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2 years ago in PhD Synopsis By Rahul K

How specific do I need to be about my expected findings or contributions in the synopsis?

I'm worried about over-promising results I can't guarantee, but I also know the committee wants to see the potential impact. Should I state expected findings boldly, or use more cautious language like "the study aims to explore..."?

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By Ruchika Tuli Answered 1 year ago

Use a hierarchy of specificity. For methodological contributions, you can be specific: "This work will develop a novel framework for..." For empirical findings, be directional but not prescriptive: "The research aims to characterize the relationship between X and Y, which is expected to reveal patterns informing Z." Avoid claiming you "will prove" a hypothesis. Instead, focus on the knowledge gap you will address: "This study will provide the first comprehensive data on..." or "It will test the prevailing theory that..." This demonstrates you understand research is a process of discovery, not just verification. The committee wants to see you can anticipate types of outcomes and articulate their potential significance, not predict exact results.

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