How to Write a Great PhD Research Proposal

You'll need to write a research proposal for your PhD application if you're submitting your own project plan. A good PhD proposal outlines the scope and significance of your topic and explains how you plan to research it.

It's helpful to think about the proposal like this: if the rest of your application explains your ability to do a PhD, the proposal demonstrates the actual PhD you plan to do. Of course, being able to effectively plan and explain a research project is one of the key qualifications for being able to complete one, which is why the proposal is such an important part of the PhD application process.

Thankfully, the secret to writing a good research proposal isn't complicated. It's simply a case of understanding what the proposal is for, what it needs to do and how it needs to be put together.

A PhD research proposal is an essential document that outlines your intended research project, and whether you need to submit one depends on the type of PhD you're applying for. If you're applying for an advertised PhD programme at a university, you likely won't need a proposal, as the project's aims and objectives are already set; your focus will be on proving you're the right candidate for the position.

However, if you're proposing your own research topic, which is more common in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, you'll need to create a proposal to outline your ideas and approach.

Some programmes even allow students to develop their research proposals after starting the degree, particularly in the USA and increasingly in certain UKRI-funded UK PhDs. For this guide, we'll assume you need to write a strong research proposal for your application, so let’s dive into what that involves!

It's natural to be a little intimidated at the thought of structuring a PhD proposal, particularly if you've never written anything like this before.

But here's the thing: a research proposal isn't a fiendish test designed to catch you out and stop you ever doing a PhD. It's actually much more boring than that.

All a research proposal really is is a document that demonstrates three things:

• Your PhD is worthwhile
• Your PhD is feasible
• You are capable of completing it at this university

Or to put it even more simply: the PhD is worth doing, it's doable and you can do it.

Demonstrate your PhD is worthwhile (the what and the why)

To ensure your PhD project is valuable, it should make a significant original contribution to knowledge. While your proposal doesn’t need to meet all doctoral criteria, it should indicate that your research will eventually fulfill them. Start by showcasing the originality of your topic—this could mean studying something new, uniquely analysing existing materials in a unique way, or exploring recent events.

Demonstrate your PhD is feasible (the how)

To show that your PhD is possible, you need to prove that your research is valuable and can be completed in the usual three to four years. This time may seem long, but a PhD includes a lot of work along with other duties like teaching and attending conferences. Your proposal should clearly outline what your project will cover and what it won't, making sure it fits within PhD guidelines.

Also, provide a clear plan for your research that includes the order of tasks, methods you'll use, how you'll collect data, any theories you'll follow, and any equipment or fieldwork you'll need. While your plan doesn't have to be perfect, it should be well thought out to show that your project is doable.

Demonstrate that you can complete it at this university (the who and the where)

In your PhD proposal, it's key to explain why you are the best person for this research and why you chose this university. Show your excitement for the project by sharing relevant experiences, like specific courses or your Masters dissertation, that have prepared you for this work. It's okay to mention any skills you still need to develop, as long as you can realistically learn them during your PhD.

Also, explain why you chose this university by highlighting specific faculty members, facilities, or resources that will help your research. This will show that you fit well with the programme and that it matches your research goals.

Hopefully, the above sections have given you a few ideas for the things your proposal needs to include. Let's be honest though, the scariest thing about a proposal isn't deciding what to include: it's actually writing it.

But, if we flip that on its head, we remember that all a research proposal really is a piece of writing that follows a pretty standard format. And that's a lot less scary.

Research proposal structure

Because proposals for PhD all have to do the same things, they mostly follow a similar structure. Yours will probably go something like this:

• Title – Keep it simple and descriptive: the clever alliteration and quotes can come later when you write up your thesis. For now, you just want the person reading this to know exactly what your research is about and, perhaps, which prospective supervisor to send it to.
• Overview – Start by defining your research question (the what) and explaining how it contributes to current work in your field (the why).
• Methodology – Make sure the reader understands the practical and / or theoretical approaches you'll take to your research. What data will you collect, how will you collect it and how will you analyse it? Ideally refer to relevant research methods and models.
• Outcomes and impact – What will exist as a result of your research (other than just another PhD on a library shelf) and what will it make possible? You don't need to identify every specific outcome from your project (blue sky research is fine) but you should think about what some potential outcomes might be.

You probably won't need to include a specific conclusion - it should be obvious, by now, what your project is doing, how you're going to do it and why that matters. A quick summary sentence is fine though, if you think it will help.

Research proposals are a popular topic over on the FindAPhD blog, where we've shared stories of how students wrote theirs, along with mistakes to avoid and a counter-intuitive look at the things a PhD proposal doesn't actually need to do.

Here are a few general tips and mistakes to avoid:

Do:

#1 Give yourself enough time to do a good job

Preparing to write a PhD proposal takes time and effort. None of this is wasted as the process of evaluating and framing your ideas for a proposal will improve your project plan immensely. So will the need to decide which ideas to include.

#2 Set out to impress

A good proposal isn't a begging letter. You're approaching the university with a great idea that's going to contribute to and enhance their research. Be honest, be realistic, but don't be unnecessarily humble. They should want you and your project.

#3 Demonstrate original thinking!

You may not need to present original research findings yet, but your proposal does need to present original ideas – and it should be clear why and how those ideas are original.

Make sure you indicate how your project is going to expand, enhance or even correct existing work in your field. Remember that making an "original contribution to knowledge" is a key part of what a PhD is.

Don't:

#1 Send the same proposal to several universities

A good proposal needs to explain why you want to do your research at a particular university. That's a big part of the feasibility (the fit between project, person and place) and methodology (how are you going to use this university's equipment and archives; when and where will you need to travel).

It's OK to apply to more than one university in parallel, but, in that case, you're writing research proposals.

#2 Confuse the proposal with the PhD

We've covered this in another blog, but it's simple enough to include here too.

You're setting out to do a PhD, but you (probably!) haven't done one yet. So you don't need to include research findings, in-depth analysis or a comprehensive literature review. You need to make a case for the research and analysis you want to do.

Tips from the author

Being able to effectively communicate academic concepts, ideas and results is a key skill for PhD research in all subjects. Think of your proposal as a chance to demonstrate this.

The good news is that the key principles of good proposal writing aren't that different from other work you've probably done as a Bachelors or Masters student:

• Be clear – The person reading your research proposal should know exactly what it is you're proposing to research, with no room for ambiguity and confusion.
• Be concise – You will have more ideas than you can include in your proposal. That's fine. Choose the best ones and leave the others for your interview.
• Be coherent – Follow something like the structure above. Don't start with your methodology, then say what it is you want to research.

You may also like...