How to conduct a good doctoral research

Many researchers are misled by what Contribution to Knowledge means.

Many students think that their intensive literature review is a contribution to
knowledge. Or, the application of a new statistical tool is a contribution to
knowledge. Merely doing something in a different way does not amount to
contribution to knowledge. To most researchers, the contribution to
knowledge appears rather fuzzy.
In fact, the contribution to knowledge is clearly defined.
Consider a literature review. You pull out a reference and read through it. As
you read, you note an interesting point related to your doctoral research
topic of interest. When you arbitrate over this point, your mind can race
through many aspects of the point.
While performing this review, the researcher has to consider the current
state against a future state. Very clearly, the current state must ideally come
from an exhaustive list of references to the point in question. No argument
here. To the extent that some references are not included, then the literature
review lacks rigor and the researcher could omit important knowledge
already known. If such a shortcoming is picked up the supervisor, it could be
rectified. But, if it is challenged by the examiner, it could be too late.
Every point in the doctoral research proposal format must be deliberated. All
the points could be collated and further marked as being an independent,
dependent or scope variable that will be used later in the development of the
theoretical framework.
A doctoral research plan will involve the researcher doing some mind
bending techniques to develop a conceptual framework. This framework is
the thrust of the research which the researcher is proposing. This conceptual
framework is not an option. For example, a conceptual framework could
show the transition from a flat earth to a sphere earth. The mechanisms by
which the researcher will prove the sphere earth must be enlisted (or
visualized) in the theoretical framework. The theoretical framework must
enumerate all the research questions that must be answered to necessarily
and sufficiently prove the sphere earth theory. This is where the number of
research questions is determined - and is not arbitrary.

From the research questions, the hypothesis, test design, test method and
the statistical test are explicitly determined. Even the Null and Alternate
hypotheses are determined. Although the research methodology could be
written out in the researchers style, a fairly predefined research
methodology is invoked for a given hypothesis, test design, test method and
the statistical test. This actually allows for a modular concept in the research
methodology. Sadly, researchers have to reinvent the wheel by wading
through scores of books to arrive at the overall methodology. It is important
that you write the best phd research proposal.