social science research proposal sample

Applicants for PhD, MPhil, or professional doctorate degrees in social science subjects - such as education, economics, management, and sociology - are encouraged to use the guidance below when planning their research proposal. 1. Working Title Your title should summarise the main idea of the proposal simply. You may want to use a title and a subtitle separated by a colon. (Suggested Word Count: 15) 2. Context Explain the academic context from which your research emerges. This applies both to theoretical and empirical research. This should involve a critical review of the existing theoretical and/or empirical literature(/s) as appropriate. The important thing to establish here is the extent to which your proposed thesis research makes a contribution - i.e., adds something theoretical, conceptual, methodological and/or empirical which is not already offered in this literature(s). This section should therefore introduce the issues that will be addressed by your research questions, and explain the importance of the research to others. In other words, it should establish the rationale for your proposed thesis, and should therefore proceed smoothly into Research Questions or Aims. (Suggested Word Count: 750-1,000) 3. Research Questions or Aims Provide a statement of your research question/aim, ideally in the form of a central over-arching question/aim and two or three sub-questions/aims. Your research questions/aims can appear in any form, and certainly do not need to be expressed in the form of testable hypotheses. Do ensure however that they are sufficiently narrow – one of the reasons why many research degree applications are not successful is because the terrain outlined in the relevant proposal is simply too broad for a doctoral project. Please also remember that the research degree thesis is first and foremost an academic endeavour, not a consultancy or applied.
Follow this outline to make sure that your research proposal is sufficiently detailed and follows the right structure. If you are writing an Economics proposal our advice and requirements are slightly different. A research proposal is a project outline of around 1,500 words (including references and bibliography) and should be structured as follows. Title Overview of the research In this section you should provide a short overview of your research. You should also state how your research fits into the research priorities of your particular subject area. Here you can refer to the research areas and priorities of a particular research grouping or supervisor. You must also state precisely why you have chosen to apply to the Discipline Area and how your research links into our overall profile. Positioning of the research This should reference the most important texts related to the research, demonstrate your understanding of the research issues, and identify existing gaps (both theoretical and practical) that the research is intended to address. Research design and methodology This section should identify the information that is necessary to carry out the analysis and the possible research techniques that could deliver the information. Your research proposal will be used to assess the quality and originality of your ideas, whether you are able to think critically and whether you have a grasp of the relevant literature. It also gives us important information about the perspectives you intend to take on your research area, and how you fit into the department's research profile overall. This is helpful when assigning a supervisor. Supervisors We encourage you to discuss your proposal informally with a potential supervisor before making a formal application to ensure it is of mutual interest. Please note that we cannot guarantee that we will be able to allocate you to the.
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Proposals for Higher Research Degrees (Social Sciences) Below are some examples of successful research proposals, submitted for M.Phil. or Ph.D. degrees at Hong Kong University over the past few years.