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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 236,417 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
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- ↑ 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/
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How to write phd synopsis
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The paper examines the PhD literature review and makes recommendations for how to produce a literature review which assists in the generation of original, and defensible, research questions. Firstly, the contributions of the literature review as both a process and a product are examined. Guidance is then provided regarding the scope and structure of the literature review. The paper goes on to consider the specific requirements of PhD level study vis-a-vis lower-level academic endeavour. The requirements for depth, rigour and originality are highlighted using Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Learning Objectives and Anderson and Krathwohl’s revised taxonomy. Critical Thinking is proposed as a structured approach to enabling the generation of original research questions and for enhancing the defensibility of the choice of research these research questions. The author’s own research is used to illustrate how the overall conceptual framework can be disaggregated and each discrete section critically justified.
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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
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The synopsis is to be considered as a detailed summary of the work with important results highlighting the original contributions in the thesis to be submitted. It should give an outline of the thesis. The review of earlier work is to be minimized with just enough to highlight the contributions in the research work to be reported in the thesis.
Most dissertations are 100 to 300 pages in length. All dissertations should be divided into appropriate sections, and long dissertations may need chapters, main divisions, and even subdivisions. Students should keep in mind that GSAS and many departments deplore overlong and wordy dissertations.
Keywords: Synopsis, Ph.D Synopsis, Literature review, Methodology 1. INTRODUCTION Introduction is the first main section in a synopsis. This synopsis is to be considered as a detailed summary of the workwith important resultshighlighting the original contributions in the thesisto be submitted. It should give an outline ofthe thesis.
The synopsis will be wiro bound, and printed on both sides of the paper. A PDF copy of the synopsis in a CD and three copies of synopsis of the thesis should be submitted to the Centre for Research. 7. Use of University Logo Only approved University logo is permitted on the cover page and title page of the thesis.
FORMAT OF SYNOPSIS (MS/MPHIL & PHD) Given below is an outline for synopsis writing. It provides guidelines for organization and ... Summary / Abstract (150-200 words) 1. Introduction (2-4 pages) ... Time Frame of Dissertation Must be provided for planning. 7. List of References
1. The length of a synopsis for the Ph.D. Thesis should normally be 1000 to 4000 words including tables and figures. The Synopsis should be on A4 size paper. Four copies of the synopsis are required to be submitted. 2. There exists, at present, a wide variation in the subject matter and style of presentation of the synopsis.
The thesis conveys three discrete, yet interconnected, studies embracing issues revolving ... patience, time and inspiration during the course of my PhD study. Without their genuine guidance and suggestions, this thesis could have been very hard to accomplish. I owe the University of Stirling and the Accounting and Finance Division a debt of ...
Guidelines for Preparation of PhD Synopsis. 1. ORGANISATION OF THE PARTS OF SYNOPSIS. The sequence in which the synopsis material should be arranged and bound as follows: 1. Title page 2. TABLE OF CONTENT (Title in Upper Case) 3. Chapters 4. References 5.
PREPARATION OF SYNOPSIS Synopsis of the Ph.D. thesis entitled …………………………….. Purpose of the study, Background of the Subject, Factors Prompting to
MS/PhD DISSERTATION SYNOPSIS MANUAL (Revised,2020) KARAKORAM INTERNATIONAL UNIVISERTY GILGIT 2020 . 2 REVISED FORMAT OF SYNOPSIS (MS/MPhil & PhD) Given below is an outline for synopsis writing. It provides guidelines for MS/PHD students for presentation of research in form of synopsis as well as organization of
It is recommended that the synopsis must follow the following format: 1. Introduction Introduction may include a brief background of the problem followed by necessity, utility and importance/ significance of the proposed research work for the Ph.D. Thesis. Introduction should be as brief as possible. 2. Literature Survey
tables, etc.) for writing the Synopsis is the same as that for the thesis. Please consult the "Guidelines for Preparation of Thesis / Dissertation/Reports" for IIT Ropar for reference. 2. The length of a synopsis for the Ph.D. Thesis should normally be 1000 to 4000 words, including tables and figures. The Synopsis should be on A4 size paper. 3.
Download Free PDF. View PDF. Writing a PhD Proposal or synopsis To enter a PhD program at COFA you are required to submit a research proposal (of approximately 1000-2000 words). You may submit an APA or course application form before your proposal is ready, but you will be required to submit a developed proposal before a place is formally offered.
Scholars are required to submit a short, precise synopsis indicating their research work and outcomes. 2.1.Ph.D. synopsis should be 4-6 pages longand M.S. synopsis should be 2-3 pages long, excluding the cover page. 2.2.Single-line spacing and 12-pt font sizeshould be used in the synopsis.
1. Format your title page following your instructor's guidelines. In general, the title page of a research synopsis includes the title of the research project, your name, the degree and discipline for which you're writing the synopsis, and the names of your supervisor, department, institution, and university.
View PDF. Writing a PhD Proposal or synopsis To enter a PhD program at COFA you are required to submit a research proposal (of approximately 1000-2000 words). You may submit an APA or course application form before your proposal is ready, but you will be required to submit a developed proposal before a place is formally offered.
guidelines: 2. Size of the paper should be A4 (8.5" x 11.5") except for maps, drawing, and graphs. 3. The text should be typed on one side of the paper leaving a margin of 4 cm on left hand. side ...
The thesis must comply with the following format : Size of paper : A4. Margins : Top : 3 cm, Left : 2.5 cm, Right : 2.5 cm and Bottom : 2.5 cm. Paper quality : Executive bond. Binding : Hard-half leather. Colour : Rust-Red. Cover printing should be in Gold. Volume : About 150-200 pages, with printing on both sides in Single.
Thesis Summary: Status and Negative Ties 4 1.1 Introduction All over the world, there is a substantial interest in understanding students' everyday life in ... Based on all of these aforementioned empirical results, the PhD thesis examines how the negative, "dark side" of interpersonal relations and status positions interrelate among
FORMAT OF SYNOPSIS (MS/MPHIL & PHD). Given below is an outline for synopsis writing. It provides guidelines for organization and presentation of research. Figure 1: Format of Synopsis. THE TITLE OF RESEARCH OR THESIS. CERTIFICATE. INDEX. INTRODUCTION OF 2-3 PAGES. Identify a real world problem.
This paper presents an overview of 20 years experience of use of UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) technology for sewage treatment in India with special focus on YAP (Yamuna Action Plan).
PDF | On Jan 1, 2016, Anil Kumar Soni and others published Summary of PhD Thesis | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate
Phd Thesis Synopsis sample - Free download as Word Doc (.doc / .docx), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. Phd Thesis Synopsis sample