Develop a clear personal statement of purpose to define your research goals. Visit the website of all universities that have research programs offered in your area of interest. Select universities based on the amount of research funding, number of faculty members and areas of research in your field of interest.
Visit the personal web pages of all the faculty members who manage research in your field of interest. All faculty members list the titles of published research papers that they have co-authored with their research associates. A higher count of published articles will help you judge the amount of funding behind the specific research. Most listed publications will include the name of the publishing journals. Visit the websites of the publishing journals to investigate their quality and academic influence in the research community. This will help you select the correct research group to join as you pursue your doctorate studies.
Select course work that is oriented toward your PhD research. This will help you to get a head start in your research. Be sure to select courses that will count toward the completion of your PhD. Getting your program of study approved before every semester will help you to select the correct courses. This will prevent the graduate school from demanding that you take additional courses when you decide it is time to graduate.
Choose the appropriate academic and scientific journals to submit your research papers for publication. Some journals have very strict review and qualification criteria. Strike a balance for research paper submission between the tough journals and the easier ones to be able to meet the publication requirements for your PhD. Try to contribute in as many research papers as possible. It is important to get your name published as one of the authors of as many research papers as possible.
Select up to three research conferences that you would like to attend annually. Try to meet their submission deadlines for posters and presentations. A focused approach toward your research will enable you to achieve your PhD faster.