Dissertation Proposal

Conceptual Overview and Discussion

A dissertation proposal outlines key elements of the student's proposed research from its inception until the production of the final dissertation draft, which will ultimately be submitted for examination. The student is making, in his or her proposal, an underlying argument about a research problem or issue. Until a proposal is formally accepted by the university, the student is usually not able to begin work on any field, laboratory, or clinic-based research that will form the basis of his or her dissertation.

Just as there are numerous ways to conduct sound research, there are many approaches to proposal writing. Most universities offer general guidelines for doing so that are augmented by specific requirements from each of the faculties. To be sure, there is no universally accepted way of developing a research proposal. Developing a sound dissertation proposal may take successive revisions that, although initially time consuming, may produce a better study and save time over the course of the research. It is not unusual for some students to have to resubmit a proposal a few times before the proposal is accepted. Expectations about the design and contents of a dissertation proposal are usually set out explicitly and implicitly by each university or by individual faculties. For example, there may be a requirement that the proposal not exceed 20 pages in length. There also may be a non-negotiable expectation about a research writing style or referencing system, for example, American Psychological Association style. By contrast, students may be encouraged to select or adapt a proposal format from a range found in the literature. Decisions about the format of a proposal are influenced by the purposes, nature, and design of the research that is to be attempted. Sometimes, the format of a student's dissertation proposal is very similar to what the first final dissertation's few chapters will ultimately be. The final format of a student's dissertation proposal is likely to be determined after deliberations with the supervisor and supervisory team.

Even if a student's dissertation proposal has been formally accepted and endorsed by a faculty, it does not contain or allow for every part of the research that is to follow. Nonetheless, the proposal acts as a common reference point for both student and supervisor(s) to refer to over time. In that regard, a dissertation proposal provides a documented “organizational memory” of what was formally agreed to by all relevant parties. Because the proposal may also be used as a form of a working and moral contract between a student and the supervisor(s) over several years, it is important that it outline, for example, a clearly defined argument, explicit theoretical perspectives, justified research design, anticipated costs, and a time schedule. Importantly, the contents of the proposal need to show that the research will be feasible and able to be done in a scholarly manner by the student. Both the proposal and, in particular, the research, should be able to withstand rigorous scrutiny from scholars in the field.

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