Research Propasal Writing

Manual de apoyo para estudiantes en la formulación de proyectos de tesis de pre- y posgrado. El texto se divide en dos partes: en la primera trato aspectos epistemológicos y políticos vinculados a la tarea de investigar y en la segunda proveo indicaciones teóricas y prácticas para la formulación de cada parte de un proyecto de tesis en ciencias sociales. Adicionalmente, abordo la escritura académica (incluida la citación y referenciación) y otros aspectos vinculados a la formulación de proyectos de tesis, como las presentaciones de los mismos ante un tribunal. Puede "escucharse" aquí: https://www.mixcloud.com/javierbassi/uploads/?order=oldest Se trata de un curso de formulación de proyectos de investigación que es, en buena medida, el manual hablado.

This PhD research proposal sets out the research field, objectives, methods and theoretical underpinnings of the approach. The aim of this research is to examine the apparent transformation of Manchester focussing on its city centre cultural quarters that have appeared in the last decade or so. A starting point is the perplexing nature of cities (Bridge and Watson 2000) and cities as real and imagined places and spaces, concrete and abstract (Amin and Thrift 2002). The research will draw heavily on the theoretical insights provided by Henri Lefebvre regarding the production of space (Lefebvre 1991, Kofman and Lebas 1996, Shields 1999, Brenner and Elden 2001). In addition the research will draw on ideas about processes of the racialisation of urban space that appear to be operating in many cultural quarters (Cross and Keith 1993, Jacobs 1996, Yeoh and Huang 1998, McCann 1999).  More than any other UK city Manchester’s transformation has been the centre of attention in the last decade during which time the city centre has been increasingly represented officially as a collection of cultural quarters. Whilst most cities now have one cultural quarter, at the last count Manchester had about ten. They each appear to have a different basis, such as: heritage, creative industries, leisure/entertainment or a significant ethnic minority presence (or absence).

These lectures were given by me to the PhD candidates at Vidyasagar University during 2011-2015 for the scholars of different disciplines, like Anthropology,Microbiology, Physics,English, Geography and others.After the lectures the students were given an assignment to write a research proposal other than the topic in which they have registered themselves to earn their degrees.This teaching method generated enthusiasm and creativity among the students.

The main difficulty for novice researchers is  that academic research can be overwhelming and they have no idea how to start. In this workshop I will address this problem and show you how to get started, and how to do so in a way that improves your chances to take your research to its conclusion.  By the end of this workshop you will have turned a vague idea for research into a feasible research question and have written the first few pages of your research proposal, article or thesis. I’m going to take you through an ten-step process for conceptualising your research, but bear in mind that in reality the process might not be as simple.

This is the first of the intermediate research workshops and follows on the basic skills workshop.