The aim of this handout is to provide a general introduction to the skills required when writing a proposal for your undergraduate dissertation or independent research project. The examples in this handout use the APA 7th edition referencing style.
Proposals give you the opportunity to evaluate your dissertation plans before embarking on extensive research. They enable you to receive feedback on the following:
(Adapted from Greetham, 2009, p. 134).
The requirements of your dissertation (and your dissertation proposal) will vary widely between different disciplines. Whilst this handout offers general guidance, it is very important that you follow your brief, and your departmental guidelines, as carefully as you can, to ensure that you include all necessary requirements.
One part of your proposal will involve formulating the proposed title of your research. The title might include
Example
The impact of understanding of English grammar on academic success: A quantitative analysis of first year student assessments in Coventry University’s Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
In this example we can see that the subject of the research has been introduced (undergraduate understanding of English grammar), and the scope has been narrowed to make this a feasible study (first-year student assessments within a particular faculty at Coventry University). The study’s method has also been briefly introduced (quantitative).
Research projects typically work to identify and then solve a particular problem, or to address a research gap. In the outline you will describe this problem or gap, which helps you to justify your project!
Example problem
University students’ understanding of English grammar is impeding the marks they receive for assignments.
Based on the problem you have identified, your proposal will need to clearly set out your dissertation’s aims in response to this problem. The proposal will need to consider
Example aim
In order to further understand the relationship between undergraduate understanding of grammatical rules and marks received, the proposed dissertation performs a quantitative analysis on a sample of Coventry University first years within the faculty of Arts and Humanities.
Example research question
How does student understanding of English grammar impact marks received for assignments?
Your objectives are the achievable project activities you plan to complete in order to fulfil your aims and answer your research question. When formulating your objectives, it can help to break up your research questions into smaller sub-questions.
Example sub-questions
Whilst there are many possible sub-questions we might ask to help us break down the overall research question, we can see how these example questions make it a little easier to define what will be done over the course of the research:
Example objectives
We can see that whilst the aims are more general, the example objectives plan out more exactly the tasks that the research will complete.
Present an overview of current academic thinking on your topic. Some departments may refer to this section as a literature review. You will want to consider the following questions:
Example of ways to summarise previous research:
Examples of ways to introduce the limitations of previous research:
Examples of ways to introduce and respond to a research gap:
If this element is required, you will need to explain the methods you will use to collect information in your dissertation, and explain how they allow you to achieve your aims and objectives:
Discuss your dissertation proposal with your supervisor and be prepared to revise it. Good research takes work!
Keep it by you and consult it as you carry out your project work.
Durdella, N. (2019). Qualitative dissertation methodology: A guide for research design and methods. Sage Publications.
Greetham, B. (2019). How to write your undergraduate dissertation. Red Globe Press. (Chapter 16, ‘Planning your research’, is highly recommended)
Sage Publications. (2018). Sage Research Methods [database]. https://methods.sagepub.com/ (A great resource providing access to lots of texts, sources, and advice regarding all kinds of research methods)
Slapin, J. (2017). Fundamentals of Quantitative Text Analysis [video series]. Sage Research Methods. https://methods.sagepub.com/Search/Results
Terrell, S. R. (2016). Writing a proposal for your dissertation: Guidelines and examples. The Guilford Press.
Wisker, G. (2019). The undergraduate research handbook. Red Globe Press.
To cite this resource:
Coventry University. (2023). Writing a proposal for an undergraduate dissertation or independent research project [Resource]. Centre for Academic Writing.
Breach, M. (2008). Dissertation Writing for Engineers and Scientists. Pearson Education.
Bordon, I., & Rüedi, K. (2014). The dissertation: A guide for architecture students. Routledge.
Durkin, D. B. (2021). Writing strategies for the education dissertation. Routledge.
Fisher, C. (2010). Researching and writing a dissertation: A guidebook for business students. Pearson Education.
Glasper, E. A., & Rees, C. (2013). How to write your nursing dissertation. Wiley-Blackwell.
Jegede, J., Hargreaves, C., Smith, K., Hodgson, P., Todd, M. J., & Waldman Abingdon, J. (2020). Writing successful undergraduate dissertations in social sciences: A student’s handbook. Routledge.
Lammasniemi, L. (2021). Law dissertations: A step-by-step guide. Routledge.
Naoum. S. G. (2019). Dissertation research and writing for built environment students. Routledge.
Seligman, R. A. (2023). A student guide to writing an undergraduate psychology honors thesis. Routledge.
Parsons, T., & Knight, P. G. (2015). How to do your dissertation in geography and related disciplines. Routledge.
Paterson, A. (2016). Research methods for accounting and finance: a guide to writing your dissertation. Goodfellow Publishers.
Walliman, N. & Appleton, J. (2009). Your undergraduate dissertation in health and social care. SAGE Publications.
Young, S. (2022). How to write your undergraduate dissertation in criminology. Milton.
CAW offers writing development workshops across all genres of academic writing, including Writing your Dissertation or Final Year Project workshop. To view available workshops and book online, visit: https://libcal.coventry.ac.uk/calendar/caw
To book a one-to-one tutorial with the Centre for Academic Writing: https://libguides.coventry.ac.uk/cawlibcalhome
To view your disciplinary subject guide, visit: https://libguides.coventry.ac.uk/subjects
To find who your subject Academic Liaison Librarian is, visit: https://libguides.coventry.ac.uk/ALL