RESEARCH STATEMENT
All applicants should proactively reach out to Faculty members conducting research in the area you are interested in to ensure that your research can be well supported by a faculty member.
Your research statement should be written in essay format and be a maximum of 1,500 words, double spaced.
A research statement generally outlines: 1) the research you plan to undertake in a PhD; 2) your background; 3) support at the Faculty of Information. We have provided some prompts that may stimulate and guide your thinking:
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The research or project you plan to undertake in your PhD: What is the research you will conduct at the Faculty of Information? What fields or areas of research is your research/project in conversation with (demonstrated through a short literature review)? Who are the scholars (including researchers, artists/practitioners, community leaders, and/or elders) that have shaped your research interests? What is significant or novel about this research? Explain how your research contributes to intellectual diversity in the Faculty.
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Your background: How did you become interested in this research? What led you to this proposed research? What background (academic, personal or professional) do you have that prepares you to pursue this project or area of research, and how do you need to grow? You should be specific about courses, essays, theses, and/or other research, research-creation, community, organizing, activist and/or lived experiences that have prepared you to undertake the proposed research.
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Support at the Faculty of Information: Why do you want to undertake this research at the Faculty of Information? Which faculty members do you propose to supervise your research and serve on your dissertation committee? Have you met with these faculty members? Why do you propose to work with those faculty members? Which courses and programs of study (including potential optional collaborative programs) will support your research? Are there research centres, institutions, or communities that can support your research?
Tips:
Be specific
Include citations and a bibliography
Include a short title for your research project
Include specific details about achievements (academic, professional, or community)
Write in clear, jargon-free language for an interdisciplinary committee