Thesis Proposal

Don’t Minimalize the Thesis Proposal

One of the things that surprises students as they prepare for their theses and dissertations is the overwhelming importance of getting the proposal correct. In fact, many are shocked by the number of revisions they must make to that proposal before they can obtain approval and even begin to get at the “meat” of their projects!

Whether a grad student is preparing to produce a Master’s thesis or a doctoral dissertation, the initial proposal will have the same components. So, for purposes of this text, thesis proposals and a Ph.D. thesis proposal will be treated interchangeably. The important point is this: the proposal is the first piece that your advisor/committee will see from you, and impressions are important. Your proposal must be a scholarly work that demonstrates you know exactly how you intend to proceed with your project. And if you are feeling anxious about this task, you may want to let the pros at TrustedDissertations.com give you some help.

The Components of a Solid Research Proposal

In general, the proposal is a plan of action and must include the scope of your project, your research question/hypothesis, your proposed research design and methodology, and a prediction of what you believe will be the significance of your research. Further, you must point to some gap in knowledge that your research will fill, because this justifies your research question. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the how a good thesis proposal writing should flow.

Title: While this might seem humorous to some, the title for a dissertation or thesis proposal will really be a brief statement of what you intend to research. It is not supposed to be short and catchy. Titles are actually rather long, as evidenced by those that you may have read on title pages of theses and dissertations.

Abstract: Some departments will want an abstract; others will not. The abstract is a brief piece (100-350 words) summarizing your research questions, the background of your study and your methods and procedures. Sometimes, it is best to wait until the proposal has been written before preparing the abstract.

Introduction: This is just as the “title” says – you will introduce your research question, generally summarize previous research conclusions in the topic area, and then provide the scope of your specific research. Like the abstract, it is sometimes best to wait until the end before formulating the introduction.

Problem Statement: If there is not a problem, there is no reason to conduct research. Here, you must identify and explain a gap that exists in the existing research that justifies your question and hypothesis. Failure to have this gap clearly defined and explained will make writing a thesis proposal difficult and will result in the proposal being returned for revision.

Purpose/Rationale: You need to fully explain the goal of your research and how it will differ from previous research. And this is the section in which you must justify the importance of what you are studying. You will also need to discuss the specifics that will NOT be included in your research, so there are no mis-understandings on the part of your advisor/committee.

Review of Literature: this is in no way to be confused with the lengthy literature review that will be included in your final work. Here, you will briefly summarize the literature that you have studied thus far and the general conclusions of that research. You should refer to specific research and researchers, but summarize is the key word here.

Methodology: This section explains your research design and methodology. You do not have to have all of your instruments ready and included.

Significance: What do you believe will be the importance of your research? How will it contribute to the body of knowledge in your field? If you cannot specify this, you are not ready for your project.

Timeline for Your Work: While your feet will not be “held to the fire” over your self-imposed deadlines, a timeline demonstrates to your advisor/committee that you have spent time organizing your work load and have a realistic understanding of what is involved.

What to Do if You are Struggling

While grad students preparing to begin their theses and dissertations have very clear ideas of their research questions and methodologies, translating all of that into writing thesis proposal documents that are well structured and scholarly often becomes a large issue. If this sounds like your current problem, or if your proposal has been returned for revision, then it is time to secure a Ph.D. expert at TrustedDissertations.com. Having a personal writer with whom you can discuss your project goals and then allowing this expert to translate that into a perfectly written thesis proposal not only impresses your advisor/committee but also helps you to clarify all of your thoughts and objectives. Our Ph.D.’s who, as a team, cover all academic fields of study, write thesis proposal works on a regular basis, and we will give you a writer perfectly suited for the task.

You are anxious to get on with your project. Don’t allow this preliminary step to slow you down – contact TrustedDissertations.com!