Introduction
When we think of a thesis proposal, our minds are filled with ideas such as how much time it will take, what topics we can choose, and how long the document will be. What many people don’t realize is that there is more to a thesis than simply choosing a topic. When writing your thesis proposal, you also have to consider key components. These may not necessarily be big or flashy but they are essential for creating a document that is well organized and easy to follow for your advisor and committee members.
The gist of your thesis proposal should be the research question and its significance and scope, the scope being the area of study you intend on focusing on. You should clearly state why this topic interests you and how it fits into the field of study you have chosen as an area of concentration within your major or minor program.
Title Page
The title page is the first part of your thesis. Make sure you include the title of your paper, your name, the name of your school, and the date. If your institution has specific instructions for the title page, be sure to follow those closely. The title of your paper can be anything you choose, but it should be easily recognizable by the reader, whether it is the name of your school or a topic. The date you list on the title page is important because it shows that you are following the guidelines set by your institution and any committee members who will be reviewing your thesis.
List of Tables and Figures
The list of tables and figures should be located at the end of your thesis. Make sure to include all tables, figures, and references for each table. This section should also include a brief description of what each image represents, how it was obtained or created, and where it can be found in the body of the text. You may also want to include a table or figure that gives an overview of where all tables and figures are located within the document.
Thesis Abstract/Introduction
This section is meant to summarize the entire thesis in two pages. It should briefly introduce your topic with enough detail so that readers can understand how this paper meets their expectations for a research paper within your field (i.e., introduction). This section should clearly state what you plan on doing with this paper (i.e., my goal is to explore…). This section must include a clear definition for each key term used throughout the document (i.e., I define “homogeneity” as…). Be sure to use complete sentences whenever possible; avoid using abbreviations such as “w/o” or “caused by”.
Body
This is the main part of your paper. It should include the following:
Introduction (optional) This section should include a quick summary of what you plan on doing with this paper and how you plan to do it (i.e., I will examine…). This section should also include a brief description of your topic and scope (i.e., I will be examining…). You may want to include a statement or brief definition for each key term used throughout the document (i.e., I define “homogeneity” as…).
Be sure to use complete sentences whenever possible; avoid using abbreviations such as “w/o” or “caused by”. Methods/Analysis This is where you describe the different methods used in your study and why they were chosen over other options (i.e., I chose to use…because…). The method section should include all relevant information about data collection, analysis, writing, etc.
It may also include additional information about why certain variables were selected over others to best represent the topics being studied within that research area (i.e., I chose to use…because it more accurately represents what happened in my experiment than any other variable because it was easier to manipulate than other variables and because it was less prone to bias than other variables). Be sure not to repeat information from your introduction section.
Proposal Introduction
The introduction acts as a table of contents for your thesis. It gives a summary of the key points you will cover in your paper and acts as a roadmap for your reader. This is often the most overlooked part of the thesis proposal, but it’s extremely important. If you only include the summary and key points, you’re more likely to stay on track and finish your thesis on time. The introduction should include the following: Why this topic is important to you and society. What this topic is and what it isn’t. What do you plan to do with the information you collect?
Research Question(s)
Ask yourself the following questions: What is the research question? What does it mean? What does it look like? By asking and answering these questions, you will find the heart of your research question. Your research question is the question you intend to answer through the research you plan to conduct. You can have as many research questions as you like as long as they are related to your main research question.
Thesis Statement
Your thesis statement should be a sentence or two that summarizes your research question. It is the sentence that you will use in the introduction of your thesis and in any other place where you refer to your research question. You can also use it when referring to the information you collect during your research. For example, I find that people who do yoga are more likely to eat healthier foods and exercise regularly than those who don’t. Yoga is an effective way to both relax and stay fit at the same time. This statement shows how yoga can both relax and help people stay fit at the same time.
Thesis Statement: The purpose of this study was to investigate how yoga affects weight loss, food intake, and exercise habits of college students in order to determine if it can be used as a healthy alternative weight loss program.
Proposals
The proposal is essentially a roadmap for your reader’s journey through your thesis paper. It should include A table of contents (see above). A summary of what will be covered in each section (see above). What format do you plan on using for each section (either APA or MLA style)? A list of all references (no more than 10) that will appear in each section with their page numbers and titles. All references are cited in footnotes or parenthetical citations throughout the rest of your paper so that readers can see exactly where you got your information from without having to read through all ten pages of references for every
Research Methodology
After you’ve answered the question, “What is the research methodology?” you will understand what it is and what it looks like. The methodology is the process you will use to conduct your research and collect your data. Be sure to consider how long it will take to complete your research and how much it will cost. When writing your research methodology, follow the “Five Ws” rule: Who? What? Where? When? Why? This rule will make it easier for your reader to follow the logic behind your selection of methodology.
Conclusion and Recommendation(s)
Your conclusion is where you summarize everything you’ve written so far and bring it back to your research question(s). What did you find? What do you think? How do you feel? What does it mean? Why does it matter? Be sure to bring in your data with examples and use quotes only if they are necessary. Your readers don’t need the examples and quotes as much as you think they do.
Your recommendation(s) should be based on your findings. What do you think should change? What do you think needs to be done? What recommendations do you have? Be sure to keep it short. The readers don’t want or need an essay or a book. They want a summary of what you’ve discovered and what you think about it.
Bibliography
The bibliography is an alphabetical list of every source you’ve used for your paper. You can make it a separate document or add it at the end of your paper. If you add it at the end, be sure to include the page numbers for each source so that readers can easily find and reference them in your paper. If you’re writing a long paper, you may want to break it into sections with an introductory paragraph for each section. This will make it much easier for your readers to follow your points.
Conclusion
When you’re writing your thesis, it can be helpful to think of it as a journey. The thesis proposal is the map that shows you the path you intend to take. But before you can start on your journey, you need to make sure the map is correct. If there are any problems with the map, you won’t be able to start.
Similarly, if there are mistakes in your thesis proposal, your advisor and committee members won’t let you start. They’ll stop you in your tracks and send you back to the drawing board. Your job is to make sure that doesn’t happen. With the help of these key components, you can create a thesis proposal that is easy to understand and follow.