Free PhD Synopsis Writing Sample

HOW TO WRITE A SUCCESSFUL
RESEARCH SYNOPSIS
D o y o u w a n t t o w r i t e a s u c c e s s f u l r e s e a r c h s y n o p s i s ?
T h e f o l l o w i n g i s a g u i d e o n w h a t t o r e m e m b e r i n
w r i t i n g t h e r e s e a r c h s y n o p s i s a n d w h a t s t r u c t u r e t o
u s e f o r i t . W h a t a r e i t s p a r t s a n d h o w t o w r i t e i t w i l l
a l s o b e i n c l u d e d i n t h i s g u i d e .
C l i c k h e r e t o d a y !

H o w t o W r i t e a S u c c e s s f u l R e s e a r c h S y n o p s i s
A research project synopsis or protocol is a document that will be submitted to
institution or authority for the purpose of formal registration to a university for
doctorate or degree award, ethical clearance, financial assistance and peer review.
Structure of the Synopsis
Title
Statement of problem and hypothesis
Objectives and aims
Literature review
Research methodology
References
Official requirements
Title: The research project title should be brief and concise. It should be
informative and it should not be too long or too short. The name of the
university or cases studied should not be written. Be sure that your title will
get the attention of your reviewers and other people. It should be attention
grabbing.
Statement of problem and hypothesis: The problem that is being studied
should be written in clear and precise terms. Be sure to understand the
problem in order to aids researchers in making their research proposal.
Doing this, it allows the person in formulating hypothesis. The necessity in
taking up study and problem present status needs to be mentioned.
The hypothesis is being mentioned as explanation or tentative prediction of
relationship between 2 or more variables. It should be guess because what it
essential is that it should reflect imagination, experience and knowledge.
Take note that you can mention the hypothesis and problem in about 200
words that covers all aspects.
Objectives and aims: Your research synopsis should have aims and
objectives. You need to give your best effort to do this. Your objectives and
aims should b around 2 to 3 lines. It should pertain to the problem study.
Usages of terms such as “only study”, “first study” and others must be
avoided.
Literature review: The literature review is every essential part of your
research project that is why it needs to achieves certain things. Be sure to
know how to write the best literature review because it is one of the essential
parts of your synopsis.

HOW TO WRITE A SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH SYNOPSIS
It familiarizes your readers to your problem.
It should describe the work of others either international or local level as long
it is of similar subject.
It helps researchers in understanding the difficulties that is faced by others.
Research methodology can be modified or structured after reviewing the
literature.
Literature review in synopsis helps reviewers in assessing knowledge of
researcher. He can assess the study feasibility.
The review assists to identify different variables in research project as well as
conceptualizes their relationship.
The literature review in a synopsis should not be exhaustive. Important details
should be covered in around 300 words.
Research methodology: In the research methodology synopsis, it should
be around 150 up to 200 words. The methodology forms the research project
core and it should must cover the following aspects:
Study design
Study settings
Variables
Sampling
Controls
Data collection
Ethical clearance
Data analysis
Study methods- investigations or examinations
Study design: Your methodology begins with study design selection. Study design can
be a combination or single such as:
Descriptive designs:
Cross-sectoral survey or study Disease occurrence epidemiological description
Community diagnosis
Disease history study
Observational analytical designs:
Retrospective study
Prospective study
Follow-up study
Experimental designs:
Therapeutic clinical trials
Animal studies
Field trials
Prophylactic clinical trials
Study settings: This includes about the university, study time, facilities available as well
as study population.
Sampling: It is about choosing appropriate size sample for your study. The sample size
will depend on your study design. The population study can be people population,

HOW TO WRITE A SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH SYNOPSIS
cases population or recipients population of a particular treatment. There are
methods such as systemic, stratified and simple random sampling.
Variables: These are factors that can change. The changes affect the research project
outcome. It is essential to identify your variables at planning stage. In some cases, the
research objectives will see the effect of independent variables on dependent
variables. Here are the types of variables:
Independent variables: These can be manipulated by researchers and effects are being
observed on other variables. For instance, risk factors, causer and predisposing
factors.
Dependent variables: Changes occurs as results of your independent variables. For
instance, outcome and disease.
Intervening variables: It influences the independent variables effect on dependent
variables.
Background variables: These are changes that essential in population or groups under
study. It should be included in your study. For instance, ethnic origin, sex and age.
Controls: It increases the research project validity. Usually, it consists of units of same
population having different respects. The fact is that it is not necessary for all
synopsis research. They can be in drug trials, analytical studies as well as intervention
programs.
Study methods: You need to describe your data collection method, which can be:
Interviews Questionnaire Medical examination
Screening procedures Laboratory investigations
Data collection: You need to make a short note on how your data are gathered. It
should include details about:
Organizational setup
Logistic support
Training to data collecting team
Collaboration plans with some other organizations
Data analysis: This is an essential part of your research project. A great analysis leads
to great results. Your plans for data analysis should be written under the statistical
methods heads, computer program used as well as data sorting method.

HOW TO WRITE A SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH SYNOPSIS
Ethical clearance: As much as possible, you need to get ethical clearance from the
university. Certificate should be attached. The fact is that ethical clearance is
important in all animal and human studies.
References: All references that are quoted and included in your synopsis
should be listed in your references page. There are 2 styles for writing the
references, Harvard and Vancouver style.
Official requirements: Your synopsis will be incomplete if these things are
not present:
Researcher name and designation
Designation of the guide name
Designation and name of institution
or department
Institution name
Signatures with official seal
The synopsis is essential in a research project. The best synopsis will provide
maximum details in minimum words. A well-written synopsis will convince reviewers
about your ability in conducting a project. Thus, all research workers should do their
best in constructing a one of a kind and well-structured synopsis.