What's a QP?
| Each prospective Linguistics Ph.D. candidate is expected to complete two substantial research papers in different subfields of linguistics. These papers are known as Qualifying Papers, or QPs. |
| The purpose of the QPs is to provide experience in selecting a topic on which to do research and scholarship, formulating and delimiting the topic, developing a hypothesis, marshaling compelling arguments and data to test it, and suggesting a solution to a problem (where appropriate). |
| The quality of the QP is measured in depth, not length. Nevertheless, the suggested average length for QPs is 25 pages. An adequate QP is a paper that would qualify as the draft of a satisfactory contribution to a linguistics conference. |
| While a satisfactory QP is more substantial than the typical term paper for a course, a term paper is often an excellent starting point for a QP, and students are encouraged to enroll in courses which will directly advance their work on a QP, through topics covered, work required, and so on. |
| The QP oral is intended to be a discussion of the QP paper with the author of that paper; it is not a "defense" (unlike the Ph.D. oral). What is ultimately passed or sent back for revisions is the paper. |
| The subject matter of the two QPs must be clearly distinct, i.e., from different basic areas or using different methodologies, though they may be related. Some students use a QP as the basis of their dissertation work, while others will prefer to use the QPs to broaden the scope of their portfolio. |
| adapted from the Guidelines (pdf) for the Degree of Ph.D. in Linguistics |
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Last Update: May 06, 2009