What To Do Before Beginning A PhD / Research Masters

[Prophecies]

Hello everyone! 

I was originally planning to apply for an M.A (Research) at an Australian university next year in Russian history. But I've decided to take a year out for work experience, travel (going to Turkey!), work on languages, maybe visit some archives for the first time etc. I have a topic I'd like to study (Theologies of War in the Post-Soviet Russian Orthodox Church - I hope it's okay for me to share my current research focus here) and have drafted a research proposal. So, I'll apply to begin Graduate Research in January, 2024. That's quite some time away - so I've begun to write and take digital notes from relevant books that interest me and see what suitable primary sources are out there (for example, I looked at the Petit Palace, Florence's collection of Early Russian Orthodox Icons from the 18th century). But is there anything else I should do? Are there any advantages in reading and notetaking at this stage? (beyond improving the proposal). I have time to spare next year, and I'd like to make the most of it to assist my eventual research degree. 

The Masters thesis is 37,000 words (max) and there is an opportunity to 'upgrade' it into a PhD (I'm unsure about my path yet). Please note that Australian Research Masters / Phds have very, very limited coursework. 

Thanks for any tips!