Your confirmation document must be well-written and provide strong evidence that the outcome of your research is valuable to your field of study.

A successful confirmation document acts as a research proposal that convinces the University that you and your project are worth supporting.

For help with writing your confirmation document, read our general advice below or attend our Writing a confirmation document workshop.

What to include in your confirmation document

When writing your confirmation document, make sure you include the following:

  • a well thought out, explained and justified timeline and budget for your project
  • a list of skills you need to acquire to complete your research and how you will acquire them
  • the necessary ethical clearances if your research involves people or animals
  • a progress report of any results you’ve already achieved in your research (if applicable).

You'll also need to provide specific evidence that both you and your project are worth supporting.

Evidence that you're worth supporting

You should ensure that your confirmation document reflects your knowledge, diligence and dedication to your work. Start by including a high quality literature review that proves that you’re on top of the field and capable of pursuing your stated research goals. See our literature review guide for more information.

You should clearly review your research methods. It’s not enough to describe your proposed methods. You also need to justify and explain them. You need to prove that you’ve given your proposed approach careful thought.

Provide a well-written document. The quality of your work provides evidence that you have, or are well on the way to developing, written communication skills of a publishable standard. Since one of the expected outcomes of a research degree is the ability to communicate your work effectively, your communication skills will be assessed in your confirmation document and presentation.

Evidence that your project is worth supporting

Clearly outline your research hypothesis, questions and goals. While these should flow out of your literature review, you should also explicitly state them to make it clear what you're trying to achieve. Make sure your questions or goals aren’t too broad, vague or ambitious. It’s important to narrow your research topic down so you can pursue manageable and achievable goals.

Your document should explain and support your motivation for doing your research. This proves that you're doing something important, interesting and worthwhile. You may express this by explaining:

  • the size and costs of the problem you’re addressing
  • outlining any negative effects or a problem for a significant number of people
  • showing the cultural significance of your research
  • demonstrating disciplinary significance in terms of aiding progress in the field.

Provide convincing evidence that your project will make an original contribution to your research area. This is done by critically reviewing existing literature on your topic. Consider what is known and what can be improved. The gaps or problems you identify can provide a niche for you to make an original contribution.

Learning Advisers

Our advisers can help undergraduate and postgraduate students in all programs clarify ideas from workshops, help you develop skills and give feedback on assignments.

How a Learning Adviser can help