of the PhD.   
 
Give your proposal your utmost attention and time, but also be realistic ‐ you are not expected to 
know everything at this stage.   Your proposal can also be flexible. It is not a contract.  Always ask 
someone else to read your proposal before you submit it, and to offer you some critical but 
supportive feedback. 
  
Finally, remember that a research proposal instantly reflects your potential competence to 
undertake a PhD effectively.  A proposal is ultimately about your ability to demonstrate that you are 
capable of PhD study, so you should put time and effort into it. 
How to write a research proposal
How you write a research proposal for your research degree will depend on a number of
factors, not least the area of study and your previous experience of it. Writing a research
proposal is one of the first tasks that has to be undertaken by all research programme
students at the Digital Business research centre.
Please note​ that this is a guide and not a rule for research proposal writing and it does focus
our research traditions and hence will not necessarily fulfil the requirements of other
research centres. Whether you are studying for a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), MPhil (Master
of Philosophy) or MSc by research - a research proposal will allow you to focus your work
and find a suitable supervisor; thus it is an important starting point for your research training
journey.
Your writing of a research proposal will depend on a number of factors. Before you
commence, it is important that these factors are explored and identified by yourself and if
possible with your potential research supervisor. The option discussed in this guide on
writing a research proposal is to approach it as a mini project - meaning that your research
proposal writing project has its time deadlines, quality benchmarks and associated costs.
The information in this example draws on developing a PhD study research proposal that
would be accepted for submission of study in the Salford Business School.

In this guide:

● How long to spend writing your research proposal

● Research proposal subject area
● PhD research proposal topics inspiration
● Research proposal quality benchmarks
● Research proposal structure
● What next?
● More advice

How long to spend writing your research proposal

Dependent on your experience of the subject area, the average time allocated to writing a
proposal could be anything from one day (for someone who has just finished their MSc and
plans to develop their MSc thesis into a PhD) to about a month (perhaps where you have
found a new area of interest and you want to take your career in this direction). For example,
if you have recently graduated with an MSc in an area where you would like to develop your
work further, the PhD research proposal could be the natural progression of your MSc
dissertation – hence you could start with the conclusions chapter where you reflect on your
findings and identify new areas of study. Alternatively, you might have developed a new
concept and would like to test it further in different settings such as organisations or other
countries or with larger samples of data. So – set yourself realistic expectations.

Research proposal subject area

It is always advisable to see your research proposal writing as a first step to advancing your
future career and not simply as writing a research proposal for its own sake. There are a
number of reasons for this, not least the financial necessity to fund your work and the
potential use of your findings for commercial purposes in the future. Also, unless your work
is unique, the contribution to knowledge (which is a requirement of a PhD) would be, difficult
to achieve. Although there are exceptions to this, and there are some researchers who
simply take their degree to gain a research qualification, it is important that you are
interested in the research area yourself and are not considering it simply because of your
supervisor or a journal paper that mentioned that specific area as important.

PhD research proposal topics inspiration

The opportunities for research proposals in the area of digital business are endless. A good
starting point for inspiration are PhD research proposal topics - these can be found on the
Business School PhD pages. The latest publications can be viewed on the​ ​University of
Salford Institutional Repository​, from the profile pages of the individual members of
academic staff by exploring their research areas and publications or more generally via
Google Scholar:​ ​scholar.google.co.uk

Research proposal quality benchmarks

In answering the question on how to write a research proposal we have so far identified that
it is not something that should be done without a longer term perspective and there are a
number of issues that have to be considered before you finalise your research proposal
draft. The following numbers should be used as a guide and not a rule – there are always
exceptions but generally:
● Word count is between 1500 to 2000 words (not counting abstract and references)
● Number of references should be about 10 to 20 (recent academic journal
publications)
● You should always read the work of those who you intend to supervise you and
include your views on their relevant work.

Generic proposal structure could include:

● Title page:​ - your research proposal title and your name etc.
● Abstract​: - circa 300 words summarising What? Why? and How? you are proposing
to undertake this research.
● Research Context:​ - setting out the “research problem” area and what others have
done about it thus far.
● Research problem statement:​ - why is this still a problem warranting your research;
highlighting limitations or weaknesses of other studies and identifying what is
necessary to address these limitations. This leads you to stating your research
questions.
● Research aim and SMART objectives:​ - the aim of your research should logically
follow from the research problem statement. The SMART (Specific, Measurable,
Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound) objectives should break your research
proposal into major stages and state an output, which would guide you in planning
 and negotiating your work with your supervisor. For example, one of the objectives
could be: Objective 1 – literature review: To undertake a literature review of 100 most
relevant journal articles and writing a 20,000 word literature review by the end of the
first year.
(Note here that the 20,000 word literature review is a measurable output which will guide you
in your final thesis production. The final word count for a PhD thesis is about 85,000 to
100,000 words and you have to plan your chapter writing outputs accordingly.)
● Research method:​ - This section is logically derived from your research questions,
aim and objectives and deals with the practical implementation of your data
collection, data analysis and conclusions’ drawing. It is important to differentiate that
the term ‘method’ is sometimes interchangeable to mean methodology, research
approach or research strategy – dependent on which research methods books you
are following. Since you are only at the proposal stage of your study it is not
expected that you make statements here about the philosophical stance of your
work. For example, discussion of your philosophic beliefs (such as positivist,
interpretive or critical research paradigms) and hence the methodological
considerations are not necessary at this stage. However, it is useful to demonstrate
your appreciation of some consideration to the methods you are planning to use – i.e.
is it going to be action research, case study, experiment, grounded theory or other
widely accepted information systems research methods. At this stage, the following
information systems research book is recommended reading and would be a good
companion for your PhD studies:​ ​Oates, B. J. (2006). Researching Information
Systems and Computing. London: Sage Publications.​ On a more practical note you
also need to consider the primary data collection tools (assuming that you are
planning to use these) such as questionnaires, observations, interviews, document
analysis, focus groups etc. Finally, your section on research methods could end on
the discussion of data access – that is how you are planning to negotiate access to
primary data collection.
● Research plan​ – the last section could be a brief reminder of what it is that you are
going to achieve and what will follow from your research method and research
objectives. For example, each objective could be broken down into smaller tasks that
would guide you in allocating time to your work. When developing timelines, you
have to be aware of the timelines frameworks as set out by the University of Salford
regulations. At the time of writing this “how to write a research proposal guide”, a
PhD normally takes three years full-time or five years part-time study (January 2013).
The MRes or MPhil programmes usually last at least one year, if studied full-time and
two or more years if studied part-time. The development of outputs could be your
milestones and would guide your progression of study. A plan is a communication
medium for you and your supervisor and it is always worth trying to keep the balance
between too much detail and too little – for example, you don’t want to have too
many detailed tasks for all years but perhaps at the beginning of your work you might
want to be explicit about your first year and keep the latter stages more generic since
they are likely to change based on your work in the first year. Examples of a plan of
activities could include:Objective 1 – literature review tasks:
○ Attend research training on undertaking a literature review
 ○ Identify 10 most recent authors in the area and critically review their work –
Month 1
○ Identify 10 most frequently cited journal articles in the area and critically
review their work – Month 2
○ Identify 10 most relevant journals and conferences in the area and quarterly
review their recent publications – Month 4
○ Present your literature review drafts to peers – Month 5
○ Mile Stone:​ Produce a draft literature review chapter of circa 20,000 words
and 100 references. – Month 6
● References:​ – In the Salford Business School, the work is mostly published using
the Harvard referencing standard. This means that in the body of your research
proposal you need to state the author’s last name and the year of publication, for
example (Bell & Heinze 2004), and at the end of your proposal in the references
section you have to state the full reference stating the title, journal details and the
page numbers such as this: Bell, F., & Heinze, A. (2004). With regard to respect: a
framework for governance of educational virtual communities. International Journal
Web Based Communities, 1(1), 19- 34. Additional information on​ ​how to reference
can be found on the University of Salford library support pages​.

You have written your research proposal: what next?

Now that you have written your research proposal, you have to check that you have all the
other necessary documents for your application. The main thing is not to worry if you find
that your proposal is still not perfect - it is a proposal and during the first year of your study
you will refine it and when it comes to the final submission it might be a totally different
document, which is not uncommon. It is often the case that once you get into the area of
research you will refine and re-focus your work in light of the feedback from the supervisor
and others to whom you present your work as part of your research training – this would
include seminar presentations, conferences etc.​ ​So apply now!

Need more help on how to write a research proposal?

Have an informal discussion with a member of staff who you are hoping will be your
supervisor. You can contact them directly or contact the College Research support staff who
will help you to find a potential supervisor for your work and or who will provide further
clarification on the above guide.
However, there are a number of additional resources, which could help you with your work,
and the University of Salford provides these centrally:
● Application details and online application form
● Prospective students support
 Guidance on Writing a PhD or Professional Doctorate Proposal

All applicants must submit a proposal of around 3000 words with their
application. Potential supervisors and research degree co-ordinators use the
research proposal to assess the quality and originality of your ideas, your skills
in critical thinking and the feasibility of the research project. The quality of the
proposal is one of the criteria that your application will be assessed on and so it
is very important that you spend time developing a good proposal. Think very
carefully about the scope of your research and be prepared to explain how you
will complete it within the timeframe for a PhD or Professional Doctorate

Research proposals are also used to assess your expertise in the area in which
you want to conduct research, you knowledge of the existing literature (and how
your project will enhance it). Moreover, they are used to assess and assign
appropriate supervision teams. We encourage applicants to contact the research
degree co-ordinator for your subject area before you submit a formal
application. They will be able to advise if there is supervisory capacity for your
topic within the department and can put you in touch with a relevant academic
in the department to discuss your topic ideas.

If you are accepted it is likely that you will substantially revise your original
proposal following discussions with your supervisory team and you won’t be
committed to the details in the initial proposal. It is useful, therefore, to view
your proposal as an initial outline rather than a summary of the ‘final product’.

A PhD proposal is an outline of your proposed research and should:

 Define a clear aim and objectives for your research

 Demonstrate the originality or, in the case of professional doctorates, a
contribution to professional practice
 Demonstrate your subject knowledge and refer to key academic literature
 Clearly outline how you will undertake the research with a rigorous and
discipline-specific methodology
Structure of the Research Proposal

The following elements should be included in your research proposal:

Title
Your title should be concise and should clearly articulate the scope and key focus
of your proposed research.

Introduction
This should be a short section outlining the general subject area, the background
of the research and specific aspects of the topic to be investigated. In this section
you should also explain briefly your rationale (argument) for conducting the
proposed research: why it is important to research this topic? You can also use
this section to make links between your research and the existing strengths of
the department to which you are applying. Visit appropriate websites to find out
about existing research taking place in the department and how your project can
complement this.

Be sure to establish a solid and convincing framework for your research in this
section. This should include:
 research questions or hypotheses (usually, 1-3 should suffice) and the
reason for asking them
 the major approach(es) you will take (conceptual, theoretical, empirical
and normative, as appropriate) and rationale
 significance of the research (in terms of academic originality or
contribution to professional practice)

Aims and objectives – the aim will express the overall intention of the research
while the objectives will express the various elements of investigation necessary
to achieve this aim.

Literature Review

Your proposed research must be grounded in the relevant literature which you
will incorporate in this section outlining relevant research, theory and practice
already existing in the field, reviewed critically. The majority of sources should
be peer-reviewed journal articles. You should identify key ideas and sources and
relating these to the proposed research. It is also a good practice, especially
when there is a lot of theory developed in your area of interest, to indicate what
specific approach/theory/framework you are proposing to use/test/apply as a
basis for your research. In general, the literature review should relate to core
recent (or historically significant) work. It is not intended to be a comprehensive
review of all relevant literature but should show that you are aware of what else
is going on and can interpret it in relation to your own proposed research.

You are presenting a justification for doing your research. Thus it is essential to
critically evaluate previous research and relevant theory, rather than just
describe it. For example, you may be arguing that there is a significant gap in
knowledge, or that this is a new issue for practitioners where there is little
known, or that previous research is out of date.

Research design & methodology

This section should lay out, in clear terms, the way in which you will structure
your research and the methods you will use. Research design should include (but
is not limited to):
 The parameters of the research (ie the definition of the subject matter)
 A discussion of the overall approach (e.g. is it solely theoretical, or does it
involve primary/empirical research) and your rationale for adopting this
approach
 A brief discussion of the timeline for achieving this

Your proposal should include a concise discussion of your proposed research

methodology (for example in the Law School, whether the topic is doctrinal or
socio-legal; or in other areas of social science, whether the approach is
qualitative or quantitative) methods and justify their selection of methods.

A well-considered methodology section is crucial, particularly if you intend to

conduct significant empirical research. Be sure to include specific techniques, not
just your general approach. This could include: kinds of resources consulted;
methods for collecting and analyzing data; specific techniques (e.g. statistical
analysis; semi-structured interviewing; participant observation); and (brief)
rationale for adopting these methods.

You must also show how you will conduct the research realistically and feasibly
within the timescales, constraints and context of the research.

Referencing and Writing Style

A full reference list must be included with your proposal which should be
formatted in Harvard style (or for proposals to the law School, OSCOLA). Your
proposal will be submitted to the Turnitin plagiarism detection service and
proposals which have not properly cited or fully acknowledged sources will be
rejected. Your Research Proposal must be professionally presented. Professional
presentation is part of convincing a reader and/or examiner that you have a
professional approach to your work. You should adopt a formal writing style and
use the third person (e.g. you can refer to yourself as the ‘researcher’).
How to Write a Good Postgraduate
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
 Student Recruitment & Admissions
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Introduction
This guide intends to provide practical information for students
who have been asked to submit a research proposal as part of their
application for admission to a research degree. It is also relevant
to students who are applying to external bodies for postgraduate
research funding.

Undertaking a research degree, whether it is a Masters by Research,

a PhD, or another type of degree such as a EdD, or DMus, can
be one of the best experiences of your life. You will have the
opportunity to meet eminent researchers and become part of the
research community. It will enable you to develop research skills
as well as invaluable transferable skills which you can apply to
academic life, your current employment or a variety of professions
outside of academia. What you gain along the way will serve you
for the rest of your life, if only to make you a more confident and
knowledgeable person.

Contents
3 Research funding
How to identify funding sources
Writing your proposal
University applications

4 Golden rules for postgraduate research proposals

5 Content and style of your research proposal
What to put in your proposal?
Writing the proposal
Plagiarism
Abstract

6 Introduction
Main body of text

7 Methodology
About you
Dissemination
Summaries and conclusions

8 The process of applying to external funding providers

Rules, guidelines, eligibility and deadlines
Screening process
The application process
Discuss and develop your idea

9 Find a potential research studentship funder

Before you start writing
Lay summary

10 Training and supervision

Dissemination
Ethical considerations

11 Other resources
 Student Recruitment & Admissions
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Research funding Writing your proposal

In choosing where to do your research degree, a long list
of factors will come into play: the academic reputation of
the institution, the research expertise of academic staff,
location, the quality of training offered and the availability
of funding.
There are several types of funding for postgraduate
research: your own funds; external funding bodies such as
charities and trusts; national and governmental agencies;
employers and the private sector, and internal sources
such as University scholarships, funded studentships and
projects advertised by supervisors. It is a competitive
process and will depend on your qualifications, experience
and research aspirations.
If you already have an idea for your research project or
if you are interested in developing your experience in
an area of interest within the expertise of a prospective
supervisor, you should consider contacting prospective
supervisors early on to discuss the possibility of doing a
research project under their supervision.
How to identify funding sources
Investigating potential funding sources and preparing
postgraduate research applications is a lengthy process,
so you should allow plenty of time. It is not unreasonable
to start approximately one year before your proposed
start date.
Whether you are limited to one page (as part of a
University application form or an enquiry form) or are
required to produce something more substantial for an
external funder, the rules about writing a good research
proposal are the same. You want to stand out from the
crowd and have the best chance of being selected. This
guide highlights the “Golden Rules” and provides tips on
how to write a good research application. Prospective
research students may find it useful when asked to provide
a research statement as part of their university application
or an informal enquiry form.
University applications
Securing funding does not always guarantee an offer of a
place at the university you are applying to. Whether you
are applying to conduct your own research or to undertake
an advertised project, you will need to apply for a place
at the university of your choice before or at the same time
as your application for funding. A university application
for postgraduate study is most likely to include a research
proposal and/or a personal statement, even if you are
applying for a funded project defined by the prospective
supervisor.

The University of Edinburgh’s Scholarships and Student

Funding Services offers a search facility for prospective and
existing students: www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/
student-funding/search-scholarships

You should check the websites of individual departments

as they may have additional funding resources and this
is where you will find details of research projects. There
is also funding available from external funding bodies,
including trusts and charities, research foundations,
government agencies, the private sector or your home
government.

Search facilities include www.researchresearch.com

(available only on campus) and search engines can also
be helpful if you are looking for organisations which fund
research in your area of interest. If you are responding to
an advertisement for a defined project, it does not mean
that you should not pay attention to the first contact you
make with the principal researcher on the project. Make
sure that you highlight how the project fits with your
research aspirations and why the chosen academic unit
will help you fulfill them.
 Student Recruitment & Admissions
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Golden rules for postgraduate research proposals

Contents:
• Be clear, objective, succinct and realistic in your objectives
• Ask yourself why this research should be funded and/or why you are the best person to undertake this project
• Ask yourself why this research is important and/or timely
• State and justify your objectives clearly (“because it is interesting” is not enough!)
• Make sure you answer the questions: how will the research benefit the wider society or contribute to the research
community?

Style:
• If space allows, provide a clear project title
• Structure your text – if allowed use section headings
• Present the information in short paragraphs rather than a solid block of text
• Write short sentences
• If allowed, provide images/charts/diagrams to help break up the text

The process:
• Identify prospective supervisors and discuss your idea with them
• Avoid blanket general e-mails to several prospective supervisors
• Allow plenty of time – a rushed proposal will show
• Get feedback from your prospective supervisor and be prepared to take their comments on board
• If applying to an external funding agency, remember that the reviewer may not be an expert in your field of research
• Stick to the guidelines and remember the deadline
 Student Recruitment & Admissions
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Content and style of your research proposal

What to put in your proposal?

Application processes are different for each University so make sure to follow the relevant guidelines provided by the
institution you are applying to. However, if you are not given any guidelines on how to format your research proposal,
you could adopt the suggested structure below. This is also relevant if you are applying for external funding or asking your
employer to sponsor you to undertake a research degree.

Suggested structure for a research proposal:

• Title and abstract
• Background information/brief summary of existing literature
• The hypothesis and the objectives
• Methodology
• How the research will be communicated to the wider community
• The supervisory provision as well as specialist and transferable skills training
• Ethical considerations
• Summary and conclusions

Writing the proposal

When writing your proposal, bear in mind that individuals reviewing your application will often have to read a large number
of proposals/applications. So, well-presented and clearly written proposals are more likely to stick in the reviewer’s mind.
Avoid long and convoluted titles. You will get an opportunity to give more detail in your introduction.

Plagiarism
Make sure that you acknowledge the authors of ALL publications you use to write your proposal. Failure to do so will be
considered as plagiarism. Do not copy word for word what an author has said. You may think that the original author has
presented the information using the best possible words in the best format. However, it is best to analyse the information
presented and re-write it in your own words. If you absolutely have to quote an author ad verbatim, then make sure that
you use quotation marks and italics to indicate it.

Abstract
An abstract is a brief summary written in the same style as the rest of your application. It will provide the reader with the
main points and conclusion of your proposal.
 Student Recruitment & Admissions
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Introduction
A well-written introduction is the most efficient way to hook your reader and set the context of your proposed research.
Get your reader’s attention early on and do not waste space with obvious and general statements. The introduction is your
opportunity to demonstrate that your research has not been done before and that the proposed project will really add
something new to the existing body of literature. Your proposal does not have to be worthy of a Nobel prize but it has to be
based on sound hypotheses and reasoning.

You should provide background information in the form of a literature review which sets the context for your research
to help the reader understand the questions and objectives. You will also be expected to show that you have a good
knowledge of the body of literature, the wider context in which your research belongs and that you have awareness of
methodologies, theories and conflicting evidence in your chosen field.

Research proposals have a limit on words or pages so you won’t be able to analyse the whole existing body of literature.
Choose key research papers or public documents and explain clearly how your research will either fill a gap, complete or
follow on from previous research even if it is a relatively new field or if you are applying a known methodology to a different
field. Journal articles, books, PhD theses, public policies, government and learned society reports are better
than non-peer-reviewed information you may find on the internet. The University’s Library hosts online guidance on getting
started with researching, managing your sources, and practical information on finding what you need in search engines.

• http://libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk/infoskills
• www.lib.ed.ac.uk/howto/searchstrat.html

Suggested format for an introduction:

• Introduce the area of research
• Review key publications
• Identify any gap in the knowledge or questions which have to be answered
• Your hypotheses
• Your aims and objectives, including a brief description of the methodology
• How is your research beneficial and to whom

Although you will develop your ideas further in the main body of the text, your introduction may also include a short
summary of your aims and objectives, your methodology and the expected outcomes/benefits of your research as well as
who it will benefit and who will be able to use it.

Main body of text

Honesty is one of the most important aspects in proposal development so avoid making over-ambitious claims about the
intended research; what is proposed must be realistically achievable.

When drafting the proposal, it is worth asking yourself the following questions and trying to answer them in the text:

• Why should anyone spend public, charity or corporate funds on my research and my research training?
• Who is my research going to benefit (the stakeholders) or be of use to (the end users)?
• Stakeholders and end-users include, for example, the research community, a professional body or groups of researchers,
a particular group of people such as children, older people or doctors, the government, the industry, health services,
social workers…... Try to be specific: stating that your research will benefit the world is perhaps a bit too vague!
• Is there evidence, for example in the literature, that my research will fill a gap in knowledge or a market demand? How
will it build on the existing body of knowledge?
• Is my research timely, innovative and/or responding to a new trend?
• How will my research proposal address my training needs as well as, if applicable, the needs of my current employer?
 Student Recruitment & Admissions
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You should also consider expected outputs to be achieved by the research such as a new database, fundamental
knowledge of a new or existing field, publications, attendance at conferences, contribution to a new policy, development
of a new technology or service….. It is also very useful to describe the milestones of your research projects (a time plan for
every 6 months, for Year 1, 2, 3 or a Gantt chart). This will demonstrate to the reviewer or prospective supervisor that you
have really thought of how you intend to conduct your research. But be realistic!

Methodology – how will you achieve the research aims?

It is important to present the proposed research methodology (e.g. techniques, sample size, target populations, species
choice, equipment and data analysis) and explain why it is the most appropriate methodology to effectively answer the
research question. If space allows, it may be a good idea to justify the methodology by explaining what alternatives have
been considered and why these have been disregarded. You could also point out how your project fits with the research
environment of your prospective institution and why this institution is the best place to conduct your research, in particular
if this will provide you with access to unique expertise, pieces of equipment or data.

About you
The quality of your ideas combined with your ability to carry out the project successfully within your chosen Department/
School/Institute will be a useful addition to your research proposal. You may wish to provide a small section/paragraph to
present how your research interests, previous achievements, relevant professional experience and qualifications will support
the completion of your research project. Remember to highlight any project management, data analysis and critical
thinking experience you may have gained previously. You could also highlight how a further period of research training will
enhance your personal and professional development.

Avoid overly personal or vague statements but do try to point out:

• the most important achievements of your (academic) career: degrees you have obtained, your IT skills, societies you
were part of, work experience, successful projects you have been involved in and,
• your best characteristics, e.g. motivation, enthusiasm, an inquiring mind, ability to carry out analytical work, a keen
approach to research or ability to work independently.

Dissemination
If space allows, indicate how you will be communicating with colleagues and your supervisors as well as with the wider
community and, if applicable the funding body supporting your research.

Examples of dissemination activities are:

• Internal seminars
• Regular reporting to stakeholders (e.g. health service, industrial partner)
• Publications (e.g. journal articles, reviews, book chapters)
• Conference presentations
• Exhibitions
• Outreach (e.g. Research Communication in Action) and Public engagement
events (e.g. Café Scientifique, Biotechnology YES, Edinburgh Science Festival)

Summaries and conclusions

Well-written summaries and conclusions at the end of the proposal and/or at the end of each section can help a reviewer
identify the important information. Make sure these are concise, clear and informative – some reviewers will start by
reading the conclusions. Reviewers tend to have a large number of applications to review and/or to be very busy people.
As a result, each proposal will only receive a short time. Your proposal has to stand out!
 Student Recruitment & Admissions
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The process of applying to external funding providers

Rules, guidelines, eligibility and deadlines

A surprisingly large percentage of proposals are rejected simply because they do
not follow the rules and guidelines specified by the funding body. Deadlines are
nearly always firm (unless called “rolling”) and it is highly unlikely that they would
be changed for anyone. Follow the rules, guidelines and eligibility criteria to the
letter! The funder has produced them for a reason and failure to follow these will
almost guarantee the rejection of your proposal.

Screening process
The most popular funding bodies will have a very strict screening process which
will be carried out before the reviewer gets to see the proposals. Any application
which does not comply with rules and regulations, including editorial ones such
as font size or number of pages will not be accepted. The number of proposals
will almost always exceed the number of awards available so do not provide
reasons for your application to be rejected on format.

The application process

Bear in mind that some funders have closing dates early in the year so it is a
good idea to start the application as soon as possible (about a year before
your proposed start date). External funders will often ask you to have, at least,
a conditional offer of admission at the proposed university or to have an
endorsement from the university you are planning to go to. Some funding will
only be tenable at the university stated in the application so make sure you read
all the guidelines.

Discuss and develop your idea

You may start the funding application process by identifying a suitable supervisor
and discussing the idea for your research project with him/her. Your prospective
supervisor will be an integral part of your application and should be able to offer
further support with your application. You can look for potential supervisors
by visiting the prospective University website, review the research expertise
which fits your chosen field best and then search for researchers who could be
potential supervisors.

It is a good idea to have a good general overview of your supervisor’s research

expertise as a courtesy to them when you contact them for the first time. This
will also allow you to ensure that they are the best person to advise you on your
proposal. More information is provided in the previous section on how to write a
good research proposal/postgraduate research application.

You may wish to send an abstract of your research idea or a draft research
proposal to prospective supervisors prior to submitting your application, meeting
them or talking to them over the phone or by e-mail. Make sure your draft is
of good quality and it is best not to send the same proposal to all potential
supervisors. Be prepared to listen to their advice and to answer questions. Critical
appraisal is a skill that academic staff have developed over many years so don’t
be offended if you get a lot of comments and take advantage of the expertise
and experience of your prospective supervisor. Finally and very importantly, do
not assume that your prospective supervisor will or should do all the hard work
for you. It is YOUR proposal!

Fellow students, friends and colleagues can also act as lay readers/ proofreaders
and give a different perspective on your proposal, in particular on the aims of
your research.
 Student Recruitment & Admissions
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Find a potential research studentship funder

If you are seeking external funding for your own project, the next step is to find
the most appropriate funding body and funding stream for your particular research
project. Your prospective supervisor and previous undergraduate/Masters study
advisors will be excellent sources of knowledge in this area. Other members of
staff in university’s scholarships offices, careers services, research support offices or
student recruitment and admissions (if they have staff specialising in postgraduate
studies) may be able to help you.

Before you start developing the research proposal, it is worth researching your
chosen funding body (whether it is a university or an external funding agency) and
the web is a good source of information). Once an opportunity has been identified,
you should ensure that you have checked:
• that your research idea is in a research area supported by the prospective
funder;
• that you are eligible to apply (e.g. nationality, affiliation, qualifications);
• that you have allowed sufficient time for drafting the research proposal;
• that you understand fully the funder’s selection process;
• that you have allowed sufficient time to complete the proposal for the closing
date and;
• how the application should be submitted to the funder. Some funders (e.g. AHRC
and ESRC) require that you register on their system and may require approval
from your prospective university.

Before you start writing

All funders (government funded research councils, universities, research charities, or
private companies) have objectives to fulfill set by the people and organisations that
they answer to, including stakeholders and financial supporters. When they invest in
research, they are looking for that investment to help them achieve those objectives.
For private sector employers, it may be to improve their business processes, increase
their R&D potential or to train employees. For research charities, it may be to find
ways to help particular groups of people such as those in unemployment or those
affected by a medical condition.

All funders, universities and prospective supervisors want good applicants. However,
they will have different ways of reviewing your application and may have strict
criteria against which to assess your proposal. Try to be objective. For example, if
your research proposal involves a 10-year geological survey, it is unlikely that the
funder will want to fund it as a PhD studentship which is set to last for a defined
and shorter period of time. Similarly, if your proposal contains too few or too many
research activities for the period of proposed research training, they will be reluctant
to fund it. The former will not be considered good value for money and the latter
will be perceived as having a risk of failure against the objectives planned at the
beginning of the project.

Make sure you consider how best to present the ideas/objectives of the research
project and their value clearly as there is stiff competition for postgraduate research
awards. A proposal should not just be “good enough” but one of the best.

Lay summary
In addition to an abstract and an introduction, you may be asked to produce a lay
summary, the impact of which is not to be under-estimated. While funders may
use expert panels to assess research proposals, the final decision may rest with
individuals (for example: Trustees from a charity) who will not necessarily have the
expertise in your proposed field of research. Make sure you “grab” the readers
attention by presenting a clear and succinct summary. As an indication, some
Research Councils advise that the lay summary be written in a style which should
allow reasonable understanding by an interested 14-year old.
 Student Recruitment & Admissions
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Training and supervision

The training and supervision of research students is an important consideration. Prospective postgraduate research
students will be expected to gain specialist and transferable skills so, if the funder requires it, indicate what provisions are
in place at your proposed university. The University of Edinburgh runs one of the best and most proactive transferable skills
programmes, please visit: www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/institute-academic-development

Individual university websites will also provide information regarding the facilities and structure of your specialist training
e.g. skills in a particular technique, access to archives, a seminar programme (to which you may be asked to contribute), a
mentoring scheme (if in place) or access to a Graduate School.

Dissemination
Funders want the research they support to help and inspire others, therefore proposals which highlight what the expected
benefits of the research are and how the research findings will be communicated to the wider community have a greater
chance of success. Please note that some funders have strict rules about reporting but it does no harm to indicate that you
will comply with that. Other funders such the private sector may sometimes request an embargo period for your research
to be published so you must check, with your supervisor, what the terms and conditions are. Examples are provided in the
section on dissemination (see page 07)

Ethical considerations
Funding bodies have strict rules and expectations of the standards with which the research they fund should be carried out.
Project proposals must therefore include potential ethical issues raised by the conduct of the research and funders will want
to see how these will be addressed should they occur. This is particularly important if your research project is deemed “high
risk” i.e. if it involves animals, sensitive materials or vulnerable groups such as children or adults with disabilities. You may
also be asked to indicate what the ethical approval system is in your prospective School. Your prospective supervisor will be
able to provide you with this information.
 Student Recruitment & Admissions
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Other resources

• The Postgraduate Companion (2008). Chapters 4-7; Hall G. and

Longman J. Eds, Sage Publications London, UK.

• The PhD Application Handbook: Revised Edition (2012). Bentley PJ.

Eds, Open University Press, Maidenhead, UK.

• Vitae (formerly UKGRAD): www.vitae.ac.uk

• FindaPhD: www.findaphd.com/advice
Produced by
The Postgraduate Team,
Student Recruitment & Admissions,
The University of Edinburgh
postgraduate.enquiries@ed.ac.uk

This leaflet is available to download in PDF format on our website:

www.ed.ac.uk/studying/postgraduate

If you require this document in an alternative format, such as large

print, please contact: sra.enquiries@ed.ac.uk

The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336. ©The University of Edinburgh, 2015
COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

Guidance on how to contact potential supervisors

Identifying a PhD supervisor
Choosing to undertake graduate research is a big decision and it is extremely important that you
identify a research project that really excites you. Identifying the right supervisor is critical as this
relationship provides you with invaluable support and guidance from a leading academic in your field.

How to identify a suitable supervisor at UCL

• Thoroughly research your options on UCL departmental websites and in the UCL online
Graduate Prospectus: www.ucl.ac.uk/gradprospectus
• You can also search for relevant supervisors and research groups in the Institutional Research
Information Service: www.ucl.ac.uk/iris. Not all academics are listed in this database but it is a
good place to start.
• You can read research papers written by UCL academics in our research repository. All papers
are put here subject to academic approval: www.ucl.ac.uk/discovery
• Make contact with either the specific academic you are interested in working with, or the
appropriate Department Graduate Tutor (listed either on the department website or next to the
programme entry in the Graduate Prospectus), to explore research opportunities in more depth.

This process helps define your interests and aspirations, contributes to making your application
successful, and also serves to ensure the identification of the best possible supervisor for your needs.

How to make a research enquiry

Academic members of staff are extremely busy people and receive a lot of research enquiries. In a
recent survey 67% of staff said they receive research enquiries that do not relate to their interests. It
is extremely important to research supervisor’s interests thoroughly before you contact them. If they
do not think your enquiry is related to their research they may not have time to respond to you.

Here are some tips for contacting graduate tutors or academic staff to explore research opportunities:
• Take time over your email and make sure you highlight your strengths clearly
• Make sure your English is as good as possible
• Do not use the same email template to contact different academics. Enquiries should be tailored
to the academic’s area of interest and refer to their current work

In most cases you should include the following information:

• Funding status (secured funding, self-funded, will apply for a scholarship, applying for a specific
advertised position etc).
• Whether you are a UK, overseas or EU student.
• Whether you want to conduct your research full time or part time.

Academics in different areas will expect different things

• Supervisors in areas where research is more usually conducted in research teams, normally
science, engineering or medicine, will generally want to see evidence that you will fit well in
the research team. They will want to see a CV demonstrating your interest and experience in
their area of specialisation, as well as a brief note on why you are interested in joining their
research team in particular.
 • Supervisors in areas where research is usually conducted on an individual basis, normally
humanities and social sciences, will usually expect to see a well thought-through Proposal for
the research that you want to conduct. This research will have to be closely related to research
recently conducted by the supervisor. Please see further guidance below.

If you are unsure about whether a research proposal is necessary check with the graduate tutor in the
department, division, research group or institute you are interested in. These can be found on the
academic unit’s website or in UCL’s online Graduate Prospectus: www.ucl.ac.uk/gradprospectus

Guidance on how to write a research proposal (if applicable – see previous section)
The format for a research proposal varies between different disciplines, but all good proposals must
be both informative and persuasive. You need to clearly describe the topic, its aims and objectives,
and its methodology.

This should be done as concisely as possible and in the first instance should usually amount to
around 500 words. Your initial proposal - prior to contacting an academic - should certainly not
exceed 3,000 words. If a prospective supervisor is interested in your proposal the two of you will
usually refine and develop it together to produce a final research proposal.

A good proposal should have the following basic elements, though their order and weighting can of
course vary:
• A working title: Make this clear and descriptive

• Some background and rationale

o Explain the background and issues of your research
o What are your aims and objectives?
o What are the parameters? Explain why you have chosen them?

• Clear and defined research question (s).

o Your question needs to be answerable within a set timeframe

• A description of your theoretical framework and methodological approach.

o Why is this best suited to your topic?
o What are the theoretical and research issues related to your research question?
o What sources / data will you use?
o What are the activities necessary for the completion of your project?
o Will you need to collaborate with other researchers or organisations?
o Are there ethical considerations that need to be considered?
o How realistic is your project in practical terms?

• An brief analytic discussion of the scholarly research to date on your topic.

o What is the current state of your field?
o Acknowledge the main contributors in this field
o In what ways will your research create valuable and useful knowledge?

• A brief statement on your particular qualifications.

o Have your previous degrees given you the necessary knowledge of the field, discipline,
and methodologies you require?
o What research training will you need to undertake?

• Do you hope to publish your research, if so where?

American International Journal of Contemporary Research Vol. 2 No. 4; April 2012

How to Write Your PhD Proposal: A Step-By-Step Guide

Dr. Qais Faryadi

Faculty of Science and Technology
Department of Computer Science
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM)
Malaysia

Abstract
This appraisal argues that a piece of investigation must pass through a set of rigorous tests such as scientific
methodology (quantitative, qualitative, experimental, observation and so on), validity, (logical procedure to
answer a question), reliability (Quality of measurement) and unbiased conclusion (accurate measures are taken
to make sure that it is free from individual interest). This guideline further examines the procedures for writing a
practical and a realistic PhD proposal. Further, this critical evaluation assists PhD students by providing them
with a complete roadmap on how to write an internationally recognized PhD proposal. Lastly, in this
investigation, the PhD proposal writing process, such as abstract, introduction, problem statement, research
questions, literature review, research methodology, research results, conclusion, discussions and implications are
illustrated.
Keywords: PhD, Proposal, methodology, research, Proposal writing process
Introduction
Research is defined as a premeditated investigations using scientific methodology (quantitative, qualitative,
experimental, observation and so on) to solve a severe problem (not ordinary problem) thus creating a second
(new) knowledge. Research is further delineated as an inquiry of reality about something thus testing hypothesis,
answering questions, generating new queries, finding solutions and creating new knowledge. The new knowledge
must be useable, reusable and challengeable by other researchers. A piece of exploration to qualify as a research
must pass through a set of rigorous examination such as validity (logical procedure to answer a question),
reliability (Quality of measurement) and unbiased conclusion (accurate measures are taken to make sure that it is
free from individual interest). As thus, a PhD proposal must qualify the above conditions of a scientific research
procedure.
Proposal is a solid and convincing framework of a PhD thesis that must underline the originality of a research. It
also must delineate a significant contribution to the existing intellectual knowledge. The proposal either must
challenge or support the existing literature on the proposed problem. Proposal must also explain that why this
particular PhD candidate is the right person to do the proposed research. Proposal must elucidate the originality of
the problem and must illustrate what critical thinking and skills used to prove or disprove the problem. Proposal
must explain how the problem going to be solved and how it going to bridge the gap in the existing knowledge. A
well-articulated proposal explains the right methodology used to conduct the study and gives logical reasons why
this particular methodology is chosen. Inadequately designed research proposal leads to a scantily finished PhD
research.
As evident from the above discussion, a proposal must answer these questions:
What I am going to do?
Who has done similar research?
What he/she found?
How I am going to do this study?
Why this study is so unique?
Finally yet importantly, carefully selected academic papers that converse the same problem must be referenced.

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How to Write Your Abstract

An abstract is one of the most intricate and the same time a beautiful part of a thesis writing process. It is the most
critical points of a thesis that the writer wants his readers to read. The prime objective of an abstract is to
enlighten the reader about the fundamentals of a thesis. Although different disciplines entail diverse types of
abstract writing process, however, the roadmap for abstract writing is approximately remains the same.
Vital Parts of an Abstract:
(1) Problem statement formation
(2) Construction of objectives and scope of the research
(3) Construction of research methodology (theories, qualitative, quantitative) and method (instruments)
used in the investigation.
(4) Results and findings without adding any comments of your own
(5) Conclusion and a concise outline of its significance
An Ideal Example of a Concise Abstract
The problem investigated in this research was that the majority of foreign language classes are taught with little or
no regard for the current field-tested paradigm of foreign language acquisition. The prime objective of this
experimental research was to compare the effect of two different instructional design interventions in teaching
Arabic as a foreign language. A Triangulation method (quantitative, qualitative and descriptive) is employed in
the investigation. Instruments used to collect data were Pre-test, Post-test, interviews and questionnaires. Results
signified that BAIK statistically improved students’ performance in the final exam compared to the traditional
method. In brief, BAIK significantly improved learners’ attitude, satisfaction, motivation and perception about
learning the Arabic as a foreign language.
How to Write Your Introduction
Introduction is one of the most difficult parts of a PhD proposal. Introduction opens a dialogue with your
examiners or readers. Your introduction can make or break you during the presentation. Your introduction must
convince your reader that you are the right person among thousands of researchers. You must also show to your
reader that how you going to fulfill his/her needs and what exceptional benefits they get from you. This is how
you start your PhD proposal introduction. Now you are face to face with your reader and challenging him that
you are the best researcher in this field. You should start talking to them gently but without fear and favor.
The following tips are crucial in introduction writing process:
1. Tell the reader about your problem.
2. Tell the reader who is suffering from that problem?
3. How you going to solve that problem?
4. Tell the reader that you are qualified and equipped with the right methods of solving that problem.
5. Tell the reader the benefits you offer by solving that problem?
6. Tell the reader what results you anticipate.
7. Make sure to tell what is the most important to them. No more, no less and stand for your claim.
How to Write Your Problem Statement
A problem statement is a specific condition that needs urgent attention and a possible solution. Problem statement
attempts to fill a gap in the existing knowledge that requires serious attention. An excellent problem statement is
just a line or two. The rest of the paragraph(s) is its elaboration; a possible solution and most importantly, who
says that it is a problem (cite scholarly references). The problem must generate questions for the research to
answer. A PhD proposal problem statement must challenge to answer the following questions:
1. What is the problem? What?
2. Where is the problem? Where?
3. How to solve the problem? How?
4. Why you want to solve the problem? Why?
5. Is the problem current?
6. Will the problem continue in the future if it is not solved?
7. Who is suffering by that problem?
8. Will this problem prove or disprove the existing knowledge?
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How to Write Your Research Questions

Your research question must be brief, relevant, focused and arguable. Good research questions create a corridor to
your research. Good research questions are the spine of your proposal and later, in your thesis. The following few
tips may help you to write your research questions:
1. Choose a topic that interests you and your readers.
2. Make an investigation on your topic by going through scholarly journals and see what questions are
raised by your peers. Take note of what questions are not raised so that you elevate it.
3. Your research questions should not be answered by simple facts; it must require critical analysis and field
tested research. It must be provoking and requires significant examination.
4. Your research questions should be neither very broad nor very narrow. If too narrow, you will have
difficulty in finding relevant information.
5. Do not forget to show your research questions to your supervisors before going into details of it.
How to Write Your Literature Review
Review of the literature is the life cycle of every proposal writing process. Literature review connotes a systematic
account of documented literature by qualified and accredited scholars and researchers. When writing review of the
literature you must show to your examiners and readers that what knowledge has been documented about your
problem statement and what knowledge has not been documented yet so that you are about to document it. Your
piece of literature must speak loud and clear about your research objectives, questions and your problem
statement. As thus, your literature review should define and strengthen your research. It should not be a long list
of bibliographic references or a summary of rearticulated materials to persuade your readers.
When evaluating literature review in PhD proposal defense, you must ask yourself:
1. Does the literature review discuss about authenticity of his problem statement?
2. Does the literature review significantly support the severity of his problem statement?
3. Does the researcher agree or disagree with existing knowledge, and why?
4. Is his/her final judgment or conclusion is sound, logical and persuasive?
5. Does the researcher find literatures that prove or disprove his problem statement?
How to Write Your Methodology
Methodology refers to the theoretical analysis of your research while method refers to a systematic and orderly
arrangement and measuring of your research. The Method of a research designates that how you going to
demeanor your research. It also leads you on how to advance with your research. Method is just like a tool
utilized by a researcher to measure the activities of the study. Different methodologies are used with different
studies. Thus, methodology indicates rational and idealistic postulation of your study while method refers to the
how to do of it. For example: Research on human feelings:
Methodology: Triangulation (Qualitative, Quantitative and Descriptive) mixed.
Method: Research design, population, sample, instrument, validity, reliability and result and so on.
Some useful points when formulating your research methodology:
1. Choose your methodology based on the type of research you are conducting.
2. Institute a clear and concise affiliation between your study and your methodology.
3. Ask yourself whether this methodology answers your research questions?
4. Provide meaningful reason for choosing your methodology such as literature review.
5. Divide your method into research design, population, sample, instrument, validity, reliability, results and
implementation phases.
6. Most importantly, are you comfortable with it?
How to Write Your Results
Your PhD proposal does not need elaborative results at this point of time. At this stage of PhD proposal writing
you have not proved or disproved your problem statement and research questions yet. At this juncture you only
hypothesis or anticipate your results in the future. For example let say your topic is about magnesium chloride,
you may state hypothetically that this experimental research will prove that magnesium chloride regulates the
activities of insulin the hormone that helps control blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. Our discussion about
result is still relevant when you come to the result chapter in your PhD thesis, hopefully.
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Let us presume that you are in result chapter of your thesis:

Congratulations! Now the time has come to reap what you have sown. You have to declare your findings with text
as well as with illustrations. You have to illustrate your findings with evidence so that your problem statement and
questions are answered clearly. Your results might be negative or positive. Even though it is a negative finding,
still is a significant contribution to the existing knowledge. When you are declaring your results never mention the
words such as I, We, or I found that…, we found that…, because it is unprofessional for a scholar to boost. Instead
you may state, this research has investigated….., this study has found that…. and so on.
Consider the following when reporting your results:
1. Make an introduction (Few lines) at the beginning and a summary (Few lines) at the end of your result
chapter. It is nice to inform your readers that what you are about to do and what you have done so far.
Make a habit of doing the same to all of your chapters.
2. Analyze your qualitative data (interviews, survey responses, emails, your own notes, observations,
feedback, questionnaires)and quantitative data (statistics, percentages and numbers).Use Statistical
Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to analyze (means, S-D, Frequencies, percentages) your data. If you
are not expert in SPSS, hire an expert to do the calculation for you.
3. Use deductive (from general to specific) and inductive (from specific to general) to organize collected
data. Organize your data based on your research questions and hypothesis.
4. Display your data based on relationships among the collected data and look for supporting evidence.
5. Cross check your data few times for reliability and validity.
6. So, what did you find from your experimentation? Report without adding any comments of your own.
7. What were the differences? If you are making a comparison. Use T-Test to compare.
8. Analyze your findings to see if it answers your research questions and finds a solution to your problem
statement. Again, avoid making any comments of your own.
Save your energy for the conclusion and discussion chapter. Do not forget to report your results in the
present form because it sounds soothing and original. Example: The interviews indicate that…….result
shows that..
How to Write Your Conclusion and Discussion
Writing a conclusion is as difficult as writing your introduction. One big difference between your introduction and
conclusion is that in introduction you pose questions to your audience while in conclusion you answer those
questions. However, one must remember that a conclusion is not a summary of your introduction even though a
paragraph may be the summary of the whole proposal. In discussion, you interpret your results and bridge the gap
that you promised to do when formulating your Hypothesis.
In summarizing your conclusion and discussion, the following may be of help:
1. Explain in plain English what we understand now that we did not understand before. Write for your
readers not for yourself. Never mention the words I, We or I found that and so on.
2. Interpret your problem statement and show with evidence from your literature review section that you
have indeed bridged a major gap in knowledge.
3. Interpret your hypothesis and problem statement with evidence from your literature review section and
give logical reasoning that what you have claimed is in fact true (Don’t worry; if it is negative or positive
still significant). For example, a study claimed that Magnesium chloride is not the solution for depression.
However, your experimental results show that magnesium chloride is in fact the solution for fighting
severe depression. Here you are! Start reasoning and give evidence from scholarly publications that
support your hypothesis. Those supportive references should be in your literature review chapter.
4. Discuss and reason about the significant contribution of your experimental research and argue that you
have solved a major problem if not it would have continued in the future.
5. Make sure that you reconnect your claims with lots of documented evidence from your literature review
to interpret your findings. Lastly do not forget to be concise and to the point, no more no less.

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Conclusion
It is evident from the above discussion that a piece of research must pass through a hard tests such as scientific
methodology (quantitative, qualitative, experimental, observation and so on), validity, (logical procedure to
answer a question), reliability (Quality of measurement) and unbiased conclusion (accurate measures are taken to
make sure that it is free from individual interest). As thus, a PhD proposal must describe a significant contribution
to the existing academic knowledge.
The proposal either must confront or sustain the existing literature on the proposed problem. Proposal must also
explain that why this particular PhD candidate is the right person to do the proposed research. Proposal must
elucidate the originality of the problem and must illustrate what critical thinking and skills used to prove or
disprove the problem. Proposal must explain how the problem going to be solved and how it going to bridge the
gap in the existing knowledge.

References
Allan A. Glatthorn, R.L.J,( 2005) Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation, (2nd ed.) Corwin Press, CA,.
Bogdan, R. C., & Biklen, S. K. (2003). Qualitative Research for Education: An introduction to theories and
methods (4th Ed.). PP. 4-7, Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Bond, Mark. (2008). How to Write a PhD Dissertation Proposal & a PhD Dissertation: PhD Dissertation Writing
Made Easy. http://knol.google.com/k/how-to-write-a-phd-dissertation-proposal-a-phd-dissertation# 2012
Cambridge Dictionaries Online, Cambridge University Press 2012.
Chamberlain, T.C. "The Method of Multiple Working Hypotheses", reprinted in Science, Vol 148, pp754-759. 7
May 1965.
Chandrasekhar. R. (2002). How to Write a Thesis: A working Guide. Australian Research Center For Medical
Engineering. University of Western Australia.
Creswell, J. W. (2011). Educational Research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative
research (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson.
Eastarbrook. S (2004) How Theses Are Get Written: Some Cool Tips. Department of Computer science,
University of Toronto. eLook.org online Dictionary, 2012
Golafshani, N. (2003). Understanding reliability and validity in qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 8(4),
597-606.
Hanson, W. Creswell, J. Plano; Kelly and Creswell, D. (2005). Mixed Methods Design in Counselin Psychology.
Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52 (2), 224-235.
Hoepfi, M.C. (1997). Choosing Qualitative Research: A Primer for Technology Education Researchers. Journal
of Technology Education, 9(1)
Holbrook, A.; Bpurke, S.; (2004). Qualities and Characteristics in the Written Reports of Doctoral Thesis
Examiners, Australian Journal of Educational & Developmental Psychology, v4 p126-145
Kothari, C.R. (2006). Research methodology: Methods & techniques. India: New Age International Publishers
Krathwohl, David R. 1988. How to Prepare a Research Proposal: Guidelines for Funding and Dissertations in
the Social and Behavioral Sciences . Syracuse University Press.
Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren. 1940 ('67, '72 etc). How to Read a Book. Simon and Schuster
Publishers. New York City, NY.
Platt, J. "Strong Inference" in Science, Number 3642, pp. 347-353, 16 October 1964. Strunk and White The
Elements of Style.
Rocco, T.S., Hatcher, T., & Creswell, J.W. (2011). The handbook of scholarly writing and publishing. San
Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
Schulman , R. Cox. (2010) How to Write a Ph.D. Dissertation. Annals of Improbable Research, Vol. 3, No. 5, pg.
8.
Thompson, P. (2004). Researching Family and Social Mobility with Two Eyes: Some Experiences of the
Interaction between Qualitative and Quantitative Data. International Journal of Social Research
Methodology, 7 (3), 237-257.
Turabian, Kate. 1955 (or a more recent edition) A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses and
Dissertations, University of Chicago Press.

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Guidelines for preparing a research proposal for a PhD thesis

The aims of the proposal are to provide information about the intended research project in terms of
content and methodology so that the Department can assess:

a) the feasibility of the project

b) the suitability of the candidate for being registered for a PhD degree; moreover, the proposal will
assist the Department to assign a suitable supervisor to the student.

The proposal, which may be developed in consultation with a member of the Department’s staff,
should not exceed 5,000 words. It is understood that the student may need to deviate from the
proposed outline as the actual PhD research unfolds.

PhD Thesis

a) Topics for PhD research should fall within the wide spectrum of psychoanalytic enquiry. They
may examine any suitable phenomenon from a psychoanalytic (or analytical psychology)
perspective using appropriate methodology (typically, theoretical, historical or empirical); they may
also focus on psychoanalysis or analytical psychology as an object of enquiry. Theses should
represent an original contribution to the field.

b) The length of the thesis may not exceed 80,000 words (excluding notes, appendices and
references).

The proposal would normally include the following components, depending on the nature of the
project:

▪ Statement of the research question: What is the relevance of and the rationale for choosing
this area of enquiry? Why is the research question posed in the way it is? Does the candidate
have any particular motivation for posing this question or does he/she possess any expertise in
this area?

▪ A focused introduction: This should include a brief critical review of the literature relevant to
the research question. What are the main texts and trends informing the thinking which has led
to the formation of this research question?

▪ Hypotheses: What are the main hypotheses or lines of enquiry? Within what general
theoretical and/or historical framework will this research be carried out? What specific
contribution from psychoanalytic/Jungian perspectives is relevant to this piece of research?

▪ Research design and Methodology: How are the main hypotheses going to be investigated
or researched? An outline of the methodology, research design and procedure should be
given. In addition, the anticipated structure of the thesis (i.e. sections and chapters) should be
outlined.

▪ Pilot work and ethical issues: In proposals for empirical research, details will need to be
provided of the proposed pilot work, the sequence of the various investigations and the
research instruments which are intended to be used. In addition, the relevant methods of
analysing the data will need to be discussed. Candidates should bear in mind that approval by
an ethics research committee will be required before any collection of data.

▪ Timetable: An outline of the approximate timetable of the various stages of the proposed
research should be given.
 1
THE LOGIC AND
STRUCTURE
OF RESEARCH
PROPOSALS

• What is a research proposal? • Seven basic questions • The

structure of research proposals • The evaluation of research
proposals • Who approves research proposals? • What happens to
a research proposal once it is submitted? • Summary of key points
• Further reading

What is a research proposal?

A research proposal is a relatively brief document that contains an outline

plan for a research project. It is produced at the beginning of the research
process in advance of any data collection. A well-constructed research proposal
offers a blueprint for the research that shows what the parts look like and how
they will fit together. It describes what will be done, explains how it will be
done, and justifies why the research should be undertaken.
A research proposal is an important part of the research process because the
success of any project depends on forward planning and organization. A good

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 6 RESEARCH PROPOSALS

proposal is based on careful thought about how the project will be conducted
and involves the kind of advance planning that is required if a project is to
run smoothly. There is a useful analogy here with house building. No-one
would seriously consider starting work on a house without first having drawn
up plans for the building. Without such plans it would be virtually impossible
to work out exactly what materials will be required, when they are to be
delivered, and how they will fit together. The same applies with a research
project. Before embarking on a research project, the researcher needs to
prepare the groundwork and give careful thought to the practical issues
involved at the implementation stage of the research.

Seven basic questions

There is logic to research proposals, and it is really very simple. It can be

expressed as a sequence of seven basic questions that it is reasonable to ask
about any proposed research (see Figure 1.1). These questions reflect a general

FIGURE 1.1 The logic of research proposals

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 THE LOGIC AND STRUCTURE OF RESEARCH PROPOSALS 7

way of thinking about research and are the ones that most readers will have in
their minds when they consider whether a proposal is worthwhile and
whether it is feasible. Of course, the sophistication of the answers provided to
these questions will vary according to the circumstances; much will depend
on the purpose of the proposal and the level of expertise expected of the
researcher. Successful proposals, however, have this in common: they manage
to address the seven questions in a way that satisfies the requirements of their
particular audience.

Question 1: What is it all about?

This is a fundamental question that readers will ask about any research
proposal. First and foremost, they will want to know what the topic is and
they will be looking for precise information about the subject matter of the
research. And they are also entitled to ask what the research is trying to
accomplish. What is the purpose of the research and what is it trying to
achieve? Without this information the readers of the research proposal cannot
evaluate the proposal. They cannot judge whether the methodology is
appropriate or whether there will be sufficient time and resources to complete
the project. And they will get frustrated and annoyed if they do not get this
information supplied clearly, precisely, and succinctly in the proposal.

Question 2: What do we already know about the subject?

Having addressed the question of what the research is all about, the next
logical thing that readers of a proposal will ask is: What do we already know
about the subject? What has previous research revealed and where have we
got to in terms of our knowledge about the topic? This is a relevant and
important question to pose in this context. Primarily, this is because a review
of the existing information can prevent us from undertaking research that is
not necessary. There is no point in ‘reinventing the wheel’. If the information
already exists, there is no point in repeating the research (unless we have the
specific aim of checking the validity of the earlier findings).

Question 3: What does the research need to find out?

Once readers are clear about the aims of the research and what is already
known about the topic, the next step logically is for them to ask what new
information is needed. A review of the existing information not only tells us
what we already know, it tells us what we don’t know and what it would be
useful to find out. This allows the proposed research to be targeted where it
will be most useful. It helps to pinpoint the kind of things that need to be
studied to shed some light on the topic – the factors (variables, indicators,
relationships, etc.) that it will prove useful to focus upon if the research is to
produce findings that are relevant in terms of saying anything new or useful

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 8 RESEARCH PROPOSALS

about the topic of research. Readers will be looking for these things to be
spelled out clearly and precisely, usually in the form of ‘research questions’.

Question 4: How will we get the necessary information?

Having established precisely what the research needs to find out, the next
question is fairly obvious: How will the necessary information be obtained? A
description of the research methods is called for in order to answer this
question. Proposals always include an account of how the researcher intends
to collect the data, how much data will be collected, and what techniques will
be used to analyse the data. Armed with such information readers can draw
their own conclusions about whether the methods are suitable or not for the
task at hand, and whether or not the proposed methods are likely to work in
practice. It is these kind of judgements, of course, that are crucial when it
comes to deciding whether a proposal appears to be worthwhile and feasible,
and ultimately whether it is successful or not.

Question 5: What will it cost and how long will it take?

Research takes time and costs money, and this is something that readers of
research proposals will recognize. It will be of concern to them in terms of the
feasibility of the proposed project. They will want to know what resources are
necessary for the successful completion of the research, and they will be
looking for evidence within the proposal that the researcher has planned the
research in accord with the amount of time that is available and the amount
of money at his or her disposal for the completion of the project.

Question 6: Is the research socially acceptable?

Readers will want to feel assured that the proposed research will be conducted
in a manner that meets socially accepted standards governing research activity.
They will realize that if there are any doubts on this point it is almost certain
that the research project will not be allowed to proceed. Mindful of this, they
will look for guarantees that the research will be conducted in a manner that
abides by the principles of research ethics and accords with the law of the land.

Question 7: What are the benefits?

Most readers will expect a piece of research to be justified on the basis that it
will produce some specific, identifiable benefits. Indeed, it is rarely the case
that research can be justified ‘for its own sake’. For this reason, it is important
for research proposals to address questions about the outcomes of the research
and the end-products that it is hoped will arise from the research. They need
to contain a clear account of the ‘deliverables’ from the project and an
explanation of who, or what, might benefit as a direct result of the project.

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 THE LOGIC AND STRUCTURE OF RESEARCH PROPOSALS 9

The structure of research proposals

As Table 1.1 indicates, these seven questions provide a rationale for the way
that research proposals are organized. They provide a basis for providing the
readership with relevant information – allowing the vital material to be
presented in an efficient manner, in a format that is familiar and a sequence
that allows readers to understand things quickly, easily, and with the minimum
of effort.
The headings listed in Table 1.1 can be used as the basis for writing a research
proposal. They will be recognizable to readers from a wide range of research
backgrounds and they provide a sound, generic framework for organizing all
the relevant material.
However, we need to be a little cautious about treating them like a ‘one-size-
fits-all’ form that can be pulled off the shelf and used in connection with any
research proposal in any context. One reason for this is that the kind of detail
that is required in a proposal can vary according to the nature of the subject
area of the research. It is easy to understand that proposals might look slightly
different if they are written to suit the nature of research in particular areas,
especially when those areas are as diverse as business, engineering, medicine,
sociology, education, history, languages, and so on.
Another reason is that various agencies and organizations that receive
research proposals often produce bespoke forms with their own headings to
suit their own purposes. They are at liberty to do so and there is no single
body with the authority to enforce the use of one single model of a standard
research proposal form. This means that when it comes to writing a research
proposal, the first thing that a researcher must do is check whether his or her
proposal needs to be submitted using a particular form or needs to adhere to
specific guidelines provided by the body to which the proposal will be

Table 1.1 The structure of research proposals

Typical headings/sections Basic questions Guidance in

this book

Title
Keywords
What is it all about? Chapter 4
Aims
Background
Literature review What do we already know? Chapter 5
Research questions What do we need to find out? Chapter 6
Methods How will we get the necessary information? Chapter 7
Planning and resources How long will it take and what will it cost? Chapter 8
Ethics Is the research socially acceptable? Chapter 9
Outcomes What will be the benefits? Chapter 10

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 10 RESEARCH PROPOSALS

submitted. If so, then there is no option but to use the headings and sections
as supplied. This is an absolute must. Any attempt to change the stipulated
headings and sections is likely to jeopardize the proposal’s prospects of success.

Top tip
Always use the prescribed format when one is available.

Although ‘No universally applicable and correct format exists for the
research proposal’ (Locke et al. 2000: 7), there is still a strong family resemblance
underlying the structure and headings to be found across the whole spectrum
of disciplines and organizations involved. This, as we have noted, reflects the
seven questions that can be asked about any research project. There is a shared
logic to the many alternatives and, as Appendix 3 shows, this results in a
familiar feel to the headings and sections adopted across a range of approaches
and different research traditions.

The evaluation of research proposals

Most research projects need to gain approval from a relevant authority before
they are allowed to start and the research proposal provides the kind of vital
information that enables relevant authorities to evaluate the research and
make a decision about whether to approve/support the work and allow it to
go ahead.
The analogy with house building is again useful on this point. No reasonable
person would start the construction of a house without having sought
permission from relevant authorities to embark on the construction. Plans
have to be drawn up to show that the house will be structurally sound and
that it will meet all the necessary requirements in terms of building regulations.
Well, the same logic applies to a research project. In the same way that there
are regulations and procedures that are designed to protect the public from
rogue builders constructing houses that are likely to collapse or which fail to
meet environmental standards, there are standards and procedures that
researchers need to take into account to avoid poor research designs that are
likely to fail. The blueprint for research contained in research proposals
provides the kind of information that allows people to check whether the
proposed research will accord with the necessary procedures and regulations
and it thus allows those who authorize research to make judgements about
the quality of the proposed investigation and the likelihood that it will work
and that it will have some beneficial outcomes.

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 THE LOGIC AND STRUCTURE OF RESEARCH PROPOSALS 11

The point to remember, then, is that research proposals are essentially

documents that will be evaluated. They are written for a purpose, and that
purpose is invariably connected with getting approval for the plan of research
that is contained in the proposal. Proposals are written with a view to being
evaluated by individuals or committees who have the authority to allow the
research to go ahead, or to prevent it from taking place. This applies whether
the proposal is written for an undergraduate research project, a master’s degree
dissertation or an application for entry to a doctoral research programme. And
it also applies when proposals are written as part of a bid for funding or as part
of an application for ethics approval. All proposals are scrutinized by experts
who use their experience to make judgements about the quality of what is
being proposed and the prospects that it can be delivered. Successful research
proposals recognize this point. They are produced with a constant eye on the
evaluators – who they will be, what they will expect, and what will ignite their
enthusiasm.

By their nature, research proposals are documents that are evaluated by their
readers.

Who approves research proposals?

Broadly speaking, approval can take four different forms (see Table 1.2).
Proposals linked to master’s dissertations and bachelor’s degree projects are
generally submitted to tutors who will act as supervisors to the students during

Table 1.2 The evaluation of research proposals

Purpose of the proposal People who evaluate the proposal

Approval for research project on a degree

programme
• master’s dissertation Supervisors
• undergraduate project Tutors
Applications for acceptance onto a research
degree programme
• PhD application Research committees, potential supervisors
Funding applications
• research grant Review panels, subject experts
Ethics approval Human research ethics committees,
Institutional review boards (USA)

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 12 RESEARCH PROPOSALS

their relatively short-term research project. These people will be concerned

with whether the research is likely to prove worthwhile in terms of knowledge
in the subject area, but they will also want to be assured that the proposed
research is possible within the resource constraints and the tight time
constraints within which dissertations and projects need to be completed.
When a proposal is submitted as part of an application for acceptance onto
a PhD programme, the people who evaluate the proposal will be potential PhD
supervisors or members of committees established to ensure that entrants on a
PhD programme will be embarking on a worthwhile piece of research and that
the applicant is academically good enough to take on the task. In this case, the
evaluators will place high priority on the potential contribution of the research
in terms of advancing theory or solving a significant practical problem.
If the proposal has been produced to gain funding for the research, the
funding body will nominate who is to evaluate it. They are likely to be experts
who are very knowledgeable about what research already exists in the area.
They will have a particular eye on the quality of the research design and the
potential value of findings from the proposed research, and will be looking for
‘cutting-edge’ research that can advance knowledge in that particular field of
study.
Proposals that are submitted to gain ethical approval are reviewed by
committees (or sometimes individuals) with a specific remit to ensure that the
research is properly conducted and incorporates appropriate measures to
protect the interests of those who will be called upon to participate in the
research.

What happens to a research proposal once

it is submitted?

Once a research proposal is submitted, the process by which it is evaluated

will depend on the purpose of the proposal and on the organization that is
involved. Funders, admissions tutors, supervisors, and ethics committees will
differ in how formal their systems are and how many stages are involved in
the approval process.
In the case of bachelor’s degree projects and master’s degree dissertations,
the procedures for approval are not likely to include the formal review process
outlined below. In practice, the ‘review’ will probably be undertaken by the
project supervisor, without the involvement of administrators or committees
in the process.
However, in the case of funding, admissions to university programmes, and
ethics approval, the systems are likely to be quite formal and, in such cases,
the organizations concerned will normally be quite explicit about their

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 THE LOGIC AND STRUCTURE OF RESEARCH PROPOSALS 13

approval system. It should be relatively easy to find out exactly what will
happen to such proposals; details will either be given on the application form
itself or will be available on the organization’s website. In general, however,
the process is likely to involve the following stages:

Stage 1: Check and process

Where formal systems operate to evaluate research proposals, they will
generally follow a path that starts with an initial check of the proposal to
ensure that it meets the stipulated requirements and that it is eligible for
consideration. The application is likely to be checked in the first instance by
administrators. Their role is to check that the proposal is complete and that it
meets the conditions, the layout, and remit that have been laid down. The
administrators will check that the necessary signatures have been included on
the forms (or electronic equivalents), that essential information has been
supplied, and that the proposal has not exceeded the word limit.

The Economic and Social Research Council in the UK estimates that 10 per
cent of bids for funding are rejected immediately because they have not been
produced in accord with the guidelines set out.

Stage 2: Review and evaluate

The proposal will be sent to relevant experts who will be asked to review and
comment upon the quality of the proposal. These ‘referees’ are selected not
only on the basis of their subject expertise but also as being able to offer an
impartial and unbiased view on the project. Sometimes the person or team
submitting the proposal can nominate one of more of the referees to be used,
but in most cases the reviewing process will involve referees who are chosen
by the organization. As the applicant, you do not normally get to know the
identity of the independent experts who evaluate your proposal.

Stage 3: Selection and decision

The views of the referees are collected and a decision is then made either by a
specific individual or by a committee. This process can take some time,
particularly if the decision is to be made by a committee who are scheduled
to meet periodically. Details of the frequency of meetings and the dates on
which decisions are notified to applicants should be part of the information
that accompanies any application process – either in paper format or online
at the organization’s website. If in doubt, the administrators can be contacted
to supply the dates.

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 14 RESEARCH PROPOSALS

If the selection process is competitive, only a few proposals will be successful

among the many submitted. This is especially the case for funding applications
where the selection process can sometimes involve a number of stages. The
early stages involve sifting out projects that are seen to have little chance of
success. There might be obvious question marks against aspects of the proposal,
which mean it needs to be eliminated. A process of short-listing progressively
reduces the number of proposals until the final decisions are made.

Stage 4: Feedback
The decision, together with feedback in the form of referees’ comments, is
sent to the applicant. If the proposal is accepted outright, break open a
bottle of champagne! However, the referees often request amendments to, or
development of, a proposal. And, unfortunately, many proposals are rejected
outright. In either of the latter instances, the feedback that accompanies the
decision can be painful for the applicant. First reactions might well be that the
feedback involves unfair criticism and a misunderstanding of what was said in
the proposal. However, before dismissing the feedback, it is wise to pause for
a while and then look for the lessons to be learned and the constructive things
than can be gleaned from the feedback because there is generally good advice
in there somewhere.

Stage 5: Appeal
If the research proposal is rejected, there may, or may not, be a process of
appeal against the decision. This will have been made clear in the documentation
about the application. In reality, though, even if there is a process of appeal, it
is unlikely to lead to a reversal of the original decision.

Summary of key points

Research proposals contain a brief plan for a research project that describes
the purpose of the research and how it will be conducted. For the researcher
who has produced the proposal, this represents the outcome of a planning
exercise in which attention will have been given to fine-tuning the aims of the
research and working out how best to conduct the investigation. It involves
the kind of planning and forethought that are necessary to enable the project
to run smoothly.
Research proposals serve an equally if not more important purpose as well.
A brief summary of what will be done and why it will be done provides the
basis upon which readers can arrive at judgements about the quality of the
research that is being proposed. Crucial among these readers are the individuals

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 THE LOGIC AND STRUCTURE OF RESEARCH PROPOSALS 15

or committees to whom the proposal is submitted who are in a position to

approve the project and allow the research to proceed or who can reject the
proposal and effectively prevent the work from taking place. Success depends
on their verdict.
The process of evaluation sometimes allows resubmission of a proposal if in
the first instance it is not approved. At other times, there is no possibility of
resubmitting. Either way, the sensible approach is to ensure that the proposal
is ‘right first time’ – that it addresses all of the key concerns that evaluators
might have.
As we have seen, these key concerns centre around seven basic questions –
questions that can be applied to practically any piece of research. These are
straightforward questions that the people who evaluate research proposals,
whatever their research tradition or academic discipline, are almost certain to
ask about any proposed research. Although there is no simple template for the
structure of a research proposal that operates in all circumstances, the contents
and structure of research proposals generally tend to follow the logic of these
seven questions.

Further reading
Krathwohl, D.R. and Smith, N.L. (2005) How to Prepare a Dissertation Proposal: Suggestions
for Students in Education and the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse
University Press (Chapters 1–3).
Locke, L.F., Spirduso, W.W. and Silverman, S.J. (2007) Proposals that Work: A Guide
for Planning Dissertations and Grant Proposals (5th edn.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
(Chapter 1).
Punch, K. (2006) Developing Effective Research Proposals (2nd edn.). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage (Chapter 2).

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HOW TO WRITE A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
The research proposal is an outline of the research
project that will be the focus of your doctoral thesis.
Your research proposal is the key part of your
application. It allows you to present your academic
perspective and your creativity in developing an
innovative research project.
The programme is targeted at PhD candidates with a
strong foundation in economics, law, political science,
sociology, public administration, management or related
fields.
Successful projects address research questions in the
field of governance that are covered by our core faculty.
Please consult the list of potential thesis advisers to
identify faculty members who would be interested in
your research project.
The proposal should contain no more than 5,000 words.
A good research proposal does not necessarily achieve
this number of words; it is rather the quality of your text
that matters.
The following guidelines may be of assistance when
writing your proposal. However, keep in mind that a
research proposal should always reflect your personal
academic perspective and research interest.
In a first step, present a concrete problem in which you
are interested.
 What is the research problem?
 Why have you chosen this issue?
 Why is the chosen issue relevant for
investigation?
In relation to this issue, specify your central research
question. This question is the focus of your project and
should be presented clearly.
 What is the aim/interest of your project?
 Why is your research question relevant for
academic debate?
 Where is the gap in the literature that you
intend to address?
 Which sub-questions or hypotheses are
relevant for answering your research
question?
Next, specify the theoretical perspective that you will use
in analysing your research question.
 Why did you choose this specific theoretical
perspective?
 How does the theory help to answer your
question?
 What are the theory’s main assumptions in
this regard?
Based on your theoretical perspective, detail your
methodological approach.
 What kind of methodology will you use and
why?
 What are relevant data or other sources of
information?
Furthermore, please reflect on the content of your
planned PhD thesis.
 What will be the main arguments of the
thesis?
 What might be the outcome of, or answers
to, these arguments?
 How will you structure your thesis and why?
Finally, enclose a timetable indicating the timing of the
main steps of your project including periods for
research, analysis and writing.
Please note that your proposal should be properly
referenced and include a bibliography.
Guide to writing a PhD research proposal, School of Psychology, University of Kent

Dear applicant

We are glad that you are considering applying for postgraduate studies at the University of Kent on
one of our Research PhD degree programmes.

One of the most important parts of your application is your research proposal. To be accepted to our
programmes, you need to find a member of academic staff who will act as your supervisor. Writing a
strong and persuasive research proposal will be helpful in finding a supervisor and increase your
chances of getting accepted.

Below please find some guidance on what to include in your proposal. Remember also that the
proposal should have a word limit of 1,000 words.

 Your proposal should describe briefly how your idea is based on previous research and
theory: either applying a theory in psychology, or one from another academic discipline.
 The proposal should outline a specific programme of empirical research that addresses open
research questions based on the research and theory you cite. For example, it can test one
theory against another in predicting a given kind of behaviour; propose a modification of a
theory to cover difficulties the theory may have in explaining results; or apply a theory to a
domain of behaviour where it has never been applied before.
 You should explain in particular how you intend to investigate the open research questions,
and state what hypotheses you will be testing or exploring.
 You should give a specific description of the kinds of method you intend to use in the studies
testing or exploring your questions. We need to know:
o whether you plan to use qualitative, quantitative or both kinds of methods;
o whether your methods will involve, for example, experiments, observation, surveys;
o the kind of data you will collect, for example, narrative, physiological, scale
response, reaction time;
o the kind of participants you envisage (e.g., students, children, employees); and
o for quantitative research, your main independent and dependent variables, as well
as a description of how you intend to measure or manipulate them.

You should look up the research interests of potential supervisors on our website
(www.kent.ac.uk/psychology/phd/research.html) and mention one or more supervisors with related
interests by name in your proposal. Explain how your ideas could connect with theirs.

Best wishes and good luck with your application,

the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Admissions Team


Writing a Research Proposal
A guide for Science and Engineering students
A Research Proposal has several inter-related purposes:
Writing an effective research proposal also trains you in a
valuable skill required to operate effectively in both
1. Your proposed topic should address a significant
problem and, therefore, advance the state of
knowledge in that field.
2. You have identified an appropriate methodology and
underlying theory to address the problem, including
data collection methods and equipment, if required.
3. Your methods of data analysis are outlined and
appropriate to your data set so that you can draw
useful conclusions from your work.
4. You have an organised plan for your work, including a
timeframe.
academia and industry after you graduate. You are
presenting a reasonable thesis idea or hypothesis, the
significance of which you have demonstrated by relating it
to relevant literature in the field of enquiry. You are also
proposing a methodology to investigate the problem with
clear steps leading to a reasonable conclusion.
The main criterion for the award of a PhD is that your thesis
constitutes an original contribution to knowledge in a
particular field. Remember that you may eventually refine or
even abandon your initial topic as your research progresses,
but the proposal demonstrates that you are aware of the
process of enquiry and experimentation that leads to a
thesis outcome.
Finally, the research questions, significance and
methodology that you write in your Research Proposal will
help you refine your Themis ethics research application.
The structure of a thesis proposal
The structure and size of your Research Proposal will vary
depending the requirements of your Faculty or School so
the initial step is to find out departmental guidelines and
requirements. Nevertheless, there are certain elements
that any Research Proposal requires and these should be
presented in the following order.
Title or Cover Page: identifies the research project title,
the student researcher, the institution, department, and the
project mentors or supervisors.
The title should be brief and descriptive and may use a
colon (:) to separate the topic from the focus (e.g.
Stormwater Harvesting: managing the hazards of surface
water pollution by run-off).
Table of Contents: lists the sections of the Research
Proposal (headings and indented sub-headings) and the
corresponding page numbers.
Abstract: outlines the essence of the research project in
around 150–200 words. It describes the purpose and
motivation for the study, and a statement of the problem,
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the data collection methodology and analysis, and the
significant results and implications of the research.
Introduction: provides background information for the
research (i.e. the problem being addressed) and is typically
structured from general information to narrow or focused
ideas; whereupon your research question/s or hypotheses
are presented.
The Introduction should be about 10% of your proposal.
Imagine you are writing for a general science reader rather
than an expert audience.
The Introduction includes a brief review of relevant
literature or knowledge in the field, so that you are able to
present the gap in the existing knowledge and, therefore,
the significance and originality – the purpose and aims – of
your research.
Finally, articulate the scope of your research; or what you
will not be doing, so as to limit your task.
Research Question/s: what is the primary question you are
trying to solve? It may be a hypothesis/hypotheses or
research question/s and is usually a few sentences (in
statement and/or question form) that articulate the essence
of your project and its scope. E.g. Land use and terrestrial
carbon storage in western Victoria from 1890-2020: A
historical reconstruction and simulation study.
Research Design or Methodology: includes a description
and rationale for the methods of data collection and
analysis, and the materials used when solving the problem.
When and how will you know, for example, that sufficient
experimentation has been done, and sufficient and valid
data analysed, to support or invalidate the original
hypothesis?
This section includes the dataset/s, calculations, equipment,
calibration graphs, and procedures to be used, lists project
limitations and outlines how ethical considerations of the
research have been considered.
Typically, it uses subheadings (i.e. Subjects,
Instrumentation, Data Collection, Methods of Analysis etc.)
and is written with a future aspect, e.g. The research will
initially examine water treatment processes in...
Preliminary Results: details any results that you may
already have as a result of previous Honours or Masters
research work, perhaps also from a pilot study. It is
important to relate these results to the critical framework of
your intended PhD research.
Timetable / Plan: lists the stages of the research project in
timeline, spreadsheet or tabular format, and the deadlines
for completion of these stages or tasks. You should include
any challenges to completion that you anticipate facing.
Thesis Outline or Structure: outlines the proposed
chapters of the thesis and the content of each chapter in
several lines or a paragraph, including a Table of Contents.
• academic-skills@unimelb.edu.au

Significance and Implications of the Study: relates the
intended or expected outcomes of your research to the
original aims expressed in the Introduction so that the
significance of the study and the contribution to knowledge
is apparent.
List of References: lists all the resources cited in your
resource proposal using a referencing format appropriate to
your faculty or discipline. Do not list resources that are not
referred to in your proposal. This is a good time to begin
using a bibliographic tool such as EndNote to track all the
references for your study.
See http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/endnote/ for further
information about EndNote.
Writing the Research Proposal
How to write: Remember that you do not need to write
your Research Proposal in the order in which it will be read.
In fact, you might begin the writing process with a concept
map drawn up on large-size paper in landscape orientation.
Give your concept map a title at the top of the paper and
then write appropriate headings for the different sections of
the Research Proposal (e.g. Introduction, Methodology,
Conclusion) and draw boxes around these headings so they
look like pages of a book.
Now, add anything you think you will need in these boxes
(e.g. figures, graphs, references, topic sentences) and use
colours to highlight different kinds of content. Because this
is a creative brainstorming session don’t restrict your ideas
and don’t be concerned with neatness. The idea is to gain
an impression of the whole proposal and to draft your
chapter outline.
The next step is writing the rough draft. Start with the
Methodology section and remember to provide enough
information for the experiments and data collection to be
replicated by someone else, but nothing more. Then, ask
yourself, what is different about your proposed method?
What kind of research are you proposing? This will give you
your sub-headings.
• Experimental – equipment, materials, method
• Modeling – assumptions, mathematical tools, method
• Computational – inputs, computational tools, method.
Next, write up the implications and significance of your
research in bullet-point form. Then, write your Introduction,
remembering that the conclusions you draw from your
research (i.e. the significance and implications) are related
to the aims and objectives of the research which you state
in the introduction.
Finally, distil everything you have written down to its
essence and write the Abstract for your proposal.
Tips and common problems
 Use well-labelled figures and self-made drawings (i.e.
sketches) to illustrate key aspects of your proposal, to
reduce overall text length, and to clarify your own
thinking. Each figure or drawing should have a title and
informative caption. Most engineers and scientists are
visual learners, so your pictures are indeed worth 1000
words.
 Edit and revise your writing thoroughly; poor grammar
and inappropriate style detract from your message and
compromise your credibility as a researcher. Use spell
check and grammar check applications.
 Make an appointment with Academic Skills; and read
your proposal out aloud; errors often get picked up this
way.
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V2 1012 JH
 Use transition language (e.g. ‘In other words’, ‘In
contrast’) to signal to the reader what is happening in
your text.
 Avoid language that is overly hesitant or tentative
(e.g. ‘It seems that…’, ‘It is hoped that …’).
 Break up large blocks of text into smaller sections using
sub-headings and bullet-points.
 Anticipate possible problems with, or limitations of, the
research. Address such issues directly for your own
benefit as much as for the benefit of the proposal.
 Don’t confuse the rationale for the research with the
research question/s: don’t confuse the big questions
that rationalise the research with the smaller and more
precise research questions.
 Ensure that the proposal is easy for readers to skim
read. Never assume the reader has read the previous
section. Use headings and restate key ideas
throughout.
 Obtain copies of other research proposals in your field
and study the ways they, a) devise titles; b) structure
their proposal; and c) use technical language. You might
ask your supervisor for previous examples, or simply
Google for examples.
 Check that your objectives are expressed in terms of
measurable, quantifiable outcomes and not just
methods or activities.
 Check that your referencing style is appropriate to your
faculty or discipline and consistently used. The
University of Melbourne library website
http://www.lib.unimelb.edu.au/cite/ is an excellent
authority for referencing styles as well as past RHD
theses.
 The university library LibGuides site is also a fantastic
resource for discipline-specific materials. Go to
http://unimelb.libguides.com/index.php
 Finally, draw up a check-list from the relevant
application form and make sure that your research
proposal fulfils all criteria.
Further Resources
The following resources contain advice on writing and
evaluating Research Proposals in various areas of Science and
Engineering.
These North American university sites provide advice on the
stages and strategies of academic and industrial research
proposal writing:
http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~ebrown/infobr3.htm
http://www.ecf.utoronto.ca/~writing/handbook-proposals.html
The following document from the University of Cambridge
Engineering department outlines strategies for writing
effectively in the sciences:
http://www-mech.eng.cam.ac.uk/mmd/ashby-paper-V6.pdf
This site provides an example of a research proposal for
research into the role of research proposals in undergraduate
biochemical and biological engineering courses:
http://aiche.confex.com/aiche/2005/techprogram/P27927.HTM
• academic-skills@unimelb.edu.au