Here is a template for the individual sections that your dissertation prospectus should include, as well as an explanation of what each section should accomplish. Expectations for the format and length of your dissertation prospectus should be discussed with your advisor. They may also ask that you amend this structure to include other sections….Continue Reading Prospectus Structure
Tag: proposal
Problems and Academic Problems
This is a bit of a walk, but stick with me. There’s a documentary, This Film is Not Yet Rated, which looks at the MPAA ratings board and the way that filmmakers have to adapt their work to make it through the fairly opaque process of review (at least as of 2006, I don’t know…Continue Reading Problems and Academic Problems
Prospectus Planning Questions
One of the most difficult things about writing your prospectus is that there isn’t a clear template for what you’re expected to produce. Some of this is for good reason: different fields/sub-fields handle proposed work differently, expect different levels of engagement with prior scholarship and theory, and demand varying levels of justification of your questions…Continue Reading Prospectus Planning Questions
Outlining Your Prospectus
Your dissertation committee will be in charge of the specific guidelines of your proposal (length, format, expected scope, etc.). That being said, all effective proposals do at least four things: Contextualize and ask an answerable question; identify what existing scholarship has and has not done to address that question; explain how the researcher will answer…Continue Reading Outlining Your Prospectus
Developing Research Questions
Developing a research question, like every other aspect of a research project—working with sources, the interpretation of data, the writing, the editing—takes work, and is a skill that you can practice, refine, and personalize. Here’s a short primer on how to come up with a workable research question, references included. Whether you’re just beginning, or…Continue Reading Developing Research Questions