RESEARCH PROPOSAL
PROJECT FOR LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY
A research proposal for a full-scale PhD. Level project is what is asked here, with a 10 page limit.
This proposal may deal with any fact of anthropological linguistic research. The proposal should include
consideration of
1) the problem and its focus (theoretical and ethnographic). You can look at this as the
development of the question you want to answer by means of your proposed research,
possibly beginning with an even more general question generated by your own particular
interests.
2) the methods of data-gathering and analysis. That is to say, how are you going to go
about answering the question that you have formulated as the problem. Special attention
should be paid to how the data gathering and analysis actually illuminate the original problem.
3) the significance of the research (i.e. how it contributes to the development of our
understanding (scientific or otherwise).
4) a summary of what is known so far about how others might have answered the question or
similar questions. This material is often called "survey of the literature". At most this should
amount to 2 of the 10 pages.
No consideration need be given to the budget or similar practical matters.