So one of the applications for a PhD program wants me to flesh out a full research proposal, including methodology. I can define the scope, I can define the area of interest, but I’m not intimately familiar with the data sources out there nor the typical methodologies. I was planning on spending the first year of the PhD taking daily trips to the library to get a handle on the literature, what’s been done, what hasn’t been done, etc.
Ideally I’d like my dissertation to be about a life cycle analysis of the environmental impact of residential development, and the impact of different development technologies and policies. In particular, I’d like to analyze how the US Green Building Council’s LEED system works, and how the LEED system plays out, given the technological and environmental environment. I’d also like to compare it with similar systems in other countries.
I’m not sure how to go about breaking down the system for analysis, where to get the information. Obviously, you really can’t do it with controlled studies. I don’t know how vague or how detailed to get on the essay. I don’t know what sort of information I can realistically access. I figured this was stuff I would pick up in grad school, not stuff I needed to know beforehand.
Blah!
This is the document driving alot of my other documents. It provides context for my recommenders. It provides focus to my “I’m so awesome, you should bring me in, and give me money to study with you.” essay. I’ll figure it out, but need to vent.
Check in with and see if she has any pointers (while she teaches law, she’s also got a PhD in a hard science). Feel free to tell her I referred you to her.
What I would look for in such an essay, were I presented with one:
– topic. As in, there is one, you’re not just going to school ’cause it seemed fun.
– topic related to mine or a local colleague’s
– vague understanding of key concepts in the field
– vague idea of how to go about figuring things out
– enthusiasm
I would not expect:
– you to actually have exactly this be your thesis
– you to be entirely up to date on the latest work and methods
From your vapid friend.
“I like swords. Welcome to Cornelia! I like swords. Welcome to Cornelia! Hey Black Mage, I think we’re getting along!”
Seriously, I didn’t finish college and was happier being a grunt worker to start my career earlier and making money. The fact that you can sit and do the thing that I try to avoid, thinking about greater issues, is just amazing to me.
Sorry I can’t be great support, but I will offer you a pearl of wisdom. If you can’t find a way to do something based on your experiences or the experiences of those who have come before you, it’s obviously time for some creative thinking and a new approach.
Good luck!
If you can write a full research proposal that doesn’t suck, why would you need to go to grad school? That sounds like an idiotic application requirement; my sympathies.
Check out the USGBC web page. The leed section has a number of case studes and has a good Primer on the LEED system. There are also a lot of pros and cons articles on the web. I am a LEED acredited Professional and if you have anything i can help with drop me an e-mail at choli at csa-architects dot com
Good luck
Marshall your resources wisely… hit the nearest major research institution and put their reference librarians to work on the case.
Also, even describing that this will by necessity non-experimental is a discussion of methodology. It sounds like your methodology so far is: comparative review, literature research, ….