How To Begin Writing A Dissertation Proposal? Get Expert Opinion!

How to begin writing a dissertation proposal? It’s a million-dollar question that boggles the students’ minds. Don’t worry. In this blog, we will offer you dissertation writing guide that’ll be useful for you. Keep reading and make notes of the important steps you must take to accept your research proposal. Let’s go!

Table of Contents

What is a Dissertation Proposal

A dissertation or research proposal is a formal essay required before you’re allowed to research a topic. Short research will enable you to present your case before a panel of experts. After you submit your proposal, you will be permitted to pursue your investigation further.

In short, a proposal is a mini dissertation that, if approved, makes way for bigger and more comprehensive research. In many countries, a proposal is presented in two forms, written and oral defense. In verbal, you have to present yourself in an interview before panelists. These experts are from your field and hold power to grant you permission to pursue or reject it.

Important Steps on How To Begin Writing A Dissertation Proposal

Students must remember the essential steps to take for starting their dissertation proposal. Although, these steps are similar to what you’ll take for writing a complete research project or dissertation. Let’s go through this with a step-by-step approach.

Topic Selection

The first part of starting a research proposal is choosing a topic related to your studies and interests. A topic selection provides a way that will lead to the discovery of new findings or evidence. A topic is like a compass that helps you navigate your research in the right direction. So, you must choose a topic that offers new insights into its existing knowledge and enables you to prove your expertise as well.

Extensive Research

The second step is doing all the research from top to bottom on the topic. This includes previous findings to date. Gather as much information as you can and note them down chronologically. Start from the oldest to the latest at the end; this way, you’ll quickly evaluate progress over the years on the subject in focus.

By writing everything or making notes of your research, you can find the missing clues that will help you add your findings. Your analysis shouldn’t be two-dimensional but based on a three-dimensional approach. Applying this approach allows you to complete an unbiased investigation into the phenomenon.

Outline Your Ideas

The third step is outlining your ideas into creative solutions for your dissertation proposal. An outline of this proposal is based on three essential components. They are;

An introduction
Body Paragraph(s)
A conclusion

Start your introduction with a hook sentence and persuade your audience to read your proposal. Use background information to make it more appealing and informative. Lastly, use your thesis that must be based on your findings. This way, you can structure your proposal in an organized form.

Write a Short Introduction

The first of writing a dissertation proposal starts with an introduction that introduces your audience to the topic. Students must start their research proposal with a concise hook sentence. A hook must be appealing and creates interest in your readers.

Then connect your hook with background or historical information. This way, you’ll be able to create an urgency in highlighting the importance of the topic. In the end, provide your input in the shape of a thesis. Your proposal must be based entirely on the thesis and offer concrete solutions to the problem.

Start Body Paragraph(s)

After completing the proposal’s introduction, start a body paragraph with a topic sentence. Illuminate your readers with the content inside the body section. Present your entire finding in an organized form, and don’t deviate from the topic and your thesis. You may also need to add counter-arguments that your thesis should answer. Add a solid rebuttal that answers the opposing statements and move on to the conclusion.

Adding a Conclusion

The last thing is adding a conclusion that ends the debate on the subject under discussion. Summarize the main points and restate your thesis and it’s far-reaching effects on future research in a specific field. Add your concluding or final remarks and close the topic.

Bibliography

Students are required to add a bibliography at the end page. Choose any referencing style that your college or professor assigns. Add all the sources alphabetically to avoid confusion and relevance problems.

Conclusion

Students, we’ve provided you with a complete guide on how to begin writing a dissertation proposal. Following our experts’ steps, you will help you create a professional proposal for research and investigational purposes.