7.1 Research Proposal 

 

After you:

• have done your preliminary research (see Year 1 and Year 2)

• have determined your topic by finding lacunas in the research field - that which is "The Problem" - and have formulated your research objective(s) 

• on the basis of this, have formulated your research question

you submit a research proposal to your professor.

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Note that the research objective(s) and the research question (and sub-questions) are part of the research proposal. The research question is the concrete development of the research objective(s). The objective(s) contain the why of the research (filling up a lacuna found in the Status Quaestionis), the research question concerns the knowledge necessary to achieve the objective(s). The objective says something about the importance of research, the research question very specifically shows what the research is about, so what exactly is being researched. The objective and the research question together form the thesis. The research question is therefore different from the objective. Neither is it the same as the topic of research.

 

The aim of the research proposal is to let your professor supervisor know what it is you plan to do, to request expert and/or peer feedback and to get approval. Once the proposal has been approved, you can start your final paper with confidence.

 

You then process parts of the research proposal in the thesis, mainly in the introduction.

 

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7.2 Methods of Research

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Under construction. 

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