Show that you understand the current state of research on your topic.
The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.
One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.
Download our research proposal template
Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.
Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:
The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.
Your introduction should:
To guide your introduction , include information about:
Discover proofreading & editing
As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.
In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:
Following the literature review, restate your main objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.
? or ? , , or research design? | |
, )? ? | |
, , , )? | |
? |
To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.
For example, your results might have implications for:
Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .
Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.
Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.
Download our research schedule template
Research phase | Objectives | Deadline |
---|---|---|
1. Background research and literature review | 20th January | |
2. Research design planning | and data analysis methods | 13th February |
3. Data collection and preparation | with selected participants and code interviews | 24th March |
4. Data analysis | of interview transcripts | 22nd April |
5. Writing | 17th June | |
6. Revision | final work | 28th July |
If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.
Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:
To determine your budget, think about:
If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Methodology
Statistics
Research bias
Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .
Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.
I will compare …
A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.
Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.
A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.
A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.
A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.
All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.
Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.
Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.
The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
McCombes, S. & George, T. (2023, November 21). How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved June 27, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-process/research-proposal/
Other students also liked, how to write a problem statement | guide & examples, writing strong research questions | criteria & examples, how to write a literature review | guide, examples, & templates, what is your plagiarism score.
What is a research proposal.
A research proposal should present your idea or question and expected outcomes with clarity and definition – the what.
It should also make a case for why your question is significant and what value it will bring to your discipline – the why.
What it shouldn't do is answer the question – that's what your research will do.
Research proposals are significant because Another reason why it formally outlines your intended research. Which means you need to provide details on how you will go about your research, including:
Think of it as a tool that will help you clarify your idea and make conducting your research easier.
Usually no more than 2000 words, but check the requirements of your degree, and your supervisor or research coordinator.
Presenting your idea clearly and concisely demonstrates that you can write this way – an attribute of a potential research candidate that is valued by assessors.
Project title.
Your title should clearly indicate what your proposed research is about.
State the name, department and faculty or school of the academic who has agreed to supervise you. Rest assured, your research supervisor will work with you to refine your research proposal ahead of submission to ensure it meets the needs of your discipline.
Describe your proposed mode of research. Which may be closely linked to your discipline, and is where you will describe the style or format of your research, e.g. data, field research, composition, written work, social performance and mixed media etc.
This is not required for research in the sciences, but your research supervisor will be able to guide you on discipline-specific requirements.
What are you trying to achieve with your research? What is the purpose? This section should reference why you're applying for a research degree. Are you addressing a gap in the current research? Do you want to look at a theory more closely and test it out? Is there something you're trying to prove or disprove? To help you clarify this, think about the potential outcome of your research if you were successful – that is your aim. Make sure that this is a focused statement.
Your objectives will be your aim broken down – the steps to achieving the intended outcome. They are the smaller proof points that will underpin your research's purpose. Be logical in the order of how you present these so that each succeeds the previous, i.e. if you need to achieve 'a' before 'b' before 'c', then make sure you order your objectives a, b, c.
A concise summary of what your research is about. It outlines the key aspects of what you will investigate as well as the expected outcomes. It briefly covers the what, why and how of your research.
A good way to evaluate if you have written a strong synopsis, is to get somebody to read it without reading the rest of your research proposal. Would they know what your research is about?
Now that you have your question clarified, it is time to explain the why. Here, you need to demonstrate an understanding of the current research climate in your area of interest.
Providing context around your research topic through a literature review will show the assessor that you understand current dialogue around your research, and what is published.
Demonstrate you have a strong understanding of the key topics, significant studies and notable researchers in your area of research and how these have contributed to the current landscape.
In this section, you should consider the following:
Draw links between your research and the faculty or school you are applying at, and explain why you have chosen your supervisor, and what research have they or their school done to reinforce and support your own work. Cite these reasons to demonstrate how your research will benefit and contribute to the current body of knowledge.
Provide an overview of the methodology and techniques you will use to conduct your research. Cover what materials and equipment you will use, what theoretical frameworks will you draw on, and how will you collect data.
Highlight why you have chosen this particular methodology, but also why others may not have been as suitable. You need to demonstrate that you have put thought into your approach and why it's the most appropriate way to carry out your research.
It should also highlight potential limitations you anticipate, feasibility within time and other constraints, ethical considerations and how you will address these, as well as general resources.
A work plan is a critical component of your research proposal because it indicates the feasibility of completion within the timeframe and supports you in achieving your objectives throughout your degree.
Consider the milestones you aim to achieve at each stage of your research. A PhD or master's degree by research can take two to four years of full-time study to complete. It might be helpful to offer year one in detail and the following years in broader terms. Ultimately you have to show that your research is likely to be both original and finished – and that you understand the time involved.
Provide details of the resources you will need to carry out your research project. Consider equipment, fieldwork expenses, travel and a proposed budget, to indicate how realistic your research proposal is in terms of financial requirements and whether any adjustments are needed.
Provide a list of references that you've made throughout your research proposal.
New hdr curriculum, find a supervisor.
Search by keyword, topic, location, or supervisor name
Find the right scholarship for you
Our research covers the spectrum – from linguistics to nanoscience
Our breadth of expertise across our faculties and schools is supported by deep disciplinary knowledge. We have significant capability in more than 20 major areas of research.
High-impact research through state-of-the-art infrastructure
How to write a phd research proposal.
In order to help you with your application, the information below aims to give some guidance on how a typical research proposal might look.
Your research proposal is a concise statement (up to 3,000 words) of the rationale for your research proposal, the research questions to be answered and how you propose to address them. We know that during the early stages of your PhD you are likely to refine your thinking and methodology in discussion with your supervisors.
However, we want to see that you can construct a fairly rigorous, high quality research proposal.
We use your research proposal to help us decide whether you would be a suitable candidate to study at PhD level. We therefore assess your proposal on its quality, originality, and coherence. It also helps us to decide if your research interests match those of academics in the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies (SPAIS) and whether they would be able to provide suitably qualified supervision for your proposed research.
Your proposal should include the following:
Title. A short, indicative title is best.
Abstract. This is a succinct summary of your research proposal (approximately 200-300 words) that will present a condensed outline, enabling the reader to get a very quick overview of your proposed project, lines of inquiry and possible outcomes. An abstract is often written last, after you have written the proposal and are able to summarise it effectively.
Rationale for the research project. This might include a description of the question/debate/phenomenon of interest; 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).
Aims and initial research question. What are the aims and objectives of the research? State clearly the puzzle you are addressing, and the research question that you intend to pursue. It is acceptable to have multiple research questions, but it is a good idea to clarify which is the main research question. If you have hypotheses, discuss them here. 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.
Research context for your proposed project. Provide a short introduction to your area of interest with a succinct, selective and critical review of the relevant literature. Demonstrate that you understand the theoretical underpinnings and main debates and issues in your research area and how your proposed research will make an original and necessary contribution to this. You need to demonstrate how your proposed research will fill a gap in existing knowledge.
Intended methodology. Outline how you plan to conduct the research and the data sources that you will use. We do not expect you to have planned a very detailed methodology at this stage, but you need to provide an overview of how you will conduct your research (qualitative and/or quantitative methods) and why this methodology is suited for your proposed study. You need to be convincing about the appropriateness and feasibility of the approaches you are suggesting, and reflective about problems you might encounter (including ethical and data protection issues) in collecting and analysing your data.
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.) Please consider broader collaborations and partnerships (academic and non-academic) that will support your research. Collaborative activity can lead to a better understanding of the ways in which academic research can translate into practice and it can help to inform and improve the quality of your research and its impact.
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.
Why Bristol? Why – specifically – do you want to study for your PhD at Bristol ? How would you fit into the School's research themes and research culture . You do not need to identify supervisors at the application stage although it can be helpful if you do.
Bibliography. 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.
We expect your research proposal to be clear, concise and grammatically correct. Prior to submitting your research proposal, please make sure that you have addressed the following issues:
As the competition for PhD places is incredibly fierce, your research proposal can have a strong bearing on the success of your application - so discover how to make the best impression
Research proposals are used to persuade potential supervisors and funders that your work is worthy of their support. These documents set out your proposed research that will result in a Doctoral thesis. They are typically between 1,500 and 3,000 words.
Your PhD research proposal must passionately articulate what you want to research and why, convey your understanding of existing literature, and clearly define at least one research question that could lead to new or original knowledge and how you propose to answer it.
Professor Leigh Wilson, head of the graduate school at the University of Westminster , explains that while the research proposal is about work that hasn't been done yet, what prospective supervisors and funders are focusing on just as strongly is evidence of what you've done.
This includes how well you know existing literature in the area, including very recent publications and debates, and how clearly you've seen what's missing from this and so what your research can do that's new. Giving a strong sense of this background or frame for the proposed work is crucial.
'Although it's tempting to make large claims and propose research that sweeps across time and space, narrower, more focused research is much more convincing,' she adds. 'To be thorough and rigorous in the way that academic work needs to be, even something as long as a PhD thesis can only cover a fairly narrow topic. Depth not breadth is called for.'
The structure of your research proposal is therefore important to achieving this goal, yet it should still retain sufficient flexibility to comfortably accommodate any changes you need to make as your PhD progresses.
Layout and formats vary, so it's advisable to consult your potential PhD supervisor before you begin. Here's what to bear in mind when writing a research proposal.
Your provisional title should be around ten words in length, and clearly and accurately indicate your area of study and/or proposed approach. It should be catchy, informative and interesting.
The title page should also include personal information, such as:
This is a summary of your project. Your aims should be two or three broad statements that emphasise what you want to achieve, complemented by several focused, feasible and measurable objectives - the steps that you'll take to answer each of your research questions.
You'll need to clearly and briefly outline:
This section of your PhD proposal discusses the most important theories, models and texts that surround and influence your research questions, conveying your understanding and awareness of the key issues and debates.
It should focus on the theoretical and practical knowledge gaps that your work aims to address, as this ultimately justifies and provides the motivation for your project.
Here, you're expected to outline how you'll answer each of your research questions. A strong, well-written methodology is crucial, but especially so if your project involves extensive collection and significant analysis of primary data.
In disciplines such as humanities, the research proposal methodology identifies the data collection and analytical techniques available to you, before justifying the ones you'll use in greater detail. You'll also define the population that you're intending to examine.
You should also show that you're aware of the limitations of your research, qualifying the parameters you plan to introduce. Remember, it's more impressive to do a fantastic job of exploring a narrower topic than a decent job of exploring a wider one.
Concluding or following on from your methodology, your timetable should identify how long you'll need to complete each step - perhaps using bi-weekly or monthly timeslots. This helps the reader to evaluate the feasibility of your project and shows that you've considered how you'll go about putting the PhD proposal into practice.
Finally, you'll provide a list of the most significant texts, plus any attachments such as your academic CV .
Demonstrate your skills in critical reflection by selecting only those resources that are most appropriate.
Before submitting this document along with your PhD application, you'll need to ensure that you've adhered to the research proposal format. This means that:
To get a better idea of how your PhD proposal may look, some universities have provided examples of research proposals for specific subjects, including:
On a scale where 1 is dislike and 5 is like
Thank you for rating the page
Reference management. Clean and simple.
What is the purpose of a research proposal , how long should a research proposal be, what should be included in a research proposal, 1. the title page, 2. introduction, 3. literature review, 4. research design, 5. implications, 6. reference list, frequently asked questions about writing a research proposal, related articles.
If you’re in higher education, the term “research proposal” is something you’re likely to be familiar with. But what is it, exactly? You’ll normally come across the need to prepare a research proposal when you’re looking to secure Ph.D. funding.
When you’re trying to find someone to fund your Ph.D. research, a research proposal is essentially your “pitch.”
A research proposal is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed research.
You’ll need to set out the issues that are central to the topic area and how you intend to address them with your research. To do this, you’ll need to give the following:
➡️ What is a literature review? Learn more in our guide.
Essentially, you are trying to persuade your institution that you and your project are worth investing their time and money into.
It is the opportunity for you to demonstrate that you have the aptitude for this level of research by showing that you can articulate complex ideas:
It also helps you to find the right supervisor to oversee your research. When you’re writing your research proposal, you should always have this in the back of your mind.
This is the document that potential supervisors will use in determining the legitimacy of your research and, consequently, whether they will invest in you or not. It is therefore incredibly important that you spend some time on getting it right.
Tip: While there may not always be length requirements for research proposals, you should strive to cover everything you need to in a concise way.
If your research proposal is for a bachelor’s or master’s degree, it may only be a few pages long. For a Ph.D., a proposal could be a pretty long document that spans a few dozen pages.
➡️ Research proposals are similar to grant proposals. Learn how to write a grant proposal in our guide.
When you’re writing your proposal, keep in mind its purpose and why you’re writing it. It, therefore, needs to clearly explain the relevance of your research and its context with other discussions on the topic. You need to then explain what approach you will take and why it is feasible.
Generally, your structure should look something like this:
If you follow this structure, you’ll have a comprehensive and coherent proposal that looks and feels professional, without missing out on anything important. We’ll take a deep dive into each of these areas one by one next.
The title page might vary slightly per your area of study but, as a general point, your title page should contain the following:
Tip: Keep in mind any departmental or institutional guidelines for a research proposal title page. Also, your supervisor may ask for specific details to be added to the page.
The introduction is crucial to your research proposal as it is your first opportunity to hook the reader in. A good introduction section will introduce your project and its relevance to the field of study.
You’ll want to use this space to demonstrate that you have carefully thought about how to present your project as interesting, original, and important research. A good place to start is by introducing the context of your research problem.
Think about answering these questions:
Your introduction aims to set yourself off on a great footing and illustrate to the reader that you are an expert in your field and that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge and theory.
The literature review section answers the question who else is talking about your proposed research topic.
You want to demonstrate that your research will contribute to conversations around the topic and that it will sit happily amongst experts in the field.
➡️ Read more about how to write a literature review .
There are lots of ways you can find relevant information for your literature review, including:
This is where you get down to the real meat of your research proposal. It should be a discussion about the overall approach you plan on taking, and the practical steps you’ll follow in answering the research questions you’ve posed.
So what should you discuss here? Some of the key things you will need to discuss at this point are:
Your research design should also discuss the potential implications of your research. For example, are you looking to confirm an existing theory or develop a new one?
If you intend to create a basis for further research, you should describe this here.
It is important to explain fully what you want the outcome of your research to look like and what you want to achieve by it. This will help those reading your research proposal to decide if it’s something the field needs and wants, and ultimately whether they will support you with it.
When you reach the end of your research proposal, you’ll have to compile a list of references for everything you’ve cited above. Ideally, you should keep track of everything from the beginning. Otherwise, this could be a mammoth and pretty laborious task to do.
Consider using a reference manager like Paperpile to format and organize your citations. Paperpile allows you to organize and save your citations for later use and cite them in thousands of citation styles directly in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or LaTeX.
Your project may also require you to have a timeline, depending on the budget you are requesting. If you need one, you should include it here and explain both the timeline and the budget you need, documenting what should be done at each stage of the research and how much of the budget this will use.
This is the final step, but not one to be missed. You should make sure that you edit and proofread your document so that you can be sure there are no mistakes.
A good idea is to have another person proofread the document for you so that you get a fresh pair of eyes on it. You can even have a professional proofreader do this for you.
This is an important document and you don’t want spelling or grammatical mistakes to get in the way of you and your reader.
➡️ Working on a research proposal for a thesis? Take a look at our guide on how to come up with a topic for your thesis .
A research proposal is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed research. Generally, your research proposal will have a title page, introduction, literature review section, a section about research design and explaining the implications of your research, and a reference list.
A good research proposal is concise and coherent. It has a clear purpose, clearly explains the relevance of your research and its context with other discussions on the topic. A good research proposal explains what approach you will take and why it is feasible.
You need a research proposal to persuade your institution that you and your project are worth investing their time and money into. It is your opportunity to demonstrate your aptitude for this level or research by showing that you can articulate complex ideas clearly, concisely, and critically.
A research proposal is essentially your "pitch" when you're trying to find someone to fund your PhD. It is a clear and concise summary of your proposed research. It gives an outline of the general area of study within which your research falls, it elaborates how much is currently known about the topic, and it highlights any recent debate or conversation around the topic by other academics.
The general answer is: as long as it needs to be to cover everything. The length of your research proposal depends on the requirements from the institution that you are applying to. Make sure to carefully read all the instructions given, and if this specific information is not provided, you can always ask.
Find guidance on how to write your PhD research proposal and a template form for you to use to submit your research proposal.
By asking you for an outline research proposal we hope to get a good picture of your research interests and your understanding of what such research is likely to entail.
The University's application form is designed to enable you to give an overview of your academic experience and qualifications for study at postgraduate level. Your outline research proposal then gives us an idea of the kind of research you want to undertake. This, together with information from your referees, will help us assess whether the Moray House School of Education and Sport would be the appropriate place for you to pursue your research interests.
At the application stage, you are unlikely to be in a position to provide a comprehensive research proposal; the detailed shaping up of a research plan would be done in conjunction with your supervisor(s). But it is important for us to appreciate what you are hoping to investigate, how you plan to carry out the research, and what the results might be expected to contribute to current knowledge and understanding in the relevant academic field(s) of study. In writing your proposal, please indicate any prior academic or employment experience relevant to your planned research.
In your research proposal, please also ensure that you clearly identify the Moray House research cluster your proposal falls under, as well as two to three staff members with expertise in this area. We also encourage you to contact potential supervisors within your area of proposed research before submitting your application to gauge their interest and availability.
The description of your proposed research should consist of 4-5 typed A4 sheets. It can take whatever form seems best, but should include some information about the following:
In addition to the above, please include any comments you are able to make concerning:
Please note: This guidance applies to all candidates, except those applying to conduct PhD research as part of a larger, already established research project (for example, in the Institute for Sport, Physical Education & Health Sciences).
In this case, you should provide a two- to three-page description of a research project you have undertaken, to complement information in the application form. If you are in any doubt as to what is appropriate, please contact us:
Email: Education@[email protected]
All doctoral proposals submitted as part of an application will be run through plagiarism detection software.
All applicants for a PhD or MSc by Research must submit a research proposal as part of their application. Applicants must use the template form below for their research proposal. This research proposal should then be submitted online as part of your application. Please use Calibri size 11 font size and do not change the paragraph spacing (single, with 6pt after each paragraph) or the page margins.
You're a domestic student if you are:
You're an international student if you are:
Study tips Published 3 Mar, 2022 · 5-minute read
Want to make sure your research degree starts smoothly? We spoke with 2 PhD candidates about overcoming this initial hurdle. Here’s their advice for how to write a good PhD proposal.
Writing your research proposal is an integral part of commencing a PhD with many schools and institutes, so it can feel rather intimidating. After all, how you come up with your PhD proposal could be the difference between your supervisor getting on board or giving your project a miss.
Let’s explore how to make a PhD research proposal with UQ candidates Chelsea Janke and Sarah Kendall.
Look at other PhD proposals that have been successful. Ask current students if you can look at theirs.
Nobody’s asking you to reinvent the wheel when it comes to writing your PhD proposal – leave that for your actual thesis. For now, while you’re just working out how to write a PhD proposal, examples are a great starting point.
Chelsea knows this step is easier if you’ve got a friend who is already doing a PhD, but there are other ways to find a good example or template.
“Look at other PhD proposals that have been successful,” she says.
“Ask current students if you can look at theirs.”
“If you don’t know anyone doing their PhD, look online to get an idea of how they should be structured.”
What makes this tricky is that proposals can vary greatly by field and disciplinary norms, so you should check with your proposed supervisor to see if they have a specific format or list of criteria to follow. Part of writing a good PhD proposal is submitting it in a style that's familiar to the people who will read and (hopefully) become excited by it and want to bring you into their research area.
Here are some of the key factors to consider when structuring your proposal:
Please note this isn't a universal list of things you need in your PhD research proposal. Depending on your supervisor's requirements, some of these items may be unnecessary or there may be other inclusions not listed here.
Alright, here’s the thing. If sending your research proposal is your first point of contact with your prospective supervisor, you’ve jumped the gun a little.
You should have at least one researcher partially on board with your project before delving too deep into your proposal. This ensures you’re not potentially spending time and effort on an idea that no one has any appetite for. Plus, it unlocks a helpful guide who can assist with your proposal.
PhD research isn’t like Shark Tank – you’re allowed to confer with academics and secure their support before you pitch your thesis to them. Discover how to choose the right PhD supervisor for you.
For a time-efficient strategy, Chelsea recommends you approach your potential supervisor(s) and find out if:
“The best way to approach would be to send an email briefly outlining who you are, your background, and what your research interests are,” says Chelsea.
“Once you’ve spoken to a potential supervisor, then you can start drafting a proposal and you can even ask for their input.”
Chelsea's approach here works well with some academics, but keep in mind that other supervisors will want to see a research proposal straight away. If you're not sure of your proposed supervisor's preferences, you may like to cover both bases with an introductory email that has a draft of your research proposal attached.
Sarah agrees that your prospective supervisor is your most valuable resource for understanding how to write a research proposal for a PhD application.
“My biggest tip for writing a research proposal is to ask your proposed supervisor for help,” says Sarah.
“Or if this isn’t possible, ask another academic who has had experience writing research proposals.”
“They’ll be able to tell you what to include or what you need to improve on.”
One of the key aspects of your research proposal is emphasising why your project is important and should be funded.
Your PhD proposal should include your major question, your planned methods, the sources you’ll cite, and plenty of other nitty gritty details. But perhaps the most important element of your proposal is its purpose – the reason you want to do this research and why the results will be meaningful.
In Sarah’s opinion, highlighting the 'why' of your project is vital for your research proposal.
“From my perspective, one of the key aspects of your research proposal is emphasising why your project is important and should be funded,” she says.
“Not only does this impact whether your application is likely to be successful, but it could also impact your likelihood of getting a scholarship .”
Imagine you only had 60 seconds to explain your planned research to someone. Would you prefer they remember how your project could change the world, or the statistical models you’ll be using to do it? (Of course, you’ve got 2,000 words rather than 60 seconds, so do make sure to include those little details as well – just put the why stuff first.)
As a PhD candidate, your attention to detail is going to be integral to your success. Start practising it now by making sure your research proposal is perfect.
Chelsea and Sarah both acknowledge that clarity and writing quality should never be overlooked in a PhD proposal. This starts with double-checking that the questions of your thesis are obvious and unambiguous, followed by revising the rest of your proposal.
“Make sure your research questions are really clear,” says Sarah.
“Ensure all the writing is clear and grammatically correct,” adds Chelsea.
“A supervisor is not going to be overly keen on a prospective student if their writing is poor.”
It might sound harsh, but it’s fair. So, proofread your proposal multiple times – including after you get it back from your supervisor with any feedback and notes. When you think you’ve got the final, FINAL draft saved, sleep on it and read it one more time the next morning.
Still feeling a little overwhelmed by your research proposal? Stay motivated with these reasons why a PhD is worth the effort .
Want to learn more from Chelsea and Sarah? Easy:
Share this Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
4-minute read
5-minute read
3-minute read
7-minute read
All Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) students must write an acceptable research proposal.
This has a clear and explicit purpose:
All research proposals must address the question of what you plan to accomplish and why you want to and how you are going to do it.
A research proposal is usually around 2,500 words long although there is no upper or lower limit to this.
In preparing a research proposal, the first thing that you have to do is to decide what it really is that you want to know more about. The questions that you want to research have to viable as a research project and lead to the creation of new knowledge and understanding.
Your research proposal should include a section on each of the following areas:
This should be concise and descriptive. | |
This section needs to explain the background and issues of your proposed research - how you came to be interested in this subject. You can summarise what you know of the existing literature in this area, perhaps identifying where it does and does not provide enlightenment on what you are interested in. Most importantly, you must make a convincing case as to why your research would create valuable and useful knowledge. | |
Here you need to formulate your research questions clearly. You should have an answerable question that is clear and sufficiently well defined/focussed for you to do the research implied within an appropriate time frame. | |
In this section you need to clarify what theoretical resources you will be drawing on and why. You should demonstrate your knowledge of the research problem and your understanding of the theoretical and research issues related to your research question and their relevance and usefulness to your particular project. Give consideration to the larger issues within your chosen theoretical framework and how they will affect the research process. Give credit to those who have laid the groundwork for your research. | |
This section is very important as it informs the admissions committee how you plan to tackle your research problem. It is your work plan and describes the activities necessary for the completion of your project and should consist of a description of how you intend to go about the research. You could demonstrate your knowledge of alternative methods and make the case that your approach is the most appropriate and most valid way to address your research question. Explain about the data you will collect; how you will collect it and how your will analyse it. Explain what skills you will need and whether you have them or how you will acquire them. You need to think about practical issues: if you are intending to undertake fieldwork, where and for how long? Consider questions of access, for instance, will organisations etc. where you intend to undertake fieldwork wish to give you access (physical, time, documents) to what you need? |
You will need to give consideration to issues of power and confidentiality. You should read any appropriate ethical guidelines and ask yourself how/whether you project follows these. [All research students at Oxford University are required (before they commence fieldwork) to complete the Central University Research Ethics Committee (CUREC) checklist and obtain permission to undertake any fieldwork].
It is important that you map out a reasonable schedule of your work so that you can monitor your own progress and manage your project effectively. Start with your intended finishing date and do not underestimate the amount of time that it takes to finalise your drafts into a finished product.
A key indicator of the work of much research is whether it is of publishable quality. You might like to give some consideration at this stage as to what sorts of things might be publishable and where you would like them to appear. This is especially important if you wish to pursue a career as an academic in a UK university.
When you have completed all of this then get other people, your peers as well as those more experienced than you, to read it and comment. This will help you to revise the proposal before you submit it. You can also make contact with departmental staff whose research interests are in a similar area to those you intend to undertake. They would be happy to give you advice and to discuss possible supervision.
Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.
Q&A for work
Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.
Especially if you are someone who is entering a PhD with very broad interests and little depth of knowledge in your field.
If you are talking about the writing of a formal proposal document, the rules vary from department to department. If you are talking about the idea for a project, then that needs to be developed very early on—the tentative idea should already be in place by the time work starts.
In my department, for instance, students had roughly one year from the completion of the qualifying examination to submit the research proposal. This was a fairly substantial document (25-30 pages). Other schools I considered required the submission as late as the third or fourth year (in what was nominally a five- to six-year program); in that case, the research proposal was almost a first draft of the thesis, as it was typically anywhere from 50 to 100 pages in length!
In my current department, students receive fellowships to work on projects with their advisors. In such cases, the advisor typically plans the basic outline of the project, and the start of the work plan. Later years are left for the student to devise.
For PhD in the United Kingdom:
It is not uncommon for students submit a PhD research proposal as part of their application for the PhD program. They can also find a supervisor to work on the research proposal together before submitting it as part of their application.
I have applied for a PhD in another field before and was able to write a proposal in 2 weeks that was good enough to get an interview for the program. This was with the help of a supervisor who gave me the research area, open problems he is interested in, relevant literature and he read several of my drafts.
In the department where I got my degree at, the proposal was expected in the third year, had to represent about 30% of dissertation work, and qualified as a Master's defense should the student drop out of the program and yet being able to walk away with something in hand. In the department where I worked, the proposal was expected half a year before the defense (i.e., in the fall of the fifth year), had to constitute about 80% of the work, and basically was a rehearsal for the job market talk (the winter of the fifth year). So yes, rules and traditions vary from department to department and from discipline to discipline. Ask your Director of Graduate studies (or chair if the department does not have a designated officer for this role) as to what the expectations are.
Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged phd ..
Personal Statements
University Interviews
Studying Abroad
Guide to GCSE Results Day
Finding a job after school or college
Retaking GCSEs
Choosing GCSE Subjects
Post-GCSE Options
GCSE Work Experience
GCSE Revision Tips
Why take an Apprenticeship?
Applying for an Apprenticeship
Apprenticeships Interviews
Apprenticeship Wage
Engineering Apprenticeships
What is an Apprenticeship?
Choosing an Apprenticeship
Real Life Apprentices
Degree Apprenticeships
Higher Apprenticeships
A Level Results Day 2024
AS Levels 2024
Clearing Guide 2024
Applying to University
SQA Results Day Guide 2024
BTEC Results Day Guide
Vocational Qualifications Guide
Sixth Form or College
International Baccalaureate
Post 18 options
Finding a Job
Should I take a Gap Year?
Travel Planning
Volunteering
Gap Year Blogs
Applying to Oxbridge
Applying to US Universities
Choosing a Degree
Choosing a University or College
Personal Statement Editing and Review Service
Guide to Freshers' Week
Student Guides
Student Cooking
Student Blogs
Top Rated Personal Statements
Personal Statement Examples
Writing Your Personal Statement
Postgraduate Personal Statements
International Student Personal Statements
Gap Year Personal Statements
Personal Statement Length Checker
Personal Statement Examples By University
Personal Statement Changes 2025
Personal Statement Template
Job Interviews
Types of Postgraduate Course
Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement
Postgraduate Study
Choosing A College
Ivy League Universities
Common App Essay Examples
Universal College Application Guide
How To Write A College Admissions Essay
College Rankings
Admissions Tests
Fees & Funding
Scholarships
Budgeting For College
Online Degree
Platinum Express Editing and Review Service
Gold Editing and Review Service
Silver Express Editing and Review Service
UCAS Personal Statement Editing and Review Service
Oxbridge Personal Statement Editing and Review Service
Postgraduate Personal Statement Editing and Review Service
Writing a PhD research proposal may seem like a daunting task when you are used to writing essays, reports and other short coursework pieces for your undergraduate degree.
However, the success of your PhD application largely depends on the quality of your thesis proposal, so it's important to try and do this part of your application as well as possible.
A PhD proposal is a an outline of your proposed project that should:
Research proposals may vary in length, so it is important to check with the department(s) to which you are applying to check word limits and guidelines. Generally speaking, a proposal should be around 3,000 words which you write as part of the application process.
Potential supervisors, admissions tutors and/or funders use research proposals to check:
It's important that you are able to complete your PhD within 3 years (full-time) or 6 years (part-time), so make sure you are able to explain how you will complete it within this timeframe.
This is your opportunity to convince tutors that your project is important and they should offer you a place at their university.
The proposal will also be used to assign supervisors, so if you are interested in the work of a particular member of staff (especially if you have already discussed your work with this person), make sure you mention this in your proposal.
It's usually a good idea to scope out prospective supervisors and get in touch with them to discuss your proposal informally before submitting your application, as this will give you a better chance of it being accepted. However, remember that there is no guarantee you will be supervised by a particular academic.
No - not all research proposals are set in stone.
In fact, quite the opposite, since they will often be a work in progress and be amended further down the line as more information comes to light through literature, experiments, input from other academics, etc.
So try not to worry about this too much as you are writing, as there is room for flexibility later on.
Overall your proposal needs to explain what exactly you want to research for three or four years, and the reasons why. However, you will also need to include other details, such as why your area of research is important, what gap(s) in the literature you hope to fill, and what broader relevance your ideas have to your chosen field. You will need to make your application stand out from the crowd with a well-written proposal, so they will be more likely to consider you for the place over someone else. The task of writing a proposal is very different from writing an essay. You need to think about the questions you want to answer through your research, rather than putting forward an argument.
Consider how the data you will gather may lead you to a particular line of argument to answer your research questions.
This varies a great deal from institution to institution, and between different subjects. This means you need to find out in advance what the guidelines are for the departments you would be interested in studying at. For example, the faculty of English and Comparative Literary Studies at the University of Warwick require prospective PhD students to write a statement of research from 500 to 1000 words long, whereas the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford do not ask for a formal research proposal, just a statement of why their programmes are of interest to you and the particular areas of research that appeal to you most. However, the things you need to include in the proposal are usually very standard. These include:
You do not need to have full details of the methods you will use to answer your research questions but you need to demonstrate that you have already given some thought about how you will do things. The important thing is that you show the institution you are applying to that your project is feasible in the time period available - it's good to show ambition, but make sure you have thought about the methodological issues. If your proposal is too elaborate and not feasible within 3 or 4 years, your application is likely to be unsuccessful. If you are asked to submit quite a long proposal, make sure it is sub-headed so it is more readable for potential supervisors.
1. think about your main research question.
How could it be broken down into a chain of manageable chunks that are all connected?
Drawing a flowchart or spider diagram may help you with this initial step.
Since your proposal is likely to go through a significant number of drafts, it’s best to give yourself as much time as possible to write it.
Obviously, if you start only a week or 2 from the application deadline, it's unlikely you will write something good enough to get accepted.
From getting down your first ideas to completing your final draft can take up 2 or 3 months if you’ve done it to the best of your ability.
Ask your tutors who taught you during your undergraduate degree to help you, as usually they are only too happy to encourage good students to pursue doctoral study.
It's important to research the departments you are thinking about applying to ensure that there are staff interested in your topic and available to supervise your project.
As mentioned above, we recommend you contact potential supervisors beforehand with a completed draft of your proposal to check it is viable and you have a good chance of being considered.
Long-winded and poorly constructed proposals won't help you win points with faculty staff.
As mentioned earlier, structure your statement well to make your proposal clear and easy to read, otherwise you are more likely to be rejected.
Make sure your enthusiasm for your chosen research area shows through in the structure and arguments presented in your proposal.
What excites you about this project, and how does it add value to your field?
Not all readers will know everything about your field, so it is up to you to make your research proposal engaging and make them want to offer you a place in their department.
This means stating your research problem as clearly as possible, and how it will address gaps in current knowledge.
Thinking about the questions you wish to answer early on will help you gain the results you're looking for later on.
If you aren't convinced there is a project there, your potential supervisors won't be either!
Taking a draft of your proposal to a tutor who will give you some constructive advice can help you develop your ideas and guide you with the structure and formatting.
If you have any friends who are also looking to apply for a PhD, a few group sessions on looking at each other’s proposals and suggesting improvements could prove to be very useful. Talking to people who are currently studying for a PhD will also help, as they can explain about their experience of the application process and what they wrote for their research proposal. Hopefully they will provide you with some useful tips on how to make your application successful and general advice for getting together that final draft of your proposal.
Try not to worry about your proposal as you continue to re-draft to it.
Supervisors know that the course of your research will change as your studies progress, so don’t panic about what you write in the proposal will be exactly what you will do over the next 3 or 4 years. The most important thing is that you are able to demonstrate a well thought out idea and evaluate how you will contribute to the current knowledge and literature. You need to make sure you are able to show this first time in your proposal, as there are no second chances to prove you are good enough to study at a particular institution.
For more tips and advice on applying for a PhD, please see:
In this collection, we’ll walk you through each chapter of your thesis. You’ll learn what goes where and how it fits together.
Your PhD discussion chapter is your thesis's intellectual epicenter. Think of it as the scholarly equivalent of a courtroom closing argument, where you summarise the evidence and make your case. Perhaps that’s why it’s so tricky - the skills you need in your...
Understanding how to structure your PhD is tough. It helps to break it down into four distinct sections. In this guide, we explain how.
You probably worry about finding the thread that runs through the PhD thesis. In this guide we walk you through what’s required.
Your thesis takes a lot of time to research, ideate, and write. Here’s how to properly edit a PhD thesis such that you impress your examiners and achieve even greater success.
Writing a PhD is physically, intellectually and emotionally daunting. You may spend each day doubting yourself, not sure if you’re making the right choices and unsure whether you’ve got what it takes. During my life, I’ve helped thousands of PhD students like...
Struggling to understand what goes where? Let us walk you through a non-nonsense guide that’ll teach you how to structure a PhD thesis.
There is a very important distinction that needs to be made between the empirical and discussion sections/chapters. It is a common misconception that the empirical chapters are the place for your analysis. Often this confuses the reader.
Regardless of what stage of the writing process you are at, there are five overarching tips you need to keep in mind if you want to improve your PhD thesis.
How long does it take the person reading your thesis to understand what you’re doing and how you’re doing it? If the answer is anything other than ’in the the opening lines of the thesis’, keep reading.
When stripped down to its basic components, the PhD proposal explains the what and the why of your research. What it will be about and why it will be important.
Get the introduction right and the rest of your dissertation will follow. Mess it up and you’ll be struggling to catch up. The introduction is the place to factually recount what it is you will be discussing in the thesis. Learn more in this detailed guide.
The conclusion is the last thing your examiner will read before they write their viva report. You need to make sure it stands out.
Don’t underestimate how hard it is to write a PhD thesis abstract. When I wrote mine I though it’d be straightforward. Far from it. It’s tricky. You have to condense hundred of pages and years of work into a few hundred words.
At the core of the PhD are arguments. Lots of them. Some more important and some very specific. When you understand how to structure an argument, your thesis reads clearly and logically. If you don’t the reader ends up confused and your thesis suffers.
Don’t get lost in a sea of authors when you write your PhD literature review. Instead be critical. In this guide we explain how.
When I was writing my PhD I hated the literature review. I was scared of it. I thought it would be impossible to grapple. So much so that it used to keep me up at night. Now I know how easy it can be and I’m sharing my top tips with you today.
In this guide, I explain how to use the theory framework template. The focus is on the practical things to consider when you’re working with the template and how you can give your theory framework the rockstar treatment.
Our PhD Writing Template allows you to visualise your PhD on one page. Here we explain how to fill it in and how it can help you structure each chapter.
The theoretical framework is so important, but so misunderstood. Here we explain it is in simple terms: as a toolbox.
Eight collections of free resources to help you along the phd journey.
Each week we send out a short, motivational email to over 4,000 students. Here you can sign up and access the archive.
What is a research proposal.
A research proposal gives details of the direction of your future research, usually based on a research question and a chapter-by-chapter approach to answering it.
For PhD applications, this proposal will be assessed to see:
There may be other factors affecting whether you get a place at the University of Brighton:
A successful proposal will leave the panel in no doubt on these, and you should prepare to show the strength of your idea and demonstrate your suitability.
Within the proposal, you should take the opportunity to clearly outline your research idea; your research methodology and critical approaches; your experience in this field of research where you can; and how your work will be offering an original contribution to knowledge, theories and/or practice.
Find more details about a PhD in your discipline at the University of Brighton
The strongest proposals are often ones that have been written jointly between a prospective student and prospective supervisor.
As Professor Pollen states in our film, supervisors have an understanding of the language used in proposals and the skillsets that asessors will want to see -- whether for a university position or a funding application.
To develop a strong proposal, we recommend you work with a possible supervisor at the University of Brighton who can help shape your project for feasibility and suitability within our institution. This person may then become your lead supervisor.
Please enable targeting cookies in order to view this video content on our website, or you can watch the video on YouTube .
What journey leads to a PhD application? This film was made by the University of Brighton for UKRI and features University of Brighton students and academics as well as those from other partner universities.
You may be responding to an advertised call for a particular project that has already achieved funding. Alternatively, you may want to propose a personally developed project.
If you are responding to a call then the advertisement will have clear guidance as to what research experience and interest a candidate will need. This should help you structure your PhD research proposal.
If you are proposing a personally developed project then it should be carefully written to show the viability within the university's current research environment and a specific supervisory possibility at the university.
Some applicants have found our repository of theses helpful for the development and refinement of their research idea. You can find over 1000 theses completed at the University of Brighton over the past 40 years at our repository of successful PhD student theses .
Our research database has useful leads to potential supervisory staff and a strong idea of the university's current research priorities online:
Once you have identified a potential lead researcher of a research project most aligned to yours, do not hesitate to email them.
Explain who you are, your motivation to do a PhD in their field of study and with them. They will let you know if they are interested in your project and would be interested in potentially supervising your PhD. If they cannot commit, they may be able to help you identify another researcher who could be available and interested.
By liaising with a suitable supervisor, your proposal will benefit from expert help and be channelled towards the appropriate disciplinary environment.
If you are in doubt about whether we can offer the appropriate supervision, please contact the Doctoral College .
Find out more about your opportunities for a PHD on our FAQ page
A research proposal should include the following:
1. Indicative title of the topic area
This should accurately reflect what it is that you want to study and the central issues that you are going to address.
It may be useful to present this in the format of a statement (perhaps a quote) and a question, separated by a colon. For example: '"The tantalising future of research": how are research proposals developed and assessed?'
2. Context / rationale / why is this study important? (300 – 500 words)
Introduce your specific area of study. You should identify the theoretical context within which your research will be developed by discussing the discipline(s) and or field/s of study relevant to your research.
This means outlining the key theoretical area(s) you will draw upon to enable you to find out what it is that you want to know (for example, how it is underpinned from methods in the social sciences; arts and humanities; life, health and physical sciences).
What we are looking for here is an indication that you understand and have done some research into the wider theoretical context.
Developing the context is just one part of this section; you are building a case / rationale for the study area. Why is this study important, which theoretical areas support this? Can you identify any gaps in current understanding that help you build the case for this research study?
For example, this section might take the form of: a series of statements on the current landmark areas of thought; a recognition of what has not yet been done thoroughly enough or where there is territory for research between these landmark studies; and where your study will fill the gaps you have identified.
3. Literature review (approximately 700 – 900 words)
Here you are demonstrating that you are aware of what has been and what is currently being written about your topic.
It will certainly include the up-to-date and relevant past landmark academic literature. It may also include other evidence of current thought and attitude, for example, government documents or media coverage. Practice-led PhD studies may make reference to innovation and trends in industry or professional practice.
We are looking for you to make links between this body of literature and your proposed area of study. This will support the ways you have identified gaps in the current global knowledge-base. A PhD thesis arises from original research leading to new knowledge or a significant contribution to existing knowledge. If, at this stage, you have some thoughts on how your research is likely to contribute to knowledge then include details in your proposal.
This section should include citations which are compiled into a reference list at the end of the document (see point 7).
4. The research questions or hypotheses (approximately 200 words)
Having told us what you want to study and why, and then illustrated these ideas with reference to a body of literature, the next task is to distil your ideas into a tentative set of research questions, hypotheses, aims and objectives (as per the underpinning discipline requires) that are manageable and achievable within a normal PhD timeframe (see 6 below). There are typically between three and ten questions/aims of this kind.
5. Research approach/ methodologies / methods (approximately 400 words)
There will be many research approaches open to you. In your proposal, suggest the methodological approach that you might take and make a reasoned case as to why the research questions you have posed are best addressed by this approach.
You might also suggest what methods you would use to generate data that can help you address your research questions.
6. Timescale/research planning (approximately 200 words)
A full-time PhD should take three years to complete, although you may require more time to acquire the relevant skills prior to commencing your research. Part-time study will take longer (up to five - six years). Within this timeframe, you will need to demonstrate your awareness of time management and planning, for example the length of time for primary research/ fieldwork.
7. Reference list
You should include a reference list of all the sources that you referred to in the text using a recognised referencing style appropriate to your discipline (for example Harvard or Vancouver for Sciences).
Evidence of thorough background reading might include between ten and twenty citations at this point. They should demonstrate to an expert that you are knowledgeable of the landmark work in your field.
There are a number of books widely available that may help in preparing your research proposal (as well as in completing your research degree), here are a couple to point you in the right direction:
Bell, J (2010, 5th edn) Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-time Researchers in Education & Social Science , Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Baxter, L, Hughes, C and Tight, M (2007, 3rd edn) How to Research , Buckingham: Open University Press.
The University of Brighton prides itself on the quality of its research in areas that intersect with professional practices and direct impact through in-the-field relationships with co-producers.
We are very supportive of doctoral projects that bring positive results from these methodolgies and practices.
Some of the subject areas that have supported personal practice as research include: design, art, architecture, media production and creative writing, with successful approaches including autoethnographic methods and public participation or site-specific interventions.
Some of the areas that have benefited from significant professional practice and industry relationship-focused research have included: engineering, nursing, business administration and teaching.
The research proposal will still need to demonstrate your capability as a researcher with a project that is workable and fits with the university's interests and capacities.
You should, however, adapt your proposal to demonstrate the value that your practice can bring to the research. This should be in tandem with a clear understanding of the relationship between practice and research.
A clear competence in practice should be evidenced, but do be aware that your proposal will be judged on its research and the new knowledge that is developed and shared, rather than the quality of practice in and of itself.
Personal practices, experiences and data gained through professional relationships may form part of a standard PhD thesis and proposal as description of work and resulting data. You will only be appyling for a practice-led component to be taken into account if this will form a significant part of the representation and examination of the knowledge-base. In such cases, the thesis is signficantly shorter.
Some pitfalls in the applications for practice-led or practice-focused research include:
Your potential supervisor will be able to advise where a proposal will include significant elements beyond the traditional thesis. For further information, please contact the Doctoral College .
A set of designed objects submitted as part of a practice-led PhD project in medical therapeutic design, by Dr Tom Ainsworth, who went on to become a teacher, researcher and supervisor at the University of Brighton.
From how to choose a topic to writing the abstract and managing work-life balance through the years it takes to complete a doctorate, here we collect expert advice to get you through the PhD writing process
Additional links.
Popular resources
Emotions and learning: what role do emotions play in how and why students learn, how to do self-promotion without the cringe factor, a diy guide to starting your own journal, how hard can it be testing ai detection tools.
Embarking on a PhD is “probably the most challenging task that a young scholar attempts to do”, write Mark Stephan Felix and Ian Smith in their practical guide to dissertation and thesis writing. After years of reading and research to answer a specific question or proposition, the candidate will submit about 80,000 words that explain their methods and results and demonstrate their unique contribution to knowledge. Here are the answers to frequently asked questions about writing a doctoral thesis or dissertation.
Whatever the genre of the doctorate, a PhD must offer an original contribution to knowledge. The terms “dissertation” and “thesis” both refer to the long-form piece of work produced at the end of a research project and are often used interchangeably. Which one is used might depend on the country, discipline or university. In the UK, “thesis” is generally used for the work done for a PhD, while a “dissertation” is written for a master’s degree. The US did the same until the 1960s, says Oxbridge Essays, when the convention switched, and references appeared to a “master’s thesis” and “doctoral dissertation”. To complicate matters further, undergraduate long essays are also sometimes referred to as a thesis or dissertation.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines “thesis” as “a dissertation, especially by a candidate for a degree” and “dissertation” as “a detailed discourse on a subject, especially one submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of a degree or diploma”.
The title “doctor of philosophy”, incidentally, comes from the degree’s origins, write Dr Felix, an associate professor at Mahidol University in Thailand, and Dr Smith, retired associate professor of education at the University of Sydney , whose co-authored guide focuses on the social sciences. The PhD was first awarded in the 19th century by the philosophy departments of German universities, which at that time taught science, social science and liberal arts.
A PhD thesis (or dissertation) is typically 60,000 to 120,000 words ( 100 to 300 pages in length ) organised into chapters, divisions and subdivisions (with roughly 10,000 words per chapter) – from introduction (with clear aims and objectives) to conclusion.
The structure of a dissertation will vary depending on discipline (humanities, social sciences and STEM all have their own conventions), location and institution. Examples and guides to structure proliferate online. The University of Salford , for example, lists: title page, declaration, acknowledgements, abstract, table of contents, lists of figures, tables and abbreviations (where needed), chapters, appendices and references.
A scientific-style thesis will likely need: introduction, literature review, materials and methods, results, discussion, bibliography and references.
As well as checking the overall criteria and expectations of your institution for your research, consult your school handbook for the required length and format (font, layout conventions and so on) for your dissertation.
A PhD takes three to four years to complete; this might extend to six to eight years for a part-time doctorate.
Before you get started in earnest , you’ll likely have found a potential supervisor, who will guide your PhD journey, and done a research proposal (which outlines what you plan to research and how) as part of your application, as well as a literature review of existing scholarship in the field, which may form part of your final submission.
In the UK, PhD candidates undertake original research and write the results in a thesis or dissertation, says author and vlogger Simon Clark , who posted videos to YouTube throughout his own PhD journey . Then they submit the thesis in hard copy and attend the viva voce (which is Latin for “living voice” and is also called an oral defence or doctoral defence) to convince the examiners that their work is original, understood and all their own. Afterwards, if necessary, they make changes and resubmit. If the changes are approved, the degree is awarded.
The steps are similar in Australia , although candidates are mostly assessed on their thesis only; some universities may include taught courses, and some use a viva voce. A PhD in Australia usually takes three years full time.
In the US, the PhD process begins with taught classes (similar to a taught master’s) and a comprehensive exam (called a “field exam” or “dissertation qualifying exam”) before the candidate embarks on their original research. The whole journey takes four to six years.
A PhD candidate will need three skills and attitudes to get through their doctoral studies, says Tara Brabazon , professor of cultural studies at Flinders University in Australia who has written extensively about the PhD journey :
It’s important to find a topic that will sustain your interest for the years it will take to complete a PhD. “Finding a sustainable topic is the most important thing you [as a PhD student] would do,” says Dr Brabazon in a video for Times Higher Education . “Write down on a big piece of paper all the topics, all the ideas, all the questions that really interest you, and start to cross out all the ones that might just be a passing interest.” Also, she says, impose the “Who cares? Who gives a damn?” question to decide if the topic will be useful in a future academic career.
The availability of funding and scholarships is also often an important factor in this decision, says veteran PhD supervisor Richard Godwin, from Harper Adams University .
Define a gap in knowledge – and one that can be questioned, explored, researched and written about in the time available to you, says Gina Wisker, head of the Centre for Learning and Teaching at the University of Brighton. “Set some boundaries,” she advises. “Don’t try to ask everything related to your topic in every way.”
James Hartley, research professor in psychology at Keele University, says it can also be useful to think about topics that spark general interest. If you do pick something that taps into the zeitgeist, your findings are more likely to be noticed.
You also need to find someone else who is interested in it, too. For STEM candidates , this will probably be a case of joining a team of people working in a similar area where, ideally, scholarship funding is available. A centre for doctoral training (CDT) or doctoral training partnership (DTP) will advertise research projects. For those in the liberal arts and social sciences, it will be a matter of identifying a suitable supervisor .
Avoid topics that are too broad (hunger across a whole country, for example) or too narrow (hunger in a single street) to yield useful solutions of academic significance, write Mark Stephan Felix and Ian Smith. And ensure that you’re not repeating previous research or trying to solve a problem that has already been answered. A PhD thesis must be original.
After you have read widely to refine your topic and ensure that it and your research methods are original, and discussed your project with a (potential) supervisor, you’re ready to write a thesis proposal , a document of 1,500 to 3,000 words that sets out the proposed direction of your research. In the UK, a research proposal is usually part of the application process for admission to a research degree. As with the final dissertation itself, format varies among disciplines, institutions and countries but will usually contain title page, aims, literature review, methodology, timetable and bibliography. Examples of research proposals are available online.
The abstract presents your thesis to the wider world – and as such may be its most important element , says the NUI Galway writing guide. It outlines the why, how, what and so what of the thesis . Unlike the introduction, which provides background but not research findings, the abstract summarises all sections of the dissertation in a concise, thorough, focused way and demonstrates how well the writer understands their material. Check word-length limits with your university – and stick to them. About 300 to 500 words is a rough guide – but it can be up to 1,000 words.
The abstract is also important for selection and indexing of your thesis, according to the University of Melbourne guide , so be sure to include searchable keywords.
It is the first thing to be read but the last element you should write. However, Pat Thomson , professor of education at the University of Nottingham , advises that it is not something to be tackled at the last minute.
As well as chapter conclusions, a thesis often has an overall conclusion to draw together the key points covered and to reflect on the unique contribution to knowledge. It can comment on future implications of the research and open up new ideas emanating from the work. It is shorter and more general than the discussion chapter , says online editing site Scribbr, and reiterates how the work answers the main question posed at the beginning of the thesis. The conclusion chapter also often discusses the limitations of the research (time, scope, word limit, access) in a constructive manner.
It can be useful to keep a collection of ideas as you go – in the online forum DoctoralWriting SIG , academic developer Claire Aitchison, of the University of South Australia , suggests using a “conclusions bank” for themes and inspirations, and using free-writing to keep this final section fresh. (Just when you feel you’ve run out of steam.) Avoid aggrandising or exaggerating the impact of your work. It should remind the reader what has been done, and why it matters.
Most universities use a preferred style of references , writes THE associate editor Ingrid Curl. Make sure you know what this is and follow it. “One of the most common errors in academic writing is to cite papers in the text that do not then appear in the bibliography. All references in your thesis need to be cross-checked with the bibliography before submission. Using a database during your research can save a great deal of time in the writing-up process.”
A bibliography contains not only works cited explicitly but also those that have informed or contributed to the research – and as such illustrates its scope; works are not limited to written publications but include sources such as film or visual art.
Examiners can start marking from the back of the script, writes Dr Brabazon. “Just as cooks are judged by their ingredients and implements, we judge doctoral students by the calibre of their sources,” she advises. She also says that candidates should be prepared to speak in an oral examination of the PhD about any texts included in their bibliography, especially if there is a disconnect between the thesis and the texts listed.
Don’t write like a stereotypical academic , say Kevin Haggerty, professor of sociology at the University of Alberta , and Aaron Doyle, associate professor in sociology at Carleton University , in their tongue-in-cheek guide to the PhD journey. “If you cannot write clearly and persuasively, everything about PhD study becomes harder.” Avoid jargon, exotic words, passive voice and long, convoluted sentences – and work on it consistently. “Writing is like playing guitar; it can improve only through consistent, concerted effort.”
Be deliberate and take care with your writing . “Write your first draft, leave it and then come back to it with a critical eye. Look objectively at the writing and read it closely for style and sense,” advises THE ’s Ms Curl. “Look out for common errors such as dangling modifiers, subject-verb disagreement and inconsistency. If you are too involved with the text to be able to take a step back and do this, then ask a friend or colleague to read it with a critical eye. Remember Hemingway’s advice: ‘Prose is architecture, not interior decoration.’ Clarity is key.”
Since the PhD supervisor provides a range of support and advice – including on research techniques, planning and submission – regular formal supervisions are essential, as is establishing a line of contact such as email if the candidate needs help or advice outside arranged times. The frequency varies according to university, discipline and individual scholars.
Once a week is ideal, says Dr Brabazon. She also advocates a two-hour initial meeting to establish the foundations of the candidate-supervisor relationship .
The University of Edinburgh guide to writing a thesis suggests that creating a timetable of supervisor meetings right at the beginning of the research process will allow candidates to ensure that their work stays on track throughout. The meetings are also the place to get regular feedback on draft chapters.
“A clear structure and a solid framework are vital for research,” writes Dr Godwin on THE Campus . Use your supervisor to establish this and provide a realistic view of what can be achieved. “It is vital to help students identify the true scientific merit, the practical significance of their work and its value to society.”
Proofreading is the final step before printing and submission. Give yourself time to ensure that your work is the best it can be . Don’t leave proofreading to the last minute; ideally, break it up into a few close-reading sessions. Find a quiet place without distractions. A checklist can help ensure that all aspects are covered.
Proofing is often helped by a change of format – so it can be easier to read a printout rather than working off the screen – or by reading sections out of order. Fresh eyes are better at spotting typographical errors and inconsistencies, so leave time between writing and proofreading. Check with your university’s policies before asking another person to proofread your thesis for you.
As well as close details such as spelling and grammar, check that all sections are complete, all required elements are included , and nothing is repeated or redundant. Don’t forget to check headings and subheadings. Does the text flow from one section to another? Is the structure clear? Is the work a coherent whole with a clear line throughout?
Ensure consistency in, for example, UK v US spellings, capitalisation, format, numbers (digits or words, commas, units of measurement), contractions, italics and hyphenation. Spellchecks and online plagiarism checkers are also your friend.
Treat your PhD like a full-time job, that is, with an eight-hour working day. Within that, you’ll need to plan your time in a way that gives a sense of progress . Setbacks and periods where it feels as if you are treading water are all but inevitable, so keeping track of small wins is important, writes A Happy PhD blogger Luis P. Prieto.
Be specific with your goals – use the SMART acronym (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely).
And it’s never too soon to start writing – even if early drafts are overwritten and discarded.
“ Write little and write often . Many of us make the mistake of taking to writing as one would take to a sprint, in other words, with relatively short bursts of intense activity. Whilst this can prove productive, generally speaking it is not sustainable…In addition to sustaining your activity, writing little bits on a frequent basis ensures that you progress with your thinking. The comfort of remaining in abstract thought is common; writing forces us to concretise our thinking,” says Christian Gilliam, AHSS researcher developer at the University of Cambridge ’s Centre for Teaching and Learning.
Make time to write. “If you are more alert early in the day, find times that suit you in the morning; if you are a ‘night person’, block out some writing sessions in the evenings,” advises NUI Galway’s Dermot Burns, a lecturer in English and creative arts. Set targets, keep daily notes of experiment details that you will need in your thesis, don’t confuse writing with editing or revising – and always back up your work.
During your PhD programme, you may have opportunities to take part in professional development activities, such as teaching, attending academic conferences and publishing your work. Your research may include residencies, field trips or archive visits. This will require time-management skills as well as prioritising where you devote your energy and factoring in rest and relaxation. Organise your routine to suit your needs , and plan for steady and regular progress.
Have a contingency plan for delays or roadblocks such as unexpected results.
Accept that writing is messy, first drafts are imperfect, and writer’s block is inevitable, says Dr Burns. His tips for breaking it include relaxation to free your mind from clutter, writing a plan and drawing a mind map of key points for clarity. He also advises feedback, reflection and revision: “Progressing from a rough version of your thoughts to a superior and workable text takes time, effort, different perspectives and some expertise.”
“Academia can be a relentlessly brutal merry-go-round of rejection, rebuttal and failure,” writes Lorraine Hope , professor of applied cognitive psychology at the University of Portsmouth, on THE Campus. Resilience is important. Ensure that you and your supervisor have a relationship that supports open, frank, judgement-free communication.
If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter .
Authoring a PhD Thesis: How to Plan, Draft, Write and Finish a Doctoral Dissertation (2003), by Patrick Dunleavy
Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and Finishing Your Doctoral Thesis (1998), by Joan Balker
Challenges in Writing Your Dissertation: Coping with the Emotional, Interpersonal, and Spiritual Struggles (2015), by Noelle Sterne
Confronting generative ai in the fast-changing higher education sector, creating inclusive spaces for inclusive events, contextual learning: linking learning to the real world, webinar: how to recruit talented staff in higher education, tried and tested ways to teach your students soft skills.
Register for free
and unlock a host of features on the THE site
Obtaining a PhD in psychology comes with a number of benefits, from the freedom to start your private practice to the chance to dive deep into research.
But if you’re charting out the next steps of your academic journey, the big question is, “How long does a PhD in psychology take?”
Ultimately, it depends on a handful of factors, but you can expect to be in school anywhere from five to seven years. 1,2 Let’s break down the timeline together and explore why earning a doctorate in psychology may be well worth the commitment.
Get Your PhD in Psychology Degree
A doctorate of philosophy in psychology is a terminal degree that helps prepare graduates for a range of professional pathways. It’s often seen as an ideal choice for students who hope to gain teaching experience or produce fresh insights through scientific research. 3 PhDs in psychology may also earn their licensure and work directly with clients in clinical settings, such as a mental health clinic or a private practice.
PhD in psychology programs may vary from institution to institution. Yet, they’re typically broken down into four primary categories:
The phases of a PhD in psychology also range from school to school. Graduate students can expect the following:
Does this mean you’ll manage each of these one at a time? Not necessarily. You might attend a morning lecture, teach for an hour, see a patient for an intake assessment, and spend your evening working on your dissertation.
Several factors may influence your particular answer to “How long does a PhD in psychology take?” These may include:
The duration of your graduate program may also be contingent upon the strength of your relationship with your mentor/doctoral advisor and, importantly, what you bring to the program, such as time management skills, motivation, and momentum. 8
Internships and clinical practicums are crucial to gaining the skills and confidence required to transition from your doctoral program into the “real” world.
The type of hands-on experience you gain—and where it will occur—will depend on your program and discipline, but PhD in psychology students usually observe a licensed clinical psychologist in action or work directly with clients or groups of clients. In both scenarios, you typically have the opportunity to ask questions and request feedback. 9
Where do these internships and practicums take place? In a range of settings, such as:
The PhD in Clinical Psychology program at Alliant International University, for example, pairs doctoral candidates with clinical practicum opportunities within the community to further your professional development.
As mentioned, a PhD in psychology usually takes between five and seven years, plus, in most cases, a one-year internship. Bear in mind, however, that the factors noted above could potentially delay completion.
There are several ways to remain on track throughout your graduate studies: 10
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), studies suggest that picturing the completion of your PhD and your future success can boost your motivation. Getting a PhD in psychology is no easy feat, but you are making a difference in the lives of others.
Alliant International University is intent on ensuring students receive the support they need to thrive throughout their academic journeys. We offer a number of resources to nourish your well-being, including libraries, labs, and online databases. Add an encouraging faculty to the list, and you can rest assured that we’ll help you stay on track.
“How long does it take to get a psychology PhD” is case by case, much in the way your clients may be in the future. However long it does take is incomparable to what you may gain from your program, from in-depth knowledge of the brain to the finest research techniques.
Alliant International University nurtures these very things. We offer two doctoral degrees in Psychology: a PsyD and a PhD in Clinical Psychology . Both come equipped with attributes that can help students flourish—during their PhD degree programs and after.
Imagine your future in psychology by exploring our doctoral programs today.
Dean, California School of Professional Psychology
David G. Stewart, PhD, ABPP, is a board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist and Dean of the California School of...
University announcements, featured news, nursing and health sciences, start on your path to succeed on purpose, request information.
7 psychology specializations: which is right for you.
By examining the link between brain function and human behavior, psychology can positively influence collective outcomes and...
If you’re contemplating a career in psychology or human services, you might be both thrilled and overwhelmed by the number of...
A PhD in Psychology is the ultimate degree—a symbol of your commitment to the discipline and a representation of your knowledge...
By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies and similar tracking technologies described in our privacy policy .
June 2024 vol 129 | issue 2.
Check out the AHR 's June issue, with articles that rethink approaches to global, environmental, and intellectual history, History Lab pieces that focus on digital history and modes of public-making, and #AHRSyllabus modules that explore state standards in the classroom and teaching with an AHR article. Members can access the issue online through the link under AHA Publications on MYAHA .
"chivalry without women: the way of the samurai and swinton’s world history in 1890s japan".
By Sarah Thal
By Leila Pourtavaf
By Elizabeth Chatterjee
The American Historical Review ( AHR ) has served as the journal of record for the historical discipline in the United States since 1895. It is the leading global forum for new scholarship in every major field of historical study across time and space. The AHR publishes field transforming articles and contributions that reimagine historical practice and teaching. From traditional articles to innovative digital media, we welcome submissions that spark scholarly conversations.
The AHR History Lab is a new, experimental space in the middle of the journal featuring collective projects that seek to reimagine how we approach historical practice in terms of content, form, and method.
Find information on article and digital media submissions and proposals for the AHR History Lab and #AHRSyllabus project.
Take a deeper dive into historical content and practice, highlighting the work of historians and other scholars who work in and outside of the academy.
Collaborative history + revisiting marion thompson wright, #ahrsyllabus.
The #AHRSyllabus is a collaborative project designed to help teachers and students look "under the hood" at how historians in the early 21st century do the work of history. Each contribution to the syllabus features a practical hands-on teaching module that foregrounds innovative uses of historical method in the classroom.
The American Historical Review publishes approximately 650 reviews annually, aiming to represent all fields of historical scholarship. Click here to learn more about our reviews process, read our FAQ, and submit your information for our reviewer database.
Access past issues of the AHR , the journal of record for the historical discipline since 1895. The AHR publishes field transforming articles and contributions that reimagine historical practice and teaching. In its second century of continuous publication, the AHR strives to be the leading forum for new historical research, while meeting the challenges of an ever-evolving digital age and an ever-expanding global community of scholars.
The AHR occasionally publishes special issues. More information about upcoming special issues coming soon.
Essays that highlight archival stories, off-beat discoveries, unexpected connections with other fields, as well as historians’ research experiences and their connection to the authors’ lives and stories.
The newsmagazine of the American Historical Association.
Visit the OUP's website for information on advertising in the AHR .
Find upcoming calls for papers, conference proposals, and other activities.
AHA Members: To access the full text of articles, start at www.historians.org/myaha.
The AHA brings together historians from all specializations and all work contexts, embracing the breadth and variety of activity in history today.
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500
Since his first day in office, President Biden has called on Congress to secure our border and address our broken immigration system. As Congressional Republicans have continued to put partisan politics ahead of national security – twice voting against the toughest and fairest set of reforms in decades – the President and his Administration have taken actions to secure the border, including:
President Biden believes that securing the border is essential. He also believes in expanding lawful pathways and keeping families together, and that immigrants who have been in the United States for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, are part of the social fabric of our country. The Day One immigration reform plan that the President sent to Congress reflects both the need for a secure border and protections for the long-term undocumented. While Congress has failed to act on these reforms, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to strengthen our lawful immigration system. In addition to vigorously defending the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood arrivals) policy, the Administration has extended Affordable Care Act coverage to DACA recipients and streamlined, expanded, and instituted new reunification programs so that families can stay together while they complete the immigration process. Still, there is more that we can do to bring peace of mind and stability to Americans living in mixed-status families as well as young people educated in this country, including Dreamers. That is why today, President Biden announced new actions for people who have been here many years to keep American families together and allow more young people to contribute to our economy. Keeping American Families Together
Easing the Visa Process for U.S. College Graduates, Including Dreamers
We'll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better.
Opt in to send and receive text messages from President Biden.
Written by: Orana Velarde
Everyone knows that a free ebook is one of the best lead magnet strategies for businesses of any size. But if you’re an author looking to earn some income you can make money from selling ebooks. Writing ebooks for money is also a common form of passive income, preferred by some, especially after the pandemic.
In fact, ebooks are in popular demand, so much so that ebook sales have exploded in the past few years, and the growth is expected to continue to grow at a steady annual rate of 3.92% up to 2028 internationally.
Even though free ebooks offer value to the subscriber exchanging their email for the download, paid-for ebooks must deliver a wealth of valuable information plus actionable advice for the reader.
In this article, we'll help you learn why ebooks are great for earning passive income, and share tips and guidelines for where and how to sell your ebooks.
Here’s a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit ebook templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:
7 sites to help you sell ebooks, ebook file types and formatting, how to sell ebooks in 11 simple steps, selling ebooks faqs.
Passive income is one of the most sought-after sources of income today. It means you're able to generate income with minimal labor involved. In other words, work less and earn more. Who doesn’t want that, right?
Well, ebooks are a great addition to any passive income strategy. The hard work starts at the beginning, and once it’s done, all you need to do is maintain your sales and marketing. Once you create an ebook, market it and share it, it can technically sell itself.
To make money writing ebooks takes a decent amount of effort to write valuable content. Not to mention, building a strong brand that will carry your ebook to success is not an overnight task.
But when you do set everything up correctly, ebooks can help you make money for a long time. In fact, the more evergreen your content is, and the more you keep promoting and updating it, the longer the life of your ebook.
Need more convincing? Here are some reasons why ebooks are great for passive income:
Even though an ebook will take work to put together and publish, it’s still a much easier digital product to create than a multi-lesson online course. You might even have most of the content in your blog post articles that can together create the foundation for an ebook.
Templates also make ebook creation a lot easier than starting from scratch. Using them also increases your chances of creating a successful ebook.
Visme, for example, offers pre-designed multipage templates in lots of different designs and for a variety of industries.
Putting the ebook together once you have the content is pretty straightforward. If you’re working with a team inside your company, then it’s even easier. Using collaboration tools makes ebook building an accessible and inspiring activity.
Plus, even if it takes you a while to create your first ebook, it will be much easier to make more. Why? Because you'll learn from the failures and successes of your last ebook (or ebooks) and make sure your future works are best-sellers.
Beyond being an easy digital product to make, you can easily sell your ebooks online. In the latter part of this article, we’ll discuss how to sell an ebook online.
Sign up. It’s free.
Collecting leads for your business is a vital step in the marketing funnel. Ebooks are great lead magnets because you are offering value as you get the person’s email. Many people create free ebooks in exchange for a sign-up, so your paid ebook must provide more value than a free one.
The best ebooks, specifically the ones that are most suited for passive income, are the ones that offer evergreen content. A good example of evergreen content is a topic that won’t change or evolve too fast after you’ve written it.
Ebook creation and promotion generally need a landing page on your website as the lead generation starting point. Add the landing page URL to relevant blog posts and other content on your site.
Likewise, other people can add your link to their content, and you can share the landing page directly on social media.
Selling ebooks needs a good and trustworthy platform. There are many publishing and distribution options, big and small. Choose the one that works for you.
If your ebook is not in the file type your publisher or distributor asks for, there are plenty of free online converters. Additionally, if you have the content and want someone else to convert it to ebook format manually, you can find many people on Fiverrr who offer this service.
In this section, we’ll show you where to sell ebooks online and how to get started.
Visme is an all-in-one design and content creation platform. Its easy-to-use platform lets users with little to no design experience create visually stunning content from scratch or with the help of professionally designed pre-made templates.
Writing and selling an ebook is a long and challenging process. Visme provides a comprehensive space for authors to finish their ebook designs confidently without the need to hire a programmer or designer.
Access ready-to-use ebook templates designed for the B2B or B2C space or Visme's AI Designer to help quickly generate a personalized template that suit your needs. For ebooks of fiction and non-fictional genres, you can bring your ebook cover ideas to life with Visme’s AI image generator or access a library of thousands of images, icons, graphics, animations and so much more.
Visme has a rich library of stock photos you can use in your ebook. If you don’t have any image that fits your context, Visme’s AI image generator is a great solution. With a descriptive prompt, you can generate unique visuals, including images, art, 3D graphics, paintings, pencil drawings and more.
“Some templates you stumble upon and are blown away that someone put the time and effort into creating them. You did not know you needed them in your life until that minute.” - Lorens K., A Graphic Designer who uses Visme .
Plus, you can easily edit your ebook’s most essential information with dynamic fields . This allows you to automatically insert or edit personalized text fields or assign any value needed without the need for painstaking manual updates.
Here's a quick video tutorial to walk you through creating an ebook in Visme:
Once you’ve finished designing your ebook in Visme, whether it’s plain text, multimedia, interactive or animated, you can decide to download or share your ebook as a digital PDF or a printable PDF with bleed marks to ensure your content and words stay in their designated area when professional printed.
You can also turn it into a shareable link that you share with your readers once they’ve made a purchase on your website. As well as make your ebook a private project so you decide who gets to view or read your ebook.
You can also track the number of views on your ebooks when you share them via Visme. This is great for analyzing the performance of your content as you track sales and marketing efforts.
Amazon is one of the largest online platforms for selling digital ebooks. Most authors are proactively selling ebooks on Amazon. Publishing your own ebook is one of the most popular ways to make money on Amazon , which can potentially make $1000+ a month.
Ebooks on Amazon are published using Kindle Direct Publishing. KDP will request that you upload your manuscript, which should meet certain requirements. You can upload Microsoft Word files, EPUB and their signature Kindle file type, KPF.
Choose to publish it as an ebook, paperback or both and once it’s been accepted by Amazon, your ebook will be available to readers worldwide.
Smashwords is an ebook publisher and distributor that offers lots of solutions for new and experienced ebook writers. You can upload a Word document or an EPUB file. They turn it into a digital ebook product and distribute it to all major ebook consumer platforms.
Rakuten Kobo is another ebook publisher and distributor offering to sell your ebooks on their site and many other distribution sites. To publish with Rakuten Kobo, simply follow the steps on the website. You can upload Microsoft Word and EPUB files, among others. They also offer solutions for selling audiobooks and even have their own digital readers for sale.
Moving away from sites that concentrate on ebooks alone, there’s also Sellfy — a digital product marketplace where you can sell any digital product for download. You can sell directly from Sellfy or use the link on your website.
Another digital download marketplace is Payhip. To sell an ebook on Payhip, it has to be ready as the file type of your choice. For a site like this, you’re better off selling your ebook as an EPUB. Sell with a Payhip link or add the link to a button on a landing page.
Finally, we have Gumroad — this online marketplace allows users to create a store to sell digital products such as courses, memberships, and ebooks. You have a bit more control over where and how your ebook is marketed as well as the price for an ebook when compared to other platforms.
Ready to use any of these platforms? You can start raking in your ebook profits by pairing Visme with any of the tools we’ve shared.
People have different ways of consuming content, and that’s why your ebook should be easy to read in a variety of digital formats. Also, there’s no golden rule that says your ebook must be in a vertical orientation.
For example, reading an ebook on a laptop is easier when it’s horizontal as the entire page is visible. The choice you make depends on how you expect your readers to view the ebook.
The next choice you need to make is the format and file type. There are four commonly used ebook formats and file types:
Interactive pdf, multimedia/interactive html5.
The file format you choose will mostly depend on your ebook's style. Many ebooks are just plain text, resembling a paper book but digital. Think Kindle readers, for example.
Other ebooks are highly visual and have more of a magazine feel, with large images and creative fonts. Furthermore, an ebook can be interactive with videos, animations and even sound.
But what’s the difference? Let’s take a look.
The classic printable PDF is one of the most common digital formats for transforming paper books and documents into online versions. Essentially, a PDF ebook can be printed and bound or read on a digital device.
The main downside with a static PDF ebook format is that the pages aren’t responsive on screens, and the viewer needs to zoom in and out to read small text.
Your best use of a printable PDF is to offer one as an option to the reader. Create an interactive PDF or digital experience and provide a printable PDF download as an option.
A great way to improve a regular PDF ebook is to make it interactive. Add hyperlinks, in-document navigation, informational popups, videos and interactive data visualizations.
Downloading interactive PDFs will only keep the links; everything else will deactivate. To share the full interactive version with the reader, you’ll need to share your ebook via a link and offer the option to download the less interactive version.
Like an interactive PDF, you can share your multimedia interactive ebook as an HTML5 file or via a live link. Of all the formatting options, this is the one we like to call “a digital experience” due to the multimedia capabilities.
Not only can you add links, videos and popups, but you can also add animated elements and transitions between pages.
EPUB is the universal ebook file format legible by most digital readers. To create an EPUB ebook, use a design tool like Adobe InDesign or Pages from Apple. Thankfully, you can also convert PDF files into EPUB files. But the best conversion suggestion is from HTML5 to EPUB.
You’re much better off publishing as an EPUB than a PDF for professional ebook publishing and distribution. EPUB ebooks are responsive and fit better on digital readers for easy reading.
Now to the good part — selling your ebook(s). Even if you’re hoping for your ebook to grow your brand awareness and be a good lead magnet, you also want it to be profitable.
Here are the steps to follow for selling ebooks that fatten up your bank account.
To make money from ebooks, they need to be worth paying money for. Your ebooks must bring valuable information and actionable advice to the reader.
The content should be either timely or evergreen. If the content is about a current trend, you must update the ebook when needed and send previous buyers a notice to download or read the new version.
Have a planning meeting, or start a Slack channel with your team to get the ebook project off the ground and running. Use a project management document with charts to organize the tasks by importance, dependency and person in charge.
Brainstorm with your team to get a good plan going and start doing the research. Here's a project plan template you can use to organize and plan your own book writing project:
The one golden rule about ebooks is to “write what you know.” That said, it also needs to be content that your audience wants; otherwise, they won’t feel the need to buy your book.
Use tools like Google Trends, SEMrush, Answer the Public, Quora and Reddit to find out what people are searching for in topics you know about. Also, check what your current customers ask your support team; you might get some ideas there.
Here are the best-selling ebook categories on Amazon:
Finally, look at the ebooks already available online. Take notes on the best-selling titles, their price, number of pages and what the cover looks like.
To help with the voice and message of your ebook, create a user persona profile to have a better idea of whom you’ll be writing the ebook for.
Here's a user persona template you can customize for your own use:
You might already have user personas from branding and marketing strategies; leverage those to save time. When planning the outline of the ebook, have the user persona always in mind for the messaging, wording, voice and tone.
Now it’s time to write your ebook . Before you start, check if you don’t have content you can reuse from blog posts or newsletters. You can, of course, write the book with all new content.
Here are some tips for writing the content for your ebook.
Like any type of long-form content, start your ebook with an outline. The depth of subheadings and bullet points depends on your earlier choice: text-heavy or visually rich formatting.
Separate your content into chunks; for an ebook with mostly text, you’ll need main headings, similar to how chapters have titles. When creating a visual style ebook, branch down from your main headings and use subheadings, bullet points and quotes. Make a note of any image placements and their captions.
Use the main titles to draft an initial table of contents. Rule no.1 of creating the table of contents pages: Do so at the very end; you won’t know the final page numbers and titles until you’ve finished the entire ebook.
Using the outline, write the content. Remember we said to write what you know? Well, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to fact-check. You need to show that the statements you make are accurate and back them up with expert quotes, links to research, footnotes or proof of personal and professional experience.
When giving advice or tips, use examples of possible scenarios that apply to what you’re sharing. It’s better if the examples are real, but you can change names for anonymity. Mention and refer to case studies or previous experiences to prove that your advice works.
When you’ve got the entire ebook written, put it down for a couple of days (if you have the time) and then come back to it with fresh eyes. Read it from beginning to end and check for these things:
Finally, don’t forget to proofread the text. Use tools like Grammarly or Language Tool as you write, and then do a final check with Grammarly Pro or Hemingway App to find language and grammar inconsistencies. If there’s an editor in your team, have them look through it and make changes to improve the flow, message and tone.
One of the reasons we love interactive ebooks made with Visme and shared with a live link is that all changes will reflect for the user the next time they open the ebook. This way, changes as small as a typo or as significant as a missing paragraph won’t mean republishing the ebook completely.
Having a writer's block? Or perhaps you need help proofreading your ebook. Visme’s AI text generator can help you create high-quality content. You can also use it to draft your ebook outline or proofread your content.
Before you design your ebook to sell, you might need an ISBN for it. ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number and is what distributors and bookstores use to distinguish your ebook from others.
Most publishers and distributors need an ISBN to sell any book, including an ebook. The only exceptions are Amazon and Visme live links and some digital download sites like Gumroad.
If you self-publish a physical book and an ebook of the same manuscript, each will need a unique ISBN. The same applies to different file formats of the same ebook.
Designing your ebook is next. If you decide on a text-heavy format, incorporate some visuals to break up the content here and there. For expert knowledge ebooks, don’t use random stock photos to fill up space; use data visualizations instead.
These will both add visual richness and value for the reader. If you write a fiction book with very few visuals, try adding a small illustration at the beginning of each chapter, even the title or chapter number can be creative.
For ebooks with a highly visual approach, you’ll need to consider visuals a homogeneous and balanced collection. The imagery is meant to both support and accompany the text while helping with the flow of content.
Placement of the visuals is vital for an easy-to-read pattern on every page. Take a look at some magazines to get inspired. Analyze how the text is easy to read with images and visuals dispersed in between.
Here’s a quick rundown of the pages your ebook needs:
The info page includes the copyright, ISBN, year of publication, any disclaimers, acknowledgments and primary sources of content that need mentioning.
You have two choices to begin putting everything together: start with a template or design from scratch. The choice depends on your team and how confident the person in charge feels about it.
Even if you want to start with a blank canvas, there might be a template you like the look of. Templates are great for inspiration, and if you didn’t know, even designers use templates .
Templates are great for free ebooks because they’re usually shorter and include less information. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use these for longer ebooks that you will charge for.
Look for templates on sites like Visme, Behance or Renderforest and choose one that fits your content. You can add, remove and duplicate pages in templates easily.
Create your ebook View more templates
As you design the pages, you’ll notice why it was important to separate the content into clusters. Separating the content this way makes it easier to format both the text and visuals into the pages.
Take note of what content you copy into the template to avoid duplicating or missing significant sections.
Designing an ebook from scratch does need a certain level of design experience and time. If you want to add your own unique flair to your ebook, rather than using a template, then create from scratch.
You’ll need to plan the formatting first and take notes from ebook templates or ones you’ve bought or read previously.
Try out a couple of designs with sample pages and test with your team before fully finalizing all the pages. This technique will save time, much like a wireframe saves time when designing websites.
Here’s a checklist to help you complete all the steps when creating an ebook.
Regardless of whether you’re using a template or not, these design tips will help. Each section has a link to more helpful reading about design. Open them in a new tab to read later.
Create a clever and exciting ebook cover design with the target reader/user persona in mind. Use visuals that will be attractive or relatable to them. Remember that the cover design will not only be part of the ebook itself; you’ll also use it in a mockup to promote the ebook.
The cover design should include the following elements:
Even though people say to “not judge a book by its cover,” you can bet that people will do just that, regardless. Make sure the cover is inviting and makes sense with the topic of the book.
Use visual hierarchy to organize the content. For example, the title has the largest font, then the subtitle and finally the author name. You can see this in the example below.
When you’re confident that your book is ready to publish, you’ll have to get it ready to sell. Refer back to the section above, where we list the different types of ebook file types. Choose the one that’s right for you. Here are a few more tips regarding your options.
If you choose to download it as a PDF (static or with active links), you’ll need some way to send the ebook to your clients. Here are some ways to do that:
Do you want to publish your book on one of the online publisher or distributor sites? You’ll need an EPUB or Word document file.
Is your ebook a digital visual experience with multimedia, animations, videos and more? Your best bet is to use the Visme publication option mentioned above.
When putting a price on your ebook, it’s crucial to do some market research. How much are other writers charging for their ebooks on similar topics?
Notice how books are priced like this: $6.76, $16.78 or $13.89. It’s all about pricing psychology and how consumers see the price in decimals as being lower than a whole number.
When you choose the platform to publish and distribute your ebook, look at how much they take as a service fee. Mark up the price to a point where you’re making a profit.
How do you know if you’re making a profit? Calculate the time and work it took to create the ebook, to begin with. How much are you planning on spending on marketing?
Is your target audience people that will pay for a higher-priced book, or not? Calculate how many books you’d like to sell before making a profit and then price according to that.
Getting your pricing strategy right means you get to rake in good ebook profits.
Regardless of how you publish your ebook, you’ll need a landing page to promote it and bring people into your sales funnel. There are several ways to get your customers to pay for the book. Remember that the least number of clicks is always best.
Sell ebooks via your website using an e-commerce integration. Both Shopify and WooCommerce are great options. For something more simple, just add a PayPal button to the landing page. Then either set it up for automatic download or via an email to their inbox.
If you’re using a publisher or distributor like Amazon or a digital product marketplace like Gumroad, add the product link to the button on your landing page.
The landing page below is for a book that’s for sale both as a hardcover or an ebook. Each button directs to the relevant sales page.
Now that everything is ready, it’s time to promote your ebook. Some writers and marketers start promoting the book before it’s even finished, building excitement and expectation.
It’s your choice whether to start promoting before or after the ebook is ready. To advertise in advance, you have to be confident that it’ll be finished on a specific date, otherwise, a delay can harm your marketing strategies.
A great way to promote and share news about your ebook is to create a mockup graphic. Here are some ways you can promote your ebook, using the mockup in a promotional design:
When you have more than one ebook, create a landing page for all of them together like an archive. Add the main page with all ebooks to your website’s primary menu as an essential resource for your visitors.
Need help with ebook marketing? This comprehensive guide has everything you need to know about marketing your ebook.
Tracking ebook sales performance is essential to know how to proceed with promotional strategies or further ebook creation. Use a combination of techniques to track sales and reading time; that way, you can find out if the people who buy the book are actually reading it or just letting it sit in their inbox.
Most of the sites to sell ebooks in the list above offer some type of analytics. You’ll have to see what each of them has in store when you look at the pros and cons of choosing. Visme, for example, has an analytics tool that shows visitors, views and demographics.
Use Google Analytics to track who visits the landing page but doesn’t buy. Add a UTM parameter to the landing page link when sharing it on social media or anywhere else. Create unique UTM parameters to track where the visits are coming from specifically.
If someone bought one of your ebooks, they’d likely buy another. Once you’ve captured their email and contact through email or via a Facebook pixel, nurture the communication with them.
Use an email provider to send newsletters about upcoming books and personalize messages relevant information to their interests.
Use Facebook ads to retarget people that have visited your site, landing page or Facebook page before. Use mockups with your cover design to make your ebook look inviting, interesting and worth buying. Send repeat buyers the first couple of chapters of an upcoming book, asking them to have first access when it goes live.
There are various online platforms where you can sell your ebook. Some of the top platforms to consider are Visme, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Smashwords, Rakuten Kobo, Sellfy, Payhip and Gumroad.
Ebooks are profitable, but simply publishing one is not enough. eBooks are profitable when they are marketed and sold properly with intent. Some authors who use Amazon to publish their ebooks can potentially make $1000+ a month.
You can make a lot of money selling ebooks. However, the question—how much do ebooks make?—isn't cut and dried. The amount of money you make from selling ebooks depends on a lot of factors, including the cost of your book, additional expenses such as ebook platform fees and how well it’s received by its audience.
Bubble Cow found that the five top-selling ebook categories were religion and spirituality, biographies and memoirs, business and money, self-help and cookbooks or those focused on food and wine.
Ready to start making money selling ebooks? In this guide, we've shared how to write an ebook and make money, from writing, designing and publishing an ebook to several possible sites to sell your ebook through.
Adding an ebook to your passive income strategy might be just what you need for the next quarter. There’s surely a wealth of knowledge you could share with readers, or maybe a fictional story or memoir you’ve been working on. Inspiring ebooks do well also in both business and self-help circles.
If you’re looking for a platform to create an ebook to sell, try out Visme's online ebook creator . You can easily create a multimedia ebook to share as a live link or convert to EPUB. Or, create a static or interactive PDF ebook to download and share in various ways.
Trusted by leading brands
Design visual brand experiences for your business whether you are a seasoned designer or a total novice.
Orana is a multi-faceted creative. She is a content writer, artist, and designer. She travels the world with her family and is currently in Istanbul. Find out more about her work at oranavelarde.com
Domenico Montanaro
President Biden and former President Donald Trump participate in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections at CNN's studios in Atlanta on June 27. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
If some people who listened to the radio in 1960 thought Richard Nixon won the presidential debate with John F. Kennedy, then maybe people reading the transcript of Thursday night’s match-up would think President Biden won.
But elections aren’t won in transcripts. The reality is, fairly or not, debates are often about optics — how the candidates present themselves, defend their records and parry attacks.
Fact check: What did Biden and Trump claim about immigration in the debate?
And that’s why so many Democrats are ringing the fire alarms after the first general-election presidential debate of 2024. The Biden campaign said the president had a cold to explain why he sounded so hoarse and weak. But Biden’s stumbles right from the beginning played into his biggest vulnerability — his age and whether the 81-year-old is up to the challenge of handling four more years in office.
There were issues for Trump, too, as he continued to spread falsehoods and bathe in the kinds of conspiratorial grievances that have turned off many voters.
Not much has changed the dynamics of this race; will anything that happened Thursday night make a difference either?
Here are four takeaways from the first Biden-Trump debate of this campaign:
Neither candidate is the official nominee yet. The national political conventions haven’t happened — but it’s next to impossible that Democrats would replace Biden.
Still, given he delivered the kind of performance Democrats feared, party leaders, strategists and many voters, frankly, had to be wondering during this debate what it would be like if any of a handful of other Democrats were standing on that stage.
Biden got a bit stronger as the debate went on, especially on foreign policy. He had some one-liners, like calling Trump a “whiner” when Trump wouldn’t definitively say that he would accept the results of the 2024 election. But Biden often wasn’t able to show vigor or consistently convey what he wanted to say. He simply couldn’t deliver the kinds of happy-warrior blows with that toothy smile audiences have seen from Biden in years past.
“Sometimes the spin don’t spin,” one Democratic strategist texted midway through the debate when asked for reaction.
An important rule of thumb for candidates — and moderators — in debates is to be conscious of how things look, of how you look, of what people are seeing at home. And what people saw — and this was predictable — was a split screen.
Biden wasn’t able to use that to his advantage at all, even as Trump doled out falsehood after falsehood. Instead, he looked genuinely shocked and confused, which is never a good look.
Trump and his base might not care about late-night comedy, but this week’s monologues are going to sting Democratic voters.
The muting of the candidates was likely intended to make the debate calmer and not allow Trump to run roughshod over the moderators or his opponent. But it had the effect of making Trump seem more sedate than usual.
Trump employed rounds of verbal jujitsu, in which he threw back his own vulnerabilities and directed them toward Biden. He was even able at one point, during a strange exchange about golf handicaps, to say, “Let’s not act like children.”
The moderation, or lack thereof, also allowed Trump to spread falsehoods and hyperbole without being interrupted or corrected. CNN indicated before the debate that the moderators were not going to play a strong role in fact checking the candidates, and they lived up to that.
They left it to the candidates, essentially, and with Biden unable to deliver in real time and the moderators declining to, the audience was left with a salad bowl full of rotten eggs and moldy lettuce that passed for facts.
Despite Biden’s struggles, which will understandably get the headlines, Trump had some difficult moments, too, especially in the second half of the debate.
In addition to spreading myriad falsehoods, he did little to credibly defend his conduct on and before the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol; he used the kind of hyperbolic and vituperative language that has long turned off swing voters; and showed why many are concerned about some of his positions on the issues, especially on abortion and how the U.S. should be represented on the world stage.
So despite Biden’s shortcomings, millions will still likely vote for Biden, anyway, because he’s not Trump.
The bottom line is: Americans have said they are unhappy with their choices, and, in this – the biggest moment of the 2024 presidential campaign yet — it was clear why.
A previous version of this story referenced this week's live SNL episode but in fact the show is on its summer hiatus.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
How long it will take to write your PhD proposal is heavily dependent on your personal working style, but you'll likely need to give yourself at least a few weeks to do a good job. #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 ...
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.
How to write a Phd proposal with a clear structure. ... How long should a PhD proposal be? There really isn't a specific rule when it comes to the length of a PhD proposal. However, it's generally accepted that it should be between 1,000 and 2,000 words. It's difficult to elaborate on such a serious project in less than 1,000 words but ...
1. Title. Your title should indicate clearly what your research question is. It needs to be simple and to the point; if the reader needs to read further into your proposal to understand your question, your working title isn't clear enough. Directly below your title, state the topic your research question relates to.
A PhD proposal is an outline of your proposed research that is designed to: Formulate and define a clear, interesting research question; this may take the form of a hypothesis to be tested, or an open-ended enquiry. Establish the relevance and value of the proposed research question in the context of current academic thinking, highlighting its ...
Make sure you can ask the critical what, who, and how questions of your research before you put pen to paper. Your research proposal should include (at least) 5 essential components : Title - provides the first taste of your research, in broad terms. Introduction - explains what you'll be researching in more detail.
Research proposal examples. Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We've included a few for you below. Example research proposal #1: "A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management".
A research proposal should present your idea or question and expected outcomes with clarity and definition - the what. It should also make a case for why your question is significant and what value it will bring to your discipline - the why. What it shouldn't do is answer the question - that's what your research will do.
Your research proposal is a concise statement (up to 3,000 words) of the rationale for your research proposal, the research questions to be answered and how you propose to address them. We know that during the early stages of your PhD you are likely to refine your thinking and methodology in discussion with your supervisors.
Research proposals are used to persuade potential supervisors and funders that your work is worthy of their support. These documents set out your proposed research that will result in a Doctoral thesis. They are typically between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Your PhD research proposal must passionately articulate what you want to research and why ...
Look for any research gaps, trends and patterns, common themes, debates, and contradictions. Consider any seminal studies on the topic area as it is likely anticipated that you will address these in your research proposal. 4. Research Design. This is where you get down to the real meat of your research proposal.
All applicants for a PhD or MSc by Research must submit a research proposal as part of their application. Applicants must use the template form below for their research proposal. This research proposal should then be submitted online as part of your application. Please use Calibri size 11 font size and do not change the paragraph spacing ...
Guidance for PhD applicants Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. The 1,500 word research proposal is an important element of your application to doctoral study, whether full-time or part-time. It offers you the opportunity to outline the research you intend to conduct, including how you plan to go about it, and how your research might ...
Most dissertations run a minimum of 100-200 pages, with some hitting 300 pages or more. When editing your dissertation, break it down chapter by chapter. Go beyond grammar and spelling to make sure you communicate clearly and efficiently. Identify repetitive areas and shore up weaknesses in your argument.
Here are a few aspects to include and remember when writing your PhD proposal: 1. Include a title page. The working title is usually around ten words long and indicates what you plan to study. Try to choose an interesting and thought-provoking title that attracts the reader's attention.
This starts with double-checking that the questions of your thesis are obvious and unambiguous, followed by revising the rest of your proposal. "Make sure your research questions are really clear," says Sarah. "Ensure all the writing is clear and grammatically correct," adds Chelsea. "A supervisor is not going to be overly keen on a ...
This means that the proposal is less about the robustness of your proposed research design and more about showing that you have. 1. Critical thinking skills. 2. An adequate grasp of the existing literature and know how your research will contribute to it. 3. Clear direction and objectives.
we can be certain we have the right staff expertise to supervise you. All research proposals must address the question of what you plan to accomplish and why you want to and how you are going to do it. A research proposal is usually around 2,500 words long although there is no upper or lower limit to this. In preparing a research proposal, the ...
In the department where I got my degree at, the proposal was expected in the third year, had to represent about 30% of dissertation work, and qualified as a Master's defense should the student drop out of the program and yet being able to walk away with something in hand. In the department where I worked, the proposal was expected half a year before the defense (i.e., in the fall of the fifth ...
For example, the faculty of English and Comparative Literary Studies at the University of Warwick require prospective PhD students to write a statement of research from 500 to 1000 words long, whereas the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford do not ask for a formal research proposal, just a statement of why their programmes ...
A Template To Help You Structure Your PhD's Theoretical Framework Chapter. In this guide, I explain how to use the theory framework template. The focus is on the practical things to consider when you're working with the template and how you can give your theory framework the rockstar treatment. Use our free tools, guides and templates to ...
1. Indicative title of the topic area. This should accurately reflect what it is that you want to study and the central issues that you are going to address. It may be useful to present this in the format of a statement (perhaps a quote) and a question, separated by a colon.
Embarking on a PhD is "probably the most challenging task that a young scholar attempts to do", write Mark Stephan Felix and Ian Smith in their practical guide to dissertation and thesis writing. After years of reading and research to answer a specific question or proposition, the candidate will submit about 80,000 words that explain their methods and results and demonstrate their unique ...
A research proposal in an official document, so you need to use an appropriate format. Pay special attention to these details: Word limit: Research proposals are usually 1,000-3,000 words long. Institution guidelines: Stick to the proposed style and structure. Academic English: Write in formal language. Clear structure: Break your document into clear sections for easy reading.
"How long does it take to get a psychology PhD" is case by case, much in the way your clients may be in the future. However long it does take is incomparable to what you may gain from your program, from in-depth knowledge of the brain to the finest research techniques. Alliant International University nurtures these very things.
The American Historical Review (AHR) has served as the journal of record for the historical discipline in the United States since 1895.It is the leading global forum for new scholarship in every major field of historical study across time and space. The AHR publishes field transforming articles and contributions that reimagine historical practice and teaching.
Today, President Biden is announcing that the Department of Homeland Security will take action to ensure that U.S. citizens with noncitizen spouses and children can keep their families together.
Before you start, check if you don't have content you can reuse from blog posts or newsletters. You can, of course, write the book with all new content. Here are some tips for writing the content for your ebook. Start with an outline. Like any type of long-form content, start your ebook with an outline.
In addition to spreading myriad falsehoods, he did little to credibly defend his conduct on and before the Jan. 6 siege on the Capitol; he used the kind of hyperbolic and vituperative language ...