YOUR PHD TAKEOFFCHECKLIST

Step-by-step guide for starting a PhD

P H D F A S T T R A C K

Your PhD Takeoff Checklist

www.phdfasttrack.com

PRE-TAKEOFF

#1 DO SOME PRERESEARCH

□ Decide your preliminary broad research interest area

□ Read 10-15 scientific articles or research reports about the topic

□ Know what you are aiming for – read a PhD thesis

□ Browse open PhD positions at, for example FindAPhD.com or AcademicPositions.com

and check requirements

□ Complete 7 Levels deep exercise

□ Make a decision whether PhD still feels motivating

#2 CHECK THE POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS IN YOUR PRIVATE LIFE

□ Are you able to move if needed?

□ Evaluate risks that could prevent you from striving towards PhD within next 3-4 years

#3 GAIN INSIGHT ABOUT ACADEMIC WORK

□ Read what it is like to do a PhD

□ Talk to at least three PhD students or PhDs

□ Consider trying academic work as research assistant

□ Check your excitement levels

#4 WRITE PRELIMINARY RESEARCH PROPOSAL

□ Figure out your current best research idea (don’t stuck into this step, you can change

the topic later)

□ Write a working abstract about your research

□ Write a preliminary research proposal

#5 APPLY FOR POSITION

□ Brush up your CV and LinkedIn profile

□ Find out potential supervisors from universities near you

□ Be proactive and contact potential supervisors

If not working

□ Apply for open positions elsewhere (through FindAPhD.com, AcademicPositions.com,

Times Higher Education, LinkedIn, ResearchGate etc.)

Your PhD Takeoff Checklist

www.phdfasttrack.com

TAKEOFF

#6 TAKE CARE OF PRACTICALITIES

□ Take care of that you are officially accepted to your university’s PhD program

□ Make a list of potential funding sources if not fully funded position

□ Make a preliminary plan which doctoral courses you attend

#7 START TO LEARN THE REQUIRED SKILLSET

□ Read these beneficial blog posts

□ Read my free PhD guide

□ Consider attending academic writing course

□ Make list of potential new software you will need in your research and start to practice

□ Organize your PhD files and folders at your computer or cloud storage and make sure to

have backup

#8 START TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

□ Get to know key colleagues from your organization

□ Think about other potential co-authors for your journal articles

#9 DIVE DEEPER INTO YOUR TOPIC AND START TO WRITE

□ Start to write your literature review

□ Seek out the articles of leading researchers at your field

□ Edit your research questions

□ Have a formatted full working document of your thesis (according to your institution’s

style)

□ Draft preliminary sections for your monograph or first journal article

□ Establish a feedback routine with your supervisor

#10 MAKE A PLAN FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS

□ Make a precise research plan for your first journal article or first part of monograph

□ If applicable, decide suitable journal for your first journal article

□ If applicable, decide deadline for submitting your first journal article

□ Make a 12-week plan for advancing your research

□ Make a 3-week plan

□ Make a weekly plan and take the first step

□ Understand where and when you write best

□ Try different writing techniques such as Pomodoro technique and freewriting