Writing your research proposal
Your proposal is your chance to tell us why you want to study your PhD at Sussex. Follow our guide to making your research proposal as strong as possible.
Your research proposal
If you are considering studying a PhD, there are two options available to you.
You can:
- apply for a funded PhD where you research a set project
- design your own research project, which you can either fund yourself, or apply for external funding.
If you decide to design your own research project, you need to write a research proposal which will form a central part of your PhD application.
Follow our step-by-step guide below to help you through the process of writing your research proposal.
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Plan your research proposal
You should contact the relevant academic faculty before applying to Sussex and check if there are any additional requirements for your research proposal.
Even at this early stage, you may be asked questions regarding your research, and so you should start thinking about:
- the questions driving your research
- how your research makes ‘an original contribution’ to your field and how will you achieve this
- if your research provides new knowledge, or reinterprets existing ideas in an original way
- how you intend to do the research – the methodology you’ll use and how you’ll structure your work
- how Sussex can aid you in your research and what you want to study here.
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Ask for advice
If you need further advice you can contact our academic staff working in your field.
You can also ask research students and academic staff at your current university for help. It is good practice to discuss your ideas with others in your research area and use their suggestions to further your understanding and strengthen your proposal.
During this process you should start making detailed notes. You might also want to start planning your research proposal. If so, breaking it down into the traditional sections below may help you organise and manage your thoughts:
- title
- introduction
- research background
- research methods
- timetable
- bibliography.
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Find a supervisor
Choosing the right supervisor is one of the most important steps towards a successful and rewarding PhD.
Before approaching a supervisor, you'll need to have a clear idea of the research you hope to undertake.
Once you have established a relationship with a potential supervisor, you can ask them to read the first draft of your research proposal. They can give you valuable feedback and help you refine your ideas before you submit your application.
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Write your proposal
You may now be in a position to start writing your proposal. This is central to your final application.
A strong research proposal:
- formulates a precise, interesting research question
- establishes the relevance and value of the proposed research question in the context of current academic thinking
- describes the data or source material your research requires
- outlines a clear and practical methodology, which enables you to answer the research question
- states clearly what you hope to discover at the end of your research and what new areas it might open up.
The exact content and structure of your research proposal will depend on your subject area.
Research proposal specifications vary between faculties:
- 5X社区视频 Business School
Project duration
Applicants are invited to propose projects that undertake original research and can be completed within 3-4 years, including any research training required.
Research proposal length
Your research proposal should be up to six pages (plus references). The proposal should include the following sections:
Title
Aim for no more than 150 characters.
Introduction
You should:
- briefly introduce the central questions behind your research
- explain the background of your proposed project
- describe the expected outcome of your project.
Thesis statement
Write a summary of your overarching research question as well as any sub-questions and explain:
- why your research area is of academic and practical interest
- how your research builds on existing published work
- your knowledge of the research area.
Literature review
In this section, you must:
- demonstrate your ability to review current research literature within your chosen field of study
- explain how your research question is relevant to your field, and how your research will contribute to new findings in the subject area
- show how your proposed study connects to the research interests of your potential supervisor in the Business School.
Theoretical framework
The theoretical framework is the rationale behind your research proposal. In this section, you must:
- provide a critical review of prior literature relevant to your research topic
- show how this frames your research questions.
Methods
In this section, you must:
- explain step-by-step how you will carry out the proposed research and analyse your findings
- include potential data sources and explain how data will be collected and any difficulties you anticipate when conducting your research
- clearly state which qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods will be used
- you may propose methods you haven’t used before, as all postgraduate researchers will undertake training in research methods.
Ethical considerations
In this section, you must:
- outline any ethical concerns that arise from your research topic or proposed methods.
You are encouraged to read any codes of conduct in the social sciences for the UK, and for the countries that you propose to undertake your research in, before writing this part of your research proposal.
Bibliography
You must list the sources you have used in your literature review and any potential sources you may use for your research.
References
You must include full academic citations for the sources you have used in your proposal.
Statement on the use of AI in PhD applications
AI may only be used in an assistive role in preparing your proposal. PhD study is highly demanding and it is crucial for applicants to demonstrate the strength of their own abilities in the application process.
- Faculty of Social Sciences
Length
3,000 words (not including references).
Title
You should provide a clear working title that accurately reflects the focus, scope and key concepts of the research.
Introduction and research focus
In this section, you should:
- clearly state the central research question that underpins your proposed study and defines its primary focus
- clearly state your research hypothesis
- provide a brief background to the topic, situating the research within its academic, professional, policy or global context
- explain why the topic represents an important area of academic inquiry, the original contribution it makes to current literature, and (where relevant) why it has practical significance for policy or professional practice
- indicate why the issue is timely and worthy of investigation; for example due to current debates, policy developments or global challenges.
Thesis statement and research aims
In this section, you should:
- present a concise thesis statement that summarises the overarching purpose and direction of the research
- clearly articulate the main research question and, where appropriate, identify any secondary research questions that support it
- outline what your research is expected to explore, demonstrate or discover, and how these anticipated outcomes contribute to existing academic knowledge or practical understanding.
Research context
In this section, you should:
- include a literature review, which identifies and critically discusses key debates, concepts and findings in your field
- demonstrate awareness of current scholarship and show how your research engages with, builds upon, or challenges existing work in the field
- identify gaps, limitations or areas of debate within the literature and explain how your proposed study seeks to address these issues
- draw explicit links between the reviewed literature and your research question and aims
- describe the geographic, institutional, social or cultural context in which the research will be conducted
- identify the target population, case study, field of practice, or jurisdiction relevant to the research
- explain why this context is particularly appropriate for addressing your research question and how it shapes the focus of your study.
Theoretical framework
In this section, you should:
- outline the key theories or conceptual frameworks that inform the research
- provide a critical discussion of the relevance and limitations of these theories in relation to your research topic
- explain how the chosen theoretical framework shapes your research questions and informs the overall design and methodological approach of your study.
Methodology and methods
In this section, you should:
- describe the research design and explain how it enables the research questions to be addressed
- clearly state the overall methodological approach adopted for the research, such as qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods, and justify this choice
- outline the methods of data collection to be used, such as interviews, surveys, document analysis, or observations
- explain how participants will be selected and recruited and/or how data sources will be identified and accessed
- describe the strategy for analysing the data and explain how this analysis will address the research aims
- acknowledge any potential limitations or challenges associated with the chosen methodology and explain how these will be managed where possible.
Ethical considerations
In this section, you should:
- outline how informed consent will be obtained from participants and how their right to withdraw will be respected
- explain how issues of confidentiality and anonymity will be addressed and maintained throughout the research process
- consider potential power imbalances, vulnerability or risks to participants and describe how these will be mitigated
- explain how data will be stored, protected and handled in accordance with data protection requirements
- where applicable, indicate whether ethical approval will be sought. Check whether you need ethics approval for your research.
Timeline
In this section, you should:
- provide a brief outline of the proposed research timeline, either in paragraph form or as a table, demonstrating the feasibility of the project
- indicate the anticipated period for conducting the literature review, collecting data, analysing findings, and writing up the research.
Conclusion
In this section, you should:
- briefly summarise the overall purpose and scope of the proposed research
- restate the contribution the research is expected to make to academic knowledge, professional practice or policy debates
- clearly indicate what you hope the research will ultimately demonstrate, discover or contribute to understanding in the field.
Bibliography
You must provide a bibliography listing all sources cited in the proposal, as well as any key texts that are likely to inform the research.
- Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities
Length
2,000 words.
Your research proposal should include the following sections:
Title
Provide a provisional working title for your research.
Introduction
In this section, you should write a brief paragraph summarising your proposed research project.
Research contribution
In this section, you should:
- introduce your main research questions and state why you think your research matters
- indicate how you think your research will make an original contribution to your field
- demonstrate a critical engagement with relevant existing research
- explain how your research connects with the interests of current researchers at Sussex
- if your proposal includes creative practice, you should describe the form of your anticipated outputs that will accompany your written work.
Research methods
In this section, you should:
- explain how you plan to carry out your project (please state if your project involves archives, databases, specialist libraries or technical equipment)
- if your project involves creative practice, you should describe what facilities you will need and indicate your experience in the relevant production techniques
- you may want to include a practice portfolio, or links to online examples of your work
- reflect on any ethical considerations relevant to your research.
Timeline
You are expected to complete and submit your research project within 3.5 years full-time or seven years part-time.
You should provide a timeline that breaks down your project into 6-month periods and demonstrates that you can complete the project within this timeframe.
We fully expect proposals and attendant timelines to evolve as your research develops, but we are keen to see your ability to plan a research project within the expected time.
References
You must include a list of resources (books, articles, audiovisual or online resources) you have referenced in the proposal.
For more information visit the Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities.
- Faculty of Science, Engineering and Mathematics
Length: 1,000-2,000 words
Your research proposal should include the following sections:
Introduction
In this section, you should:
- write a short summary of your central research question
- explain what you want to research and why it is significant.
Thesis statement and literature review
In this section, you should:
- explain the subject matter of your project, and why you think it is important
- demonstrate you are familiar with texts in the field and show how your research area is relevant in the context of current academic thinking
- explain how your proposed project is original and will increase understandings of the subject matter
- state clearly what you hope to discover in your research.
Theoretical framework
The theoretical framework provides the rationale behind your research proposal. In this section, you must:
- provide a critical review of existing theories that are closely related to your research topic
- show how these theories frame your research questions and your overall proposal.
Methodology
You must show how you plan to carry out your research and how you will analyse your findings.
Ethical considerations
You should outline any ethical concerns which arise from either your research topic or your proposed methods of collating data.
Bibliography
List the sources you have used in your literature review and point to potential sources for your research.
For more information visit the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Mathematics.
- Institute of Development Studies
Length: 2,000-3,500 words (excluding bibliography).
Your research proposal should include the following sections:
Title
Your title should give a clear indication of your proposed research approach or key question.
Introduction
In this section, you must:
- include a short summary of your central research question
- explain what you are attempting to research and why it is significant
- state clearly what you hope to discover in your research.
Thesis statement and literature review
In this section, you should:
- explain the subject matter of your project and why you think it is important
- provide a summary of the key debates and developments in your chosen area and demonstrate your knowledge of the specific literature (global) you will engage with
- show you are familiar with texts in your chosen area and the gaps in the literature your research is attempting to fill
- explain how your proposed research is original and will increase understandings of the subject matter
- detail how your research area fits into current academic thinking and/or policy discourse.
Theoretical framework
The theoretical framework provides the rationale behind your research proposal. In this section, you must:
- provide a critical review of existing theories or concepts (global) relevant to your research topic
- show how these theories and concepts frame your research questions and your overall proposal, and clearly state the specific theoretical and analytical frameworks you are engaging with
- outline your draft research question and any relevant sub-research questions and hypotheses through engagement with the theoretical literature
- state to what extent your approach is distinctive or new, or builds on and deepens existing literature in your area.
Research Design
In this section, you should:
- explain how you plan to carry out your research (including fieldwork) and how you will analyse your findings – and how this relates to your hypothesis
- state the details of your research design in terms of approaches, methods and tools, along with some indication of specifics such as sample size (give an idea of the scope of your project).
Ethical considerations
You must outline any ethical concerns that arise from either your research topic or your proposed methods of collecting and collating data.
Bibliography
You must list the sources you have used in your literature review. You should also point to potential sources that will be appropriate for your proposed research.
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Proofread your research proposal
Once you have completed your proposal, check it through thoroughly. You should make sure all the information you have cited is accurate. Correct spelling and punctuation is also essential.
Write in clear sentences and structure your research proposal in a logical format that is easy for the reader to follow.
It is easy to miss errors in your own work, so ask someone else to proofread your research proposal before submitting it to Sussex.