If you are a master’s or Ph.D. student, then before beginning your dissertation or thesis writing process, you should first write a dissertation proposal. The dissertation proposal is a kind of document that defines the research direction, reveals the significance of the research, and outlines the methodology for further investigation. In case, you have no idea how to write a dissertation proposal, keep on reading this blog post. Here, we have explained everything about dissertation proposals and the essential tips for writing a strong dissertation proposal.
What is a Dissertation Proposal?
A dissertation proposal is a plan that describes the research you want to perform, the purpose of the research, and the ways or methods to conduct that research. In simple, it is a plan for your future thesis that will show you how to reach your targets. The main aim of the dissertation proposal is to prepare you for the academic writing process.
The dissertation proposal will not provide any results but instead, it will describe the procedures that will help you attain those results. Also, it will explain what you will receive after achieving the research goals.
Generally, the dissertation proposal will include the following.
- The plot of the thesis
- Issues to be examined
- References to the background
- Methods and techniques to apply
- The potential outcome of the experiment
Learn How to Write a Dissertation Proposal
When drafting a dissertation proposal, you should first consider the requirements. The research theme you have selected should be concise and narrow enough to permit you to cover the main idea of what you are going to investigate. The paper must contain the data for research and the methods used to study those data.
If you are asked to write a dissertation proposal, then this is what you should follow step-by-step.
- Firstly, choose a research topic or idea.
- Secondly, in the introduction section, present your idea.
- Thirdly, explore related research in the literature review.
- Fourthly, explain the research methodology.
- Next, describe the research’s potential implications.
- Finally, compose a reference list or bibliography.
Tips for Writing a Dissertation Proposal
In the beginning, always think about the structure before you initiate your composing process. Then, realize what chapters or sections to include and focus separately on any certain part after dividing the entire paper into several parts.
Go through the issue or research problem thoroughly and identify a relevant title that highlights the matter of investigation. The title should be short and catchy. Next, refer the scientific journals or books to find the solutions to the issues. Always mention the source, whenever you use other authors’ ideas.
When writing the dissertation proposal, use future tense as the research has not been undertaken. Never write the statement exactly as it is used, instead just rephrase the statement. In the dissertation proposal, clearly explain your investigation method, the data you are planning to gather and work with, and the technique you intend to apply.
Sometimes, the dissertation proposal may vary in terms of structure and length. So, whenever you are asked to create a dissertation proposal, make sure to check and follow the guidelines as given by your institution or supervisor.
Key Components of a Dissertation Proposal
The dissertation proposal has a common structure that includes the following essential elements or components.
- Introduction
- Aims and Objectives
- Literature Review
- Methodology
- Research Implications or Constraints
- Bibliography or Reference list
Here, let us look in detail at each component of the dissertation proposal.
Introduction
It focuses on the main issues of the research, speaks about the subject’s background, and reveals the importance of the paper. Additionally, it also defines the subject of study and lists the scientists who are involved in that domain. In specific, the introduction informs the readers whether the paper is a review and examination of existing literature, involves any data, or considers the questionnaires.
Aims and Objectives
Presenting the aims and objectives is the most important part of dissertation proposal writing. The aim should briefly describe what you are planning to achieve, why you want to achieve it, and how you will achieve it. Mainly, in this part, you should interpret the primary tasks and the methods used to attain the outcomes. Also, you should explain the goals that you wish to achieve at the end of the investigation and predict the effects of the study.
Literature Review
This section lists the literature publications used during the research and comments on gaps and problems in the study. All the scholarly writing mentioned here should be up-to-date and relevant to the research topic. Writing a literature review is significant because it focuses on the former investigation done on the research topic, gives awareness of the issue, and improves the ability to analyze the research materials. Also, it boosts the existing knowledge of the topic. Use paraphrasing to write the literature review concisely.
Methodology
It describes the methods that are used to analyze the data and the procedures for collecting those data. In this part, you should describe each method and explain why the methods are chosen for research. Your study will be empirical if you collect and describe the data. However, it will be non-empirical if you plan to perform research based on the already published academic projects or papers.
Research Implications or Constraints
It describes the contribution to the knowledge of the dissertation along with the projected implications. In particular, it focuses on the intended result of the research and the practical or theoretical impact it creates. Finally, this part should briefly conclude by restating the contribution to knowledge.
Bibliography or Reference List
It references all the sources that you have used. At the end of the proposal, you must include a properly formatted references list or bibliography. A reference list includes the sources that are cited in the dissertation proposal. A bibliography includes every source that was not mentioned in the text but was consulted while preparing the proposal.
For reference, each institute uses different reference styles such as APA, MHRA, Vancouver, or Harvard. So, before preparing the dissertation proposal, check with your supervisor and get to know about the type of bibliography or reference list to be followed.
Conclusion
By now, you will have gained a better comprehension of dissertation proposal writing. If you want to write a winning dissertation proposal, then make sure to follow the guidelines suggested above. In case, you experience difficulties with writing a dissertation proposal, call us immediately.
