A Dissertation Proposal

A dissertation proposal refers to research an individual wants to do. It describes what it is all about, how to conduct it, and its value. As a postgraduate or undergraduate student, one would probably need to write a proposal before starting their dissertation. A dissertation proposal generally includes an introduction, literature review, methodology, research implications, and bibliography.

Coming up with an idea

Before writing a proposal, one must come up with a brilliant idea for their dissertation. The writer should find a field that suits them and do preliminary research in the area. Once an idea has been generated, one should consider how to streamline and frame it. Additionally, a dissertation topic should not be too ambiguous but specific for it to be feasible.

Introduction

A dissertation proposal begins with an introduction, just like many academic texts. The research topic is introduced, some background information is provided, and objectives, aims, and research questions are presented. A writer should directly dive into their chosen topic. What is the importance of the research topic? What makes it interesting?

Literature review

When the research topic is clear, existing research describing similar ideas is then explored. The exploration is important because it highlights what other researches in the study topic missed. It also ensures that the researcher is not answering research questions that previous researchers had answered. The most relevant sources need to be thoroughly evaluated and analyzed when the research topic is clearly defined. The analysis summarizes findings made by other researchers and addresses gaps in their studies. The literature review should identify theories and findings that can affect an individual’s research and highlight limitations and gaps of previous research addressed in the dissertation.

Methodology

The researcher will describe their proposed methodology. Methodology refers to methods a researcher will use to collect and analyze data. One needs to be specific in the methodology section and convince the supervisor that they’ve thought through the research approach and can practically conduct it. The section requires one to engage in empirical research and concentrate on data collection. The researcher will also attempt to develop new conceptual models or refine the existing ones. Additionally, theoretical research can be used where original data collection is not necessary.

Outlining potential research implications

A dissertation proposal should conclude with a section that discusses expected results the research can achieve. One cannot be too sure of the results or conclusions of the proposal. Therefore, projected implications should be discussed and how they contribute to the knowledge of a dissertation. The projected results are discussed, and their practical or theoretical impact is described. It is advisable to conclude by restating the intended contribution to knowledge, typical questions that can be answered, and the gap filled by the answers in existing knowledge.

Creating a bibliography

A dissertation proposal should effectively reference all sources used, like any academic text. A properly formatted list of references or bibliography should be included at the end of the proposal. The reference list should only include the sources cited in the proposal. However, a bibliography differs slightly in that every consulted source in the preparation of the proposal can be included. For a dissertation proposal, a bibliography may include relevant sources that one intends to use during the actual research. Commonly used referencing styles include Harvard, APA, Vancouver, and MLA.