A thesis proposal is a comprehensive outline of the research path you plan to take for your thesis. It is basically a blueprint of how your thesis will be constructed. The thesis proposal will be submitted to your academic institution’s advisory committee as part of your candidacy for your advanced degree program.
Thesis Proposal Writing Tips
Your main focus for writing a thesis proposal is to look good in the eyes of the committee so that you are accepted into the degree program. This is why it is very important that your proposal is well-researched, well-written, and properly formatted with correct citations and referencing. Your proposal needs to be in top quality form.
Common Thesis Proposal Form
Your thesis proposal should consist of at least seven components, which are the: (1) topic and summary; (2) problem, question or hypothesis; (3) research purpose and significance of prior research; (4) research methodology; (5) potential research limitations; (6) potential research outcomes; and (7) proposed thesis chapters.
- Topic and Summary – Your topic and summary should be presented in the form of a hypothesis question or a clarified and precise statement.
- Problem, Question, or Hypothesis – Here you need to explain any challenges for which to aim at finding solutions. This segment focuses on the ‘what’, ‘why’, ‘how, ‘when,’ ‘where’, and ‘who’ of the research.
- Research Purpose and Significance of Prior Research – This section gives an indication of the reason the research is being conducted and explains how the research will justify its significance. This is partially done by examining previous studies on the topic and their findings and recommendations.
- Research Methodology – This section outlines the proposed methods to be used for planning the research. It is the approach of how the research will be carried out. This should be highlighted with complete information on the methodology that will be used, such as questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, or blind studies. Also, the type of research should be noted (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, descriptive). This section should also describe what types of questions, experiments, tools, instruments, procedures, and data collection methods will be used.
- Potential Research Limitations – This section focuses on what the study cannot do because of any factors that may limit its purpose which may compromise study findings.
- Potential Research Outcomes – This is an assessment of how valid the research topic is. There could potentially be positive and negative associations among factors that could lead to specific outcomes.
- Proposed Thesis Chapters – This section should include a detailed outline of the chapters you plan to use in your thesis.
This is a general guide for writing a suitable thesis proposal for submission to the advisory committee at your academic institution. Do you need quality thesis proposal help from experts? Just contact our thesis writing service Writing-Expert.com.