LSE ---> MSc (Research) Finance and Economics

[manxys]

Hi. I'm strugling to start writting an indicative research proposal for this programme. Not because I couldn't think of one topic I would like to research, but because I'm unclear about what is expected of such proposal. Does indicative mean that I only need to specify a topic, describe what I would like to know more? Identify relevent literature? Describe what knowledge i should develop to be able to undertake the necesary research (e.g. time series econometrics, financial econonics, ....)

 

The questions is this: do i need to raise specific question, hypothesis, propositions (Phd entry proposal)

 

Online application notes state:

 

If you wish to be considered for a 1+3, 2+2 or MRes programme (see www.esrc.ac.uk/) you must include with your application an outline research proposal. This proposal should be a brief description of the research topic you are considering pursuing during your PhD and should explain why you are interested in this area of research. As your research interests will develop over the year of your Master's training your proposal need only be indicative.

 

 

 

Answers from LSE students and PhD students are very wellcome.

[catapultz]

Hi Manxys, I dont know if you have to specify all this, but I do know that research proposals should include a section on potential problems you might face (it is an empirical thing), or strong assumptions you make (if its a model)...maybe they dont expect you to be precise with everything, but you should have some background knowledge of it?

[SASsy]

I found this link in my email archive https://lfylive.lse.ac.uk/lfy/tc/enquiries/enquiry.html?a=4&q=557&searchString= although I feel like originally I found something different. I hope this helps!

[mindlessme]

Indicative here means that noone expects you to stick with this topic for your PhD dissertation. (Otherwise... what are the 2 years of coursework for?)

 

You don't need to come up with a super idea. However, try to be as specific as possible in whatever you write. First define for yourself what area of Finance/Economics interests you. Then formulate the research question you have in mind. (Note: it should seem interesting and important for you, otherwise it'll be hard to "sell".) Here especially try to be as specific and precise as possible. It's probably the hardest part, if you were able to do that then things should go easier.

Then do a literature review and indicate the key past research relevant to this question. Try to answer the following question: how will your work on this question contribute to answering it and add to existing literature? Has someone else answered this question already but you can do it in a more elegant way? Or is the question completely unanswered and not researched?

After that it would be nice to propose some potential methods of how exactly you can answer this question. Will you try to build some theoretical model? Or change/enhance some existing one? Will it be an empirical research? If yes, what is the dataset you could use?

 

To some up, the components nice to have are: 1) interesting question; 2) literature review on it; 3) proposed methodology on answering it.

 

I don't see a need to write what courses you need to take to answer your question... But I guess you could do it, if you're unsure of the methodology as of yet and you think that the coursework will help you to define it.

 

Overall - be creative... At the LSE they definitely don't view your proposal as any kind of commitment. They just want to see that you're interested in research and thus have some ideas in mind and that you were hardworking enough to read up some literature on it.

 

Hope that helps.