Writing Thesis and

Dissertation Proposals
Research Proposal
 CHAPTER 1  Research Questions
 Title  Research Hypotheses
 Abstract (Quantitative study)
 Introduction  Significance
 Background  Research focus
 Problem Statement  Operational and
 Purpose/Aims Terms Definitions
 Research Objectives
Research Proposal
 CHAPTER 2
 Introduction
 Important concepts (important variables stated in
research questions)
 Related past research (important aspects stated
in research questions)
 Gaps that need to be filled in
 Theoretical framework (at least one theory for
each research variables
 Conclusion
Research Proposal
 CHAPTER 3  Instruments
 Introduction  Validity of the
 Research variables instruments
 Research design  Pilot study
 Population  Reliability of the
 Sample and sampling instruments
technique  Research Procedure
 Data collection methods  Data analysis
technique
CHAPTER 1
Creating a Working Title

 Orient your readers to your research topic.

 Indicate the type of study you will conduct.
 Indicate your main research variables

Examples:
 The effects of Contextual Teaching Method on
Form Four Students Conceptual
Understanding of Newtonian Physics and
Attitude towards Learning Physics
Abstract
 Provide a brief (100-350 word) overview of
the proposal
 Summarize important elements
(Introduction/Statement of the Problem,
Purpose, Methods, Findings and
Implication).
Introduction
 Indicate general scope of your study
 It should help the reader to acquaint with the topic
 The research scope should be stated in such a way that
it’s importance and relevance is realized by any one who
reads it
 Introduce research variables related to the scope of
study
 Introduction should be short about one or two pages
Background
 This section reflects extensive review of literature done
by the investigator
 In this section what is already known about the topic is
written including the lacunae
 Just quoting the literature verbatim will not serve the
purpose
 It is important to make it coherent, relevant and easily
readable knowledge
 It helps the investigator (and readers) to gain good
knowledge in that field of inquiry
Background
 Further explain research variables (refer to
research questions) that related to the scope of
research.
 Arrange the ideas properly
 Each paragraph should focus on one main
point/idea only
 Make sure that there is no gap between each
paragraph
 Engage the readers.
Statement of the Problem

 Answer the question:

 “Why this research needs to be carried out?”
 “What is the gap that needs to be filled?” and/or
 “What is the problem that needs to be solved?”
 State the problem clearly early in a paragraph.
 Further explain problems related to each
research variables stated in research questions
Statement of the Problem
 Support with reference (from previous research)
 Each paragraph should focus on one main point
only
 Arrange the ideas properly
 Each paragraph should focus on one main point
only
 Final paragraph: Based on these problems/gaps,
it is found that a research to …. Needs to be
carried out …
Purpose and Research Objectives

 Explain the goals of the study (general statement).

 List research objectives (specific statement) one
by one
Research Questions

 Write research hypotheses consistent with

research questions/objectives
 Use appropriate terms.
 Quantitative research: Is there any significant
difference in terms of attitude towards science
between students in control and experiment
groups.
 Qualitative research: What is the difference …..,
How can ….
Research Hypotheses

 Write research questions consistent with

research objectives
 Use appropriate terms.
 Use null hypotheses if there is an inconclusive
results from literature review on the aspect
studied
 Use alternative hypotheses if there is a
conclusive results from literature review on the
aspect studied
Significance of Study

 Elaborate the significance of study (in terms of

research findings) to:
 Students
 Teacher
 Institution
 Department of Education
 Stakeholders etc
Terms and Operational Definition

 Terms Definitions: Definition of research

variables by referring to any references such as
dictionary, books etc. Eg: According to ….
attitude toward science is ….
 Operational Definition: Definition of research
variables in the context of your own research.
Eg: In this research, attitude toward science is
defined as ….
Scope of Study

 Highlight the scope of your study.

 Eg: This study only focus on ….
 Instruments used only measure..
Conclusion

 Conclude/Summarize research problems,

objectives, significance etc
CHAPTER 2
Review of Literature
Writing the literature review allows you to understand:

 How other scholars have written

about your topic.
 The range of theories used to
analyze materials or data
 How other scholars connect their
specific research topics to larger
issues, questions, or practices within
the field.
 The best methodologies and
research techniques for your
particular topic.
Review of Literature:
Rhetorical Functions
 Situates the current study within a wider
disciplinary conversation.
 Illustrates the uniqueness, importance of
and need for your particular project.
 Justifies methodological choices.
 Demonstrates familiarity with the topic and
appropriate approaches to studying it.
An Effective Literature Review should

 Flesh out the background of your study.

 Critically assess important research trends or
areas of interest.
 Identify potential gaps in knowledge.
 Establish a need for current and/or future
research projects.
Tips on drafting a literature review
 Avoid “Smith says X, Jones says Y” literature
reviews.
 Avoid including all the studies on the subject.
 Avoid polemics, praise, and blame.
 Categorize the literature into recognizable topic
clusters:
 stake out the various positions that are relevant to
your project,
 build on conclusions that lead to your project, or
 demonstrate the places where the literature is lacking
Writing Literature Reviews: Key Point
 You are entering a scholarly
conversation already in progress. The
literature review shows that you’ve
been listening and that you have
something valuable to say.

 After assessing the literature in your

field, you should be able to answer the
following questions:
 Why should we study (further) this research
topic/problem?
 What contributions will my study make to
the existing literature?
Writing literature review
Introduction

 Indicate general scope of your literature review

Part 1: Review of important concepts/variables

 Every important concepts/variables (refer to your

research questions) need to be reviewed and
explained clearly.
 For every concept/variable, review it’s definition,
characteristics, history, importance etc
Part 2: Review of related past researches

 Refer to your research questions in chapter 1:

 Review past researches related to each
research questions stated
 For every past research report, review it’s
purpose, sample, research method, instruments,
findings, conclusion and implication.
 Review critically, also mention the strengths and
weaknesses of the research.
Part 3:Gaps that need to be filled in

 Indicate where are the gaps.

 Why these gaps exist?
 Why these gaps important to be looked into?
 How these gaps can be filled in?
 Etc
Part 4: Conceptual framework

 Review at least one theory related to each

research variable.
 Go find one theory that can bind all theories and
fits the research scope
 Explain conceptual framework with regard to the
research scope
Conclusion

 Conclude literature view

CHAPTER 3
Introducion

 Conclude literature view

Research variables

 Conclude literature view

Research Design

 Conclude literature view

Population, Sampling and Sampling Technique

 Conclude literature view

Data Collection Methods

 Conclude literature view

Instruments

 Conclude literature view

Validity of Instruments

 Conclude literature view

Pilot Study

 Conclude literature view

Reliability of Instruments

 Conclude literature view

Research Procedure

 Conclude literature view

Data Analysis Technique

 Conclude literature view

Methodology

 Introduce the overall methodological approach.

 Indicate how the approach fits the overall research
design.
 Describe the specific methods of data collection.
 Explain how you intend to analyze and interpret your
results (i.e. statistical analysis, theoretical framework).
 If necessary, provide background and rationale for
unfamiliar methodologies.
 Address potential limitations.
Tips on Drafting Methodology
 Break down your methodology into subsections.
 In the physical sciences, these sections may include subjects,
design, apparatus, instrumentation, process, analysis, etc.
 In the social sciences, these sections may include selection of
participants, interview process, profiles, interpretive and analytic
framework, methods of qualitative analysis, etc.
 In the humanities, these sections may include scholarly
research, archival research, theoretical orientation, etc.
 Remember that your methods section may also require
supporting literature.
 Anticipate and pre-empt the audience’s methodological
concerns.
 Acknowledge major problems.
 Justify your approach by showing how benefits outweigh
potential problems.
Methodology:
Example #1 (Social Science)

The research plan will proceed in two phases. During the first
phase, I will select a 60-household purposive sample, create
and test interview protocols, choose key informants, and train
a research assistant. . . . During the second phase, I will
conduct in-depth interviews with key informants and four
ethnographic interviews with each household in the sample. At
the end of the second phase, I will conduct a series of
experimental economic games to determine the norms of trust
and reciprocity in the community. . . . The research design has
several strengths. First, ethnographic study will yield data with
high internal validity about how responses to water scarcity
evolve over the wet-to-dry cycle (Kirk and Miller 1986).
Second . . . (After providing a rationale for the research
design, the author goes on to describe in detail the site
selection and methods of data collection and analysis).
Methodology:
Example #2 (Humanities)

My research draws on a three-tiered

methodological approach: close textual analysis
of primary source material; historical
contextualization of both primary documents and
broader socio-cultural framework through archival
research and secondary histories; and
interpretation of primary texts through theoretical
frameworks, including spatial theories and gender
studies. (Goes on to describe specific theoretical
frameworks).
Methodology:
Example #3 (Physical Sciences)

I am proposing two major analyses: 1) a comparison of simulated to

observed streamflow and soil moisture for the historical period as a
means of validating the hydrology of the VEMAP models, and 2) an
examination of how changes in the water balance affect species’
distributions over the entire simulation period, and vice versa. . . .
VEMAP Phase 2 model runs will cover two periods: (1) the baseline or
historical period from 1895-1993, and (2) a period of altered climate
inputs from 1994 through the end of the twenty-first century as derived
from three climate model experiments: i) The Canadian Centre for
Climate Modeling and Analysis . . . The nearly 100-year baseline period
will allow for the examination of multi-decadal variations that may be of
similar magnitude to the effects of climate change. (Goes on to describe
sources for historical data, and how the interaction between water
balance and species’ distribution will be measured).
Significance/Implications
 Discuss the methodological,
substantive, and/or theoretical
contribution.
 State the practical and/or theoretical
importance of the problem and/or
objectives of your study.
 Explain the usefulness or benefits of
the study to both the outside world
and the research community.
Significance/Importance: Example
My research on identity and development is innovative
because it brings together analysis of national
discourses about Indians with a study of the practices
and choices of the individual Indians whose identities are
at issue. I believe this research can be helpful to the
nation, development agencies, and indigenous
organizations as Bolivia works out what a multicultural
identity will mean for its people. I am particularly
committed to sharing the results of my analysis with the
Guaraní people with whom I work, in the hopes that my
work will not just be an extraction of truths, but will give
them information with which they can better control their
lives and resources.
Overview of Chapters
Overview of Chapters
 Some proposals include a sentence length
description of each chapter (i.e. chapter two
reviews relevant literature; chapter three
discusses the methodology).
 Other proposals include more in-depth reviews
of body chapters that might include major
hypotheses, arguments, methods, etc. for each
chapter.
Timeline/Plan of Work
Some things to keep in mind:
 Consult your advisor.
 Be aware of important dates for submitting and
defending dissertations.
 Do not be overly ambitious.
 Remember that your proposed timeline demonstrates
your awareness of the various elements of the study
(IRB approval, travel; design, testing, and length of
experiments; negotiation of entry into the study site;
purchase of necessary equipment; drafting;
redrafting).
Bibliography & Appendices
 Include a working bibliography of key texts
that inform your study and methodology.
 Your appendices may include Experiment
Diagrams, Permissions for Human Subject
Testing, etc.
 Both bibliographies and required
appendices tend to be discipline specific:
know what the requirements are.
More Proposal “Nuts and Bolts”
 Length
 Varies by field; most are roughly 20 pages,
but they can be much longer.
 Style Considerations
 Tone
 Coherence
 Voice
 Visual Aids
Style Considerations: Tone

 When conveying your attitude in

your writing:
 Try to strike a consistently confident
tone.
 Avoid an apologetic or arrogant tone.
Style Considerations: Coherence
 Move from “old” information to “new”
information.
 Put the most important information at the end of
the sentence (stress position).
 Keep the subject and verb together.
 Start sentences with short, easily understood
phrases.
 Use “stock” transitional phrases.
 Use pronouns and/or recycling.
Coherence: Example
Example: When rocks erode, they break down into
sediment—smaller pieces of rock and minerals. These
sediments may eventually travel in water to new sites such
as the sea or river beds. The water deposits the sediments in
layers that become buried and compacted. In time, the
sediment particles are cemented together to form new rocks,
known as sedimentary rocks. The layers of sediment in
these rocks are often visible without microscopes. (Lay et al.,
2000).
More “Nuts and Bolts”: Voice and
Visual Aids
Voice
 Active: I will conduct the bulk of the research during
the six-month fieldwork period.
 Passive: The bulk of the research will be conducted
during fieldwork.

Reasons to use Passive Voice:

 Your field may prefer its use, especially in describing
research design and experimental activities.
 You need to preserve coherence from sentence to
sentence.
Voice: Example (using passive
voice to create coherence)
Some astonishing questions about
the nature of the universe have
been raised by scientists studying
black holes in space. A Black Hole
is created by the collapse of a dead
star into a point perhaps no larger
than a marble. So much matter
compressed into so little volume
changes the fabric of space around
it in puzzling ways.
Visual Aids

 Incorporate charts, graphs,

diagrams, illustrations, etc.,
wherever possible,
permissible, or practical.
Entering the Academic Conversation
Creating a Research Space
 Move 1: Establishing a Territory
 Show centrality
 Review previous research
 Move 2: Creating a Niche
 Indicate a gap or extend previous knowledge
 Move 3: Occupying the Niche
 Outline purposes
 List Research Questions or Hypotheses
 Announce principle findings
 State value of research
 Preview structure of paper
The End

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