FutureLearn

How to Write a PhD Research Proposal (FutureLearn)

Offered by University of Oslo,

Understand and harness the key elements of a succinct research plan while preparing your PhD proposal. Learn how to develop a successful PhD proposal. Successful PhD research requires preparation, planning, critical thinking, and dedication. On this course, you will explore the key elements in a research proposal and solve common planning and writing challenges.

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You will learn how to structure, define, and present your research idea in writing. You will develop your own research objectives and sub-questions and outline the context of the study. You will also learn how to manage a project. This course focuses on health sciences, but the content of the PhD proposal and the planning process of a research study is relevant to other disciplines.

What topics will you cover?

Defining the research idea, writing a research statement with objectives and sub questions
Identifying and writing a literature summary and review
Empirical, conceptual or theoretical foundations of a research study
Research ethics, fraud and plagiarism in research
Research design and methodological approaches
Data collection strategies, sampling, instruments and biases
Fieldwork and contingency planning
How to organize your PhD project

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

Develop your research statement with objectives and sub-questions
Discuss sample, data collection strategies, and analysis of the empirical material that you will collect
Asses what you can do to ensure that the proposed PhD-study will follow conventions that help ensure reliability, validity and ethical conduct
Evaluate and use what you have learned by submitting and recieving feedback on your proposal draft each week
Evaluate and reflect on your work with help from your peers, course educators and mentors
Collaborate with your peers and find ways to solve possible challenges during your PhD studies.
Explain how you will organize and structure your PhD
Identify previous relevant research to discover gaps and why your research matters

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