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Dissertation Proposals – Taking Your First Step to Writing

dissertation proposal guide

A dissertation proposal is the first and the most important step to writing your dissertation. Most students face some difficulty with writing an impressive and effective dissertation proposal since they need to reflect a clear understanding of their subject and issue for developing a project which is entirely unique.

As such, a dissertation proposal should be written only when you have a clear idea of what your project will be like and how you plan to complete the process of research. Ideally, most dissertation proposals should be approximately 20 pages in length and should be written over a period of several months. The structure of a dissertation proposal should include the following parts:

  • Introduction – This section of your dissertation proposal will introduce your reader to the general idea which you will be writing in your dissertation. This section will also present the broader issues related to your field of study and will establish your work in the main framework. Your main research question will be indicated in this section.
  • The Problem Statement – This section of your dissertation proposal will include the basic issue and the particular questions related to the problem. You will also need to indicate clearly the contextual framework of the problems and how your dissertation will help in resolving the issue. 
  • The Conceptual Framework – This is the theoretical framework which will present the model of your dissertation. 
  • Methodology – This section of the dissertation proposal states the methods you will be using for the study. The methods used for the study should relate to the conceptual framework you have presented in the earlier section.
  • Bibliography and Appendices – In these sections of the dissertation proposal, you will include all the references used for the study in the appropriate citation style. The appendices section will include any surveys, drafts, questionnaires and pilot data you will be using for the study.
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