State clearly and concisely how you presently conceive this problem and how you suppose it can be resolved. What work has, and has not, been done in this field and on this problem? Discuss relevant scholarship critically. It is not necessary to criticize specific failings; but show what is understood to be the merits and limitations of relevant works. How do you propose to develop, challenge, or depart from existing positions or themes in historical literature?
Outline an approach to the subject. If the conception has theoretical aspects, discuss them critically. Have scholars in other fields developed concepts of potential interest to the topic?
Think about method and theory, even if there is a decision not to engage much with external perspectives and theory. The faculty neither encourages nor discourages such engagement, but cautions that original historical work should not simply illustrate other people's ideas. Give an account of the sources for the subject. Stress primary sources, the difficulties they present, their location print, manuscript, or any other form , and their accessibility.
Therefore, the dissertation writer is encouraged to show drafts of the prospectus to his or her dissertation committee and other faculty members. After these initial consultations, the writer will submit the final version of the prospectus for formal approval by the committee.
The committee will then meet collectively with the candidate to discuss the project and its implementation. There is no single recipe for a good dissertation prospectus.
But all writers should answer, to the best of their abilities at this early stage of research, certain fundamental questions:. This problem can be theoretical, critical, or historical; but it should, in most cases, be presented as a question or related set of questions to which the dissertation will attempt to find answers.
It is important that the problem and hypothetical answers be stated from the outset, so that your research will not risk becoming random, and your exposition will not lapse into mere description. The sense that an argument is being made should be constantly kept in mind.
Has this topic been treated before? How does your approach differ from earlier ones? Has new evidence appeared for example, a new primary source since previous treatments? Outlining a sequence of potential chapters will help you clarify the argument of your dissertation and check the balance of its parts in relation to one another.
The level of specificity required in academic writing is unique, and it often takes students a while to grasp just how specific they need to be.
In both a dissertation proposal and a date proposal, you need to communicate the following information:. But maybe two of our mutual friends are coming along for a double date. Or an adult chaperone. Knowing who is equally important in a dissertation. And we have to be super-specific here. For one of the first dates I went on with my partner, I neglected to tell her that we were going hiking.
She showed up in a sundress and pretty little sandals which I also neglected to notice were not appropriate for hiking. What phenomenon, event, etc. Are you studying employee engagement,. Guess what—the same is true for a dissertation. Most dissertation studies at least those with human subjects involve a limited area.
For example, upper-level managers in banks in Nigeria have a different context than those in the United States. Each of these countries has different cultures, laws, economies, and historical events that affect the data you collect. This is something most people get right when asking someone on a date. However, not everyone gets this right in the dissertation prospectus.
Your prospectus is usually the first formal document you submit on your way to writing your dissertation. When done well, it can provide you a strong basis for writing your Chapter 1.
I encourage you to reach out to your committee before writing it to discuss what your plans are, and again if anything is unclear.
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