Thesis Research Roadmap Template (General)
Research roadmap in four phases (preparation, theory and method, implementation and validation, conclusion) from problem statement to conclusions and outlook. For proposals and dissertations; free PNG, Word and PowerPoint export.
Edit the text, pick a theme, export Word / PowerPoint / PDF
When to use it
Research proposals, the methodology chapter of a thesis or dissertation, and grant applications. Four phases are grouped in boxes stacked top to bottom, steps run left to right inside each phase, and a single arrow links one phase to the next: clear and plain, which is what most reviewers expect from a roadmap.
Making it yours
- Phase names are in the square brackets after
subgraph S1; step text can be edited by double-clicking in the preview. - Steps run horizontally thanks to
direction LRinside each subgraph; connect the phases themselves (S1 --> S2), because linking individual nodes across phases makes Mermaid ignore the inner direction. - Parallel work (for example theoretical analysis alongside an empirical study) goes into the same subgraph as two chains that merge into the next phase.
- Mark deliverables (proposal, interim report) with a rounded node
( )at the end of a phase. - Ink Teal is the default academic look; switch to Light before exporting for black-and-white printing.
Mermaid code
flowchart TB
subgraph S1[Preparation]
direction LR
A[Background and problem statement] --> B[Literature review] --> C[Research objectives and scope]
end
subgraph S2[Theory and method]
direction LR
D[Theoretical framework] --> E[Methods and tools] --> F[Research design]
end
subgraph S3[Implementation and validation]
direction LR
G[Data collection and processing] --> H[Modelling / experiments] --> I[Results and discussion]
end
subgraph S4[Conclusion]
direction LR
J[Conclusions] --> K[Contributions and limitations] --> L[Future work]
end
S1 --> S2 --> S3 --> S4Ask an AI for one with this structure
Send the prompt below to ChatGPT or Claude, then paste the whole reply into the editor; the code inside is detected automatically.
Draw a thesis research roadmap in Mermaid flowchart TB syntax with four subgraph phases: Preparation (background and problem statement → literature review → research objectives and scope), Theory and method (theoretical framework → methods and tools → research design), Implementation and validation (data collection and processing → modelling or experiments → results and discussion), Conclusion (conclusions → contributions and limitations → future work). Add direction LR inside each subgraph so the steps run horizontally, and connect the phases by their subgraph ids (for example S1 --> S2). Output only the mermaid code block.
FAQ
- Roadmap or research framework diagram?
A roadmap is ordered by steps and time ("what happens first"); a framework diagram shows logical relations between variables or modules. Proposals usually ask for a roadmap, which is what this template draws.
- The department wants a black-and-white figure
Switch to the Light theme and export the PNG with a solid background, which prints as black text and grey lines on white; or insert the SVG export into Word for unlimited print resolution.
- Can the phase label be moved?
Mermaid always places the subgraph title centred at the top of the box. If you want the phase name on the left, make it a separate node at the start of the chain.
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Updated 2026-09-05