How to write a PhD proposal?

12 December 2017 42 5K Report

Dear RG colleagues,

I am currently providing an intensive training course on PhD proposal writing for science students. I am thinking of creating a guide. I wondered if anyone had some advice.

Many thanks.

Ian Kennedy Popular answer

The real problem is not in _writing_ the PhD proposal. The real difficulty is in learning what needs to go into the proposal, then working out how you can do original, significant research, which is scary. This implies initial reading, planning and prototyping.

Mohamed EL-Shimy

The concern of the mentioned guide is expected to be very useful for young researchers. On of the key factors of the usefulness of the guide is the availability of flowcharts, and smart graphs instead of lengthy description. I would like to have a copy of that guide. Good luck

Wondwosen Tamrat

I think you'll have no problem in obtaining a lot of content from the internet. My advice is be selective in your choice and above all to make your guideline practice- oriented by incorporating as many tasks as possible which would make your candidates develop their skills easily.

Hadeel Saleh Haj Aliwi

Title and abstract: a student is expected to provide a preliminary title which will be further elaborated in the process of thesis writing. An abstract should usually be no longer than a page, and provide a brief summary of what you are going to cover in your research proposal.

Literature review: The literature review demonstrates the applicant’s knowledge of the main research achievements in the area of study. You should pay attention to providing some of the key references in your area of research which requires doing extensive research on your part.

Research problem, aim and objectives: As a result of your literature review, you should identify the main gap in your research area on which you are going to focus in your PhD project. Once the research problem is identified, you will be able to pose the main aim and objectives of your project.

You should dedicate some space to Research methodology, or, in other words, explaining how you are going to go about doing your research. This section also demonstrates your knowledge of the existing research methodologies in your area of study.

References: Do not forget to specify all the references at the end of the proposal.

Wondwosen Tamrat

In your exploration of content, please also make sure what makes a PhD dissertation different from other levels like masters. The difference is usually in rigour and outcome where at such level the contribution to new knowledge is highly emphasized

Khadeeja Ansari

Here is outcome of all the research proposal i found:

Title: This can change.

Introduction

If needed- a brief description can be added under the title (2 lines maximum).

Research Problem

This should highlight your research "gap" and include citations from the subject KEY LITERATURE to support it.

Project Details

Be sure to establish a solid and convincing framework for your research in this section. This should include the following sub-sections:

A) Research Questions

B) Aims/Objectives of the Project

C) Significance/Contribution to the Discipline

D) Theoretical Framework and Methods

Aim to address the following points:

· How do you anticipate you will achieve the project aims and what is your rationale for adopting this approach?

· What do you need (identify any special equipment, software or material) • Can you access necessary data or expertise?

· Do you require particular resources?

· Are there barriers or pitfalls?

· Does the proposed project involve human ethics, animal ethics or safety implications?

· Will travel or fieldwork be required? If so: where to, how long and at what intervals?

Research Plan and Timeline

References Cited/Bibliography of Planned Reading (no word limit applies)

Possible Pitfalls

Mohamed Gadallah

A PhD proposal is a an outline of your proposed project that is designed to:

Define a clear question and approach to answering it
Highlight its originality and/or significance
Explain how it adds to, develops (or challenges) existing literature in the field
Persuade potential supervisors and/or funders of the importance of the work, and why you are the right person to undertake it
https://www.findaphd.com/advice/finding/writing-phd-research-proposal.aspx

Dickson Adom

The cogent and practical suggestion made by colleagues are really helpful. However, it is very essential to add budgetary allocations as well as time/work plan for the research to research proposal write-ups.

Afkar Hadi

may be useful to look at my proposal as example for you:

Research Proposal Molecular and Serological study of Toxocara canis in dog in Baghdad

Ian Kennedy

Gonzalo Galileo Rivas Platero

Please see:

https://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduatecentre/forms/admission/docs/admision-research-proposal-template-guide.pdf

https://www.uc.pt/en/fctuc/dei/ensino/doctoral_program/PhDprop4

https://www.lsbu.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/78917/LSS-PhD-Proposal-Guidelines.pdf

V. C. Asogwa

As you search Internet, remember that each school or country has format which may differ slightly or wildly with one another.

Peter Samuels

Thanks again to everyone for what they shared. Here is an outline of the sessions in the course I have just finished giving:

1. Front matter writing (title, aim, objectives and research questions)

2. Structure

3. Academic writing style and using evidence

4. Argumentation and argument planning

5. Paragraph writing

6. Doing and writing a literature review

7. Methodology writing

It took over 15 hours to deliver this (in an EAL context).

Md Zafar Alam Bhuiyan

It may be differ supervisor to supervisor what the elements s/he likes because the supervisor is the supreme authority to choose the elements to be included in the PhD Proposal and I think that why the question has been raised. Otherwise , many of the answers above can be reached in the destination.

Thanks to all.

Aboubakar Hayatou Iyabano

This book could help to sharp the course content as it helps to move from topic to proposal stage. Ranjit Kumar (2014). Research methodology(4th ed). London, Thousands Oaks, New Delhi: Sage publications Ltd. ISBN 9781446269978. It covers the following topics: •Research as a way of thinking •Research as a process •Formulating research questions •From concept to variable •Choosing a research design •Types of data collection instruments •Sampling •Ethical issues in data collection.

Jannat Kasozi

Thanks so much for the constructive discussion and guidance. I am planning to write my PhD proposal. This information is very helpful.

Réagan Lorraine Lavorata.PhD

Jamat

I wish you the best with your proposal and if you need help please email me at [email protected]

a PhD propoal is the first three chapters of the disseratiion which is what you are going to do in your study

Chapter one is the Introduction, research questions, need for study, ratiionale of the study, purpose of the study, problem statement, short intro to methodology, summary of chapter

chapter 2 is the lit review which is a ciritical analysis exhausting the existing lit, critiquing the studies and research designs and resarch questuons, and finding the gap in the literature that your study can fill. Fi'rst is an intro, then how you conducted the litreview, databases used, key words used etc, and the n critique the literature by theme, at the end show the gap in lit and how your study fits in and a small ratioale for your research design and chapter summary

chapter 3 is the methodlogy, here is the intro to methodology, reasons or rationnnale for methodology, is quantiative, qualitative; or mixed lethods? Here mention research questions, research design, rationnale, why did not choose other designs, sample size, validity and reliability, summary of chaoter

Good luck on your proposal

Dr Réagan

IStandWithEli

Muthana A.K. Al-Zobaei Al-Zobae

Which I know in doctoral research projects in Iraq is required to include the research plan 4-5 topics or objectives to be accepted by the institution of higher education.

K. M. Foysol

It's wonderful discussion panel and topic is also interesting to me. However, I think a PhD proposal must contain clearly the expected new knowledge to the society and nation or the way out of the specific problem of the society.

this chapter may me mentioned in the following head line -

" Expected knowledge addition / Expected way out of the identified and specific problem"

Peter Samuels

Dear colleagues, I have now written my guide. It is available here: Technical Report How to Write a PhD Proposal

Please let me know what you think about it.

I have also set up a project on the subject for anyone who would like to work with me: https://www.researchgate.net/project/PhD-Proposal-Writing.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

Timothy A Ebert

Possibly start by planning the program, and that is somewhat dependent on the field of study. I study insects. In Entomology it would be really good to get three manuscripts out of a Ph.D. program. If you can't get at least one, then something went very wrong.

So there should be three research questions developed something along the lines of what Khadeeja provided. I would make sure that one project was a sure thing. We know enough about this system (or a closely related system) that this project will work. I would include a project that is much more risky. It might need some refocusing, it will have problems, unexpected results, and might be a mess at the end. Innovative, cutting edge science is seldom a sure bet. Knowing how to work through, change direction, and refocus a project that at times seems riddled with insurmountable problems is a useful skill, but might involve some level of failure.

Be flexible. Sometimes a new faculty member is hired, or you take a class and you and the professor really connect. That might open a door to a related project that was not possible with the tools and skills of the people at the time the proposal was written.

If possible, try simulating the experiment. This will help make a better choice for planning sample sizes (replication). It will also help with experimental design and what to do with all the lovely data. If not simulated try projecting scenarios: I am interested in the number of infected individuals in the field. The next question might be about how your sampling strategy will change if initial data shows that 0.05% of individuals are infected, versus 50% versus 98% of individuals infected.

Mahesh Kumar

Carefully scan the literature, find the literature gap, formulate your research objectives, find a suitable research methodology which should not violate the basic rules and principles, and then write a brief summary including all the mentioned aspects having a good introduction section.

Dmytro Leshchenko

Define a clear question and approach to answering it

Highlight its originality and significance