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How to write an MPhil/PhD research degree proposal
What is an MPhil/PhD proposal?

A research proposal is a project outline of around 3,000 words that you write as part of the process of applying to study for an MPhil or PhD research degree. We use it 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 tells us about the perspectives you intend to take on your research area, and helps us to assess whether we can offer a suitable supervisor for your project.

We encourage you to identify and contact a prospective supervisor in the Division and to discuss your proposal with them before you submit it to us formally. At the application stage, what we are looking for is clear evidence of potential for successful MPhil/PhD study and a proposal which reflects that. After students have started their research degree study, it is quite usual for them to refine their original proposal in light of detailed literature reviews, further consideration of research approaches as the research progresses, and comments received from the supervisors (and other academic staff).

What should your MPhil/PhD proposal contain?

It is best to structure your proposal as follows:

A working title – Your title should give a clear indication of the intent of your project, directing attention explicitly to the central issue that you will address.
Overview of the research – In this section you should provide a short overview of your research: the key issue(s) that you wish to investigate, and why these are important. You should state why you have chosen to apply to our Division at the University of Southampton. If you want to, you can refer to the research areas and priorities of a particular research grouping or supervisor.
Ground your research in existing literature – It is unlikely that you can review all the relevant literature at this stage, but you should be able to reflect some major debates and issues and to show your familiarity with some of the main works addressing the research issue that you are proposing. In this part of the proposal, you 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 your research is intended to address. An MPhil or PhD is an original piece of research, so you should demonstrate that your proposed topic has not been studied before, or that you are taking a new perspective on an issue.
Research design, methodology and timescale – This section should identify the information or data that you will need in order to address the central issue of your research, how you are going to access the material and the possible research methods or techniques that you will use. You should also include some reflection on potential problems that you may face in the research process (access to interviews, primary material etc).
Timescale – Provide a realistic time plan for completing your research degree study in, respectively, two years full-time or four years part-time for an MPhil, or three years full-time or six years part-time for a PhD.
Indicative list of references and sources – Here you should list the main published literature that you envisage using to guide your research (with reference to the theoretical framework and the substance of the research), as well any available data sources you may draw on.
The keys to writing a strong research proposal are to:

clearly state and explain your research idea. This may take the form of a hypothesis or you may identify a more open-ended question or issue
establish the relevance and value of the proposed research question in the context of current academic thinking
describe and evaluate the data or source material you need for your research
outline a clear and practical methodology which enables you to address your research topic and to answer your research questions
suggest what you sort of impact your research might have, and what new areas your work might open up
demonstrate that your research will not take longer than two years full-time or four years part-time for an MPhil or three years full-time, or four (MPhil) or six years part-time
explain why you are qualified and capable of conducting the proposed research, and finally
do the above in a concise, unambiguous and grammatical manner.

The following books are widely available from bookshops and libraries and may help in preparing your research proposal (as well as in completing your research degree):

Bell, J (2010, 5th edn) Doing Your Research Project: A Guide for First-time Researchers in Education & Social Science, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Baxter, L, Hughes, C and Tight, M (2007, 3rd edn) How to Research, Buckingham: Open University Press.
Philips, E and Pugh, D (2005, 4th edn) How to get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and their Supervisors, Maidenhead: Open University Press.