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Research Timeline Calculator

Work out research timeline instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Research Timeline Calculator

A research timeline sums its phases, but the phases overlap in practice and every one overruns. Eight, fourteen, ten and twelve weeks gives 44 weeks - about ten months, or 52.8 weeks with a 20% contingency. Data collection at 32% of the plan is usually the phase most exposed to external delay, since it depends on other people.

Formulas

Total duration

total = literature + data collection + analysis + writing

Contingency

add about 20% for the inevitable overruns

Worked example

With the default values below, Research Timeline Calculator returns Total Project Duration of 44. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Literature reviewminimum 0 weeks
8 weeks
Data collectionminimum 0 weeks
14 weeks
Analysisminimum 0 weeks
10 weeks
Writing upminimum 0 weeks
12 weeks

Results

Total Project Duration
44 weeks
Duration In Months
10.1
Duration With A 20% Contingency
53 weeks
Share Spent Collecting Data
31.8%

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Total duration
  3. 3Contingency
  4. 4Total Project Duration= 44 weeks
  5. 5Duration In Months= 10.1
  6. 6Duration With A 20% Contingency= 53 weeks
  7. 7Share Spent Collecting Data= 31.8

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 1 decimal place, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which phase overruns most often?

Data collection, because recruitment, ethics amendments and access negotiations are outside the researcher's control.

Should phases run sequentially?

Literature review and writing can overlap with everything else. Only analysis genuinely depends on data collection finishing.

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