More information about project description requirements

A key assessment criterion in an application for admission to the Faculty's PhD programme is the quality of the project description. The project description is one of several criteria that must be approved in order for the application as a whole to be successful.

The project description must be 8–10 pages long. Within this scope, the applicant must cover the:

  • topic
  • research questions (based on relevant theory and literature)
  • choice of methods
  • project progress plan
  • resource needs
  • bibliography

The number of pages stipulated must be met, and is based on font size 12, with single spacing and the relevant margins, etc.

The project description/plan for execution of the project must be of good quality. It must show that this project has been planned in such detail that it is feasible within the given time frame.

In terms of quality, the committee is looking for:

  • originality in the form of professional updating and/or development of new knowledge
  • whether the goals have been formulated specifically, are relevant, and may be illuminated within the frame of a nominal period of organized research training
  • whether the questions and hypotheses are clear
  • operationalization and use of scientific methods and analyses
  • knowledge of the problem area and documented knowledge of key research in the field.

There is a great deal of literature on how to write/draw up a project description. Some of this literature is listed below.

Literature:

Reid, C. P. Patrick: Handbook for preparing and writing research proposals. Vienna, 2000. ISBN: 3-901347-23-2, 160 pages.

 

Craswell, Gail: Writing for academic success: a postgraduate guide. Sage study skills, 2005. ISBN: 1-4129-0301-7, 270 pages.

 

United Nations, Secretariat: Research Proposals: a guide for scientists, technologists and research institutes in developing countries. New York, 1973, 37 pages.

 

Locke, Lawrence F, Spirduso, Waneen Wyrick, Silverman, Stephen J.: Proposals that work: a guide for planning dissertations and grant proposals. Sage. 2000. 350 pages. ISBN: 0-7619-1706-3

 

Meador, Roy; Guidelines for preparing proposals: a manual on how to organize winning proposals for grants, venture capital, R&D projects, other proposals. Chelsea, Mich.: Lewis Publishers, 1985. 116 pages. ISBN: 0-87371-004-5

 

Maxwell, Joseph A.: Qualitative research design: an interactive approach. In the series, Applied social research methods series; Vol. 41. Sage Publications 2005. 175 pages. ISBN: 0-7619-2607-0

 

Ogden, Thomas E.: Research Proposals: a guide to success New York. Raven Press. 1991. 397 pages. ISBN: 088167-740

 

Davitz, Joel R, Davitz, Lois Leiderman.: Evaluating research proposals in the behavioral sciences: a guide. Teacher College Press. 1977. 61 pages. ISBN: 0-8077-2544-7

 

Davitz, Joel R, Davitz, Lois Leiderman.: Evaluating research proposals in the behavioral sciences: a guide. Prentice-Hall, 1996. 57 pages. ISBN: 0-13-348566-8

Published Mar. 21, 2016 5:18 PM - Last modified Feb. 14, 2019 4:15 PM