How to Write a Dissertation Proposal

How to Write a Dissertation Proposal

You only do this once – write that dissertation proposal. And the frustrating part of this proposal is that your advisor and committee seem to have some need to reject it the first time it is submitted. Will always be asking for changes or additions. If you want to beat them at this game, then you need to take the following advice on how to write a dissertation proposal from expert Ph.D.’s who have written many for students just like you.

What You Must Include

There are very specific things that must be included in a dissertation proposal. These facets are divided into sections, each titled accordingly.

1. The Research Question. Before you begin writing your proposal, you have to have selected a general topic area and then a very specific question for your research. Usually, you and your advisor have discussed the question, and your task for the proposal is to frame it in scholarly wording, being as specific as possible.
2. Justification. You have to prepare a short section that speaks to the worthiness of your research. To do this, you will have conducted some initial research and have found a gap that needs to be studied or earlier studies that should be further validated or refuted by additional study. The point is you will need to show that your research will contribute something worthwhile.
3. Statement of Objectives. What do you hope to accomplish by your research? Be very specific.
4. Research Design. While you may not have all of the details of your study formulated yet (e.g., instruments you intend to use), you will need to present a general design. For example, will your study be qualitative or quantitative? Will you use control and experimental groups? Matched pairs? Will you use a random sampling? What data will you gather? And how will you analyze that data in order to determine statistical significance?
5. A Timeline. Dissertation proposal writing must include an initial timeline for completion of each chapter, your research implementation, and final submission. While this is not carved in stone, your committee wants to see that you have developed a projected completion date with benchmarks along the way.

Getting Approval the First Time

It is unusual for doctoral candidates to have their proposals fully approved during the first submission. There are usually some details that committee members may want to be further clarified. However, many are approved the first time through, and yours can be too. You have to really understand what is a dissertation proposal, the essential elements that must be included, and you have to present all of the elements well.

Once that approval is obtained, you have to then begin the task of production. If you are not really certain how to write a dissertation, or any portion of it, then you will want to seek some professional advice and consultation. You can find dissertation writing service at TrustedDissertation.com, where Ph.D. academicians in all fields are ready to help doctoral candidates.