Name: Sayed Nomaan

ID: 10615

Research proposal
If you are contemplating undertaking a research degree you
will need to formulate a research proposal.
As the PhD is an independently directed and intensive piece of
research, the outcome of which is a 80,000-100,000 word dissertation,
your initial research proposal is important. It is this that enables us to
judge the scope and quality of your proposed research, as well as
locate appropriate supervision.
A research proposal is a document that typically sets out the
aims, questions, and methodologies of the intended research (see
suggested format below for further detail). Postgraduate research
inevitably changes over the course of a candidature, so a good proposal
tends to chart plausible and suggestive directions for research rather
than fixed issues. The formulation of a proposal will help us to discuss
your research interests, how to structure them, and whether Edinburgh
is the best place for you to pursue them.
It is important to explore the research interests that are
represented within our Subject Area and detailed in the Research and
Staff Profiles. Members of academic staff are happy to discuss your
proposal. Please feel free to e-mail a member of academic staff if you
have some affinity with an area of their work, or believe they would be
suitable to supervise your project.
Suggested format of the research
proposal
Please organize your proposal under the following headings and
follow the suggested word lengths.
Abstract: summarize the aim, rationale and hypotheses of your
proposed research. (200 words).
Outline: give a statement explaining what your proposed
research topic is and a rationale for undertaking the research, i.e., why
it is important or relevant? (400 words).
Intellectual Context: outline existing theoretical debates and/or
empirical context for your proposed research; show how your proposed
research relates to this body of knowledge. (400 words).
Main Research Questions: what specific issues or questions will
your proposed research examine? (200 words).
Methodology: what method, or methods, will you use to address
your research questions? (200 words). If your research is text based,
discuss the documentary/theoretical/archival methods you will use to
analyze your source materials. If you plan to undertake empirical work,
outline some of the fieldwork techniques you might use. If you plan to
work with non-textual media (drawings, models, video, photography),
outline the techniques and exemplars that will guide your work.
Ethical Issues: note any ethical issues arising from your
research (ethics can be interpreted in a broad sense as well as, for
example, matters of consent and confidentiality).
Timetable: provide a timetable for your research. If you intend to
do fieldwork overseas, or archival work, identify what this will entail and
how it fits into the timetable.
Audience and/or User Community: if relevant, indicate how you
expect your research to be useful, and to whom.
End

What is a proposal?
A PhD proposal is a an outline of your proposed project that is
designed to
• Define a clear question and approach to answering it
• Highlight its originality and/or significance
• Explain how it adds to, develops (or challenges) existing
literature in the field
• Persuade potential supervisors and/or funders of the importance
of the work, and why you are the right person to undertake it
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.

What is the research proposal for?

Potential supervisors, admissions tutors and/or funders use research
proposals to assess the quality and originality of your ideas, your skills in
critical thinking and the feasibility of the research project. Please bear in mind
that PhD programmers in the UK are designed to be completed in three years
(full time) or six years (part time). Think very carefully about the scope of your
research and be prepared to explain how you will complete it within this
timeframe.

Research proposals are also used to assess your expertise in the area
in which you want to conduct research, you knowledge of the existing
literature (and how your project will enhance it). Moreover, they are used to
assess and assign appropriate supervision teams. If you are interested in the
work of a particular potential supervisor – and especially if you have
discussed your work with this person – be sure to mention this in your
proposal. We encourage you strongly to identify a prospective supervisor and
get in touch with them to discuss your proposal informally BEFORE making a
formal application, to ensure it is of mutual interest and to gain input on the
design, scope and feasibility of your project. Remember, however, that it may
not be possible to guarantee that you are supervised by a specific academic.

Crucially, it is also an opportunity for you to communicate your passion

in the subject area and to make a persuasive argument about what your
project can accomplish. Although the proposal should include an outline, it
should also be approached as a persuasive essay – that is, as an opportunity
to establish the attention of readers and convince them of the importance of
your project.

Is the research proposal ‘set in stone’?

No. Good PhD proposals evolve as the work progresses. It is normal
for students to refine their original proposal in light of detailed literature
reviews, further consideration of research approaches and comments
received from the supervisors (and other academic staff). It is useful to view
your proposal as an initial outline rather than a summary of the ‘final product’.

Structuring a Research Proposal

Please check carefully with each department to find out whether a
specific template is provided or required. In general, however, the following
elements are crucial in a good research proposal:

• Title
• This can change, but make sure to include important ‘key words’
that will relate your proposal to relevant potential supervisors, funding
schemes and so on. Make sure that your title goes beyond simply describing
the subject matter – it should give an indication of your approach or key
questions.
•
•
• Overview of the research
• In this section you should provide a short overview of your
research and where it fits within the existing academic discourses, debates or
literature. Be as specific as possible in identifying influences or debates you
wish to engage with, but try not to get lead astray into a long exegesis of
specific sources. Rather, the point is to sketch out the context into which your
work will fit.
•
• You should also use this section to make links between your
research and the existing strengths of the department to which you are
applying. Visit appropriate websites to find out about existing research taking
place in the department and how your project can complement this.
•
• If applying to multiple departments, be sure to tailor a unique
proposal to each department – readers can tell if a proposal has been
produced for ‘mass consumption’!  
•
• Be sure to establish a solid and convincing framework for your
research in this section. This should include:
•
 ◦ research questions (usually, 1-3 should suffice) and the reason for
asking them
◦ the major approach(es) you will take (conceptual, theoretical,
empirical and normative, as appropriate) and rationale
◦ significance of the research (in academic and, if appropriate, other
fields)
•
•
• Positioning of the research (approx. 900 words)
• This section should discuss the texts which you believe are most
important to the project, demonstrate your understanding of the research
issues, and identify existing gaps (both theoretical and practical) that the
research is intended to address. This section is intended to ‘sign-post’ and
contextualize your research questions, not to provide a detailed analysis of
existing debates.
•
•
• Research design & methodology (approx. 900 words).
• This section should lay out, in clear terms, the way in which you
will structure your research and the specific methods you will use. Research
design should include (but is not limited to):
•
◦ The parameters of the research (ie the definition of the subject
matter)
◦ A discussion of the overall approach (e.g. is it solely theoretical, or
does it involve primary/empirical research) and your rationale for adopting this
approach
◦ Specific aims and objectives (e.g. ‘complete 20 interviews with
members of group x’)
◦ A brief discussion of the timeline for achieving this
•
• A well developed methodology section is crucial, particularly if
you intend to conduct significant empirical research. Be sure to include
specific techniques, not just your general approach. This should include: kinds
of resources consulted;  methods for collecting and analyzing data; specific
techniques (ie statistical analysis; semi-structured interviewing; participant
observation); and (brief) rationale for adopting these methods.
•
•
• References
• Your references should provide the reader with a good sense of
your grasp on the literature and how you can contribute to it. Be sure to
reference texts and resources that you think will play a large role in your
analysis. Remember that this is not simply a bibliography listing ‘everything
written on the subject’. Rather, it should show critical reflection in the selection
of appropriate texts.
Possible pitfalls
Quite often, students who fit the minimum entrance criteria fail to be
accepted as PhD candidates as a result of weaknesses in the research
proposal. To avoid this, keep the following advice in mind:

• Make sure that your research idea, question or problem is very

clearly stated, persuasive and addresses a demonstrable gap in the existing
literature. Put time into formulating the questions- in the early stages of a
project, they can be as important as the projected results.
• Make sure that you have researched the departments to which
you are applying to ensure that there are staff interested in your subject area
and available to supervise your project. As mentioned above it is strongly
advised that you contact potential supervisors in advance, and provide them
with a polished version of your proposal for comment.  
• Make sure that your proposal is well structured. Poorly formed
or rambling proposals indicate that the proposed project may suffer the same
fate.
• Ensure that the scope of your project is reasonable, and
remember that there are significant limits to the size and complexity of a
project that can be completed and written up in three years. We will be
assessing proposals not only for their intellectual ambition and significance,
but also for the likelihood that the candidate can complete this project.
• Make sure that your passion for the subject matter shines
through in the structure and arguments presented within your proposal.
Remember that we may not be experts in your field – it is up to you to make
your project and subject matter engaging to your readers!
The following books are widely available from bookshops and libraries

aying your initial project.