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Wednesday 1 June 2011

Important Considerations in Submitting a Dissertation Proposal

A dissertation proposal is the first step in the dissertation writing process. It introduces and summarizes the author's research goals, proposed methods of investigation, and contains a detailed plan for testing the hypothesis. The dissertation proposal is then submitted to the university's dissertation committee for review. If the committee feels that the dissertation will contribute to your field of study based on your justifications and the relevance of the research, they will grant the student permission to proceed. The committee will also be able to alert you to potential problems at this stage. Otherwise, if the dissertation proposal is poorly written or lacking in details, the Dissertation Committee will likely ask for revisions or reject it altogether.



Dissertation writing demands a lot of planning, research and rewriting. Some students delay in submitting a dissertation proposal because they worry about the outcome of their research and the potential problems along the way. The proposal should, as accurately as possible, specify the major elements of the dissertation. The research will go more smoothly and it will be easier for the dissertation supervisor to provide effective guidance if the dissertation proposal you have submitted is thorough, clear and well-researched.

Ever dissertation proposal should include a clear research question, testable hypothesis, a detailed plan for testing the hypothesis, and appropriate research methods. The core of the dissertation proposal is a good topic that should be interesting and not too broad. The topic at hand should have pertinent literature which must be current and up-to-date in order for the proposal to clearly present the state of the subject of study with respect to the research question or problem. The list of related literature should be analysed and related to the research question instead of simply being listed and summarised.

Creating a long-term timetable for your dissertation is also invaluable. This will allow you to have more control in the pace of your work. However, do be practical about this timetable and allow yourself enough time to complete tasks and some extra time for contingency plans. If the dissertation writing does not proceed as planned, simply reorganise it. Flexibility is very important in dissertation writing.

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