When you are about to complete your master’s or Ph.D. degree program you need to write a dissertation or thesis. But before starting on your dissertation, you first have to write a compelling research proposal, also known as a dissertation proposal.
The dissertation proposal is a difficult but crucial first step toward writing your final dissertation paper. To make sure your proposal gets accepted by your supervisor, you have to put extra effort into it. Your proposal should be one-of-a-kind, setting the tone for your research and assisting you in developing a clear plan for your final product.
For that, you need to conduct deep research first and then present your unique ideas based on the research. This procedure might be difficult for many students, especially those who are conducting research for the first time. But smart students who know how to utilize the modern-day writing techniques and services for their benefit, pass this challenging phase of their academic career with flying colors.
You can also be among those smart students who are always favored by everyone (professors, employers, and classmates). All you have to do is to either follow the tips we’ve provided in this blog or take help from our cheap dissertation writers. Don’t worry, the word cheap here doesn’t employ low quality, it simply means easy on the pocket.
Why Is The Dissertation Proposal Important?
If you are taking your dissertation proposal lightly, you are making a big mistake. A dissertation proposal is important because it helps in the development of the dissertation itself, which is likely the most essential piece of writing you will complete in your degree program.
A dissertation proposal helps prepare you for your final dissertation writing process which will then determine your final grades. If you create a well-structured dissertation proposal, you will have a strong basis for your dissertation and a decent pattern to follow. If done correctly, the dissertation proposal will make the process of writing your dissertation much less intimidating. Just like an in-depth essay plan, it will give you a direction for writing the major body of your final dissertation paper.
Tips To Write Your Dissertation Proposal
Here are 8 tips from professional academic writers to help you write an outstanding research proposal for your dissertation. Don’t forget to apply these tips or you might regret it later!
1. Identify Your Study Area
Start working on your proposal by reading around your subject field. It will help you select the topic (also known as a dissertation title), which will be the first step in your dissertation proposal writing procedure. It may appear straightforward, but picking what to investigate can be a difficult issue for some.
You can begin by going over all of the study material you have including lecture slides, notes, and assignments. Then, examine relevant papers and articles until you come up with a clearer idea.
When something piques your interest, try to figure out whether there is anything, in particular, you can add value to. Like filling a research gap in previous publications or providing a solution for a problem. Once you’ve decided on your dissertation topic, be sure it’s relevant to your field of study.
2. Make Your Topic Specific
Your topic mustn’t be too broad, otherwise, you may have difficulty formulating research questions and composing your dissertation proposal.
To narrow down a broad topic, develop some research questions related to your topic and then do your research on them. The more research you conduct, the easier it becomes to figure out what should be the focus of your dissertation topic.
If you are still confused, start seeking further information about your selected topic outside of your course materials. Begin by reading everything that appears to be relevant. Look for an area that needs an update or more investigation, for example, you discover that the papers on a particular issue related to the topic are outdated. In this case, you can conduct the study or run an experiment to see whether or not those publications are still correct.
3. Follow A Timeline, Make A Plan
Give some time to figure out how much time each task of your dissertation plan will take. Like selecting the topic, doing your research, writing your proposal, and then proofreading and editing, you need to have a clear idea about the time required for each of these steps.
Depending on your deadline, create a detailed plan. By following your plan, you should be able to complete all the required steps days before the final submission. Making a plan and then sticking to it will also help you remain focused on your research and writing phase and you’ll be able to develop a detailed and compelling proposal.
4. Keep Your Goals In Mind
While researching your already selected topic, keep in mind what exactly you have to figure out. Find answers to these questions in your research. Did I choose the right topic? Why did I choose this topic? What questions do I need to answer? What makes my dissertation proposal unique?
Remember, your proposal aims to convince your research supervisor or committee that your research is appropriate and is according to the requirements of your degree program. Also, you can complete this research within the provided time limit, by using the available resources.
Preparing your proposal should help you better determine the direction of your dissertation. It’s not meant to be the final step of your dissertation. In fact, it’s the first step. You might change your mind during your proposal writing research, and want to alter your topic. So it’s better to keep your focus to determine whether your choice of topic is right or you are using the right resources or not, instead of worrying about doing everything perfectly.
5. Keep Record Of Your Research
Don’t forget to make a list of all publications you use in your study. Keep adding every resource you’re using when you are doing your research, regardless of whether you use the research material in your proposal or not.
You can use these resources in your literature review. Also, you’ll need to include all of them in your bibliography later, so making a note of them now can save you time.
6. Highlight The Key Points Of Your Research
Unlike a final thesis or dissertation itself, proposal writing is not based on the final results you get after doing an experiment or applying a theory, instead, it is solely based on the research you have conducted so far.
You are definitely not sure about what your findings and conclusions will be. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to defend your dissertation proposal.
To increase the chances of acceptance of your proposal, you can talk about the key points of your research in the conclusion. Also, describe your dissertation’s expected ramifications and possible contribution to your area of study.
7. Follow The Proper Writing Structure
The dissertation proposal should be prepared by following the structure of the dissertation itself. We can consider it as a trailer for your final dissertation proposal. The following items should be included in your dissertation proposal:
- An introduction to the topic of your dissertation
- Your dissertation’s goals and objectives
- A review of the recent research in your field’s literature
- Your methodology
- Your research’s ramifications
- Your research’s limitations
- Bibliography
- Project timeframe
A dissertation proposal should cover all of the reading you’ve done up to this point, as well as any talks you’ve had with your supervisor. It should also describe any expected constraints in your research, and justifications for your data sample selection to protect you from bad reviews when your work is graded.
8. Get Feedback From Your Supervisor
After you’ve finished writing your proposal, set up a meeting with your supervisor to get feedback on it. You can then use their comments to make any necessary modifications before beginning your research and drafting the dissertation’s main body.
Keep in mind that writing your dissertation proposal is not the final stage of your dissertation. Throughout the dissertation process, it can and should be subject to a lot of changes. Your supervisor may suggest altering your original study question completely.
Or you’ll realize that there isn’t enough data to back up your initial claim, or that your chosen topic is too wide and requires more research.
Conclusion
Writing a dissertation all by yourself is tough. Your proposal explains not only how you intend to approach the problem, but also why it is important to do so, and what impact your dissertation may have on your area of research. There are high chances you get stuck during the process and can’t figure out how to proceed further. If any of such situations happen, don’t hesitate to take help from academic writing professionals. Even if you are short on budget, you can easily find excellent cheap dissertation help online.