Hi guys,

As part of my PhD application I am required to write a proposal which is around 1,000 words (2 pages). I have written it, but I would love it if some people on here could have a read through and give me any feedback possible on it, from how it reads to the actual content. Have to send it off on Wednesday so yeah any help before then would be great.

If you would like to help then send me a PM and I can email the document to you.

Many thanks in advance!



:-)

You know what? With a forehead the size of yours, I'm sure you can muster enough brains to put together your on proposal. I did it, and so did many other people around here and we all have teeny tiny foreheads...

Oh wow. I am sincerely hoping that you don't represent the general population of this forum. I thought it was place for potential and current PhD students to discuss any particular issues or problems. As opposed to a place for disgruntled PhD students to have a go at people who need a bit of help, presumably to make their own lives a little bit more interesting.

But thanks for the bad impression of the forum!

Well, sorry BFH, but we get paid good money to read through academic work and provide feedback. For many of us it is our living and, seeing as we get about 20 quid for marking an undergraduate essay, what you are asking for represents about 50.00 quid plus of work. Would you walk into a tailors union meeting and ask for a free shirt? If you want general advice on how to write a proposal or how to approach a uni/supervisor I'm sure people, including myself, will be much more forthcoming. Also, we all did write our proposals ourselves and we worked very hard at it, so why do you think we should give you that kind of skill for nothing?

Hmm, firm but fair advice there, Eska. BFH, would you not be able to liaise with your academic advisory team on your proposal. Even if some of did look at your proposal, think that it'll be quite specialised, so very few of us (including me) will be able to give the appraisal of it justice. I'm certain that there is a lot of help out there on the internet for writing and judging the quality of proposals for psychology-related research. Put the following search terms into Google and hit return: 'psychology phd research proposals'. You will note that the second one down is an actual psychology thesis research proposal (sorry if you have already tried this). There also a lot of other hits related to your query that I think will be very helpful.
Now then, Eska, do you really get paid £20 per marking of an assignment? That sounds really bloody good. I'm beginning to feel really under-appreciated by my research institute - I've just spent the entire day (plus procrastination allowance!) preparing a workshop for tomorrow and I get flippin' peanut - grrr. Ah well, academic jobs have just been rated the best jobs in the America (even though it doesn't feel that way to embattled little me) - http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=409004&c=2

Hi Wally, well, I get about 12 quid really, but I should get 20, and I'd want an awful lot more for giving feedback on a PhD proposal. I get reeeaally fed up of people coming on here and asking us to do their work for them, I sweat buckets to keep my jobs and PhD going (I'll be marking 166 essays at the end of this term), and I wrote both of my PhD propsals myself without help. It was hard, but I wouldn't have expected someone else, especially not random strangers on a web site, to contribute to it, so I find these kinds of requests incredulous. I was only teasing a bit, blimey.

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Hi BFH

We are really friendly on here, and very collegiate, but I - and most likely others - are overworked and just don't have time to comment on your work. I'm happy to spend a few minutes giving some advice, but time doesn't stretch much further than that...and commenting on someone else's work is just too much like studying, whereas posting some comments is more social...I also don't feel equipped to comment on a proposal in a different discipline to mine.

But yeh, talk to your potential supervisor, they should be able to help. Good luck!

I'm in psychology, I could maybe have a look at it. Depends on what your exact topic is though - I'm not interested to read anything in social/developmental/clinical psychology, but would read something in perception/attention/cognitive neuroscience etc.

Bet you wished you hadn't asked now!

It is a bit of a big ask - but then if you don't ask you don't get. I'm a psychologist and can probably have a quick sqizz, if only because I admire your cheek...;-)

Im interested to pursue phd and my research focus would be on developmental psychology. Problem is, I have no idea on which topic that I should do. Any idea?

My opinion is that you are far too trusting. I would never send my work to people I don't know over the internet. My humble advice to you is to take pride in your work. Send it to your potential supervisor and perhaps a family member who isn't familiar with what you do for proof reading.

I'm not going to play the 'I don't have time' card, whilst I am on a forum ;)

Only just noticed this was resurrected from 8 years ago. Sigh.