If you are contemplating undertaking an MSc by Research, MPhil or PhD degree you will need to formulate a research proposal. 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.

The first step is to explore the research interests that are represented within our Subject Area and detailed in the Research and Staff Profile pages of our main site. Members of academic staff are happy to assist in the formulation of 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. Alternatively, you may contact our Postgraduate Advisor, Dr Alex Bremner (alex.bremner@ed.ac.uk).

Suggested Format of Research Proposal

Please organise your proposal under the following headings and follow the suggested word lengths.

1. Abstract: summarize the aim, rationale and hypotheses of your proposed research. (200 words)

2. 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)

3. 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)

4. Main Research Questions: what specific issues or questions will your proposed research examine? (200 words)

5. 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. This is particularly relevant to the PhD in Design.

6. 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).

7. 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.

8. Audience and/or User Community: if relevant, indicate how you expect your research to be useful, and to whom.

Further Information on How to Write a Good Research Proposal