What is a Research Proposal for a Thesis?
There are a lot of elements you need to get right in your research proposal. The proposal has to show that you have a clear structure for your research and a plan for how you want to carry it out. You need to show the reader that you are a confident academic writer and thinker, and that you know the conventions and expectations of your field. The next few months or even years of your academic life will be planned out in the proposal. That’s why it’s important to get it right the first time, and to include all of the parts that your supervisor and the committees or administrators who review your proposal will be looking out for before they approve your research.
Luckily, once you know what to do, writing a proposal can be very simple. This short guide will give you the tools you need to write your research proposal confidently.
The Purpose of a Proposal
A thesis is a long, focused piece of writing on one academic
topic. Usually a thesis has to advance a new idea or expand the understanding
of the current research in some way. For a master’s thesis, you’ll usually be
required to show that you know the field well and that you can explain complex
ideas. For a doctorate, you’ll have to present a unique idea which takes the
research forward somehow. You can find out more about what a thesis is and the
requirements of master’s and doctoral theses at the Academic Coaching website.
Your proposal needs to demonstrate three main things.
Firstly, it needs to show why your research
is necessary. You do this by showing gaps
in the research or areas where greater understanding is needed. Then, you need
to show how your study can help to bridge those gaps somehow or advance
understanding in some way.
Secondly, your proposal needs to show an advanced knowledge of your field of
study. You need to show that you’ve read a lot in the field, and that you’re
planning on learning a lot more during the research you’ll be doing. You do
this by giving a literature review, either a brief one for a master’s thesis
(about two pages, usually), or a much lengthier one for a PhD (three to five
pages). Your literature review needs to touch on all of the important ideas and
needs to refer to all of the most prominent scholars in your field, at least
for the topic you’ve chosen. You don’t need to say everything, but you need to
show your reader that you’ve considered at least all of the most important
scholarly works so that they trust your academic voice.
Finally, your proposal needs to give an outline of your research. You do this by explaining your methodology in a lot of detail,
explaining all of the steps you will take, how long they will take, what your
process will be of gathering data, and any other elements which your study will
include. You also include any ethical considerations if your research might
impact on other people, or might cause harm to animals, plant life or the
environment. You also include a timeline and a list of chapters you plan to
write.
These three basic functions need to be fulfilled in any
research proposal. You’re demonstrating that you’re serious about your
research, and that you know exactly what you’re getting into before you start
writing the first page. All of these elements will be considered before your
research is approved. If it seems to your supervisor, the departmental committee
or the administrators that you haven’t covered your bases, they won’t be
willing to trust you to bear the name of your university or college next to
your thesis. Every university or college invests a lot into students, both
financially and in terms of other resources, and they need to be sure that every
research project is worth that investment. Your proposal is your way of showing
them that you’re serious about your research.
Next, we’ll look at each component of your proposal and give
you examples of what these should look like.
Review Your Learning:
·
Your proposal shows why your research is
necessary through identifying gaps in knowledge or understanding
·
Your literature review shows that you know a lot
about your field and that you’re well-equipped to take on a research project
·
Your proposal outlines your research project,
giving a methodology and a timeline so that you can demonstrate your readiness
to begin your research and set manageable goals