Guidelines for project descriptions

A project description should give an account of the following points which may also be used as headings:

Title

Brief summary
The summary shall provide a brief account of the most important points below. The intention is to give the reader sufficient information to consider whether the project is of interest.

Presentation of the problem/hypothesis
The presentation of the problem is a concise and aptly worded formulation of what the project intends to investigate and, as the case may be, how and why. A hypothesis contributes to clarifying and delimiting the project. The title is to provide information about what the project deals with, but the presentation of the problem shall define the theme precisely, delimit it and narrow it down. This will help to put the reader's thoughts on the right track.

Background to the project
Show how the project can supplement earlier research and contribute to new knowledge. Is this an old theme that is going to be analysed in a new way? Or is this a new problem to be presented or new data that can take research in the field a step further? It is important to demonstrate that the project has originality, innovative value and relevance for other research in the field so that the reader feels that the project is interesting and worth investing in.

Theoretical foundation
Give a brief description of the theoretical framework of the problem presented, and give an account of how theory may be used to investigate the problem.

Data/material and method
Give an account of how the problem presented is to be investigated. Describe the data to be taken as a basis and the source material (e.g. original texts, secondary literature, fieldwork, interviews, statistics, etc.) that will be used and how these will be collected and analysed.

Supplementary information
Applicants should present their backgrounds and qualifications and any co-operating partners or research networks to which they may become affiliated, and they should give an account of the feasibility of the project. Any stays abroad are to be mentioned in this connection. Language qualifications are to be mentioned explicitly to the extent that these are relevant for the project.

Publicising
Give an account of planned forms of publicising (monographs, articles, lectures, presentations/posters at conferences, etc.).

Progress plan
Make a time schedule for three years that includes planned theory courses and any periods of study to be spent outside the UiO.

The project description may be a maximum 5 pages 12 pt. font size and 1½ line spacing.

The literature list is to be arranged alphabetically by author. The litterature list may come in addition to the 5 pages project description.