# General Considerations The Thesis Proposal consists of the presentation, written and oral, of a research proposal that is based on the thesis work already begun by the candidate. For additional detailed instructions, refer to the [Thesis Proposal webpage](https://gradschool.mssm.edu/phd-thesis-proposal-exam/). The thesis proposal should: * Be based on the student's own work, not that of the research mentor * Allow the student to organize his/her/their thoughts and plans and place them in perspective * Allow the research mentor and the student's Advisory Committee to assess the level of scientific sophistication of the student * Provide both the student and the Committee a measure against which to determine subsequent progress. The Committee should evaluate the student’s ability to: * evaluate and synthesize relevant literature * articulate and elaborate on the aims * show and evaluate preliminary data * discuss experimental design as it applies to work planned. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://ismms-gs.gitbook.io/graduate-student-handbook/chapter-1-1/phd-in-biomedical-sciences-and-neuroscience/thesis-proposal/general-considerations.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.