How To Write A PHD Proposal

How to write a PhD
proposal
Leiden, 8-5-2015
Lisa Cheng
Saskia Lensink
Bobby Ruijgrok
Benjamin Suchard
Discover the world at Leiden University
Overview
Some general considerations

Advice from Alwin Kloekhorst
Advice from Lisa Cheng
Tips & Tricks from PhD students
Q&A
Where can I find a

position?
Have a look at the newsletter of LOT,
oftentimes there are job opening
posted there
http://www.lotschool.nl/
Linguist List sometimes posts open
positions
http://linguistlist.org/indexfd.cfm
Ask around, talk to your supervisor,

talk to people at conferences
6 steps
1. Clear working title
2. Clear statement what you want to work
on and why it is important, interesting,
relevant and realistic
3. Background knowledge and context
4. Methods/Approach
5. Some indications strategy and timetable
for your project, and any research
challenges you may face
6. List of key references
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/webteam/s
hared/postgraduate/pdfs/A_Guide_to_Writing_your_PhD_Propo
sal.pdf
3 Cs
Clear
Concise
Coherent
https://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/webteam/s
hared/postgraduate/pdfs/A_Guide_to_Writing_your_PhD_Propo
sal.pdf
6 principles
1. It should be interesting to you
2. It should be within your
competence
3. It should be feasible
4. It should be sufficiently delimited
5. It should be manageable in size
6. It should have the potential to make
a contribution to knowledge or
practice in the appropriate area
http://moodle.une.edu.au/pluginfile.php/191/mod_resource/content/2
/examples-phd-proposals.pdf
At the actual interview

Make sure to engage all committee
members in your
presentation/discussion so dont
just focus on one of the members
throughout the interview
Do your research, and get to know
who the members of the committee
are
Do a mock interview with some
critical friends, so that you are
prepared to face criticism,
critical
Advice from Alwin

Kloekhorst (1/5)
The most important thing: be clear!
It should be clear what the problem is,
how youll go about finding a
solution/answer, and what kind of
results you are expecting
Dont use too much jargon when you
know your committee doesnt consist of
only linguists
However, nice prose is important. Make
sure a native speaker checks your
proposal
Advice from Alwin

Kloekhorst (2/5)
Mind the layout!
Paragraphs, titles, schemas, graphs,
maps
Make sure it is clear for every part why
its a part of your text, why it is
relevant, and what the connection is
with the previous and following text
Advice from Alwin

Kloekhorst (3/5)
Explain all unknown terminology
When talking about a language from
the Waka district of the province of Ubu
in the country of Tupania, I want to see
a map!
When talking about a certain
grammatical feature, give me an
example!
Advice from Alwin

Kloekhorst (4/5)
Make clear why your topic is relevant
Committees can spend their money
only once, so why is it that they should
spend it on you?
Why is your project different and more
relevant than other projects?
Why are you the person to do the job?
Dont be arrogant, but be confident.
Advice from Alwin

Kloekhorst (5/5)
Make clear what is needed for you to
do your research
Fieldwork? Do you know how to get a
visum, how to get there, whom are you
staying with, are you familiar with the
area?

PhD an independent researcher
Show
Show
Show
Show
your research skills

your creativity
that you are resourceful
that you are careful, responsible
No typos!
Careful citations
Be honest
Dont pretend to be who you are not

Proposals connected to a project
Read up on the topic(s) before writing
Relevance to the main research
questions
Relevance to the other sub-projects
For experimental work

Be precise
Think of the number and size of the
experiments
Be realistic

Be prepared to write and rewrite
Ask others (linguists and non-linguists)
to read your proposal
The first paragraph

Set the stage the most important!
Advice from PhD

students
Benjamin Suchard
b.d.suchard@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Bobby Ruijgrok
b.j.ruijgrok@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Saskia Lensink
s.e.lensink@hum.leidenuniv.nl
Q&A
Any questions?

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How to write a PhD

Some general considerations

Discover the world at Leiden University

Where can I find a

Ask around, talk to your supervisor,

At the actual interview

Advice from Alwin

Advice from Alwin

Discover the world at Leiden University

Advice from Alwin

Discover the world at Leiden University

Advice from Alwin

Advice from Alwin

Discover the world at Leiden University

Advice from Lisa Cheng

your research skills

Discover the world at Leiden University

Advice from Lisa Cheng

For experimental work

Advice from Lisa Cheng

The first paragraph

Discover the world at Leiden University

Advice from PhD

Discover the world at Leiden University

Discover the world at Leiden University

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