Work plans for Ph.D. research help doctoral students structure and organize the research they will conduct to complete their dissertations for their Ph.D.s. The document also gives the committee of faculty who oversee the student's dissertation work the opportunity to review the plan of research, note the key study questions and critique the methodology the student will use to answer the questions. Based on information in the work plan, faculty members on the committee can advise the student on any additional research or data that may be necessary for the student to complete a satisfactory doctoral thesis.
Some work plans focus on the dissertation and are also known as dissertation proposals. The proposal introduces the topic on which the student's research will focus and outlines the dissertation plan. Other universities require a more comprehensive work plan that outlines the classes and independent study or reading the student will complete in the process of studying for his or her Ph.D. Faculty members who supervise the student's work can review the plan and, if needed, advise students on additional courses or reading she should complete her doctoral studies.
In many work plans, students outline the research they will do in their dissertation in sections. In each section, the student outlines the tasks in the research process he expects to complete. For example, his plan will articulate the key research questions involved in the topic and describe the methodology he will follow in answering them, identifying data collection procedures and data sources. Each section of the work plan will also identify any deliverables--thesis chapters or analyses of particular aspects of research--the student will produce as the end result of a given task. Some supervising faculty may require a student to submit deliverables as a demonstration of progress toward completing the dissertation.
In addition to the research questions and proposed methodology, a work plan should also include a theoretical framework that outlines how the proposed thesis will advance the body of knowledge in the student's area of study. A common complaint among many professors is that too many dissertations present empirical findings without a theoretical foundation.
Some universities require students to complete Ph.D. work plans early in their doctoral studies, while others require the plan later in the process, such as after students complete their qualifying examinations to demonstrate their mastery of their material in their field of study.