If you are in a research-based program, it is critical that you can explain why the work you are doing is important. This may seem simple enough, but many writers may struggle to do so. It is not because they think their work is unimportant, but they may have difficulty in expressing its value beyond the narrow research questions that they have already worked so hard to articulate.
However, establishing a project’s value is essential when applying to a research-based degree, trying to secure scholarships or other funding, presenting at a conference, and/or writing one’s thesis or dissertation (click to understand USask’s expectations). Your reader needs to clearly understand why you have done the work that you have done (or plan to do) and believe that it is of sufficient importance, whether it is a systematic review or a specific research project. For PhD studies, it is expected that the research constitutes an original contribution to knowledge that is of sufficient merit and importance.
Value can reference everything from the impact within one’s field (e.g., challenging assumptions about conventional methodology), broader societal and/or cultural implications (e.g., policy changes), economic considerations (e.g., cost savings), to environmental impacts (e.g., reducing pollution), among others.
Sometimes the best strategy involves speaking to someone who is not familiar with your project and who is willing to be an honest listener. Encourage them to interrogate as you explain why your project is important; the process might be a bit painful, but by the end, you will often have a clearer understanding of how to explain the importance of your work. While you should not overstate what your work achieves, you should also not hesitate to state the value of your work overtly and plainly.
Sample words and phrases to make worth explicit include:
Such phrases ensure that your reader will not need to muddle out the value themselves and risk misunderstanding the intent and value of your research.
Looking for more information on stating your project’s value?
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