Submitting a Research Plan
- A thesis research plan signed by the student and his/her supervisor(s) must be submitted to the teaching program secretariat during the first year of study. Students should submit their proposals by July 31 if they began their studies in the first semester, or by November 30 if they began their studies in the second semester. Late submission will result in being blocked from registering for courses for the second year of studies.
- Within four weeks of the submission of a thesis research plan to the teaching program secretariat, the head of the teaching program will either approve it or return it for correction by the student. After final approval from the head of the teaching program, the teaching program secretariat will send the signed thesis research plan to the student and to the Faculty Teaching Secretariat. Completing any element of the proposal before it is approved will not place any obligation on the head of the teaching program or the program study committee.
- The head of the teaching program is entitled to require the student to submit a written or oral report on the progress of his/her thesis.
Instructions for Writing a Thesis Research Plan (Research Proposal)
The title page will contain the following elements:
At the top of the page: “Thesis Research Plan Submitted for Approval”
Below this heading:
- Date of submission
- Name of student (in Hebrew and English)
- Identity number
- Teaching program
- Name of supervisor(s)
- Title of thesis (in Hebrew and English)
- Declaration regarding experiments on humans and/or animals (see note below)
- Approval of proposal:
- Signature of student
- Signature of supervisor(s)
- Space for the signature of the head of the teaching program
The thesis research plan will include the following sections:
Background and problem definition (1–2 pages): This section will describe the research topic and its theoretical and practical importance, and will present a concise review of the relevant literature. It is important to highlight the gaps in existing knowledge that the research will attempt to close.
Research goals and hypotheses (around half a page): The goals of the research should be formulated in detail. They should be worded so that it will be possible to assess the extent to which they can be met. A concise description of the research hypotheses should be added. They should be assessed as part of the study.
Work plan (2–3 pages): This section will concisely describe the structure of the experiments (including proposed statistical analyses), the various stages that will be undertaken, and the methods to be used, as well as the means by which conclusions will be drawn. In addition, it is important to note possible problems in carrying out the research, and how these problems may be overcome.
An estimated timetable for the various research stages should be added (including stages already completed during the first two semesters of the degree program).
Initial results, if available (up to two pages): A brief description should be provided of any initial results of the study, including figures and/or tables (up to three figures and/or tables).
Bibliography
The student will note what parts of the research he/she has completed or will complete himself/herself.
Length of thesis research plan: Thesis research plans should be concise and to the point, and should be no longer than 8 pages in length, including initial results and bibliography, but not including the title page. Research plans should be prepared in 12-point font size with 1.5 line spacing, with margins of 2.2cm on the right and left of the page and at the top and bottom of the page.
Note: Students conducting experiments on human and/or animal subjects as part of their research must complete training on the ethics of human experimentation and/or use of laboratory/farm animals in experiments.