I have a proposal to make
Author: Kathy Bell
Published on: June 1, 1999
When you have to write an undergraduate essay, you
usually complete roughly three steps: planning, researching,
and then writing. A thesis or dissertation can seem
endless in comparison, since there are so many steps
("hoops" to the more cynical!) to complete.
In earlier columns we discussed the formation of
the thesis committee. Together with these people you
will be starting your research career by putting together
a formal proposal, sometimes called a prospectus.
Most simply stated, a proposal is a formal research
plan that demonstrates to the scholarly community
that you have a meaningful idea that can be researched
and written up within a reasonable period of time.
It shows that you have a good understanding of the
field, and that you are able to address a gap in the
current state of the art. As well, you must show that
you are familiar with suitable research methodologies,
such as data collection. If you are in an area of
research involving human subjects, your proposal must
demonstrate sensitivity to the effects of your study
on your subjects, as well as a willingness to comply
with the ethical regulations of your institution.
A research proposal can seem like a huge research
paper itself, and can take a surprisingly long time
to put together. You should expect to write several
drafts of this paper before it is finally approved
by all your committee members, who will certainly
make suggestions (sometimes a frustrating quantity
of them, too). However, most graduate students will
testify that a clear and well-laid-out plan can save
many precious weeks of data collection time later
on. Your thesis will take long enough as it is; careful
and informed planning will help you avoid wasting
time by making needless mistakes or duplicating others'
research problems.
Keep in mind, too, that proposal writing is a necessary
part of a scholarly career. Unless you are personally
wealthy and can finance your own lab (sure!), you
will in the future be looking for funding through
private or institutional sources. Writing a convincing
proposal is a valuable skill in an academic world
where the competition for research dollars are becoming
increasingly heavy.
Here is a list of informative links regarding thesis
and dissertation proposals. Reading these will give
you a general sense of what is expected in a proposal,
but always make sure you know what your particular
department or faculty requires. Often there is paperwork
to be completed, and your proposal might have to be
submitted in a particular format. Check with your
advisor or supervisor if you aren't sure.
http://www.canr.msu.edu/aee/dissthes/guide.htm
http://thuban.ac.hmc.edu/www_common/writing/centweb/diss.htm
http://acm.cs.byu.edu/grad-info/old/grad-hb.bak/backup/node43.htm
http://www.tamu.edu/researchandgradstudies/Graduate
Studies/PLANNING/PROPOSAL/proposal.htm
http://edpa.coled.umn.edu/StudentHandbook/PhD_handbook/phd12.htm
© Kathy Bell 1999
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