8 Things To Know About The Format Of A Dissertation Proposal

Not only do you have a dissertation to write, you also need to write a dissertation proposal. You may be wondering what this is. Well, the proposal is basically a brief description of what your thesis is about. Here are 8 things you need to know about the proposal’s format:

1. Begin by introducing the topic and your reasons for undertaking it. Briefly outline the problem, explain why it is worth exploring and describe the research you have conducted.
2. Next, state your aims and objectives for the thesis. What do you hope to achieve?
3. Now state what methodology you have used in researching and reporting the topic.
4. The Literature survey (also known as the Literature review) comes next. You should use a descriptive style that states the established theory and where there may be a gap in the current existing theory. This should help to put your own research into context.
5. Scope and constraints. This is basically stating your set boundaries for the thesis. It could be that there is too much information to cover everything, so you have had to impose limitations on the topic you are exploring.
6. Next, list the resources you will be using.
7. Now comes the outline of your sections and chapters.
8. Finally, list your references to demonstrate the extent of your research.

That is the basic outline for your proposal, but it is recommended that you look into the requirements further. Different subjects and different academic establishments may have different guidelines, so you need to be sure you know the requirements before you begin.

Similarly for the format style, you will need to know what your own university expects.

Your tutor should have already given you a handout with all the necessary details, or told you where to find them. Often, universities will publish their guidelines on their websites. If you are unable to find them or have any doubts, then make sure that you ask for help. There’s nothing worse than spending valuable time in creating your proposal only to find out that it isn’t to the required standards.

You will also be able to find more general advice on the web, but be sure to look at academic and trusted websites to know that you are getting the very best information.

It is also worth studying examples of dissertation proposals. You will be able to find plenty online and also in your campus library.