Instructioins for the research plan author
The structure and content of the research plan are determined by the research project. In other words, the proposal here is not “the one and only” or “the best”. However, it would be good to describe all of the issues listed below (even if you change the order).
Say what has to be said clearly and concisely. Do not ramble on excessively – the plan text should not be longer than necessary. The maximum number of characters for a postgraduate research plan is 20,000. Think about it like this: What would you like to know if you were not at all familiar with your research project and you were supposed to assess its feasibility, in a hurry, and with lots of other projects in the pipeline?
Be sure to ensure internal consistency and the coherence of the research plan: does the topic of your
study follow from previous research, does the main research question follow consistently from the choice of topic, are all questions meaningfully related to the main question, are the methods consistent with the topic and objectives, and are the potential results such as can be obtained from your data by the methods you have chosen. And, most importantly, are your skills appropriate for this particular project.
Cover page
State:
- your name
- the title of your research project
- the fact that it is a research plan related to a Doctor of Music degree
- the unit in which you were planning to complete your degree
- your contact details, at least your phone number and email address.
Take time to carefully consider the title of your research project so that it says what you are actually going to do.
Abstact (no more than 1 page)
In the plan, the abstract comes after the cover page and before the table of contents.
In the heading, state
- your name (again)
- the title of your research project (again)
- the unit in which you intend to complete your studies.
- the aim of the research (no more than sentence)
- your approach (discipline, etc.).
Then, briefly outline
- key concepts
- data on which the research is based
- what questions the data is used to find answers
- the possible hypotheses of your research or your preliminary assumptions
- research method (methods for data collection and analysis).
Finally, you can briefly review the significance of your research, i.e. why this research should be conducted. After the abstract, please give a list of key words (approx. 2–5). These are often the same terms you have already used when talking about the key concepts of your research.
PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS with pagination
1. Introduction
The introduction introduces the reader to your research. So, explain what you intend to research right away. You can use the structure of the abstract in the introduction. Explain everything that helps the reader understand the subsequent text. However, do not dive too deeply into the details yet. The research aim should be formulated as clearly and concisely as possible, and it should fit into one sentence. If it requires more than one sentence, it may not be completely thought out yet. The introduction is like an aerial photograph, with the focus on the aim: in the introduction, you can position your aim in its context, creating an overview that allows the reader to knowledgeably continue reading your text.
2. Research task
2.1 Definition of the research subject
In this section should define as precisely as possible the research subject. Where and how does your
research subject actually exist (ontological perspective)? The key concepts delimiting the research subject should also be defined in relation to each other and to previous research literature on the topic. Please note that the research subject may not necessarily be the same as the research data: you might need to approach the actual research subject in a roundabout way, using available data (epistemological perspective).
2.2 From aims to the research question and sub-questions
Now that the research subject has been defined, you can focus on your research aim in more detail and at greater length: what do you really want to know about the research subject specified above? Write this in the form of a research question. Also, provide the reader with more detailed information on, for example, the origins of your research question and what has been left unexamined by previous
research. Formulate sub-questions, each of which contributes to answering the research question itself (the sub-questions of the research are those which must first be answered in order to answer the actual research question). You can, for example, present the questions to be posed for the research data and examine their relationship to the research question.
2.3 Positioning your perspective
This is a continuation of the above and provides further justification for the choice of research topic and research subject. What is your perspective on the research subject? What discipline(s) does your
perspective represent? Now it would be a good time to talk about the theoretical background and starting points on which your research and perspective are based. Why this particular perspective? What research has been done in this discipline in the past? Also, remember the cross-disciplinary option. You can also explain why you did not choose another possible perspective, if this seems necessary. Please remember that it is not a good idea to start creating new disciplines right at the start.
3. Research data, its collection and analysis
3.1 Collection and examination of the research data
- selection of research data
- questions to be posed to the research data
The purpose of this is to explain in more detail what your research data consists of. With regard to the
above (paragraphs 2.1–2.3), you should explain why the proposed data would be the best option for
answering the research question and the sub-questions. In other words, in this section specify the sub-questions to be posed to the data and explain why and how the answers obtained will help in answering the research question.
3.2 Applicable methods
- method(s) for collecting research data
- method(s) for analysing the collected data
This section seems to be easily overlooked. It is important to explain how the data collected on the above-mentioned subject can give you knowledge by which you can answer the research question from the perspective presented above. As a result, the two important parts of the method section are: 1) how the research data will be collected, and 2) how the data will be analysed. In this context, you should critically consider why the particular data and analysis are the most appropriate to answer the identified research question. You can also briefly consider the limits of the method’s applicability, its weaknesses, etc. This section should be done with particular care (as with the others…).
Ethical issues related to methods and data (such as the ethical nature of a given method, informed
consent of the informants (participants), anonymity of the informants (participants), and any research
permits and their application must also be addressed.
3.3 Results
You should explain what the benefits of your research could be and to which community or communities your project is relevant. How could your research pave the way for further research? Does it have any social or cultural connotations, and if so, what are they?
If you wish, you can use this section to anticipate the results of your research.
4. RESEARCH RESOURCES AND IMPLEMENTATION
4.1 Introducing yourself
Describe your knowledge and skills (earlier studies and degrees), strengths, and areas needing improvement in terms of the successful implementation of the research.
4.2 Research schedule and funding
Please describe the timeframe in which you plan to complete the doctorate and how you plan to finance it. Be explicit if you plan to pursue your project alongside your work, and make a time estimate accordingly. Try to be realistic about both aspects. This section may then be useful to you later. Even the simplest work usually ends up requiring more time and other resources than originally expected.
5. List of references
The list of references will include all (and only) the sources you have referred to in your research plan. Ideally, all relevant sources should be included in the plan. However, if you identify sources that are particularly relevant to your project, but to which you do not refer, you can add a short list of such sources after the list of references. This list could be titled “Other literature”.