Research proposals: Tips and inspiration from students for your academic journey

Putting together a master’s thesis proposal is a crucial step in the academic journey. It serves as a guide for your work, outlining the objectives, methodology and study schedule. FGV News interviewed students Lívia Cereja (who is doing a master’s in mathematical modeling at FGV EMAp) and Isabella Dannemann (who is doing a professional master’s in economics and finance at FGV EPGE), who shared some tips on how this process works.

The following elements are fundamental to all research proposals:

• Introduction;
• Literature Review;
• Justification;
• Objectives;
• Methodology;
• Research Schedule;
• References.

However, not everything goes according to plan, and it is often necessary to change the topic and extend the deadline, among other things that may happen. “Being open minded also helps you get around problems. You can conduct new tests or go off topic and choose one that is similar to what you started with and that you can respond to by the deadline,” says Lívia. 

You also need to understand whether your research objective has the scientific scope to be developed academically, and only then can you start the journey. “It’s important to understand whether you have enough data to work on your topic and this also begins to shape what you’re going to do in terms of your thesis,” says Isabella.

Read the full interview with the students below:

How should you choose a research topic?

Lívia – It’s easier when it comes from a personal interest and is a subject that you already have an affinity with. For example, it might fit in with your area of work. After that, you need to have a lot of discussions with your advisor. 

Isabella – Sharing a little of my experience, I think this link with the market is really important. I ended up doing a piece of work here in academia that I took back to my company. It was a very important topic in the energy market, where I work. This topic ended up raising my profile. As well as getting promoted, I went to my company’s head office in Norway to present my work. So, it’s a way of not only boosting your career, but also generating this visibility.

How should you formulate a research question? 

Lívia – It’s difficult, but very important, because it’s the way you can direct your research within the broad topic you’ve chosen.

Isabella – I also think it’s important to do a literature review and market research. You need to understand what has already been done to formulate your question and the problem you want to solve.

What research methodologies can you use?

Isabella – I think it depends a lot on the topic you’ve chosen, the direction you want to take and the focus of your project. What kind of research do you want to do? It’s important to understand whether you have enough data to work on your topic and this also begins to shape what you’re going to do in terms of your thesis. A literature review is very important for understanding the big picture and giving you a direction for your research project. 

How should you come up with a research schedule? 

Isabella – The timetable is key. You can list the stages of your project and all your priorities. It’s important to set a start and end date. 

Sometimes we want to focus on a certain topic, but we need to be flexible and change some points, because unforeseen events can happen. It’s important to try as much as possible to meet the deadlines. You should always consult your advisor so that it’s feasible and you can keep to what you’ve agreed and adapt when you have unforeseen circumstances.

Lívia – It will depend somewhat on the methodology you’re using. The timetable serves to guide you, but it is flexible.

How should you deal with challenges and setbacks during research?

Lívia – I reached an impasse in the first stage of my research, which was supposed to be the easiest one, and it took almost a month to complete. I found it very useful to talk a lot to my advisor, re-read the bibliography and talk to other people who had worked with a similar methodology.

Isabela – Speaking a little about my case, I had a thesis topic but I ended up changing it because I came across another one that I realized was much more relevant today to the market in which I work. I think it will help me boost my career and raise my profile at my company, and it’s also a topic that I can share in academia and perhaps encourage further studies and research on this topic. Dealing with stress and sharing my problems with my advisor were fundamental to this process and also to my decision to change my thesis topic.

Watch the interview here:

To find out more about FGV’s master’s programs, click here. 

This article is part of our Beyond Academia series. See the previous articles in the series below:  

• Scholarships: Find out more about the types available for master’s and doctorates
• Master’s degree: See how it’s possible to combine work and study during the course
• Master’s and doctorate: How the choice of research areas and electives impacts an academic career