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Research proposal and confirmation of candidature

If you are a doctoral student (PhD, PhD by portfolio or Professional Doctorate), your research proposal is due six months from the start of your degree .

If you are a Master of Research student, your research proposal is due three months from the start of your degree.

Successful completion of this milestone leads to confirmation of candidature.

You need to submit your proposal, your completed Statement of Agreement and your Research Induction Plan.

The following resources will help you meet the requirements of this milestone.

Your research proposal will be loosely based on the research outline you prepared for admission to your degree, but will provide a more comprehensive guide to the literature, method, methodology, structure and timeframe of your research.

The research proposal is used to assess your performance so far, and the feasibility of your research program. It is:

  • an action plan for candidature and a major reference point for the Reviews of Progress
  • aligned with the Statement of Agreement, explaining how you will develop the Research Degree Graduate Qualities.

It is extremely important that your supervisors provide input into the development of your research proposal.

  • Provisional enrolment and Confirmation of Candidature
  • Preparing your Research Proposal
  • Submission and review of your Research Proposal

Provisional enrolment and confirmation of candidature

Your enrolment is provisional until your candidature is confirmed.

Your research proposal and Statement of Agreement must be approved by the Academic Unit or Institute Research Management Committee for confirmation of candidature to occur. This has to happen before you can proceed with your research.

The length of your provisional candidacy is counted as part of the total time to undertake your degree:

  • Doctoral students have a maximum of 4 years (FTE) to complete but should aim to complete their degree within a maximum of 3 years (FTE)
  • Master of research students have a total of 2 years (FTE) candidacy to complete their degree.

For students in research professional doctorate programs , confirmation of candidature requires the completion of 18 units of the coursework component, approved by the Program Director, within six months (FTE) of commencement.

Australian and New Zealand citizens and permanent residents of Australia (domestic) students, please note that if you exceed your 4-year time limit you are required to pay tuition fees to the University.

See the AB-58 Research Degrees Policy and Procedures  for your degree for more details.

Confirming candidature

The Confirmation of candidature form (editable PDF) is to be completed by the Chair of the Research Proposal Confirmation Panel (or equivalent) and forwarded to Graduate Research, Candidature when finalised.

Preparing your research proposal

Research proposals are normally 10 to 20 pages long, and should contain the following sections:

Statement of the research topic and rationale for the research Research methodology Trial table of contents Brief bibliography

See Guidelines for the Preparation of Research Proposals in Research Degrees  for more information.

University guidelines stipulate that a PhD will make 'a significant original contribution to knowledge and/or the application of knowledge within the field of study' and a Master of research will make 'a contribution to knowledge and/or the application of knowledge within the field of study'.

The University recognises that each research degree student may require specific equipment, e-research infrastructure, laboratory or studio space and funds adequate for the completion of the research program. Expenses may include travel arising from field work, experiments and data collection and the cost of consumables.

You and your supervisor will need to identify these project-specific costs when preparing your research proposal. Where your project is a subset of your supervisor's funded research project, these costs could be allocated from the project's budget. Costs must be presented and negotiated with the executive dean/institute director prior to confirmation of candidacy, and included in the Statement of Agreement which is submitted with the research proposal.

See the Appendix AB-58 AD1 Minimum Resources for Research Degree Students  for more details.

Resources related to finding research information, finding and writing research proposals and referencing are available here

Submission and review of your research proposal

The procedure for approving research proposals varies according to the academic unit, institute, or centre. Consult the academic regulations, your supervisor or your Research Degree Coordinator for details.

The following steps are typically involved in research proposal development and review:

Step 1 - Development

Work with your supervisors to complete a Research Induction Plan (usually at the end of the first 2 weeks), outlining the negotiated timeframe for getting the research proposal approved, including lodgement of drafts and return of comments by the supervisor.

Complete your Statement of Agreement (usually at the end of the first month), and work on the proposal itself.

Step 2 - Submission

Following approval by your supervisors, submit copies of your written research proposal, your Research Induction Plan and your Statement of Agreement to the Research Degree Coordinator.

If a timely research proposal cannot be lodged you must request permission to extend the timeframe - at least one month in advance and normally for a maximum of three months .

  • Application for Extension to Research Proposal (Online Form)

Step 3 - Assessment

A panel reviews your proposal and makes a determination that either:

  • the proposal is accepted and the Statement of Agreement is appropriate for supporting the research project and timelines OR
  • amendments are required for the proposal and/or Statement of Agreement to be accepted and candidature to be confirmed OR
  • the research proposal and/or Statement of Agreement should not be approved and the research degree student may be suspended OR
  • the research proposal and/or Statement of Agreement should not be approved and the research degree student should be transferred to another program.

Step 4 - Notification

The research proposal, Research Induction Plan and Statement of Agreement, along with a recommendation from the review panel regarding confirmation of your candidature, goes to the Dean of Graduate Studies. You are advised of the outcome via your student email.

  • If the research proposal is accepted , date of confirmation of candidacy is reported to Graduate Research, Candidature.
  • If the research proposal is not considered acceptable , it is returned to you with written information indicating why it was not acceptable. You will have to make revisions in conjunction with your supervisor and re-lodge the proposal for further consideration in a given timeframe. You may need to submit an extension to lodge research proposal form:

If you do not have your research proposal approved within the maximum time allowed, your candidature will be suspended, but you may apply for readmission. Refer to the academic regulations for details.

FTE = Full Time Equivalence

If you are doing a Doctor of Philosophy (by Portfolio of Publications), you will submit a research statement. Enrolment and re-enrolment conditions still apply. See the academic regulations.

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How to write a Research Proposal: Home

  • Components of a research proposal
  • Useful videos
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  • Research proposal - examples
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  • Free Apps for Research
  • Academic writing

What is a research proposal

What is a research proposal?

A research proposal is a document that outlines the approach a researcher will take in order to find a solution to a specific problem .  In other words, a research proposal is a summary of what you want to research, why you want to research the problem, as well as how you think the problem will be solved. The research proposal usually justifies the need for the study while presenting already existing literature and information on your topic.  Students and researchers need the research proposal to apply for either sponsorship or approval to embark on the proposed study. 

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The function of a research proposal

The main function of a proposal is to convice the reader that your proposed study is essential and relevant to your field of study.  It is meant to show the focus of your research as well as the methods to be used to achieve the study's objectives .It is important, therefore, that you read widely on your topic to get familiar with the previous research that has been done to be able to refine your project and indicate its relevance and value to existing research.

unisa research proposal format

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  • Last Updated: Sep 25, 2024 3:09 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.unisa.ac.za/research_proposal

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COMMENTS

  1. How to write a Research Proposal: Home

    The function of a research proposal. The main function of a proposal is to convice the reader that your proposed study is essential and relevant to your field of study. It is meant to show the focus of your research as well as the methods to be used to achieve the study's objectives.It is important, therefore, that you read widely on your topic ...

  2. PDF Recommended Outline for Masters and Doctoral Degree Outline for

    PROPOSAL OUTLINE RECOMMENDED STRUCTURE OF PROPOSAL OUTLINE Quantitative study Qualitative study Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Context and Background 1.2 Problem statement 1.3 Research objective(s) 1.4 Hypothesis 1.5 Significance of the study ... You should use the "Augmented Harvard method of referencing" as explained in the Unisa CEMS ...

  3. Research proposal

    Writing a research propsal - a guide for staff and students developed by Prof Jana Olivier For the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences University of South Africa, 2019 Writing a research proposal - a guide for staff and students

  4. PDF Guidelines for Research Outline Form for prospective Master's

    ivities15. References or Bibliographya. Research. is. built on existing knowledge. It implies that all research must have references.b. Use only one of the. c. Use original sources from accredited publications (reviewed journal, reviewed book etc.) Proposed Budget for the project and how the study will be funded.

  5. Components of a research proposal

    Research proposals differ in terms of their presentation depending on what each University department requires. In other words, there is no set template for a research proposal.Please contact your lecturer regarding the format you are expected to use for your research proposal.Thus, the components of a research proposal include, but are not limited to those mentioned in this guide.

  6. PDF PROCEDURES FOR MASTER'S AND DOCTORAL DEGREES

    3.4 When a prospective student's or candidate's application to register for a research proposal module is approved, the academic department notifies the College of Graduate Studies: Master and Doctoral Administration Support section via the My Unisa admission system of the name of

  7. PDF Research methodology guiding tool for M & D proposal Revised

    design and m. thodology for the M & D proposal section.5.1. IntroductionDefine research methodology with at least three (3) ources and come up with a definition that suits your study. Conclude the section with a linking sentence that links. e next section, the research paradigm.

  8. How to write a Research Proposal: Academic writing

    M&D Training workshop - Turnitin & Plagiarism presented by Erica Flinspach Van der Walt - 2021 (Unisa) << Previous: Free Apps for Research Last Updated: Sep 25, 2024 3:09 PM

  9. Unisa Proposal Writing

    A research proposal is an integral part of a postdoctoral qualification at UNISA. Every student who is enrolled for either a Master's or a Doctoral must complete a research proposal before proceeding to the actual research part of the study. We will give attention to each of the parts of a proposal and complete them step by step.

  10. PDF College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

    write in your career - so the more tips that you can pick up in this round, the better. A research proposal is an integral part of a postdoctoral qualification at UNISA. Every student who is enrolled for either a Master's or a Doctoral must complete a research proposal before proceeding to the actual research part of the study.

  11. A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

    According to the data published by Ministry of Finance and Economic Development of Ethiopia (2011), the rate of growth of the gross domestic product (GDP) at current prices is as depicted in Table 4.3 below. Table 4.3: GDP growth rates, in %, of the Ethiopian Economy at current prices for the years 2004/05 - 2010/11.

  12. LME3701

    Legal personality begins when the birth is complete, that is, when the child is separated from its mother and is breathing. Points OF Departure AND Assumptions. CONCEPTUALISATION OF CENTRAL RESEARCH THEMES. LME3701 Assignment 2 Semester 2 2020 - CALL OR Whatsapp 0710823902. Show 8 more documents.

  13. PDF A proposed checklist for assessing Master's and doctoral research proposals

    A survey was conducted amongst CODs in CEMS at Unisa, to determine how research proposals submitted by prospective M and D students are assessed and ... example is the checklist for manuscripts, as proposed by Seals and Tanaka (2000, 52-58). Checklists are not without their limitations (Seoane 2001). They are tools

  14. Example proposal

    RESEARCH PROPOSAL. Work-role fit, meaningfulness and engagement of industrial/organisational psychologists in South Africa. Title: Name and Surname: Student number: Date of birth: Degree: M Industrial Psychology Format: Mini-dissertation Contact number: Email: Proposed study leader(s): ... Example proposal - unisa lecture. Course: Research ...

  15. PDF Writing a research paper

    A long and rambling introduction will soon put people off and lose your audience. Define the Problem. The entire introduction should logically end at the research question and thesis statement or hypothesis. By the end of the introduction, the reader should know exactly what you are trying to achieve with the paper.

  16. Research proposal and confirmation of candidature

    Step 4 - Notification. The research proposal, Research Induction Plan and Statement of Agreement, along with a recommendation from the review panel regarding confirmation of your candidature, goes to the Dean of Graduate Studies. You are advised of the outcome via your student email. If the research proposal is accepted, date of confirmation of ...

  17. How to write a Research Proposal: Articles

    'Brief Notes on Writing Research Proposals and Research Statements.', English for Academic Correspondence, pp. 115-121. Fischer, K., 2020. ' 23 Questions to Guide the Writing of a Quantitative Medical Education Research Proposa l', Academic Medicine, Jul 2020.

  18. PDF FOR ALL MASTERS AND DOCTORAL STUDENTS IN THE

    the registration period is for 1 year only. The registration for Masters and Doctoral students closes during the middle of March each year, b. t opens towards the end of an academic year. The closing. dates are always found on the Unisa website. It is your responsibility to check the notifications on th.

  19. LME3701 Research proposal

    Week 1-2: Research and familiarization with the topic. Week 3-4: Preparatory study and research, including conducting a literature review and identifying key sources. March 2023. Week 1-2: Finalizing research methodology and preparing data collection tools. Week 3-4: Conducting interviews with relevant stakeholders and collecting data. April 2023

  20. How to write a Research Proposal: Home

    The function of a research proposal. The main function of a proposal is to convice the reader that your proposed study is essential and relevant to your field of study. It is meant to show the focus of your research as well as the methods to be used to achieve the study's objectives.It is important, therefore, that you read widely on your topic ...