Proposal Writing

2.1 Introduction

After choosing the dissertation topic, the next important thing is writing the dissertation proposal. The dissertation itself—possibly the most formidable writing work you will complete—is partly shaped by the dissertation proposal, making it crucial. Writing a dissertation proposal usually helps you gain a solid basis for their dissertation and a decent pattern to adopt. Passing in graduate school largely depends on your dissertation because it significantly affects your final grade. You can gain research and presentation skills by completing your dissertation, which can be helpful in your future career and job achievements. As mentioned in module 1, for you to write an excellent dissertation, you should ensure that they are thoroughly informed on the most recent studies. These studies are accessible in your selected and proposed research.

A dissertation proposal offers a description of the research that you have chosen to conduct. What is expected of you? When writing a dissertation proposal, you are supposed to clearly show what the research entails. It gives a detailed breakdown of what the research will contain. It also shows how you anticipate conducting your study and why it is essential. The initial part of developing a dissertation proposal entails planning its structure. Dissertation proposals have high variance based on the expected length and methodology. However, a dissertation proposal should generally contain the following:

• An introduction expounding on the research topic and the objectives of the study.
• A detailed literature review showing what other scholars have found in the field of study.
• An outline showing the methodology set to be used during the study.
• A section discussing the probabilities that the research may unlock. This section outlines the hypothesis and the likely results of the study.
• A bibliography showing the materials used to inform the research.

Dissertation proposals act as the table of content for the entire research. When writing a dissertation proposal, you will still need to figure out everything regarding their study. Topics and research questions may change slightly afterward. However, the proposal remains relevant since it sketches how the dissertation should be outlined. Writing a proposal helps you to identify the direction of your dissertation. While placing the publications that may offer important information on your topic of choice, it is crucial to keep track of the publications by noting down the following details:

• The title of the publication
• The author or body of researchers that took part in the dissertation.
• The topics of the chapters embedded in the publication.
• The number of pages of the research paper
• The URL link that directs one to the publication
• The publisher of the dissertation

Conducting extensive research is essential since it helps you become more acquainted with your topic of choice and narrow down on some of the most critical areas of study. Also, conducting prior research helps build a comprehensive literature review, a fundamental part of the dissertation. While surveying to point out the most useful sources to use in your dissertation, key aspects to consider include the following:

• When was the research carried out? Is the study conducted still relevant when you write your dissertation?
• Is it possible to determine whether the methodologies used to conduct the research could have been utilized better than they did?
• Were there any moral and ethical issues arising from their research that should be considered when conducting future research on the same field of study?
• Were there any external events at the time of study that could have influenced the findings of the study?

2.2 Importance of a Dissertation Proposal

Writing a dissertation proposal is a vital process that prepares you for the entire dissertation writing process. The dissertation proposal works as an in-depth essay outline. It offers you the guide that you intend to use while writing their dissertation. The initial dissertation proposal is bound to experience changes throughout the dissertation process. AT some point in your research, you may add some objectives or delete a few things outlined in the proposal based on your findings. In other cases, you may need help finding the necessary evidence to support your initial topic or viewpoint. As such, the research questions may also change. The dissertation proposal proves that you have a robust understanding of your topic of study. You should also show the need to conduct further studies in that field despite the research documented by other scholars on the same topic. The proposal should demonstrate the justification of the study and the contribution you intend to make in that field.

One of the simplest ways to write a dissertation proposal is to review the class course material issued by the lecturer and review all the previous assignments issued during the class period. You are expected to identify concepts that your feel would be interesting to research. In other cases, researchers that have conducted a previous study in your field of interest suggest that further research needs to be done in that field.

TIP: When writing a dissertation proposal, you should show that you can attribute much value to the publications you may have chosen to inform your research project. This will present a deep engagement with a wide range of literature, and you could gain a lot of marks in your dissertation.

2.3 Outline of a Dissertation Proposal

Regardless of its structure, a dissertation proposal is made up of essential aspects. What are some of the main parts of a dissertation proposal?

2.3.1 An Introduction

The introduction of the dissertation proposal gives the core research question(s). A successful introduction should provide a background of the field of study you have chosen to pursue. While shedding light on the topic of study, the introduction should show the relationship between your field of research and other fields. The introduction should be precise on the issue that your research will address. In many cases, the introduction outlines the rest of the dissertation proposal. It shows what will be contained in each of the other parts of the proposal.

2.3.2 Dissertation Methodology

The methodology of the dissertation is determined and documented in the proposal. The dissertation methodology outlines the materials and publications that you intend to use while writing your dissertations. It also shows the type of data you plan to collect, whether qualitative or quantitative. In other cases, the dissertation methodology also explains how you plan to analyze the data collected and the biases that may be present in the chosen method. Based on the level of detail that the dissertation requires, you may need to prove why the chosen methodology would be more appropriate than other methods. While writing a dissertation proposal, the methodology should outline how you intend to perform the empirical research. You should also give details on the method used to collect information.

Will the research use questionnaires, laboratory experiments, interviews, or surveys to conduct the empirical research? Also, the dissertation methodology should clearly show the dependent and independent variables that will be measured in the primary dissertation. The methodology should also highlight how you will collect your data and the control sample used as the datum of your research to ensure that present valid findings in your study. Additionally, the dissertation methodology should outline whether any specific external tools would be employed in the research depending on the method and approach taken.

2.3.3 Aims and Objectives of the Dissertation

While writing the dissertation proposal, the research aims and objectives are essential to incorporate. Outlining the purpose and goals of the research proposal helps to reveal the reason for conducting the research. It dissolves doubts and claims that may implicate you as having other selfish reasons. This part outlines what you seek to achieve with the study. It also shows the expected results of the main dissertation. In most cases, you may need to clearly state the study’s main objectives and outline the plan that will be used to get the result and findings of the study. The aims and objectives of the study should be streamlined between too broad and too specific. For example, “To examine the key content features and social contexts that construct successful viral marketing content distribution on Facebook.” This aim is not as broad or generalized compared to “To examine how things go viral on Facebook.” The aims and objectives of the dissertation proposal should be connected to the main dissertation’s research question(s).

2.3.4 Literature Review

The literature review is another crucial component of the dissertation proposal. It outlines the publications and research materials you used while researching the field of study. In this section, you are expected to list the title of the sources used, give an overview of the research conducted, and share research outcome. Most of these sources offer a solid background on the specific topic of interest. The publications are referred to throughout the writing of the primary dissertation. When writing a literature review, you should show the relationship between the research done by other scholars and how they will influence the intended study. You should also show how the methodologies were utilized by other researchers and whether the methods used would differ from those you have chosen in their main dissertation. Also, you are expected to outline how valuable the research carried out by other scholars would be to your study. By analyzing literature from other researchers, you can point out errors or shortfalls that may have arisen in their research and what you suggest should be done to avoid making similar mistakes in their primary dissertation.

2.3.5 Limitations of the Research

Towards the end of the dissertation proposal, you may include the limitations of their research. In this section, you are expected to set of your research since many of the topics may connect to other broader fields of study. Setting boundaries for the research helps you to narrow down your research on the core topic and answer the specific research question(s) set without deviating too much from the primary goal of the study. In this section, you may also outline the possible limitations and hindrances you could experience while conducting your research and writing the main dissertation. Some of these limitations include the possibility of participants abandoning the research, limited evidence in the field of study to inform the research, and constraints of research durations.

2.3.6 Ethical Issues

In writing a dissertation, one of the most critical parts is ethical considerations. While working with participants, ethical concerns should be thoroughly adhered to since the dissertation may need to be approved and meet moral and ethical standards. This makes it essential to explain ethical concerns while writing the dissertation proposal. Keeping confidentiality with the participants in the research is vital. You are expected to inform the participants on how their personal information will be handled and used during the study. Also, the dissertation proposal should outline how the data collected for the research would be used, stored, and disposed. All members participating in research at any level, regardless of whether they are directly engaged as participants or not, must be informed about the study’s goals and how their “input” will be incorporated and utilized in your final publication.

Individuals should be informed of their part, be conscious of precisely what is required of them, and understand the dangers associated with it. Two intelligent approaches to help ensure you have addressed all the basics would be to prepare a consent form and to give them a “fact sheet” with all the necessary information. The confidentiality of the participating member and their anonymity are essential components of research involvement. It is your responsibility to take all reasonable steps to prevent participant identification in your project and safeguard their data while it is in your custody. Employing identities like “Person A” and “Person B” when documenting the dissertation and labeling the recordings can be helpful. For instance, interviews conducted on a face-to-face arrangement may require a high level of confidentiality concerns compared to collecting data from existing documents.

2.3.7 Timeframe

While writing the dissertation proposal, you are expected to outline the estimated time that the research is expected to take. Based on the preference of their supervisors, you may deliver your work on a chapter-by-chapter arrangement. In other cases, you may hand in your research before beginning to document it in the required structure. While estimating the time frame for the study, you should ensure that you are realistic and allocate yourself enough time for the work. Suppose there are problems that you may encounter during your research that may affect the set time frame. In that case, communication should be made to the supervisor with evidence of the issues faced to allow for a time extension.

2.3.8 Conclusion

Based on the institution’s instructions, some dissertation proposals may not require a conclusion. However, it is a good that you conclude the recommendation with a reminder of the topic of research chosen and the type of study you intend to conduct. It is also essential for you to outline the expected outcome of the study. For example:

“I have chosen to investigate the relationship between ___ and ___ since I believe that proving a positive correlation would have serious implications for ___, and that carrying out further qualitative research in this area will be integral to improving understanding. After having identified the limitations of previous studies in this field, I have worked on producing a methodology that will avoid these same pitfalls and predict that the research will portray a strong enough relationship between the two factors to encourage further scholarship.”

In the example above, the first sentence gives a clear explanation of what you are researching, and a supporting statement strengthening the argument. The example gives the possible implications of the study that support the reason for conducting the research. Further, you should acknowledge that there are a few limitations to the study as shown in the example. However, you should also mention that the approach used to handle the research would guarantee accurate results. This triggers confidence and the reader can trust the outcome of the dissertation despite the shortcomings. 

2.3.9 Length of the Dissertation Proposal

A dissertation proposal ranges from 1000 to 2000 words. It is a clear outline of the dissertation topic, the research questions that should be answered during the study, and the kind of sources and data that you target to use in your research. It also outlines the analytical method and methodologies you seek to employ to arrive at your desired findings. Dissertation writing is done across a wide range of courses. As a result, the length of the dissertation proposal may vary. Also, the proposal’s requirements may vary based on the field of study. Dissertation proposals range from technical to non-technical dissertations. While writing the dissertation, you are expected to always check the specific needs of your dissertation proposal with your institution and department. Also, you should maintain a close relationship with your supervisors throughout their proposal. It is essential to always ask for guidance and follow the instructions issued by your supervisor to earn a good grade. The supervisor is committed to ensuring that all the necessary information needed to write an excellent dissertation is well conveyed and understood and that all precautions must be covered have been communicated in due time.