What Are The Key Components Of A Thesis Or Dissertation Proposal?

All MA and PhD students are required to submit a thesis or dissertation proposal for approval, before they start researching and writing their paper. Although the length of such proposals vary, 10 to 15 pages is fairly standard and this also includes a bibliography.

The bibliography is one of the most important components of such a proposal. You must demonstrate that you are familiar with the existing literature on the topic, as well as with the location of any primary, archival sources. You do not need to have read this material, but you must know what is available. Dissertation committees will often spend quite a lot of time examining your bibliography, so you should also be sure that it is not only complete, but properly formatted as well.

Your proposal should also include a section where you examine what other people have written about your topic and related fields, and you must be sure to demonstrate how your approach and methodology will be different. You should also indicate your line of argument, or your hypothesis, even though this may change during the course of your research.

More than anything else, your proposal serves to show the university that you are capable of doing serious, thoughtful scholarly research and that you have a good grasp of your topic.

Observed or recorded facts or true information

INTRODUCTION explain its Significance (what are you doing, why are you doing it, where on earth it fits) by situating it in the big picture, and say a bit about the analysis/approach.
LITERATURE REVIEW Review of what other people have done, you should also show how the literature into your work and how your work is different from this other work.
METHOD (methodology) This is one of the major parts of your thesis defence where your committee will catch you if you do not know what you are talking about, or if you have not prepared enough
ANALYSIS shows how you interpret your data
APPENDICES IRB approval, permission forms