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/GraduateStudies/PLANNING/PROPOSAL/proposal.htm
http://edpa.coled.umn.edu/StudentHandbook/PhD_handbook/phd12.htm
© Kathy Bell 1999