Test your idea in a short paper.

When developing your research ideas for the proposal, it’s a solid first step to write about 5-10 pages on your proposed topic. Share this with your advisors/mentors/colleagues and get feedback on your ideas. This 5-10 page paper can then be expanded to fit the requirements of pre-dissertation doctoral essay or prospectus (requirements differ by school). The 5-10 pages moves you to solidify your ideas more coherently and allows the reader to get a sense of where you are and where you’re going. The slightly longer format allows the reader to understand the story and your thought process in a way that presenting an outline or presenting your ideas verbally does not provide. If you can’t write a 5-10 page paper on your ideas, this might not be the dissertation topic for you. Best to know this early, wouldn’t you say?

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