Stage 6: Writing a Dissertation Proposal

A dissertation proposal persuades your committee that your dissertation will pursue an interesting and worthwhile question; furthermore, the proposal demonstrates that you are a scholar clearly capable of:

explaining the significance of your question
setting out a plan for gathering data and assembling information
pursuing substantive examination of materials gathered
locating materials germane to your focus
investigating promising hypotheses, and
presenting a sound analysis of ideas to an academic audience

The proposal also helps you clarify your thoughts, arguments, and approach to your topic. The proposal is not a time to prove or claim you have read every article, book and monograph related to your proposed dissertation focus. Consider these questions when first drafting a proposal:

What problem are you going to tackle?
Why is it a problem?
Why is it important to solve it?
Where are you going to look for answers?
Why are you going to look there?

Be sure to make clear and explicit the ways in which your conclusions or hypotheses follow from the assumptions, ideas and research you have outlined in the proposal – and locate your own work within the field of study.

Step 1: Determine your department’s timelines and content requirements.
Step 2: Determine which of the following resources can most usefully serve as guides while you draft your proposal.
Step 3: Return to your Research Questions
Step 4: As you develop the proposal, determine how you will work with your primary advisor, your dissertation chair, and your dissertation committee.

Based on the original Dissertation Calculator from the University of Minnesota Libraries.

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Stage 6: Writing a Dissertation Proposal