6 Tips for Developing a PhD Dissertation Proposal

The blueprint of research is the research proposal designed to describe the statement of the problem with a profound method and plan of research to solve the issue. The proposal is adjudicated by the committee based on your skills and ideas to carry forward the procedure of the research. It is plainly the plan which has to be executed after the approval of the committee. Here are a few tips to keep in mind while developing your research proposal. :

  • KEEP IT SIMPLE: The committee or the reader would not be necessarily from the same academic field. Therefore, the candidate should write it as a beginner is reading it. The candidate should avoid jargon and use plain language for the reader, or explain every technical word he uses. The draft has to be simple and easy to understand for a beginner since your university may not assign you the committee from the same academic background. Your supervisor from the similar academic field would understand the technical terms, but a novice would not be able to understand the research problem or issue he is reading about. It is better to draft a proposal by keeping your audience in consideration
  • BREAK DOWN THE WHOLE PROCESS: Before you begin writing the research draft, put down the whole outline into points. Note down the headings/ subheadings and break down the material into point form for your own ease. The proposal should be written as per the guidelines and instructions laid out by the University. The jotted points will help you to remember the content and expand it as per the need of the topic.
  • STICK TO YOUR AUDIENCE: The title of the proposal should be comprehensible and direct to the reader to know the insides of the proposal. The committee should get a clear idea of the proposed study through the title and then through the entire proposal. The introduction of the proposal keeps you engulfed throughout the proposal. It is like a trailer of a movie which gives you a glimpse of the whole research. The introduction of the proposal shows the enthusiasm you hold for this project. You must include why your research is valuable and innovative and why the committee should fund or approve your proposed research study.
  • BE FLEXIBLE: Your research proposal is not set in stone. It is just a draft of your dissertation; and not the binding document. Remember to be open to use a different method and be flexible to the use of tools since it is not the final version of your dissertation. You must speculate a hypothesis for your proposal as it shows the relation between the two variables without proper evidence or explanation which gives a rough idea about the research.
  • INDICATE THE IMPORTANCE: You should clearly indicate the importance of your research in the proposal for the committee. Your research should benefit the academic community as a whole and contribute the knowledge in your field. The importance of your research will be beneficial for you as well, as it will help you for the committee to fund you.
  • CHECK THE GRAMMAR AND TYPOS: Your research proposal may be factual with a proper literature review, but it might include a few grammar or typing mistakes. Therefore, you must check your research proposal for all such issues before submitting it to the committee.

A researcher should write his proposal following the guidelines of the University but keep these few things in mind for a flawless proposal.

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