PhD/MPhil

Guidance for Preparing a Research Degree Proposal

Applicants must prepare a research proposal which is submitted with the Research Degrees application form. This should be 1500 to 2000 words in length and use appropriate citation/referencing such as the Harvard system. Please remember that your research title, questions, methods, process etc. will evolve and develop during the course of the research in particular during the first nine months of the degree. However, we need you to prepare this initial proposal to allow us to evaluate the suitability of your application.

The guidance notes below should be used to help you to prepare your proposal and include the following:

Title: This should be a concise but clear indication of the intended research.

Aims and objectives of the research: for example, what are the questions/problems that you are asking; what are the issues that you are aiming to explore?

Research Context: What is the background to your proposal? What other work has been carried out in this field? Who are the key people who influence opinion in this area? What are the current debates in this field? You should include both historical and contemporary examples.

Significance: Why is it important that these questions or issues are explored? How will the research contribute to new knowledge or to developing insights in your field?

Proposed research methodology and methods: What approach/ methodology will you adopt? Give an indication of the methods that you feel will be appropriate to help you to undertake this research.

Plan of Work: Give an indication of the packages of work that you intend to carry out to address the research questions. If it is a practice-led degree, indicate the types of creative work that you intend to develop and their relevance to the research aims.

Outcome: Give an indication of how you envisage the final product of your research being presented. It may take the form of a written thesis, an exposition of creative work, a DVD, website etc. or a combination of two or more of these examples.

Ethical Issues: As with all research institutions, University of Dundee has a rigorous Code of Practice governing research ethics - see the website http://www.somis.dundee.ac.uk/court/policy/research_human_participants.pdf

Please give an indication of any ethical issues that you may need to consider.

Bibliography: Include a short bibliography of the key books/ journals/ websites etc. which are relevant to your study.

After you have submitted the proposal, you may be asked to refine the proposal further or provide additional information before a final decision can be taken on your application.