Hello,

I have just finished my master degree and now I'm looking forward to continue with a PhD. I already know what I will do for a research proposal, it will be based on my master thesis. But how would a good proposal look like ? Ex: how many pages, introduction part, research questions etc. And where should my literature review be included ? in the introduction part ? I have looked at : https://www.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/4xj75c/academics_of_askphil_what_constitutes_a_great/

But it didn't answer my questions. I live in N. Europe and I will apply to PhD positions in Europe only, excluding UK.

I am sorry no one answered earlier but that looks like an okay guide. The proposal can vary in length depending on the application/funding body but I would aim to keep it between 2-4 pages. The proposal structure can vary a lot, however I think you should aim to explain the gap in knowledge and how you want to solve it. Introduce the topic, explain the current state of the art but also say what you think needs to be researched. They aren't looking for a detailed literature review but you should use literature to explain/confirm parts of the proposal.

I structured my proposal as follows; introduction to a high level problem (global warming) and possible solution (my field). I then explained that there was some large problems in that field with regards to commercialisation (had a couple of references to back it up). Introduced my topic and how it would solve one of the problems. I then listed a pile of potential problems with my topic, followed by possible solutions (I threw in a lot of buzzwords). Finally I mentioned what equipment I would use and what I would initially focus on. BTW, it was a 2 page proposal for a fully funded project (title was already decided) in engineering.

Please check the paper construction format template in this page.(https://wireilla.com/physics/ijrap/submission.html)