synopsis format for phd in geography

Guidelines to Writing a Research Proposal

All Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) students must write an acceptable research proposal.

This has a clear and explicit purpose:

• it makes certain that you have a worthwhile research project - you have a good grasp of the relevant literature and the major issues, and that your methodology is sound;
• it will show that you have the competence and work-plan to complete the research;
• it includes sufficient information for us to evaluate the proposed study; and
• we can be certain we have the right staff expertise to supervise you.

All research proposals must address the question of what you plan to accomplish and why you want to and how you are going to do it.

A research proposal is usually around 2,500 words long although there is no upper or lower limit to this.

In preparing a research proposal, the first thing that you have to do is to decide what it really is that you want to know more about. The questions that you want to research have to viable as a research project and lead to the creation of new knowledge and understanding.

Your research proposal should include a section on each of the following areas:

Ethical considerations

You will need to give consideration to issues of power and confidentiality. You should read any appropriate ethical guidelines and ask yourself how/whether you project follows these. [All research students at Oxford University are required (before they commence fieldwork) to complete the Central University Research Ethics Committee (CUREC) checklist and obtain permission to undertake any fieldwork].

Time scales

It is important that you map out a reasonable schedule of your work so that you can monitor your own progress and manage your project effectively. Start with your intended finishing date and do not underestimate the amount of time that it takes to finalise your drafts into a finished product.

Dissemination

A key indicator of the work of much research is whether it is of publishable quality. You might like to give some consideration at this stage as to what sorts of things might be publishable and where you would like them to appear. This is especially important if you wish to pursue a career as an academic in a UK university.

When you have completed all of this then get other people, your peers as well as those more experienced than you, to read it and comment. This will help you to revise the proposal before you submit it. You can also make contact with departmental staff whose research interests are in a similar area to those you intend to undertake. They would be happy to give you advice and to discuss possible supervision.

Go to Charlotte.edu

Prospective Students

• About UNC Charlotte
• Campus Life
• Graduate Admissions

Faculty and Staff

• Human Resources
• Auxiliary Services
• Inside UNC Charlotte
• Academic Affairs

Current Students

• Financial Aid
• Student Health

Alumni and Friends

• Alumni Association
• Advancement
• Make a Gift

PhD in Geography

Phd in geography, university of north carolina at charlotte.

Now accepting applications for Fall 2024

GRE requirement waived for 2024 Admissions

The priority deadline for funding consideration is February 15th, 2024

The PhD in Geography is our department’s core doctoral program reflecting the multi-disciplinary research and teaching expertise of our exceptional and award-winning faculty. Graduate students engage in coursework from within and across three areas of focus: Urban and Regional Analysis, Earth and Environmental Systems, and Geographic Information Science. A broad range of elective courses build upon shared training in the theoretical and methodological foundations of Geography, advanced research approaches (quantitative and/or qualitative) and spatial technologies and analysis. Independent research follows yielding a dissertation that advances knowledge in Geography and its related disciplines.

Doctoral students in Geography at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte are members of a student-centered, well-resourced and collegial department comprised of social, physical and applied scientists. As many as half of our PhD students are supported through competitive Graduate Assistantships or Fellowships and our students are frequent recipients of the university’s most prestigious scholarships and national awards. Currently, the program’s Graduate Assistantships include a 9-month stipend of $21,000 plus tuition and health care support through a Graduate School GASP Award.

Our commitment to professional development translates into student involvement in faculty-led research and outreach teams; summer field work grants; financial support to present at national and international conferences; and preparation for teaching and research excellence both pre and post-graduation. Doctoral students in the program have established a tradition of engagement and leadership in the department, across campus, and within national and international professional associations such as the American Association of Geographers and its regional and specialty groups.

The program is structured to be completed within 4 years and our graduates find professional success across the occupational spectrum – as tenure-track professors, international researchers, community planners, analysts with local to national scale governments, post-doctoral fellows, applied scientists, spatial entrepreneurs, private sector consultants and more.

We are now accepting applications for Fall 2024 Admission. Applications received before February 15, 2024 will be given priority consideration for available assistantship and fellowship funding.

Please note that our program will continue to waive the GRE requirement for applicants seeking admission for Spring and Fall 2024. If applicants wish to submit GRE scores they may still do so and those will be considered in the review process.

Admission and requirements? Please refer to UNC Charlotte Graduate Catalog

Ready to apply? Please refer to UNC Charlotte Graduate School Admissions

Questions? Please contact program director Dr. Isabelle Nilsson [email protected]

Resources for PhD in Geography Program

• PhD GEOG Course Listing
• PhD GEOG Proposed Plan of Study Form
• PhD GEOG Milestone Checklist
• PhD GEOG and GURA Dissertations
• Typical Timeline for UNC Charlotte Doctoral Programs
• Fellowships, Awards and Competitions

Alumni Dr. Paul McDaniel and students Tonderai Mushipe and Jaeho Ko connect at Race, Ethnicity and Place (REP) conference in Austin, TX, Fall 2018.

Publications by our PhD Geography Students and Recent Alumni (and their faculty co-authors)

• J. Claire Schuch & Tonderai Mushipe . 2021. “Light Rail and Neighborhood Change: Comparative Perspectives of Residents, Local Media, and Other Stakeholders” Housing Policy Debate , https://doi.org/10.1080/10511482.2021.1949371
• Elizabeth Delmelle, Isabelle Nilsson & Providence Adu . 2021. “Poverty Suburbanization, Job Accessibility, and Employment Outcomes” Social Inclusion , DOI: 10.17645/si.v9i2.3735
• Brisa U. de Hernandez, J. Claire Schuch , Janni Sorensen & Heather A. Smith. 2021. “Sustaining CBPR Projects: Lessons Learned Developing Latina Community Groups.” Collaborations: A Journal of Community-based Research and Practice , DOI: http://doi.org/10.33596/coll.69
• Paul H. Jung & Jun Song. 2021. “Multivariate Neighborhood Trajectory Analysis: An Exploration of the Functional Data Analysis Approach” Geographical Analysis , https://doi.org/10.1111/gean.12298
• Yu Lan , Michael R. Desjardins , Alexander Hohl & Eric Delmell e. 2021. “Geovisualization of COVID-19: State of the Art and Opportunities” Cartographica: The International Journal for Geographic Information and Geovisualization , DOI: 10.3138/cart-2020-0027
• Maryam Khabazi & Isabelle Nilsson. 2021. “Connecting people with jobs: Light rail’s impact on Commuting patterns” Travel Behaviour and Society , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbs.2021.03.003
• Claudio Owusu , G ary S.Silverman , David S.Vinson, Rajib Paul , Kathleen M. Baker & Eric M. Delmelle. 2021. “Predicting coliform presence in private wells as a function of well characteristics, parcel size and leachfield soil rating” Science of the Total Environment , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143701
• Daidai Shen , Jean-Claude Thill & Jiuwen Sun. 2021. “The determinants of city population in China” Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science . https://doi.org/10.1007/s41685-020-00170-8
• Minrui Zheng , Wenwu Tang, Akinwumi Ogundiran & Jianxin Yang. 2020. “Spatial Simulation Modeling of Settlement Distribution Driven by Random Forest: Consideration of Landscape Visibility” Sustainability , https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114748

PhD Handbook

The following requirements (revised January 2020) will apply to all incoming PhD students in the Fall 2020 semester. Students in residence prior to Fall 2020 may elect to be governed by the requirements in force in the academic year in which they entered the PhD program.

Academic Objectives

The Geography Doctoral (PhD) Degree provides training for those seeking to advance their understanding of concepts and methodologies to the standards of professional geographers.  Doctoral students are expected to develop the following during their course of study:

• Basic understanding of the discipline of geography, its relationship with cognate fields, and its contribution to knowledge. This entails gaining a working knowledge of general geographic literature, familiarity with the structure of the discipline and sub-disciplines, and principal philosophical approaches and concepts.
• Detailed understanding of at least one specialty within the discipline of geography. This entails gaining a thorough knowledge of the specialty’s historical development, associated literature, main theories, and empirical findings.
• Ability to conduct independent research of a professional quality. This entails gaining theoretical and practical knowledge of specific research techniques and demonstrating this knowledge in the conduct of original research.
• Ability to communicate the results of research in both oral and written forms. This entails demonstrating skills in oral presentation and the writing of formal papers during coursework, and ultimately, a dissertation.
• Familiarity with and adherence to the codes of practice established for academic study at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) including Campus Policies, Academic Policies, and the Student Code of Conduct.

Degree Requirements: General

While advisory services are available, responsibility for familiarization with, and adherence to, University and Departmental regulations ultimately rests with the doctoral student. For University regulations, consult the Graduate Division as needed. For Departmental regulations, consult the Graduate Chair as needed.

Degree Requirements: Departmental Public Lectures

Attendance and participation in the Fall/Spring Public Lectures is required by all doctoral students in residence.

Degree Requirements: Coursework

Each doctoral student is required to complete a minimum of three semesters of full-time work. Students must consult with their respective advisor before registering for courses each semester and maintain a Synopsis of PhD Program form . Upon completion of coursework, including any pre-program breadth requirement, a completed Synopsis of PhD Program form must be submitted to the Graduate Chair for final approval.

Pre-Program Breadth

Incoming doctoral students will meet with the Graduate Chair to review the student’s previous record to determine whether any significant gaps exist in basic geographical knowledge in the following areas:

• Human geography
• Environmental geography
• Geospatial technologies
• Statistics or equivalent quantitative methods

If breadth fulfillment is required, this can be remedied by receiving credits in approved courses in the Department. Students receiving a B (3.0) or better in coursework at the graduate level taken to address the breadth requirement may apply this towards the fulfillment of their Research Skill and Specialization requirement if approved by the student’s Advisory Committee.

Students who have fulfilled the breadth requirement can proceed and file Form I with the Graduate Division

Core Courses

Two core courses are designed to introduce doctoral students to the Department faculty and to the discipline of geography:

• GEO 692, Faculty Seminar Series (1 credit) Single credit course in which faculty present ongoing research in their fields. Pre: consent. Co-requisite: 695.
• GEO 695, Concepts and Theories of Geography (3 credits) Concepts, theory, models. Geographic approaches to spatial and environmental problems. Required of entering graduate students unless waived by the department. Pre: consent.

The two core courses are required of all incoming doctoral students and should be taken during the first fall semester in residence, although it is recognized that this is not always possible. These courses may be waived if previously taken during a student’s MA program at UHM. Students must obtain a B (3.0) grade or better in both core courses to satisfy the requirement.

The Specialization

A minimum of 15 credits of graduate-level coursework in a specialization is required. Courses must be approved by the doctoral student’s Advisory Committee. Coursework taken at the MA/MS level, either at UHM or elsewhere, may be used in partial fulfillment of this requirement with approval of the Advisory Committee. Students, in consultation with their Advisor, should devise a program of courses that together constitute a coherent specialization.

These specialization credits must:

• Include a minimum of nine course credits offered by the Department of Geography and Environment; and,
• Come from courses numbered 600 and above. Up to six credits of upper-division courses may be approved by petition to the Advisory Committee and the Graduate Chair.

Research Skills

A minimum of six credits of coursework in research methods or techniques is required. Courses must be approved by the doctoral student’s Advisory Committee and may include GEO 696 (research design), statistics, cartography, remote sensing, GIS, quantitative or qualitative methods, field methods, experimental methods, and laboratory techniques.  Additionally, competency in a foreign language may be required if a foreign language is essential to the student’s dissertation research. Competency may be demonstrated by passing the foreign language proficiency examination administered by the respective language department, or the completion of the second semester of 300-level language instruction with a grade of B (3.0) or better.

Degree Requirements: The Dissertation

The dissertation must demonstrate the student’s ability to formulate a research problem, to assemble and analyze relevant data, to draw appropriate conclusions, and to express findings clearly and concisely. It should be of publishable quality as judged by the Advisory Committee. Students should consult the Graduate Division regarding the document formatting and submission requirements. Students should consult the Graduate Chair regarding document submission to the Department. Consult past dissertations for guides to length and style.

Inclusion of previously published materials is allowed to the extent stipulated by the Graduate Division . The following conditions must be met:

• The publication must be logically integrated into the manuscript in a coherent manner. Binding reprints of the publication to the manuscript is unacceptable.
• The manuscript must contain an introduction and conclusion that clearly integrates the publication into the general theme of the manuscript.
• The abstract for the manuscript must be “comprehensive” in the sense that it covers the manuscript as well as any publication to be included.

In general, the student should be the sole or primary author of any published material to be included. Co-authored material may be included only if the student has made a primary contribution, in terms of both research and writing, and that the nature of the contribution is clearly defined and indicated in the introduction of the dissertation. Written permission shall be obtained from all copyright owners of the co-authored material and attached to the publication agreement of the dissertation as applicable

Degree Requirements: Comprehensive Examinations and Preparing for Dissertation Research

All incoming doctoral students will be assigned an Interim Advisor based on information provided at the time of admission. It is recognized that this information may not always be an accurate reflection of the student’s interest, which can change during the first few semesters. The function of the Interim Advisor is to direct and guide the student’s program of courses and research until a Permanent Advisor and Advisory Committee is appointed, which typically occurs by the end of the third semester. In many cases the Interim Advisor will become the Permanent Advisor, but students should always try to identify faculty with interests that most closely relate to their intended research.

The Permanent Advisor will serve as the Chair of the doctoral student’s Advisory Committee.

Forming the Advisory Committee

The student, in consultation with the Advisor, should submit the Proposed Dissertation Committee form to the Graduate Chair.  In addition to the requirements stipulated by the Graduate Division, the committee membership must have the following components:

• At least five members
• All members must hold a PhD or another terminal graduate degree
• A minimum of two members must be regular graduate faculty (i.e., not cooperating or affiliate) in the Department of Geography and Environment
• A minimum of three members must be graduate faculty (regular, cooperating, or affiliate) in the Department of Geography and Environment
• One external committee member (the University Representative) must be University of Hawai‘i graduate faculty without affiliation to the Department of Geography and Environment. See Graduate Division website for specific rules regarding the University Representative .
• One chair, who is a regular graduate faculty member (i.e., not cooperating or affiliate) in the Department of Geography and Environment. The Chair will work most closely with the student on research proposal development and completion of the research.  The Chair is responsible for scheduling all formal Advisory Committee meetings, and communicating decisions for the Advisory Committee to the student, Department faculty, and Graduate Chair.

The Advisory Committee should be selected as early as possible, ideally by the end of the third semester. It is possible to change the composition of an Advisory Committee if necessary (e.g., if a committee member resigns or is unavailable) but any changes must be approved by the Graduate Chair.  

The Advisory Committee and doctoral student will meet to review progress, typically when the student and Permanent Advisor decide that the student has completed the coursework requirement and is ready to begin dissertation research. At this point the Advisory Committee will review the Synopsis of PhD Program form, conduct the comprehensive exams and discuss the dissertation proposal.

Comprehensive Exams

Written and Oral Comprehensive Exams are required by the graduate program. Comprehensive exams assess whether the doctoral student has attained an adequate level of geographical knowledge to continue with dissertation research, and are taken after the student has completed their coursework requirements. The exams consist of questions directly related to the student’s specialization, but may also test a general understanding of the history of geographic thought, the nature of critical inquiry, and research methodologies appropriate to the student’s field.

Each doctoral student will begin the comprehensive exams with the development of a bibliography in consultation with each Advisory Committee member. This bibliography constitutes the core knowledge upon which the written and oral examination will be based.

• Written Exam The Advisory Committee will determine the format and content of the written exam. Each Advisory Committee member may ask a question or a series of questions. The written exam will be carried out on five consecutive workdays. Each day, the student will answer question(s) from one committee member within four hours. The written exam can be open book or closed book, at each committee member’s discretion.
• Oral Exam The oral exam will take up to three hours. The Advisory Committee will determine the format and content of the exam. The student will be asked to clarify and elaborate on written exam answers, and may also be asked other questions on their specialization, or general questions on philosophy or methodologies in the discipline of geography.

A student passes the comprehensive exams when a majority of the Advisory Committee that includes the Committee Chair votes in favor of a positive assessment.  A student who fails the comprehensive exams can repeat once. A student who fails to pass the comprehensive exams for the second time will be dropped from the program.

Approval of Dissertation Proposal

Upon passing the comprehensive exams, the doctoral student prepares a formal dissertation proposal for review by the Advisory Committee. Students are required to orally present their proposal before the Department.

The Advisory Committee must approve the proposal, and this can require multiple revisions. Once approved there should be regular consultation between the Advisory Committee and student concerning progress in the dissertation research. Students should maintain consistent communication and inform the Advisory Committee of any significant deviations from their approved proposal.

The student must pass the comprehensive exams and have the proposal approved by the Advisory Committee in order to file Form II with the Graduate Division and advance to candidacy.  Changes to the Advisory Committee after the filing of Form II must be approved by the Graduate Chair in consultation with all the current and proposed committee members on the Petition to Revise the Doctoral Committee .

Annual Review of Doctoral Student Progress

In the spring semester, the progress of all doctoral students will be reviewed, except those students who are on approved leaves of absence or those that have had a recent degree check completed by the Graduate Chair. The review requires students to consult with their Advisor who will then report to the Graduate Chair. The report will consist of an up to date Synopsis of PhD Program form together with a brief statement by the Primary Advisor. This review process insures that students are progressing satisfactorily and is a useful tool for recognizing and solving problems. The Graduate Chair may require further action in problematic cases and refer to the Graduate Program Committee, which can recommend that the Graduate Chair submits a request for Graduate Division to place the student on probation if the student’s performance is deficient. If the student subsequently fails to meet the conditions of probation, the Graduate Chair can request the Graduate Division to dismiss the student from the program.

Exceptional Masters Students who wish to change their degree objective to PhD can petition to the Graduate Program Committee and submit an application for admission to the PhD program.  To qualify, the student must have been the primary author in at least one publication in peer-reviewed journals that is approved by the Advisory Committee and the Graduate Chair.  The supporting materials for such applications must include a letter of support from the current academic advisor and a writing sample.

Time Limits

It is in the interest of all parties to have doctoral programs completed in timely fashion to make the most efficient use of University, Department, faculty and student resources. The doctoral program should take between 48-60 months (4-5 years) to complete including coursework, fieldwork, and the writing of the dissertation. In practice, time taken will vary according to the prior experience of the student and the nature of the dissertation research project. Candidates who fail to complete all requirements after seven years are subject to being placed on probation. If the student subsequently fails to meet the conditions of probation, the Graduate Chair can request the Graduate Division to dismiss the student from the program.

Students pursuing a doctoral degree who are not on an approved leave of absence must maintain continuous registration during the academic year. Students failing to meet this requirement are considered to have voluntarily withdrawn from the program and must petition for re-admission should they wish to return. International students must be registered as full-time students during their doctoral degree program. This typically requires registration in at least 8 credits of coursework, or registration in GEO 800.

Progress Guide

• Preliminary Conference [First semester] Doctoral students meet with their Interim Advisor and Graduate Chair upon entrance into the program to discuss a broad outline of the program and suggest courses.
• Appointment of Permanent Advisor [Second semester] The Permanent Advisor, who may have been the initial Interim Advisor, should be selected by the second or third semester of residence.
• Satisfy Pre-Candidacy Requirements [First-Third semester] Students should complete pre-program breadth and file Form I as early as the first semester, and no later than the third semester.
• Appointment of the Advisory Committee [Third semester] The doctoral student, in consultation with their Permanent Advisor, should select an Advisory Committee.
• Comprehensive Exams [Third/Fourth Semester] The written and oral exams are scheduled as soon as the doctoral student has completed the course requirement. Students who fail the comprehensive examinations may repeat it once. A student who fails the second round of examinations is dropped from both the graduate program and by the Graduate Division.
• Approval of Dissertation Topic [Fourth Semester] Upon passing the comprehensive exams, the doctoral student prepares a formal dissertation proposal for review by the Advisory Committee. Students are required to orally present their proposal before the Department. Form II is filed after the approval by the Advisory Committee.
• The Dissertation [Fifth to Eighth semesters] The dissertation is the capstone of the PhD degree and is a demonstration of the student’s ability to make a significant independent contribution to knowledge. Students register for 1 credit of GEO 800 (Dissertation Research) while collecting data and writing the dissertation. Enrollment in 1 credit of GEO 800 is required in each term until graduation.
• The Defense [Eighth semester] The formal defense may be held after the Advisory Committee has read a draft of the dissertation and given preliminary approval. The event must be publicly advertised according to Graduate Division guidelines and approved by the Graduate Chair. Departmental faculty and graduate students must receive an invitation that is distinct from any other public notice. At the conclusion of the defense, Advisory Committee members will indicate approval or disapproval of the student's ability to defend the dissertation on Form III .  A simple majority of approval, inclusive of the Committee Chair and the University Representative, is required in order to file Form III.
• Final Approval and Dissertation Submission [Eighth semester] After all required revisions to the dissertation have been completed, Advisory Committee members sign Form IV to indicate approval of the content and the form of the finalized manuscript. A simple majority of approval, inclusive of the Committee Chair and the University Representative, is required in order to file Form IV.

Protocols for PhD exams-proposal-dissertation defense

Community Blog

Keep up-to-date on postgraduate related issues with our quick reads written by students, postdocs, professors and industry leaders.

How to Format a PhD Synopsis (India)

• By Qamar Mayyasah
• August 26, 2020

Introduction

This article will answer common questions about the PhD synopsis, give guidance on how to write one, and provide my thoughts on samples.

A PhD synopsis is a detailed summary of your proposed research project which justifies the need for your work. It is used to convince academic committees that your project should be approved.

If you are wondering how to write a synopsis for a PhD, then there are several things you must make sure your synopsis includes. Firstly, the reader must be able to read your synopsis and understand what contribution it would make to the research area. You should also explain the research objectives, methodology, data analysation and presentation format. Finally, you should conclude with limitations of your study and how you envisage others building on the findings you make.

PhD Synopsis format for a project

Although the format of a PhD synopsis report may differ between universities, there are many universal recommendations I can give. First, the research project synopsis format must include several fundamental sections which allow you to clearly detail your proposed project.

These sections are outlined below:

Research project title

Clearly define the title of your research project.

Include an introduction which summarises the current knowledge in your research area. This section should explain where gaps in knowledge are, and briefly what your project aims to do to address these gaps.

Literature review

A literature review will be a summary of published literature including journals, papers and other academic documentation which relate to your project. You need to critically appraise these documents: What have others done? What did they find? Where could their work be expanded on?

Aims & Objectives

Clearly define what the purpose of the PhD project is. What questions are you trying to answer? How will you measure success?

Research Methodology

Explain how you will achieve your objectives. Be specific and outline your process; the equipment you will use, data collection strategies, questionnaires you will distribute and data analysation techniques you will employ. This is a critical part of the research synopsis as it demonstrates whether your project is achievable or too ambitious.

You must provide references and citations to any sources you use. Reference materials are needed to acknowledge the original source, allow further reading for those who are interested and avoid claims of plagiarism. A number of different referencing systems exist, so it is important that you use the referencing system outlined in your university guidelines.

Provide a conclusion which should briefly summarise what your PhD research project is and why it is needed. You should also comment on the limitations of your work so that the scope of your study is clear.

In addition to the synopsis format for a PhD, we have outlined the styling rules you should follow:

• Approximately 1” margins on top, bottom, and right of page.
• Approximately 1.25” margin on left of page to allow space for binding.
• Sans serif font (for example Times New Roman).
• Black colour font.
• Size 11pt or 12pt font.

It is important to remember this is general advice to assist with PhD synopsis writing. You must check your university guidelines first as they may have particular rules which you should follow.

PhD Synopsis Samples

I would not recommend using a PhD synopsis sample. This is because every research project is different, and the purpose of a synopsis report is to demonstrate the uniqueness of your project. Instead you should use the above format, and ensure you address each of the sections.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

The term rationale of research means the reason for performing the research study in question.

Learn about defining your workspace, having a list of daily tasks and using technology to stay connected, all whilst working from home as a research student.

The term monotonic relationship is a statistical definition that is used to describe the link between two variables.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

Browse PhDs Now

PhD stress is real. Learn how to combat it with these 5 tips.

Ryan is in the final write up stages of his PhD at the University of Southampton. His research is on understanding narrative structure, media specificity and genre in transmedia storytelling.

De-Shaine is 2nd Year Neurotechnology PhD Student at Imperial College London. His research looks at monitoring the brain when it’s severely injured after a traumatic brain injury or stroke and patients are in neurocritical care.

Join Thousands of Students

• Department of Geography

Writing your proposal

These guidelines are designed to assist you in developing and writing a project proposal.

Do I need to write a research proposal?

All applications for PhD study places in the department of Geography must include a proposal that outlines your topic and proposed programme of research. The only exception to this requirement is when you are applying only for an advertised project, for which the title and description of the project are already given.

Your proposal will help us to make sure that:

• the topic is viable
• the department can provide appropriate supervision and other resources
• you have thought through your interest in, and commitment to, a piece of research

We recommend that you use our Find a supervisor page to identify a staff member who can provide you with advice on your topic and proposal before you apply.

What should my research proposal look like?

We advise that research proposals are approximately 1000—1500 words long and should contain the following elements:

A provisional title

This is the headline for your proposed research and so it should include any key concepts, empirical focus, or lines of inquiry that you aim to pursue. Whilst your title may change, it is important to devise a title that describes what you aspire to research.

A key question, hypothesis or the broad topic for investigation

You need key questions or hypotheses to drive your research. These will need to be original, timely and of importance to the discipline. This could involve investigating something that no-one has looked at before, or it might mean taking a fresh approach to an existing topic or issue.

An outline of the key aims of the research

What will the PhD do? Your aims will be broader than the questions/hypotheses. They should give a prospective statement about the overall destination of the PhD and its potential impact.

A brief outline of key literature in the area (what we already know)

This section should situate your topic with reference to the existing research literature. At PhD level, a literature review is more than simply a descriptive mapping exercise, it should cite key theories or debates and suggest how your project would engage with them.

A description of the topic and an explanation of why further research in the area is important (the gap in the literature - what we need to know)

This section follows logically from the previous one. It highlights what the gap in current knowledge is and how your research will contribute original scholarship. Will your research provide a new perspective, generate new evidence, challenge existing assumptions? By whom might the PhD be valued: scholars looking at a particular issue, communities within specific institutions, certain groups of people?

Details of how the research will be carried out, including any special facilities or resources required and any necessary skills which you either have already or would need to acquire (the tools that will enable us to fill the gap you have identified)

A clear methodological statement shows how you will execute your research project. This section should outline your approach to your research as well as the methods you will use. Of course, the resources you will need will vary according to the nature of the research: access to a particular archive, specialist library, visits to field sites, the use of analytical software, access to databases, training, workshop attendance and so on. It is important to list any of these resources and give a very brief account of how their role in your research.

A plan and timetable of the work you will carry out

Submission of the PhD is expected to take place by the end of the tuition-fee paying period, which for most PhD candidates will be at 3.5 years from the date of commencing PhD study. This section should show how you will carry out your research within that timeframe. Try to be as detailed as you can at this stage.

How do I submit my research proposal?

Upload your research proposal document (as a PDF or Word document) within the online application form as part of your PhD study place application .

If you further intend to apply for a scholarship, we recommend that you consult your proposed supervisor on appropriate scholarship opportunities and on adapting your proposal to meet the requirements of the scholarships section of the online application form.

Writing support for international applicants

The Faculty of Social Sciences has partnered with the English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC) to introduce a new Bridge Programme for International Applicants . Find out how this online course can support you at the start of your PhD journey.

Related information

Our PhD research

How to apply for a PhD

Find a supervisor

Search for PhD opportunities at Sheffield and be part of our world-leading research.

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

WRITING A GOOD Ph.D RESEARCH SYNOPSIS

Synopsis is a short summary of your Ph.D thesis work. This paper suggests some ideas to motivate the young researchers for effectively writing the Ph.D synopsis with essential tips and tricks.This can act as a reference and help young researcher to going to write Ph.D synopsis.

Related Papers

devashish tripathi

Shubham Mishra

Kanchan Kamila

Provides guide to write the Research Project/Dissertation Synopsis

Scientific Research Publishing: Creative Education

Dr. Qais Faryadi

Literature writing is a skill that every PhD candidate must procure to communicate his or her research findings clearly. The main objective of this paper is to facilitate the literature writing process so that PhD candidates under- stand what PhD literature is and are able to write their PhD literature cor- rectly and scientifically. The methodology used in this research is a descrip- tive method as it deliberates and defines the various parts of literature writing process and elucidates the how to do of it in a very unpretentious and under- standing language. As thus, this paper summarizes the various steps of litera- ture writing to pilot the PhD students so that the task of PhD literature writ- ing process becomes adaptable and less discouraging. This research is a useful roadmap especially for students of the social science studies. Additionally, in this paper, literature writing techniques, procedures and important strategies are enlightened in a simple manner. This paper adopts a how-to approach when discussing a variety of relevant topics, such as literature review intro- duction, types of literature review, advantages of literature reviews, objective of literature review, literature review template, and important check lists about literature review are discussed. This paper has 5 parts, such as Intro- duction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results and Conclusion. The lit- erature review chapter is discussed in this paper. I will discuss the rest as a se- ries in the future. Keywords Thesis Writing Process, Literature Review, PhD, Social Science, Research Methodology

The Educational Review, USA

maria Fareed

Scientific Research Publishing: Creative Education.

Thesis writing is a skill that every PhD candidate must acquire to convey his or her research findings clearly. The main objective of this paper is to facili- tate the thesis writing process so that PhD candidates understand what a PhD thesis is and can write their thesis correctly and scientifically. The methodol- ogy used in this research was descriptive as it discusses and describes the var- ious parts of thesis writing process and explains how to do it in a very simple and understanding language. As thus, this article outlines the various steps of thesis writing to guide the PhD candidate so that the task of PhD thesis writ- ing becomes manageable and less daunting. This research is a useful roadmap especially for students of the social sciences studies. Further, in this paper, research procedure and thesis writing strategies are explained in a simple manner. This paper adopts a how-to approach when discussing a variety of relevant topics, such as thesis introduction, types of introductions, introduc- tion statements, problem statement, research questions, hypothesis and con- tributions of the study. This paper has 5 parts: Introduction, Literature Re- view, Methodology, Results and Conclusion. The introduction chapter is dis- cussed in this paper. I will discuss the rest as a series in the future.

International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biological Science Archive

Mohammed Ismael Rushdi

An abstract is like a movie trailer. People will only consider reading the rest of the manuscript if they find your abstract interesting. It is an outline/brief summary of your paper and your whole project. Keywords: , research, descriptive and informative research.

This book aims to guide researchers, academicians and PhD candidates especially Social Science Researchers on how todo research systematically. Research is a premeditated investigation using scientific methodology (quantitative, qualitative,) to solve a serious problem (not ordinary problem), thus creating additional (new) knowledge. Research is also regarded as an inquiry of reality about something by testing a hypothesis, answering questions, generating new queries, finding solutions, and creating new knowledge. This book guides you how to effectively structure your research from the proposal till VIVA presentation. Although research designs may differ from one discipline to another, a general road map should include the following: Ø Topic of research Ø Research problem, questions and hypotheses Ø Review of current literature Ø Theoretical framework or methodology experimental, observation and so Ø Data collection and testing if any Ø Data analysis Ø Results Ø Discussions and Applications Ø Conclusion Ø References

RELATED PAPERS

Dewey Lecture University of Michigan

Harry C Boyte

Acta Physiologiae Plantarum

raha abedini

João Batista da Silva Goulart

The Prostate

Renty Franklin

M. Moeneclaey

Journal of palliative medicine

Ginger Anne Rasdall - Clem III

Turkish Journal of Agriculture - Food Science and Technology

Jacob matovu

Greta Koleva

yasmiwar susilawati

María Laura Spoturno

Journal of Digestive Endoscopy

Vikas Lakhanpal

Marcela Mollis

Respiratory Research

Angelo Coppola

Evaristo Colomina

Centre for Health Research; Faculty of Health; Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation

Andry Rakotonirainy

Rini Apriani

World Journal of Agricultural Research

Dieudonne Alemagi

Annals of coloproctology

Alimohammad Bananzadeh

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

Agnieszka Gandecka

Márcia Valéria Morosini

Isabel Garcia-Rodeja Gayoso

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• College University and Postgraduate
• Academic Writing
• Research Papers

How to Write a Research Synopsis: Template, Examples, & More

Last Updated: May 9, 2024 Fact Checked

Research Synopsis Template

• Organizing & Formatting
• Writing Your Synopsis
• Reviewing & Editing

This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner and by wikiHow staff writer, Raven Minyard, BA . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 237,968 times.

A research synopsis describes the plan for your research project and is typically submitted to professors or department heads so they can approve your project. Most synopses are between 3,000 and 4,000 words and provide your research objectives and methods. While the specific types of information you need to include in your synopsis may vary depending on your department guidelines, most synopses include the same basic sections. In this article, we’ll walk you step-by-step through everything you need to know to write a synopsis for research.

Things You Should Know

• Begin your research synopsis by introducing the question your research will answer and its importance to your field.
• List 2 or 3 specific objectives you hope to achieve and how they will advance your field.
• Discuss your methodology to demonstrate why the study design you chose is appropriate for your research question.

Organizing Your Research Synopsis

• Find out what citation format you’re supposed to use, as well as whether you’re expected to use parenthetical references or footnotes in the body of your synopsis.
• If you have questions about anything in your guidelines, ask your instructor or advisor to ensure you follow them correctly.

• Title: the title of your study
• Abstract: a summary of your research synopsis
• Introduction: identifies and describes your research question
• Literature Review: a review of existing relevant research
• Objectives: goals you hope to accomplish through your study
• Hypotheses: results you expect to find through your research
• Methodology and methods: explains the methods you’ll use to complete your study
• References: a list of any references used in citations

Tip: Your synopsis might have additional sections, depending on your discipline and the type of research you're conducting. Talk to your instructor or advisor about which sections are required for your department.

• Keep in mind that you might not end up using all the sources you initially found. After you've finished your synopsis, go back and delete the ones you didn't use.

Writing Your Research Synopsis

• Your title should be a brief and specific reflection of the main objectives of your study. In general, it should be under 50 words and should avoid unneeded phrases like “an investigation into.”
• On the other hand, avoid a title that’s too short, as well. For example, a title like “A Study of Urban Heating” is too short and doesn’t provide any insight into the specifics of your research.

• The introduction allows you to explain to your reader exactly why the question you’re trying to answer is vital and how your knowledge and experience make you the best researcher to tackle it.
• Support most of the statements in your introduction with other studies in the area that support the importance of your question. For example, you might cite a previous study that mentions your problem as an area where further research needs to be done.
• The length of your introduction will vary depending on the overall length of your synopsis as well as the ultimate length of your eventual paper after you’ve finished your research. Generally, it will cover the first page or two of your synopsis.

• For example, try finding relevant literature through educational journals or bulletins from organizations like WHO and CDC.
• Typically, a thorough literature review discusses 8 to 10 previous studies related to your research problem.
• As with the introduction, the length of your literature review will vary depending on the overall length of your synopsis. Generally, it will be about the same length as your introduction.
• Try to use the most current research available and avoid sources over 5 years old.

• For example, an objective for research on urban heating could be “to compare urban heat modification caused by vegetation of mixed species considering the 5 most common urban trees in an area.”
• Generally, the overall objective doesn’t relate to solving a specific problem or answering a specific question. Rather, it describes how your particular project will advance your field.
• For specific objectives, think in terms of action verbs like “quantify” or “compare.” Here, you’re hoping to gain a better understanding of associations between particular variables.

• Specify the sources you used and the reasons you have arrived at your hypotheses. Typically, these will come from prior studies that have shown similar relationships.
• For example, suppose a prior study showed that children who were home-schooled were less likely to be in fraternities or sororities in college. You might use that study to back up a hypothesis that home-schooled children are more independent and less likely to need strong friendship support networks.

• Expect your methodology to be at least as long as either your introduction or your literature review, if not longer. Include enough detail that your reader can fully understand how you’re going to carry out your study.
• This section of your synopsis may include information about how you plan to collect and analyze your data, the overall design of your study, and your sampling methods, if necessary. Include information about the study setting, like the facilities and equipment that are available to you to carry out your study.
• For example, your research work may take place in a hospital, and you may use cluster sampling to gather data.

• Use between 100 and 200 words to give your readers a basic understanding of your research project.
• Include a clear statement of the problem, the main goals or objectives of your study, the theories or conceptual framework your research relies upon, and the methods you’ll use to reach your goals or objectives.

Tip: Jot down a few notes as you draft your other sections that you can compile for your abstract to keep your writing more efficient.

Reviewing and Editing Your Research Synopsis

• If you don’t have that kind of time because you’re up against a deadline, at least take a few hours away from your synopsis before you go back to edit it. Do something entirely unrelated to your research, like taking a walk or going to a movie.

• Eliminate sentences that don’t add any new information. Even the longest synopsis is a brief document—make sure every word needs to be there and counts for something.
• Get rid of jargon and terms of art in your field that could be better explained in plain language. Even though your likely readers are people who are well-versed in your field, providing plain language descriptions shows you know what you’re talking about. Using jargon can seem like you’re trying to sound like you know more than you actually do.

Tip: Free apps, such as Grammarly and Hemingway App, can help you identify grammatical errors as well as areas where your writing could be clearer. However, you shouldn't rely solely on apps since they can miss things.

• Reference list formatting is very particular. Read your references out loud, with the punctuation and spacing, to pick up on errors you wouldn’t have noticed if you’d just read over them.
• Compare your format to the one in the stylebook you’re using and make sure all of your entries are correct.

• Read your synopsis backward by starting on the last word and reading each word separately from the last to the first. This helps isolate spelling errors. Reading backward sentence by sentence helps you isolate grammatical errors without being distracted by the content.
• Print your synopsis and circle every punctuation mark with a red pen. Then, go through them and focus on whether they’re correct.
• Read your synopsis out loud, including the punctuation, as though you were dictating the synopsis.

• Have at least one person who isn’t familiar with your area of study look over your synopsis. If they can understand your project, you know your writing is clear. If any parts confuse them, then that’s an area where you can improve the clarity of your writing.

Expert Q&A

• If you make significant changes to your synopsis after your first or second round of editing, you may need to proofread it again to make sure you didn’t introduce any new errors. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://admin.umt.edu.pk/Media/Site/iib1/FileManager/FORMAT%20OF%20SYNOPSIS%2012-10-2018.pdf
• ↑ https://www.scientificstyleandformat.org/Tools/SSF-Citation-Quick-Guide.html
• ↑ https://numspak.edu.pk/upload/media/Guidelines%20for%20Synopsis%20Writing1531455748.pdf
• ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279917593_Research_synopsis_guidelines
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ https://www.cornerstone.edu/blog-post/six-steps-to-really-edit-your-paper/

About This Article

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Jul 25, 2022

Did this article help you?

Wave Bubble

Aug 31, 2021

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

How to Write a Synopsis for PhD With Focus on the Right Format

The correct format of synopsis starts with an introduction and ends with a conclusion, but the confusion lies in knowing what’s in between them. This guide will show you how to do the right format of synopsis for PhD. Moreover, a focus on the importance of synopsis format will also be shed light in this blog. Knowing the correct structure and parts of a PhD summary is super important because it's like a map for your whole research. And if you need some extra help, there are services out there, like APA Formatting Services, that can make sure your summary is top-notch. Whether you're just starting or want to make your summary better, this guide will give you simple tips for writing according to the right PhD Synopsis Format.

Importance of Synopsis Format

The right format of synopsis for PhD is really important because it's like a roadmap for your research. It helps you organize your ideas in a clear and easy-to-follow way. When you stick to the format, it shows that you understand the rules of academic writing and take your research seriously. This makes it easier for your readers to understand what you're trying to say. It's like using a recipe to make sure your dish turns out just right. Plus, when you follow the format, it makes your work look more professional. This is important because it gives a good impression to your professors and peers. So, the PhD Synopsis Format isn't just a bunch of rules - it's a tool that helps you present your research in the best possible way.

Correct PhD thesis Format

A PhD synopsis is like a summary of what you want to study for your doctorate. It's like a roadmap that tells people what your research will be about. Let's break it down:

1. Title : - Choose a clear and catchy title for your research.

2. Introduction : - Introduce the topic you want to study. - Explain why it's important and how it fits into existing knowledge.

3. Research Question : - Clearly state the main question you want to answer in your research.

4. Objectives : - List the specific goals you want to achieve with your research.

5. Literature Review : - Summarize what others have already found about your topic. - Highlight any gaps in the current knowledge.

6. Methodology : - Explain how you will conduct your research. - Mention the methods, tools, and techniques you'll use.

7. Data Collection : - Describe where you'll get your information or data from. - Explain how you'll gather it.

8. Analysis : - Say how you'll examine the data to find answers to your research question.

9. Expected Results : - Predict what you think you'll discover from your research.

10. Significance : - Explain why your research is important for the field and how it can be useful.

11. Timeline : - Give a rough idea of how long each phase of your research will take.

12. References : - List the books, articles, and sources you've used for your synopsis.

Remember, keep it clear and simple. Your synopsis should give a good overview of your research without getting too detailed. Good luck with your PhD journey!

Understand the Guidelines: How Understanding Guidelines Helps in Writing a Synopsis for PhD With Focus on the Right Format.

1. ensures proper organization: - guides you in arranging sections logically and coherently. - helps in presenting important information in a structured way., 2. facilitates clarity and readability: - enables you to use headings and subheadings effectively for clear presentation. - ensures that the reader can easily follow and understand your research., 3. enhances professionalism: - reflects your proficiency in adhering to academic standards. - presents your work in a manner consistent with the expectations of the academic community., 4. minimizes revisions and corrections: - reduces the likelihood of having to make significant changes later on. - saves time and effort in the long run by getting it right from the start., outline your research clearly.

When you outline your research, you're basically giving a clear picture of what your study is all about. This helps the reader know right away what to expect and why your work is important. It's like telling a story – you start with the main idea and then explain the details. This also helps you stay on track. When you know what you want to say, it's easier to put it down on paper. You won't forget important points or get lost in your own thoughts. It's like having a plan before building a house – you know where each brick goes. When you outline your research clearly, it makes writing the synopsis much easier. You already know what to say and in what order. It's like having a blueprint before constructing a building – you know where everything goes. This clarity also benefits the reader. They can easily grasp your research and understand its significance. It's like reading a well-organized story – everything makes sense and keeps the reader engaged. This way, your synopsis becomes a valuable piece of academic work, contributing meaningfully to your field.

Adhere to the Prescribed Format

Importance of adhering to the prescribed format:.

Following a specific format ensures that your synopsis is organized and easy to follow. Each section has a designated place, making it clear for the reader to navigate through your research.

Universities have specific guidelines for a reason. Adhering to the prescribed format shows that you respect and understand these academic standards. It's like speaking the language of academia.

Proper formatting demonstrates a high level of professionalism. It shows that you take your research seriously and are committed to presenting it in a way that meets the expectations of the academic community.

When everyone uses the same format, it avoids confusion. Readers, including your professors and peers, can quickly find the information they need. It's like using a universal key that fits the lock.

Final Thoughts

To sum it up, understanding the right way to set up your PhD summary, as explained in the format of synopsis for PhD, is really important. This format is like a map that helps you present your research in a clear and organized way. It's like following a recipe to make sure your dish turns out just right. Sticking to this format also shows that you take your research seriously and respect the rules of the academic world. If you need some extra help in understanding the importance of synopsis format, services like APA Formatting Services can make sure your summary meets the highest standards. By following these guidelines, you not only make your research easy to read and understand but also show that you're dedicated to producing top-notch work. Remember, a well-organized summary and the right PhD Synopsis Format isn't just informative, it's a big step towards earning your PhD.

Thesis India provides comprehensive support to researchers in India who aspire to make significant contributions to their fields of study. They offer expert assistance in crafting an exceptional doctoral research proposal, which is more than just a document; it is your gateway to an enriching academic voyage. Their team of experienced researchers and writers is dedicated to helping you craft a proposal that showcases the depth of your knowledge and the potential impact of your research. They specialize in providing comprehensive support to researchers like you, ensuring a successful start to your PhD journey with a compelling research proposal. They also offer expert synopsis editing services to ensure your synopsis meets the highest standards. The format of synopsis for PhD may vary from one institution to another, but Thesis India can guide you on how to do the correct PhD Synopsis Format.

1. What should be included in a PhD synopsis?

A PhD synopsis should include the research topic, objectives, methodology, literature review, expected outcomes, and references.

2. How long is a PhD synopsis?

A PhD synopsis is typically about 10-15 pages long.

3. How many pages is a PhD synopsis?

A PhD synopsis is usually between 20-30 pages.

4. How do you start a PhD synopsis presentation?

Start a PhD synopsis presentation by introducing yourself, stating the research topic, and providing an overview of the research objectives.

5. What are the parts of the synopsis in PhD?

The parts of a PhD synopsis include the introduction, literature review, methodology, expected outcomes, and references.

We provide consulting service along with writing assistance for PhD candidates from across the world Fill This Form To Get A Quote

Request a Quote

Call at 080 6945 9991 (10 Lines) , Whatsapp at +91-93156 49477 for Discussion of your PhD Project

Quick links

• Make a Gift
• Directories

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

The Doctoral Degree Program enables students to complete a research project of notable scope and originality that will make a significant contribution to the discipline of geography and related fields. Advanced coursework provides an opportunity to gain familiarity with current knowledge in the student’s areas of specialization. Student expertise in their chosen sub-fields is ensured through the Preliminary Review and General Examination. Students may choose to write either a dissertation or three papers of publishable quality. All such research efforts are expected to meet high standards of research design and data analysis.

Students in this program are supervised by a committee throughout the course of their graduate work. At different points in the program, the committee has different roles. There are a  preliminary committee, a doctoral supervisory committee, and a reading committee . 

Current graduate students can find doctoral degree procedures and policies detailed on the  Department of Geography Graduate Student Resources Canvas page.

Find information about the transition from M.A. to Ph.D. for students who initially enter the M.A. program and intend to continue to the Ph.D.

Ph.D. Requirements

Completion of all work for the doctoral degree must occur within 10 years. This includes quarters spent On-Leave or Out of Status as well as applicable work from the master’s degree from the UW or a master’s degree from another institution, if applied toward one year of resident study.  A student must satisfy the requirements that are in force at the time the degree is to be awarded.

Current students may assess their progress towards these requirements by  conducting a degree audit in MyPlan .

1. Required Courses

• GEOG 500: Contemporary Geographic Thought.
• GEOG 511: Contemporary Research Design in Geography, or another approved social science research design course from another department–for more information, please consult the Graduate Program Coordinator.
• Satisfactory completion of one graduate level methods course in or outside the department. This course should be approved in advance, before enrollment, by the student’s faculty supervisor and communicated to the Graduate Program Coordinator. The course satisfaction will be entered in the student's record by Director of Academic Services. If methods is the Supporting Field of Concentration Outside Geography for Ph.D. students, this course can count as one of that concentration’s required number of courses.
• Satisfactory completion of at least three quarters of GEOG 598: Geography Colloquium.
• Submission of a publication to a scholarly journal or other outlet that requires professional review (in consultation with the doctoral committee). The publication may be jointly-authored with a faculty member or with another graduate student but the graduate student asking for the waiver must be the first author.
• Application for funding to an external agency, such as the National Science Foundation.
• Two departmental research seminars number 500 or above. These should be designated as “seminars” or “research seminars." GEOG 500, 502, 511 and 513 and the graduate level methods course do not count toward this requirement. In some cases, a “directed readings” course (GEOG 600) may count in lieu of this requirement. To petition for this substitution, the GEOG 600 faculty member should write an appeal to the Graduate Program Director.

2. Credit Requirements

• Completion of 90 credits.
• At least 60 of these credits should be at the University of Washington (including 27 GEOG 800 credits).
• With the approval of the degree-granting unit, an appropriate master’s degree from an accredited institution may substitute for 30 credits of enrollment. Contact your faculty adviser to request this approval.
• Student must achieve a grade of at least 3.0 in all departmental courses, and a grade of 2.7 in all related courses used to satisfy degree requirements. An overall grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained to remain in the program and is required for a graduate degree at the university.

3. Supporting Field of Concentration Outside Geography

This requires that PhD students should demonstrate a sound level of competence in a Supporting Field of Concentration Outside Geography, evidenced by successful completion of a minimum of two courses outside the department. The Supporting Field of Concentration Outside Geography and the specific courses shall be determined by the student in consultation with their Supervisory Committee. Students should consider that the Supporting Field of Concentration Outside Geography may be helpful in selecting additional Supervisory Committee members who are not Geography Graduate Faculty.

4. Successful Completion of the   Preliminary Review

5. creditable passage of the   general examination.

• Registration as a graduate student is required the quarter the exam is taken and candidacy is conferred.
• Numerical grades must be received in at least 18 quarter credits of course work taken at the UW prior to scheduling the General Examination. The Graduate School accepts numerical grades in approved 400-level courses accepted as part of the major, and in all 500-level courses. 

6. Dissertation Proposal 

• Outline a clear research question;
• Situate that question within relevant literature
• Outline a methodological strategy for collecting the necessary data
• Describe a process for analyzing that data; and
• Include a timeline for completion of the work.  
• The proposal is reviewed during a meeting, commonly termed the "proposal defense," with the student and their Supervisory Committee. The GSR is not required to attend the proposal defense.
• Failure of the student to obtain approval for the Ph.D. dissertation proposal within two years of advancement to candidacy will normally result in a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School that the student be terminated from the Ph.D. program in Geography.

7. Dissertation

• Each paper must be a meaningful original contribution to knowledge as determined by the student's Doctoral Supervisory Committee.
• The intended journals and audiences for each of the three papers must be included as a point of discussion during the dissertation proposal defense.
• So as to disseminate research broadly, each paper should be intended for a unique journal or other publication.
• Satisfaction of all other requirements and guidelines as established by the UW Graduate School . Some committees may further require an introduction and conclusion in addition to these requirements and guidelines.
• Credit for the dissertation ordinarily should be at least one-third of the total credit.
• At least one of these quarters must come after the student passes the General Examination.
• With the exception of summer quarter, students are limited to a maximum of 10 credits per quarter of GEOG 800 Doctoral Dissertation.

8. Creditable Passage of the   Final Examination

• This is also known as the Dissertation Defense. 
• The final examination is typically devoted to the defense of the dissertation and the field with which it is concerned.
• The General and Final Examinations cannot be scheduled during the same quarter.
• Registration as a graduate student, for at least 2 credits, is required the quarter the exam is taken and the degree is conferred.

Optional Social Statistics Concentration

The Social Statistics concentration in the Geography Ph.D. program enables students to develop expertise in applied statistical skills and tools for carrying out quantitative research. The concentration is largely built around a curriculum developed by the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences (CSSS; course code: CS&SS). Students who complete the Social Statistics Concentration will have advanced training in statistics for social science research relevant to their own research needs. A Letter of Recognition is awarded by the CSSS to students who complete the concentration.

To complete this concentration, Ph.D. students should choose four courses from the following approved list:

• CS&SS 526 (SOC 529) Structural Equation Models for Social Sciences
• CS&SS 529 (BIOST 529/STAT 529) Sample Survey Techniques
• CS&SS 536 (SOC 536/STAT 536) Analysis of Categorical and Count Data
• CS&SS 544 Event History Analysis for the Social Sciences
• CS&SS 560 (STAT 560) Hierarchical Modeling for the Social Sciences
• CS&SS 564 (STAT 564) Bayesian Statistics for the Social Sciences
• CS&SS 566 (STAT 566) Causal Modeling
• CS&SS 567 (STAT 567) Statistical Analysis of Social Networks
• CS&SS 568 Statistical Analysis of Game-Theoretic Data
• CS&SS 569 Visualizing Data
• CS&SS 589 (SOC WL 589) Multivariate Data Analysis for the Social Sciences

After completing the course requirements, the student submits grades received in those courses to the Department of Geography Graduate Program Coordinator. A grade point average of 3.3 or above for the four approved courses is sufficient for a formal completion of the concentration.

Expected Ph.D. Timetable

• Determine appropriate class(es) to take in addition to GEOG 500 (5 credits) and 598 (1 credit).
• Consult with relevant faculty about possible research interests.
• At the end of the quarter, discuss first-term progress and next-term plans, including choosing a faculty advisor, with Graduate Program Coordinator.
• Determine faculty advisor, and confirm this with Graduate Program Coordinator.
• Begin discussions about areas of sub-disciplinary interest, possible dissertation topics, and format of   Preliminary Review   with faculty advisor and relevant other faculty.
• Discuss future coursework with faculty advisor, including appropriate methods courses.
• Continue coursework in consultation with faculty advisor.
• Schedule and complete   Preliminary Review .
• Research possible opportunities for acquiring   funding   for dissertation research.
• Formalize composition of the   Doctoral Supervisory Committee .
• Begin planning and preparation for   General Examination , including securing a GSR .
• Consider applying for   funding   for dissertation research.

Winter and Spring

• Schedule and complete General Examination .
• Begin preparation for dissertation proposal defense and IRB requirements.
• Continue coursework, as necessary. Enroll in GEOG 800 Doctoral Dissertation credits if advisable.

Years 3 and 4

• Schedule and complete dissertation proposal defense by end of winter quarter in year 3.
• Enroll in GEOG 800 Doctoral Dissertation credits, as necessary.
• As possible, submit paper(s) to academic journals for publication.
• Research and write dissertation and, if possible, defend dissertation .
• Finish research and writing and defend dissertation .
•   LinkedIn
•   Facebook
•   Instagram
•   Newsletter

Research guidance, Research Journals, Top Universities

Format of synopsis for PhD | Download Sample.

Guidelines for Writing Ph. D Synopsis.

FORMAT OF SYNOPSIS (MS/MPHIL & PHD). Given below is an outline for synopsis writing. It provides guidelines for organization and presentation of research.

INTRODUCTION OF 2-3 PAGES

• Identify a real world problem
• Describe the undesirable symptoms
• Identify the knowledge gap that needs to be filled in order to help solve the problem
• Support your discussion with solid peer-reviewed references

LITERATURE REVIEW

• Create an Outline or “mindmap” of the key theories and concepts.
• Dig deep into the “ Peer-reviewed” literature for each theory and concept and create an annotated bibliography and literature map
• Write literature review
• Map out the research gap
• Identify the “type(s)” of question that need to be answer to fulfill the purpose
• Develop the main research question and sub-questions
• Develop hypotheses as appropriate
• Identify and diagram the key variables in the research question
• Identify and diagram the key relationships between the variables
• Identify and diagram the key context factors
• Describe the framework
• Research Process
• Based on the research questions, the overall approach (Data Collection, Analysis methods, Validity and Reliability test process)

POSSIBLE OUTCOME AND LIMITATIONS OF YOUR STUDY

• Identify the larger application(s) and meaning(s) of the findings.
• Identify the limitations associated with the findings and conclusion.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OR REFERENCES

Most preferable format:

Font: Times New Roman

Title of the thesis: 18

Main Heading: 14 Bold

Sub Heading: 12 Bold

Spacing 1.5

Reference style: APA/IEEE/Harvard

Share this:

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Undergraduate courses
• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Postgraduate courses
• How to apply
• Postgraduate events
• Fees and funding
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Term dates and calendars
• Visiting the University
• Annual reports
• Equality and diversity
• A global university
• Public engagement
• Give to Cambridge
• For Cambridge students
• For our researchers
• Business and enterprise
• Colleges & departments
• Email & phone search
• Museums & collections
• Course Directory

PhD in Geography

Postgraduate Study

• Why Cambridge overview
• Chat with our students
• Cambridge explained overview
• The supervision system
• Student life overview
• In and around Cambridge
• Leisure activities
• Student unions
• Music awards
• Student support overview
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Disabled students
• Accommodation
• Language tuition
• Skills training
• Support for refugees
• Courses overview
• Department directory
• Qualification types
• Funded studentships
• Part-time study
• Research degrees
• Visiting students
• Finance overview
• Fees overview
• What is my fee status?
• Part-time fees
• Application fee
• Living costs
• Funding overview
• Funding search
• How to apply for funding
• University funding overview
• Research Councils (UKRI)
• External funding and loans overview
• Funding searches
• External scholarships
• Charities and the voluntary sector
• Funding for disabled students
• Widening participation in funding
• Colleges overview
• What is a College?
• Choosing a College
• Terms of Residence
• Applying overview
• Before you apply
• Entry requirements
• Application deadlines
• How do I apply? overview
• Application fee overview
• Application fee waiver
• Life Science courses
• Terms and conditions
• Continuing students
• Disabled applicants
• Supporting documents overview
• Academic documents
• Finance documents
• Evidence of competence in English
• AI and postgraduate applications
• Terms and Conditions
• Applicant portal and self-service
• After you apply overview
• Confirmation of admission
• Student registry
• Previous criminal convictions
• Deferring an application
• Updating your personal details
• Appeals and Complaints
• Widening participation
• Postgraduate admissions fraud
• International overview
• Immigration overview
• ATAS overview
• Applying for an ATAS certificate
• Current Cambridge students
• International qualifications
• Competence in English overview
• What tests are accepted?
• International events
• International student views overview
• Akhila’s story
• Alex’s story
• Huijie’s story
• Kelsey’s story
• Nilesh’s story
• Get in touch!
• Events overview
• Upcoming events
• Postgraduate Open Days overview
• Discover Cambridge: Master’s and PhD Study webinars
• Virtual tour
• Research Internships
• How we use participant data
• Postgraduate Newsletter

Primary tabs

• Overview (active tab)
• Requirements
• How To Apply
• Testimonials

Course closed:

Geography is no longer accepting new applications.

The Geography Department welcomes applications from well-qualified candidates with previous training in geography or a related discipline and normally a relevant master's qualification. The PhD is a full-time three-year research degree (or five-year part-time), examined by a thesis.

In the first year, students attend a comprehensive training programme based around seminars and workshops dealing with the debates in geography, the practice of developing and designing research projects, and the methods and techniques required to undertake the empirical elements of research. Research in Geography embraces both natural sciences (physical geography) and the social sciences and humanities (human geography). This PhD can, in principle, be taken in any of the topics covered by the Department of Geography and may, in part, be delivered through co-operation with other departments in social sciences, humanities and physical sciences depending on each student's individual needs. The University also offers a comprehensive range of training courses for personal and professional career development.

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the  Postgraduate Open Day  page for more details.

See further the  Postgraduate Admissions Events  pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, department of geography, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, michaelmas 2024 (closed).

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Funding Deadlines

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.

Similar Courses

• Geography MPhil
• Data Intensive Science MPhil
• Quantitative Climate and Environmental Science MPhil

Postgraduate Admissions Office

• Admissions Statistics
• Start an Application
• Applicant Self-Service

At a glance

• Bringing a family
• Current Postgraduates
• Cambridge Students' Union (SU)

University Policy and Guidelines

Privacy Policy

Information compliance

Equality and Diversity

Terms of Study

About this site

About our website

Privacy policy

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Privacy policy and cookies
• Statement on Modern Slavery
• University A-Z
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Research news
• About research at Cambridge
• Spotlight on...

• वाह जिन्दगी !
• About the Author
• About Education Aacharya

Synopsis / शोध प्रारूपिका (लघु शोध व शोध के विद्यार्थियों हेतु)

किसी भी क्षेत्र में शोध करने से पूर्व मनोमष्तिष्क में एक तूफ़ान एक हलचल महसूस होती है, शोध परिक्षेत्र की तलाश प्रारम्भ होती है, विषय की तलाश से लेकर परिणति तक का आयाम मुखर होने लगता है और इसी मनोवेग वैचारिक तूफ़ान को शोध एक सृजनात्मक आयाम देता है एवं अस्तित्व में आता है शोध प्रोपोज़ल या शोध प्रारूपिका। हमारे शोधार्थियों में इसके लिए शब्द प्रचलन में है: —- Synopsis.

शोध को क्रमबद्ध वैज्ञानिक स्वरुप देने हेतु लघुशोध व शोध के विद्यार्थी सरलता से कार्य कर सहजता से इस परिणति तक ले जा सकते हैं, Synopsis के चरणों(Steps) को इस प्रकार क्रम दिया जा सकता है –

1. प्रस्तावना 2. आवश्यकता क्यों? 3. समस्या 4.उद्देश्य 5.परिकल्पना 6. प्रतिदर्श 7. शोध विधि 8. शोध उपकरण 9. प्रयुक्त सांख्यिकीय विधि 10. परिणाम, निष्कर्ष एवं सुझाव 11. प्रस्तावित रूपरेखा (शोध स्वरूपानुसार)

1. प्रस्तावना(Introduction)-

जिस तरह रत्नगर्भा पृथ्वी के गर्भ से प्राप्त अयस्क परिशोधन से शुद्ध धात्वीय स्वरुप प्राप्त करते हैं उसी प्रकार हमारे मस्तिष्क में उमड़ते-घुमड़ते तथ्य प्रगटन के लिए अपने परिशुद्ध स्वरुप को प्राप्त करने का प्रयास करते हैं और हम अपनी क्षमता के अनुसार उसे बोधगम्य बनाकर उसका प्रारम्भिक स्वरुप प्रस्तुत करते हैं जो मूलतः हमारे विषय से सम्बन्ध रखता है, शीर्षक से जुड़ाव का यह मुखड़ा, भूमिका या प्रस्तावना का स्वरुप लेता है इसके शब्द हमारी क्षमता अधिगम स्तर और प्रस्तुति कौशल के अनुसार अलग-अलग परिलक्षित होता है इसमें वह आलोक होता है जो हमारे शोध का उद्गार बनने की क्षमता रखता है।

2. आवश्यकता क्यों?(Importance)-

यह बिंदु विषय-वस्तु के महत्त्व को प्रतिपादित करता है और उस पर कार्य करने के औचित्य को सिद्ध करता है कि आखिर अमुक चर को या अमुक पात्र या विषय वस्तु को ही हमने अपने अध्ययन का आधार क्यों बनाया? हमें देश, काल, परिस्थितियों के आलोक में अपने विषय और उसी परिक्षेत्र पर कार्य करने की तीव्रता का परिचय कराना होता है इसे ऐसे शब्दों में लिखा जाना चाहिए कि पढ़ने वाला उसकी तीव्रता को महसूस कर सके और उसका मानस सहज रूप से आपके तर्कों का कायल हो जाए।

3. समस्या(Problem)-

यहाँ समस्या या समस्या कथन से आशय शोध के ‘शीर्षक’ से है। शीर्षक संक्षिप्त, सरल, सहज बोधगम्य व सार्थक भाव युक्त होना चाहिए अनावश्यक विस्तार या अत्यधिक कठिन शब्दों के प्रयोग से बचकर उसे अधिक पाठकों की बोधगम्यता परिधि में लाया जा सकता है यह शुद्ध व भाव स्पष्ट करने में समर्थ होना चाहिए। शोध स्वरूपानुसार इसका उपयुक्त चयन व शुद्ध निरूपण होना चाहिए।

4. उद्देश्य(Objectives)-

उद्देश्य बहुत सधे शब्दों में बिन्दुवार दिए जाने चाहिए। तुलनात्मक अध्ययन में निर्धारित चर के आधार पर न्यादर्श के प्रत्येक वर्ग का दुसरे से तुलनात्मक अध्ययन करना, उद्देश्य का अभीप्सित होगा यह शोधानुसार क्रमिक रूप से व्यवस्थित किए जा सकते हैं।

5. परिकल्पनाएं(Hypothesis)-

परिकल्पनाओं का स्वरुप शोध के स्वरुप पर अवलम्बित होता है। सकारात्मक, नकारात्मक और शून्य परिकल्पना अस्तित्व में है लेकिन शोध हेतु शून्य परिकल्पना सर्वाधिक उत्तम रहती है, इसको भी क्रमवार तुलना के स्वरुप के आधार पर व्यवस्थित करते हैं। यदि ग्रुप ‘A’ और ग्रुप ‘B’ के लड़कों की ‘कम्प्यूटर के प्रति भय’ के आधार पर तुलना करनी हो तो इसे इस प्रकार लिखेंगे :

ग्रुप ‘A’ और ग्रुप ‘B’ के लड़कों में कम्प्यूटर के प्रति भय के आधार पर कोई सार्थक अन्तर नहीं है।

6. प्रतिदर्श(Sample)-

प्रतिदर्श या न्यादर्श शोध की प्रतिनिधिकारी जनसंख्या होती है यह समस्या के स्वरुप, शोधार्थी की क्षमता, समय व साधनों द्वारा निर्धारित होती है। शोध हेतु चयनित जनसंख्या का शोध स्वरूपानुसार विभिन्न वर्गों में वितरण कर लेते हैं जिससे परस्पर तुलना सुगम हो जाती है यह भी परिकल्पना निर्धारण में सहायक होती है।

7. शोध विधि(Research Method)-

इसका निर्धारण शोध शीर्षक के स्वरुप पर अवलम्बित होता है हिस्टॉरिकल रिसर्च या सर्वेक्षण आधारित शोध Synopsis के पूरे स्वरुप को प्रभावित करते हैं। शोध विधि, शोध की दिशा तय करने में सक्षम है।

8. शोध उपकरण(Research Tools)-

शोध स्वरूपानुसार ही इसकी आवश्यकता होती है कुछ प्रामाणिक शोध उपकरण मौजूद हैं एवं कभी आवश्यकता अनुसार खुद भी स्व आवाश्यक्तानुसार शोध उपकरण विकसित करना होता है। वर्णनात्मक शोध प्रबन्ध में इसकी आवश्यकता नहीं होती।

9. प्रयुक्त सांख्यिकीय विधि(Used Statistical Method)-

जिन शोध के प्राप्य समंक होते हैं उनसे किसी निष्कर्ष तक पहुँचने में शोध की प्रवृत्ति के अनुसार सांख्यिकी का प्रयोग करना होता है यहां केवल प्रयुक्त सूत्र एवं उसमे प्रयुक्त अक्षर का आशय लिखना समीचीन होगा।

10. परिणाम, निष्कर्ष एवं सुझाव(Result, Outcome & Suggestion)-

इस भाग में केवल इतना लिखना पर्याप्त होगा कि ‘प्रदत्तों का सांख्यकीय विश्लेषण से प्राप्त परिणामों के आधार पर निष्कर्ष निकाला जायेगा एवं भविष्य हेतु सुझाव सुनिश्चित किए जाएंगे।

11. प्रस्तावित रूपरेखा (शोध स्वरूपानुसार)(Proposed Framework)-

• सम्बन्धित साहित्य का अध्ययन
• अध्ययन की योजना का प्रारूप
• आकङों का विश्लेषण एवं विवेचन
• शोध निष्कर्ष एवं सुझाव

जहां सांख्यिकीय विश्लेषण आवश्यक नहीं है उन वर्णनात्मक, ऐतिहासिक या विवेकनात्मक शोध में चतुर्थ अध्याय आवश्यकतानुसार परिवर्तनीय होगा।

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related Posts

characteristics of a good research tool/एक अच्छे शोध उपकरण की विशेषताएं, शोध परिकल्पना-आशय,प्रकार व स्रोत [research hypothesis- meaning, types and sources], levels of measurement / मापन के स्तर.

Knowledgeable Post…Thank You, Sir,

Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

• ENVIRONMENT
• BIODIVERSITY
• ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT
• INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
• E – Learning

My Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/EducationAacharya-2120400304839186/

• February 2024
• September 2023
• August 2023
• January 2023
• December 2022
• November 2022
• October 2022
• September 2022
• August 2022
• February 2022
• January 2022
• December 2021
• November 2021
• January 2021
• November 2020
• October 2020
• September 2020
• August 2020
• February 2020
• January 2020
• December 2019
• November 2019
• October 2019
• September 2019
• August 2019
• February 2019
• January 2019
• December 2018
• November 2018
• October 2018
• September 2018
• August 2018
• Uncategorized