A Step By Step Guide To Writing A Dissertation Proposal

As an undergraduate or postgraduate student, you will have to write a dissertation proposal before you begin your dissertation. At first, it may seem overwhelming to write the proposal, but with time, you will find it easy. Some of the common questions that individuals ask themselves relate to structuring the dissertation proposal, and what to include in the paper and what not to. These questions have been answered in this article to enable you write an incredible paper.

It would help to touch on what a dissertation is before we go into details of a dissertation proposal. A dissertation just like an essay is a piece of academic writing. However, it differs from an essay in that you are tasked with deciding the research topic. The very first step of writing the proposal is choosing a topic referred to as a dissertation title. After deciding the topic you will write on, you need to formulate the research questions. This is where the dissertation proposal comes in. A dissertation proposal should have details of the research questions you intend to analyze and provide information of how you are going to do your research.

Importance of A Proposal

A dissertation proposal is beneficial in many ways. First, it helps prepare you for the writing process. If it is done properly, it can act as an essay plan, providing an essential guide that you can use once you start writing your dissertation. What’s more, it will give you have confidence to start writing your dissertation without being afraid. You should know that the proposal should be subject to changes throughout the dissertation writing process. It is possible for your research question to change entirely with time.

This may happen if you see the need to refine your topic and reduce its scope, or you may realize you lack sufficient evidence to support your initial argument. Either way, to ensure your proposal is great, you should schedule regular meetings with your supervisor, observe your college’s regulations, and note down all the sources of information you find during the research. There are differences in the lengths and structures of dissertation proposals. If you are unsure of anything, it is better to ask your supervisor for clarification, especially on the proposal’s structure.

As mentioned, before you write a dissertation, you have to come up with a dissertation proposal first, therefore you should know the crucial aspects to include in the proposal. The most important sections of the proposal are; an introduction to the research topic and objectives, a literature review of the existing knowledge on the topic, an outline of the proposed methodology, a discussion of the likely implications of the study, and a list of the relevant sources. Below is a detailed description of each section of a dissertation proposal.

Sections of A Dissertation Proposal

Introduction: This is the part where you should introduce your research topic. In this section, you should give background information of the subject area indicating the specific research you did on the topic. You also need to outline the main thesis and give reasons why you think research into that area is critical.
Main body: The main body of the proposal comprises the following subsections;

1. 1. 1. 1. Methodology.
      2. Aims and objectives.
      3. Literature review.
      4. Limitations.
      5. Ethical considerations.
      6. Timeframe.

- Methodology: The methodology chapter outlines the methods you will use to collect and process data. It is crucial to include what you are going to do during the research and how you are going to do it. For quantitative research, you will need to specify your scope of research, for example, the number of participants that will be involved, and a reference to the data source, questionnaire, or survey. In addition to this, you should also explain why you have chosen the methods of study and if they are specific to your topic and how.
- Aims and Objectives: Here, you are supposed to highlight the major issues in your research. Outline what it is that you want to achieve from the research and give the research questions that you intend to answer.
- Literature Review: In this section, you are allowed to present a great argument on the importance your research carries and connect it to similar existing studies. In the literature review chapter, you will also have to list down all the relevant sources you have used so far to conduct your research and explain how they have helped to shape your research and add value to it. You will show that you have adequately prepared for your dissertation proposal if you can place your research alongside other studies done in the past showing how they fill in the gaps or contribute to the general research in the field. If you have identified any flaws in the existing research, you should include it in this chapter and show how your dissertation will avoid them.
- Limitations: Part of writing an informative paper is recognizing the challenges that impose on your ability to carry out thorough research and present your findings. You can tell the reader of the space and time limitations you have to explain further issues encountered. Including this section in your proposal clearly shows you are familiar with the broad concepts relating to the subject matter.
- Ethical Considerations: In this section, you should lay out any ethical concerns relating to your work. Discuss if you have obtained permission from the participants to be included or interviewed in your research, and if not why.
- Timeframe: A dissertation proposal should have an estimated timeframe for delivery of the work to your supervisor. It may be on the bass of chapter by chapter, or you may start with the research to allow you perfect on it before you move to writing. When making the research schedule, ensure you are realistic.

Conclusion: Although it is not necessary to include a conclusion chapter in your dissertation proposal, it would be best to finish your document with a reminder of the reasons you chose your topic, the type of research you will be doing, and the expected results.