Guidelines and advice

How long should a good research proposal be?

A good research proposal is as long as it takes, but a guide would be 1,500-2,500 words. Remember
that it is meant to be an accurate overview, not a thesis, so you need to provide enough detail for
the reader to understand it. A paragraph would not be enough and 5,000 words likely too much.

The '3Cs' rule

When you have written your research proposal, ask a friend to read it critically and provide you
with feedback. Also, ask yourself whether it follows the '3Cs' rule:

Clear - is what you have written intelligible and clearly articulated? Does it make sense, or is it
vague and confusing? Does your proposal leave the reader with a clear sense of the purpose and
direction of your research project?
Concise - have you written your proposal in a succinct and focused way?
Coherent - does your proposal link together well so that it tells the reader a short story about what
you want to do, why you want to do it and how you will do it?
If you can answer all of these questions with confidence, you have probably put together a good
proposal.

Dissemination
Depending on your project and the wider field it is a part of, you may want to include a paragraph
on how you would go about spreading the ideas discussed in your research to the academic
community, and in some cases the organisation arranging your funding. This could be anything,
from traditional sources such as publications and seminars, to more contemporary methods such
as blogs, vlogs and exhibitions.

Plagiarism
To protect yourself from accusations of plagiarism please make sure that all your references are
present, correct and up-to-date at the time of submission. In order to ensure you have correctly
referenced, it is sensible to include publications in your bibliography that influenced your thoughts
and arguments in any way, even if they are not quoted from directly. If you have used quotations
from other academics, please check you have used quotation marks and a citation.

6 steps to a successful research proposal

In this section
Research proposal
English language requirements
Immigration and visas
Disclosure and Barring Service
Discussing your application
Once you have an offer
After accepting your offer
Postgraduate Admissions Policy
Terms and conditions
Frequently asked questions
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