A General Guide for Writing a PhD Research Proposal

A General Guide for Writing a PhD Research Proposal
Introduction
This short guide is aimed at helping applicants write a good research proposal.
This is just a general guide and it does not guaranteeacceptance onto a PhD programme. Accepting
PhD students onto a research programme depends onmany factors such as:
● The theme of your proposed research,
● The theme proposed
● The academic qualifications
● Ability of the student to commit to an intensive research period
The above factors will be very important for the university to accept the applicant as a PhD candidate
student. The better your proposal, the better your chances of beingaccepted.
The importance of the research proposal in the applicationprocess
The 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 the proposed PhD study and give
some indication of how research will be conducted.
The research proposal should describe in summary form the theme of your research and should
reflect the understanding and commitment of the student to, PhD study. It should demonstrate the
ability of the student to become a goodresearcher.
A good research proposal should be able to establish that:
1. The applicant is capable of independent critical thinking andanalysis
2. That the applicant is able to present and communicate his/her ideas clearlyGeneral sections to be included in a research proposal:
1. You are not expected to be the expert
It is not expected that the applicant is already an expert in the areas of interest. The research
proposal should demonstrate that the applicant has a general insight into the research topic. It is
expected that the student has a good level of knowledge about the research topic and he is able to
contribute to the creation of new knowledge.
2. The title should be clear and understandable.
a. The name of the project
b. Main words that describe what the proposal is about.
3. A short description about what you want to work on and why it is important, interesting,
relevant and realistic.
a. Main objectives of your research. They should be presented in the form of :
i. Hypothesis
ii. Propositions
iii. Problems to solve
b. How will your research help solve a particular problem
c. Why is it important to you
d. How will your research contribute and add value to a particular area
e. How will you be able to complete your research
4. A section which should include some background knowledge relating to the field which the
student will research, including key literature, key people, key research findings.
a. How does the work connect with the work of others in the same or related fields?
b. Will you be challenging the work of others?
5. Describe the method you will use for your research.
a. How will you conduct your research?
b. How do you plan to use existing theories, new methods, and approaches.
c. Will you develop new methods or approaches?
d. How do you plan to design your project in order to derive to the best possible results.
6. Describe the various stages of your project.
a. Describe what you will achieve during the first year
b. Do you anticipate any problems or challenges in completing your project?
7. List the main references in an appropriate format.
From the above sections the most important one which will be critical in the approval process is the
section where you will describe the project and your objectives. Length of a researchproposal
The length of the proposal should be approximately 1500‐2500 words. The Proposal should be an
accurate overview, not a thesis.
In addition to the above, you should also take into consideration the following:
● Ask someone to read it and provide feedback.
● Make sure the proposal is clear and to the point.
● Make sure the proposal is concise and is also focused on a specific are