Hello!

I'm applying (somewhat last minute) for places on Sociology MA and PhD programmes at York and Manchester, and need to write research proposals for each.

So far I have plenty in the way of ideas, and my research questions are getting there, and literature is coming together slowly but (sort of) surely.

I have no idea about methods though.

I know this needs to be a particularly robust part of my application, so I'm freaking out a fair bit. But it's been 2 years since I finished undergrad so I can't go into my Sociology department there and discuss this with them.

I want to do something using mixed methods, studying online communities and blog posts that connect fandom with political participation. I'm hoping to analyse the content and trajectory particularly popular/effective posts, as well as speak to members of these communities - perhaps initially through surveys circulated online, and then through more in depth interviews with - who?

What methods should I be looking at? How do I decide which posts to analyse and how should I analyse them? What kinds of surveys could I use? What about interviews - how should I be sampling in a project like this? What implications might I be missing? How many methods can I feasibly put into a proposal before it's too much?

Any reading direction, thoughts, or suggestions anyone can give would be vastly appreciated!

Not my field, but if you're applying to Manchester then you might find some useful resources/contacts here:

The methods section in particular gives a brief overview of some of the methods you're mentioning and some key reading e.g.
Are you permitted to contact prospective supervisors for guidance on this?

I would suggest to search and go through a few articles on "research methods in sociology". Also search for research proposals in your area and read them. The following link might also be helpful:

http://www.findaphd.com/advice/finding/writing-phd-research-proposal.aspx

Write to the strengths of the departments you are applying to. This means, look at the potential supervisors in that department and find out what methods they are using and the types of things they are intersted in. I know you want to doa Phd that intersts yo but it should interest your potential supervisor also. You don't have to go with their methods but you may find the application process easier if you're at least in their ball park so they know how to supervise you. As the previous poster said, really your lit review should give ideas on the way your methods will go as they will describe what methods they are using. You need to justify your chosen methods against the gaps inthe literature and show why they are the right methods to answer your research questions in your context. You can easily google for basic texts on methods. BTW what you submit in proposal is rarely the project you actually do. It may not even resemble your initial proposal!