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How to Write a Dissertation Proposal | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on 14 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 11 November 2022.

A dissertation proposal describes the research you want to do: what it’s about, how you’ll conduct it, and why it’s worthwhile. You will probably have to write a proposal before starting your dissertation as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.

A dissertation proposal should generally include:

• An introduction to your topic and aims
• A literature review  of the current state of knowledge
• An outline of your proposed methodology
• A discussion of the possible implications of the research
• A bibliography  of relevant sources

Dissertation proposals vary a lot in terms of length and structure, so make sure to follow any guidelines given to you by your institution, and check with your supervisor when you’re unsure.

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Table of contents

Step 1: coming up with an idea, step 2: presenting your idea in the introduction, step 3: exploring related research in the literature review, step 4: describing your methodology, step 5: outlining the potential implications of your research, step 6: creating a reference list or bibliography.

Before writing your proposal, it’s important to come up with a strong idea for your dissertation.

Find an area of your field that interests you and do some preliminary reading in that area. What are the key concerns of other researchers? What do they suggest as areas for further research, and what strikes you personally as an interesting gap in the field?

Once you have an idea, consider how to narrow it down and the best way to frame it. Don’t be too ambitious or too vague – a dissertation topic needs to be specific enough to be feasible. Move from a broad field of interest to a specific niche:

• Russian literature 19th century Russian literature The novels of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky
• Social media Mental health effects of social media Influence of social media on young adults suffering from anxiety

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Like most academic texts, a dissertation proposal begins with an introduction . This is where you introduce the topic of your research, provide some background, and most importantly, present your aim , objectives and research question(s) .

Try to dive straight into your chosen topic: What’s at stake in your research? Why is it interesting? Don’t spend too long on generalisations or grand statements:

• Social media is the most important technological trend of the 21st century. It has changed the world and influences our lives every day.
• Psychologists generally agree that the ubiquity of social media in the lives of young adults today has a profound impact on their mental health. However, the exact nature of this impact needs further investigation.

Once your area of research is clear, you can present more background and context. What does the reader need to know to understand your proposed questions? What’s the current state of research on this topic, and what will your dissertation contribute to the field?

If you’re including a literature review, you don’t need to go into too much detail at this point, but give the reader a general sense of the debates that you’re intervening in.

This leads you into the most important part of the introduction: your aim, objectives and research question(s) . These should be clearly identifiable and stand out from the text – for example, you could present them using bullet points or bold font.

Make sure that your research questions are specific and workable – something you can reasonably answer within the scope of your dissertation. Avoid being too broad or having too many different questions. Remember that your goal in a dissertation proposal is to convince the reader that your research is valuable and feasible:

• Does social media harm mental health?
• What is the impact of daily social media use on 18– to 25–year–olds suffering from general anxiety disorder?

Now that your topic is clear, it’s time to explore existing research covering similar ideas. This is important because it shows you what is missing from other research in the field and ensures that you’re not asking a question someone else has already answered.

You’ve probably already done some preliminary reading, but now that your topic is more clearly defined, you need to thoroughly analyse and evaluate the most relevant sources in your literature review .

Here you should summarise the findings of other researchers and comment on gaps and problems in their studies. There may be a lot of research to cover, so make effective use of paraphrasing to write concisely:

• Smith and Prakash state that ‘our results indicate a 25% decrease in the incidence of mechanical failure after the new formula was applied’.
• Smith and Prakash’s formula reduced mechanical failures by 25%.

The point is to identify findings and theories that will influence your own research, but also to highlight gaps and limitations in previous research which your dissertation can address:

• Subsequent research has failed to replicate this result, however, suggesting a flaw in Smith and Prakash’s methods. It is likely that the failure resulted from…

Next, you’ll describe your proposed methodology : the specific things you hope to do, the structure of your research and the methods that you will use to gather and analyse data.

You should get quite specific in this section – you need to convince your supervisor that you’ve thought through your approach to the research and can realistically carry it out. This section will look quite different, and vary in length, depending on your field of study.

You may be engaged in more empirical research, focusing on data collection and discovering new information, or more theoretical research, attempting to develop a new conceptual model or add nuance to an existing one.

Dissertation research often involves both, but the content of your methodology section will vary according to how important each approach is to your dissertation.

Empirical research

Empirical research involves collecting new data and analysing it in order to answer your research questions. It can be quantitative (focused on numbers), qualitative (focused on words and meanings), or a combination of both.

With empirical research, it’s important to describe in detail how you plan to collect your data:

• Will you use surveys ? A lab experiment ? Interviews?
• What variables will you measure?
• How will you select a representative sample ?
• If other people will participate in your research, what measures will you take to ensure they are treated ethically?
• What tools (conceptual and physical) will you use, and why?

It’s appropriate to cite other research here. When you need to justify your choice of a particular research method or tool, for example, you can cite a text describing the advantages and appropriate usage of that method.

Don’t overdo this, though; you don’t need to reiterate the whole theoretical literature, just what’s relevant to the choices you have made.

Moreover, your research will necessarily involve analysing the data after you have collected it. Though you don’t know yet what the data will look like, it’s important to know what you’re looking for and indicate what methods (e.g. statistical tests , thematic analysis ) you will use.

Theoretical research

You can also do theoretical research that doesn’t involve original data collection. In this case, your methodology section will focus more on the theory you plan to work with in your dissertation: relevant conceptual models and the approach you intend to take.

For example, a literary analysis dissertation rarely involves collecting new data, but it’s still necessary to explain the theoretical approach that will be taken to the text(s) under discussion, as well as which parts of the text(s) you will focus on:

• This dissertation will utilise Foucault’s theory of panopticism to explore the theme of surveillance in Orwell’s 1984 and Kafka’s The Trial…

Here, you may refer to the same theorists you have already discussed in the literature review. In this case, the emphasis is placed on how you plan to use their contributions in your own research.

You’ll usually conclude your dissertation proposal with a section discussing what you expect your research to achieve.

You obviously can’t be too sure: you don’t know yet what your results and conclusions will be. Instead, you should describe the projected implications and contribution to knowledge of your dissertation.

First, consider the potential implications of your research. Will you:

• Develop or test a theory?
• Provide new information to governments or businesses?
• Challenge a commonly held belief?
• Suggest an improvement to a specific process?

Describe the intended result of your research and the theoretical or practical impact it will have:

Finally, it’s sensible to conclude by briefly restating the contribution to knowledge you hope to make: the specific question(s) you hope to answer and the gap the answer(s) will fill in existing knowledge:

Like any academic text, it’s important that your dissertation proposal effectively references all the sources you have used. You need to include a properly formatted reference list or bibliography at the end of your proposal.

Different institutions recommend different styles of referencing – commonly used styles include Harvard , Vancouver , APA , or MHRA . If your department does not have specific requirements, choose a style and apply it consistently.

A reference list includes only the sources that you cited in your proposal. A bibliography is slightly different: it can include every source you consulted in preparing the proposal, even if you didn’t mention it in the text. In the case of a dissertation proposal, a bibliography may also list relevant sources that you haven’t yet read, but that you intend to use during the research itself.

Check with your supervisor what type of bibliography or reference list you should include.

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Developing the Research Question for a Thesis, Dissertation, or Doctoral Project Study

MethodSpace will explore phases of the research process throughout 2021.  In the first quarter will explore design steps, starting with a January focus on research questions. Find the unfolding series  here .

Dr. Gary Burkholder is a co-author of Research Design and Methods: An Applied Guide for the Scholar-Practitioner . Dr. Burkholder was a Mentor in Residence on SAGE MethodSpace in December 2019, and is a regular contributor. See his practical advice for research faculty and students here .

Contrary to what you may think or have heard, creating a suitable research question to guide a thesis, dissertation, or doctoral project study does not necessarily follow a linear process. However, this does not mean that getting to the research question is not rigorous! There are clear steps to get to the research question (see Crawford, Burkholder, & Cox, 2020).

Generate the initial idea.

Complete a thorough investigation of the literature in the relevant domains.

For those pursuing the research doctorate, identify gaps in theory and empirical knowledge that result in a research problem and purpose statement.

For those pursuing the applied doctorate, draw upon expertise to identify gaps in practice that allow the development of the practice-based problem and purpose statement.

Identify the principal research questions from the problem and purpose statements.

Generating the Initial Idea . This is arguably the most creative part of the process and generates the initial enthusiasm in engaging in formal research. Most of the time, whether theoretical or practical, students get an idea because of something that sparks their interest. Someone having a personal experience with obesity and subsequent weight loss and have an interest in learning more about why particular weight loss programs seem to work. In professional settings, the practitioner may notice that a process or activity isn’t working correctly. For example, children in school may not be adapting to online learning as quickly as they should. In a company setting, a middle manager may be surprised that employees are not adapting to working remotely as quickly as they had thought. In a healthcare setting, a nurse notices that patients are taking too much time completing forms in the clinical practice office and that there may be other more efficient ways to complete this activity that would result in less waiting time. Whatever the source, consider these observations as initial “hunches” that might lead to an interesting research study that can allow you to contribute to theory or practice in a way that suits your own expertise.

Reviewing the Literature .  The purpose of original research is to address a lack of knowledge in theory or practice. Therefore, once you have your initial idea, the next step is to take a look at the literature that addresses the topic of your idea. There is a vast selection of journals in all disciplines, both theoretical and practice-oriented, that provide excellent resources for your investigation. The goal for now is to read enough literature to establish that this is an important topic for further exploration and to see if anyone has written about it. Has research already been completed that provides ways to address your initial idea? If yes, then the study probably won’t be worthy of doctoral level research (although you may actually find the answers to issues in the workplace that you are looking for!). Whether you are trying to solve a problem in practice or theory, reviewing the existing literature is important to see what others have already done. Remember, the goal of doctoral level scholarship is to add to the existing body of knowledge regarding theory or practice. At this stage, if you find sufficient literature to help you address your initial question, then it is time to put that idea aside and pursue others that may yield a more innovative contribution.

Developing the Problem in Research or Practice . The problem statement is probably the most important part of the doctoral capstone. In your problem statement, you succinctly identify what is currently know about the area of interest and what is not known. It is what is NOT known that identifies your unique contribution to scholarship in theory or practice. If you cannot identify what is not known, or what is commonly referred to as the gap in theory or the gap in practice, then you probably don’t have a study worthy of doctoral level scholarship. Once you identify the gap in theory or practice, you can then develop the statement of purpose that defines for the reader exactly what your study will add to the existing body of scholarship and/or practice.

The Research Question .  Once you have identified the practice or theory-based problem, you are then ready to propose the formal research question that guides your study. This is a succinct question that provides focus, describes the scope of the study, and provides insight into the direction of inquiry. There are important ideas to remember when crafting the research question.

All studies are guided by one or more research questions, regardless of whether they are quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods.

Fewer research questions are better than many. In most cases, studies are addressing one primary research question (and likely never more than 2 or 3). The research question provides focus of the study. The more research questions, the more unfocused the study may become.

For those doing qualitative studies or studies with qualitative components, do not confuse the research question with interview questions. There will likely be several interview questions, but interview questions are in service to addressing the key research question guiding the overall study.

In general, questions should not be framed as “yes or no”. For example, “What is the extent of understanding teachers have regarding training first graders to use tablets in acquiring knowledge?” is better than “Do teachers know how to train first graders to use tablets in acquiring knowledge?” The former is worded in a way that supports depth and breadth of observation and analysis.

Research questions must be aligned with other aspects of the thesis, dissertation, or project study proposal, such as the problem statement, research design, and analysis strategy.

To summarize:  Idea >Reviewing literature > Identifying the gap in theory or practice >Problem and Purpose Statements >Research question

Thus, there is a clear process for getting to the research question. However, there is fluidity in terms of how that process unfolds. Ideas, when explored further, may turn out to be just that and have to be scrapped for a different idea that can be pursued. Ideas can come from intuitive hunches or from extensive exploration and knowledge of a particular theory or practice. They may emerge from conversations with mentors or other experts in the field. This dance of ideas creates the initial sparks of excitement in social science research that leads to a rigorous and scientific process of generating the research question ultimately guiding the study.

Research Design and Methods

Crawford, L. M., Burkholder, G. J., & Cox, K. (2020). Writing the research proposal. In G. J. Burkholder, K. A. Cox, L. M. Crawford, & J. H. Hitchcock (Eds.), Research Design and Methods: An Applied Guide for the Scholar-Practitioner (pp. 309-334). SAGE Publications. 

Hypotheses: Introduction & selection of articles

Practical <> conceptual questions.

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Your Dissertation Proposal

Introduction to the Dissertation Proposal   

Generating Initial Ideas    

Reviewing Timelines and Deadlines    

Initial Research and Reading     

Choosing Your Dissertation Topic     

Seeking Feedback     

Final Submission    

Conclusion     

Additional Resources    

Writing a dissertation proposal is one of the most critical steps in your academic journey. It sets the stage for your entire research project and can significantly influence the success of your dissertation.

This guide will take you through the early stages of writing a dissertation proposal, from the moment it's introduced in your class to the final submission. We'll cover idea generation, timelines and deadlines, initial research, and reading, all aimed at helping you craft a compelling and feasible proposal.

Introduction to the Dissertation Proposal

Understanding the importance.

A dissertation proposal is a document that outlines what you intend to research , why it is worth studying, and how you plan to investigate it. It's not just a formality but a crucial part of your research process. A well-crafted proposal can:

Define the scope and objectives of your study: Clearly delineating what you will and will not cover helps to focus your research.

Demonstrate the relevance and originality of your research: Show how your research fills gaps in existing knowledge or offers a new perspective.

Provide a clear plan for data collection and analysis: Lay out your methodological approach to ensure a structured and systematic investigation.

Secure approval from your academic supervisors and ethics committees: A solid proposal is often required for funding applications and ethical review processes.

Initial Briefing

Typically, the journey begins with your course leader introducing the dissertation proposal in a class session. This briefing will cover essential details like the purpose of the proposal, the expected structure, and key milestones. Pay close attention during this session as it provides the foundation for your entire project. Take detailed notes and ask questions to clarify any uncertainties.

Generating Initial Ideas

Identifying your interests.

Start by reflecting on your academic interests. What topics have you found most engaging in your coursework? What areas sparked your curiosity during lectures or assignments? Your dissertation is a lengthy commitment, so it's crucial to choose a topic that genuinely interests you. Consider the following:

Past coursework: Review your previous essays, projects, and exams to identify recurring themes or topics you enjoyed.

Personal experiences: Think about any personal experiences or observations that have piqued your interest in certain areas.

Current events: Stay informed about recent developments in your field and consider how they might influence your research interests.

Brainstorming

Once you have a broad idea of your interests, begin brainstorming specific topics. Write down all potential ideas, no matter how vague they seem. Discuss these ideas with classmates, professors, and mentors to refine them. This collaborative process can help you identify gaps in existing research and narrow down your focus.

Mind mapping: Use mind maps to visually organize your thoughts and explore connections between different ideas.

Free writing: Spend 10-15 minutes writing continuously about your topic ideas without worrying about structure or grammar. This can help you generate new ideas and clarify your thinking.

Group discussions: Organize brainstorming sessions with peers to exchange ideas and receive feedback.

Feasibility Check

Assess the feasibility of your potential topics. Consider the following questions:

Do you have access to the necessary resources and data? Ensure that you can obtain the data you need, whether it's through surveys, experiments, archival research, or other means.

Is the topic manageable within the given timeline and scope? Be realistic about what you can achieve in the time available.

Are you equipped with the required skills and knowledge to undertake this research? Consider whether you need to acquire any new skills or knowledge before starting your research.

Reviewing Timelines and Deadlines

Course leader’s timeline.

Your course leader will provide a detailed timeline outlining key milestones and deadlines . These typically include:

Initial Proposal Submission: This is your first formal submission where you present your research idea, objectives, and methodology.

Ethics Approval: If your research involves human subjects, you must get approval from the ethics committee . This ensures your research complies with ethical standards.

Intermediate Drafts and Reviews: There will be deadlines for submitting drafts and receiving feedback from your supervisors.

Final Proposal Submission: This is the polished version of your proposal, incorporating all feedback and revisions.

Final Dissertation Submission: The ultimate deadline for submitting your completed dissertation.

Creating a Personal Timeline

Based on the provided timeline, create a personal schedule. Break down each stage into manageable tasks and set internal deadlines. This proactive approach will help you stay on track and avoid last-minute rushes.

Backward planning: Start with your final deadline and work backward to set intermediate deadlines.

Milestone chart: Create a chart that outlines key milestones and deadlines. Use it to track your progress and stay motivated.

Time blocking: Allocate specific blocks of time each week for dissertation work. Consistency is key to making steady progress.

Initial Research and Reading

Conducting preliminary research.

Before finalizing your dissertation topic, conduct preliminary research. This involves:

Literature Review: Read existing research papers, articles, and books related to your topic. Identify key theories, methodologies, and findings. This will help you understand the current state of research and find gaps your study can fill.

Key questions: What are the main arguments and findings in the literature? What gaps or limitations exist? How can your research contribute to this body of knowledge?

Identifying Key Sources: Make a list of essential resources and databases. These will be your go-to sources throughout your research.

Databases: Use academic databases like JSTOR, PubMed, Google Scholar, and your university's library resources.

Taking Notes: As you read, take detailed notes. Highlight important points, jot down questions, and note any ideas for your research.

Notetaking systems: Use a systematic approach to organize your notes , such as digital note-taking apps (e.g., Evernote, OneNote) or traditional methods (e.g., index cards, notebooks).

Annotated Bibliography

Create an annotated bibliography of the key sources you’ve identified. This should include a brief summary of each source and its relevance to your research. An annotated bibliography will be useful when writing your literature review and justifying your research proposal.

Structure: For each source, include the citation, a brief summary, and a reflection on its relevance to your research.

Usefulness: Annotated bibliographies help you critically engage with your sources and provide a valuable reference tool as you write your proposal and dissertation.

Choosing Your Dissertation Topic

Refining your topic.

Based on your preliminary research, refine your topic. Narrow down your focus to a specific research question or hypothesis. Ensure it is clear, concise, and researchable within your timeline and resource constraints.

Specificity: Your topic should be specific enough to allow for in-depth analysis but broad enough to find sufficient resources.

Relevance: Ensure your topic is relevant to current debates and issues in your field.

Originality: Aim for a topic that offers a new perspective or addresses an underexplored area.

Structuring Your Proposal

A typical dissertation proposal includes the following sections:

Introduction: Introduce your research topic and explain its significance. Provide some background information and state your research question or hypothesis.

Literature Review: Summarize existing research on your topic . Highlight key findings, gaps, and debates. Explain how your research will contribute to the field.

Research Objectives: Clearly state the aims and objectives of your study . What do you hope to achieve?

Methodology: Describe the methods you will use to collect and analyze data . Justify your choice of methods and explain how they are appropriate for your research question.

Ethical Considerations: Discuss any ethical issues related to your research and how you plan to address them. This is crucial if your study involves human subjects.

Timeline: Provide a detailed timeline of your research activities . Include key milestones and deadlines.

References: List all the sources you have cited in your proposal. Follow the required citation style.

Writing Tips

Be Clear and Concise: Avoid jargon and complex language. Your proposal should be easy to understand.

Be Specific: Clearly define your research question, objectives, and methods. Avoid vague statements.

Be Persuasive: Convince your readers that your research is significant and feasible. Provide evidence and justification for your choices.

Seeking Feedback

Before submitting your proposal, seek feedback from your supervisor and peers. They can provide valuable insights and identify any weaknesses or gaps. Revise your proposal based on their feedback.

Supervisor meetings: Schedule regular meetings with your supervisor to discuss your progress and receive guidance.

Peer review: Share your proposal with classmates or colleagues for constructive feedback.

Revision: Be prepared to revise your proposal multiple times based on feedback. Each revision will strengthen your final submission.

Final Submission

Once you have incorporated all feedback and made necessary revisions, prepare your final proposal for submission. Ensure it meets all formatting and submission guidelines provided by your course leader.

Proofreading: Carefully proofread your proposal for any errors or inconsistencies.

Formatting: Follow the required formatting guidelines, including citation style, font, and spacing.

Submission: Submit your proposal by the deadline and keep a copy for your records.

Writing a dissertation proposal is a significant milestone in your academic journey. This comprehensive guide has walked you through the early stages of proposal writing, from initial idea generation to the final submission. By understanding the importance of a well-crafted proposal, you can set a strong foundation for your research project.

Start by identifying your interests and brainstorming potential topics, ensuring they are feasible and within your skillset. Review the timeline and deadlines set by your course leader and create a personal schedule to stay on track. Conduct preliminary research and reading to inform your topic choice and develop an annotated bibliography to support your literature review.

When structuring your proposal, clearly articulate your research question, objectives, and methodology. Address ethical considerations and provide a detailed timeline of your research activities. Seek feedback from your supervisor and peers to refine your proposal and ensure it is compelling and feasible.

By staying organized, managing your time effectively, and incorporating feedback, you can craft a dissertation proposal that not only meets academic standards but also sets the stage for a successful research project. With dedication and careful planning, your proposal will pave the way for a meaningful and impactful dissertation.

Additional Resources

Embarking on the journey of writing a dissertation proposal can be challenging, but there are numerous resources available to support you through the process. Here are some additional resources, including highly recommended books available on Amazon, to help you develop a compelling and feasible dissertation proposal.

"How to Write a Thesis" by Umberto Eco

Description: This classic guide by Umberto Eco provides practical advice on the entire thesis-writing process, from choosing a topic to writing and revising your final draft. Eco's engaging style makes complex concepts accessible and offers invaluable insights for students at all levels.

"Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day" by Joan Bolker

Description: This book offers a practical approach to dissertation writing, emphasizing consistent, manageable work habits and breaking the process into achievable steps. It also includes strategies for overcoming writer’s block and maintaining motivation.

" A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations" by Kate L. Turabian

Description: Often referred to as "Turabian," this guide is an authoritative resource for writing and formatting academic papers. It covers everything from formulating research questions to structuring your argument and citing sources properly.

Lined and Blank Notebooks: Available for purchase from Amazon, we offer a selection of lined and blank notebooks designed for students to capture all dissertation-related thoughts and research in one centralized place, ensuring that you can easily access and review your work as the project evolves.

The lined notebooks provide a structured format for detailed notetaking and organizing research questions systematically

The blank notebooks offer a free-form space ideal for sketching out ideas, diagrams, and unstructured notes.

These resources are designed to support you through the various stages of your research journey, from initial topic selection to the final presentation of your findings. Leveraging them can enhance the quality and impact of your work, helping you to produce a well-researched and compelling thesis.

As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Dissertation Methodology Unpacked: Explaining Your Approach

Crafting your thesis statement: formulating a strong research question.

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Writing a dissertation proposal.

What is a dissertation proposal?

Dissertation proposals are like the table of contents for your research project , and will help you explain what it is you intend to examine, and roughly, how you intend to go about collecting and analysing your data. You won’t be required to have everything planned out exactly, as your topic may change slightly in the course of your research, but for the most part, writing your proposal should help you better identify the direction for your dissertation.

When you’ve chosen a topic for your dissertation , you’ll need to make sure that it is both appropriate to your field of study and narrow enough to be completed by the end of your course. Your dissertation proposal will help you define and determine both of these things and will also allow your department and instructors to make sure that you are being advised by the best person to help you complete your research.

A dissertation proposal should include:

• An introduction to your dissertation topic
• Aims and objectives of your dissertation
• A literature review of the current research undertaken in your field
• Proposed methodology to be used
• Implications of your research
• Limitations of your research
• Bibliography 

Although this content all needs to be included in your dissertation proposal, the content isn’t set in stone so it can be changed later if necessary, depending on your topic of study, university or degree. Think of your dissertation proposal as more of a guide to writing your dissertation rather than something to be strictly adhered to – this will be discussed later. 

Why is a dissertation proposal important?

A dissertation proposal is very important because it helps shape the actual dissertation, which is arguably the most important piece of writing a postgraduate student will undertake. By having a well-structured dissertation proposal, you will have a strong foundation for your dissertation and a good template to follow. The dissertation itself is key to postgraduate success as it will contribute to your overall grade . Writing your dissertation will also help you to develop research and communication skills, which could become invaluable in your employment success and future career. By making sure you’re fully briefed on the current research available in your chosen dissertation topic, as well as keeping details of your bibliography up to date, you will be in a great position to write an excellent dissertation.

Next, we’ll be outlining things you can do to help you produce the best postgraduate dissertation proposal possible.

How to begin your dissertation proposal

1. Narrow the topic down  

It’s important that when you sit down to draft your proposal, you’ve carefully thought out your topic and are able to narrow it down enough to present a clear and succinct understanding of what you aim to do and hope to accomplish in your dissertation.

How do I decide on a dissertation topic?

A simple way to begin choosing a topic for your dissertation is to go back through your assignments and lectures. Was there a topic that stood out to you? Was there an idea that wasn’t fully explored? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then you have a great starting point! If not, then consider one of your more personal interests. Use Google Scholar to explore studies and journals on your topic to find any areas that could go into more detail or explore a more niche topic within your personal interest. 

Keep track of all publications

It’s important to keep track of all the publications that you use while you research. You can use this in your literature review.

You need to keep track of:

• The title of the study/research paper/book/journal
• Who wrote/took part in the study/research paper
• Chapter title
• Page number(s)

The more research you do, the more you should be able to narrow down your topic and find an interesting area to focus on. You’ll also be able to write about everything you find in your literature review which will make your proposal stronger.

While doing your research, consider the following:

• When was your source published? Is the information outdated? Has new information come to light since?
• Can you determine if any of the methodologies could have been carried out more efficiently? Are there any errors or gaps?
• Are there any ethical concerns that should be considered in future studies on the same topic?
• Could anything external (for example new events happening) have influenced the research?

Read more about picking a topic for your dissertation . 

How long should the dissertation proposal be?

There is usually no set length for a dissertation proposal, but you should aim for 1,000 words or more. Your dissertation proposal will give an outline of the topic of your dissertation, some of the questions you hope to answer with your research, what sort of studies and type of data you aim to employ in your research, and the sort of analysis you will carry out.

Different courses may have different requirements for things like length and the specific information to include, as well as what structure is preferred, so be sure to check what special requirements your course has.  

2. What should I include in a dissertation proposal?

Your dissertation proposal should have several key aspects regardless of the structure. The introduction, the methodology, aims and objectives, the literature review, and the constraints of your research all need to be included to ensure that you provide your supervisor with a comprehensive proposal. But what are they? Here's a checklist to get you started.

• Introduction

The introduction will state your central research question and give background on the subject, as well as relating it contextually to any broader issues surrounding it. 

The dissertation proposal introduction should outline exactly what you intend to investigate in your final research project.

Make sure you outline the structure of the dissertation proposal in your introduction, i.e. part one covers methodology, part two covers a literature review, part three covers research limitations, and so forth.

Your introduction should also include the working title for your dissertation – although don't worry if you want to change this at a later stage as your supervisors will not expect this to be set in stone.

Dissertation methodology

The dissertation methodology will break down what sources you aim to use for your research and what sort of data you will collect from it, either quantitative or qualitative. You may also want to include how you will analyse the data you gather and what, if any, bias there may be in your chosen methods.

Depending on the level of detail that your specific course requires, you may also want to explain why your chosen approaches to gathering data are more appropriate to your research than others.

Consider and explain how you will conduct empirical research. For example, will you use interviews? Surveys? Observation? Lab experiments?

In your dissertation methodology, outline the variables that you will measure in your research and how you will select your data or participant sample to ensure valid results.

Finally, are there any specific tools that you will use for your methodology? If so, make sure you provide this information in the methodology section of your dissertation proposal.

• Aims and objectives

Your aim should not be too broad but should equally not be too specific.

An example of a dissertation aim could be: ‘To examine the key content features and social contexts that construct successful viral marketing content distribution on X’.

In comparison, an example of a dissertation aim that is perhaps too broad would be: ‘To investigate how things go viral on X’.

The aim of your dissertation proposal should relate directly to your research question.

• Literature review

The literature review will list the books and materials that you will be using to do your research. This is where you can list materials that gave you more background on your topic, or contain research carried out previously that you referred to in your own studies. 

The literature review is also a good place to demonstrate how your research connects to previous academic studies and how your methods may differ from or build upon those used by other researchers. While it’s important to give enough information about the materials to show that you have read and understood them, don’t forget to include your analysis of their value to your work.

Where there are shortfalls in other pieces of academic work, identify these and address how you will overcome these shortcomings in your own research.

Constraints and limitations of your research

Lastly, you will also need to include the constraints of your research. Many topics will have broad links to numerous larger and more complex issues, so by clearly stating the constraints of your research, you are displaying your understanding and acknowledgment of these larger issues, and the role they play by focusing your research on just one section or part of the subject.

In this section it is important to Include examples of possible limitations, for example, issues with sample size, participant drop out, lack of existing research on the topic, time constraints, and other factors that may affect your study.

• Ethical considerations

Confidentiality and ethical concerns are an important part of any research.

Ethics are key, as your dissertation will need to undergo ethical approval if you are working with participants. This means that it’s important to allow for and explain ethical considerations in your dissertation proposal.

Keep confidentiality in mind and keep your participants informed, so they are aware of how the data provided is being used and are assured that all personal information is being kept confidential.

Consider how involved your patients will be with your research, this will help you think about what ethical considerations to take and discuss them fully in your dissertation proposal. For example, face-to-face participant interview methods could require more ethical measures and confidentiality considerations than methods that do not require participants, such as corpus data (a collection of existing written texts) analysis. 

3. Dissertation proposal example

Once you know what sections you need or do not need to include, it may help focus your writing to break the proposal up into separate headings, and tackle each piece individually. You may also want to consider including a title. Writing a title for your proposal will help you make sure that your topic is narrow enough, as well as help keep your writing focused and on topic.

One example of a dissertation proposal structure is using the following headings, either broken up into sections or chapters depending on the required word count:

• Methodology
• Research constraints

In any dissertation proposal example, you’ll want to make it clear why you’re doing the research and what positives could come from your contribution. 

Dissertation proposal example table

This table outlines the various stages of your dissertation proposal.

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How to Write a Good Research Question (w/ Examples)

What is a Research Question?

A research question is the main question that your study sought or is seeking to answer. A clear research question guides your research paper or thesis and states exactly what you want to find out, giving your work a focus and objective. Learning  how to write a hypothesis or research question is the start to composing any thesis, dissertation, or research paper. It is also one of the most important sections of a research proposal . 

A good research question not only clarifies the writing in your study; it provides your readers with a clear focus and facilitates their understanding of your research topic, as well as outlining your study’s objectives. Before drafting the paper and receiving research paper editing (and usually before performing your study), you should write a concise statement of what this study intends to accomplish or reveal.

Research Question Writing Tips

Listed below are the important characteristics of a good research question:

A good research question should:

• Be clear and provide specific information so readers can easily understand the purpose.
• Be focused in its scope and narrow enough to be addressed in the space allowed by your paper
• Be relevant and concise and express your main ideas in as few words as possible, like a hypothesis.
• Be precise and complex enough that it does not simply answer a closed “yes or no” question, but requires an analysis of arguments and literature prior to its being considered acceptable. 
• Be arguable or testable so that answers to the research question are open to scrutiny and specific questions and counterarguments.

Some of these characteristics might be difficult to understand in the form of a list. Let’s go into more detail about what a research question must do and look at some examples of research questions.

The research question should be specific and focused 

Research questions that are too broad are not suitable to be addressed in a single study. One reason for this can be if there are many factors or variables to consider. In addition, a sample data set that is too large or an experimental timeline that is too long may suggest that the research question is not focused enough.

A specific research question means that the collective data and observations come together to either confirm or deny the chosen hypothesis in a clear manner. If a research question is too vague, then the data might end up creating an alternate research problem or hypothesis that you haven’t addressed in your Introduction section .

The research question should be based on the literature 

An effective research question should be answerable and verifiable based on prior research because an effective scientific study must be placed in the context of a wider academic consensus. This means that conspiracy or fringe theories are not good research paper topics.

Instead, a good research question must extend, examine, and verify the context of your research field. It should fit naturally within the literature and be searchable by other research authors.

References to the literature can be in different citation styles and must be properly formatted according to the guidelines set forth by the publishing journal, university, or academic institution. This includes in-text citations as well as the Reference section . 

The research question should be realistic in time, scope, and budget

There are two main constraints to the research process: timeframe and budget.

A proper research question will include study or experimental procedures that can be executed within a feasible time frame, typically by a graduate doctoral or master’s student or lab technician. Research that requires future technology, expensive resources, or follow-up procedures is problematic.

A researcher’s budget is also a major constraint to performing timely research. Research at many large universities or institutions is publicly funded and is thus accountable to funding restrictions. 

The research question should be in-depth

Research papers, dissertations and theses , and academic journal articles are usually dozens if not hundreds of pages in length.

A good research question or thesis statement must be sufficiently complex to warrant such a length, as it must stand up to the scrutiny of peer review and be reproducible by other scientists and researchers.

Research Question Types

Qualitative and quantitative research are the two major types of research, and it is essential to develop research questions for each type of study. 

Quantitative Research Questions

Quantitative research questions are specific. A typical research question involves the population to be studied, dependent and independent variables, and the research design.

In addition, quantitative research questions connect the research question and the research design. In addition, it is not possible to answer these questions definitively with a “yes” or “no” response. For example, scientific fields such as biology, physics, and chemistry often deal with “states,” in which different quantities, amounts, or velocities drastically alter the relevance of the research.

As a consequence, quantitative research questions do not contain qualitative, categorical, or ordinal qualifiers such as “is,” “are,” “does,” or “does not.”

Categories of quantitative research questions

Qualitative Research Questions

In quantitative research, research questions have the potential to relate to broad research areas as well as more specific areas of study. Qualitative research questions are less directional, more flexible, and adaptable compared with their quantitative counterparts. Thus, studies based on these questions tend to focus on “discovering,” “explaining,” “elucidating,” and “exploring.”

Categories of qualitative research questions

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Question Examples

Good and Bad Research Question Examples

Below are some good (and not-so-good) examples of research questions that researchers can use to guide them in crafting their own research questions.

Research Question Example 1

The first research question is too vague in both its independent and dependent variables. There is no specific information on what “exposure” means. Does this refer to comments, likes, engagement, or just how much time is spent on the social media platform?

Second, there is no useful information on what exactly “affected” means. Does the subject’s behavior change in some measurable way? Or does this term refer to another factor such as the user’s emotions?

Research Question Example 2

In this research question, the first example is too simple and not sufficiently complex, making it difficult to assess whether the study answered the question. The author could really only answer this question with a simple “yes” or “no.” Further, the presence of data would not help answer this question more deeply, which is a sure sign of a poorly constructed research topic.

The second research question is specific, complex, and empirically verifiable. One can measure program effectiveness based on metrics such as attendance or grades. Further, “bullying” is made into an empirical, quantitative measurement in the form of recorded disciplinary actions.

Steps for Writing a Research Question

Good research questions are relevant, focused, and meaningful. It can be difficult to come up with a good research question, but there are a few steps you can follow to make it a bit easier.

1. Start with an interesting and relevant topic

Choose a research topic that is interesting but also relevant and aligned with your own country’s culture or your university’s capabilities. Popular academic topics include healthcare and medical-related research. However, if you are attending an engineering school or humanities program, you should obviously choose a research question that pertains to your specific study and major.

Below is an embedded graph of the most popular research fields of study based on publication output according to region. As you can see, healthcare and the basic sciences receive the most funding and earn the highest number of publications. 

2. Do preliminary research  

You can begin doing preliminary research once you have chosen a research topic. Two objectives should be accomplished during this first phase of research. First, you should undertake a preliminary review of related literature to discover issues that scholars and peers are currently discussing. With this method, you show that you are informed about the latest developments in the field.

Secondly, identify knowledge gaps or limitations in your topic by conducting a preliminary literature review . It is possible to later use these gaps to focus your research question after a certain amount of fine-tuning.

3. Narrow your research to determine specific research questions

You can focus on a more specific area of study once you have a good handle on the topic you want to explore. Focusing on recent literature or knowledge gaps is one good option. 

By identifying study limitations in the literature and overlooked areas of study, an author can carve out a good research question. The same is true for choosing research questions that extend or complement existing literature.

4. Evaluate your research question

Make sure you evaluate the research question by asking the following questions:

Is my research question clear?

The resulting data and observations that your study produces should be clear. For quantitative studies, data must be empirical and measurable. For qualitative, the observations should be clearly delineable across categories.

Is my research question focused and specific?

A strong research question should be specific enough that your methodology or testing procedure produces an objective result, not one left to subjective interpretation. Open-ended research questions or those relating to general topics can create ambiguous connections between the results and the aims of the study. 

Is my research question sufficiently complex?

The result of your research should be consequential and substantial (and fall sufficiently within the context of your field) to warrant an academic study. Simply reinforcing or supporting a scientific consensus is superfluous and will likely not be well received by most journal editors.  

Editing Your Research Question

Your research question should be fully formulated well before you begin drafting your research paper. However, you can receive English paper editing and proofreading services at any point in the drafting process. Language editors with expertise in your academic field can assist you with the content and language in your Introduction section or other manuscript sections. And if you need further assistance or information regarding paper compositions, in the meantime, check out our academic resources , which provide dozens of articles and videos on a variety of academic writing and publication topics.

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Research Question Examples – Guide & Tips

Published by Owen Ingram at August 13th, 2021 , Revised On April 4, 2024

All  research questions should be focused, researchable, feasible to answer, specific to find results, complex, and relevant to your field of study. The research question’s factors will be; the research problem ,  research type , project length, and time frame.

Research questions provide boundaries to your research project and provide a clear approach to collect and compile data. Understanding your research question better is necessary to find unique facts and figures to publish your research.

Search and study some research question examples or research questions relevant to your field of study before writing your own research question.

Research Questions for Dissertation Examples

Below are 10 examples of research questions that will enable you to develop research questions for your research.

These examples will help you to check whether your chosen research questions can be addressed or whether they are too broad to find a conclusive answer.

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A dissertation is an important milestone no matter what academic level or subject it is. You will be asked to write a dissertation on a  topic of your choice  and make a substantial contribution to academic and scientific communities.

The project will start with the  planning and designing of a project before the actual write-up phase. There are many stages in the dissertation process , but the most important is developing a research question that guides your research.

If you are starting your dissertation, you will have to conduct preliminary research to  find a problem and research gap as the first step of the process. The second step is to write  research questions that specify your topic and the relevant problem you want to address.

How can we Help you with Research Questions?

If you are still unsure about writing dissertation research questions and perhaps want to see  more examples , you might be interested in getting help from our dissertation writers.

At ResearchProspect, we have UK-qualified writers holding Masters and PhD degrees in all academic subjects. Whether you need help with only developing research questions or any other aspect of your dissertation paper , we are here to help you achieve your desired grades for an affordable price.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some examples of a research question.

Examples of research questions:

• How does social media influence self-esteem in adolescents?
• What are the economic impacts of climate change on agriculture?
• What factors contribute to employee job satisfaction in the tech industry?
• How does exercise frequency affect cardiovascular health?
• What is the relationship between sleep duration and academic performance in college students?

What are some examples of research questions in the classroom?

• How do interactive whiteboards impact student engagement?
• Does peer tutoring improve maths proficiency?
• How does classroom seating arrangement influence student participation?
• What’s the effect of gamified learning on student motivation?
• Does integrating technology in lessons enhance critical thinking skills?
• How does feedback frequency affect student performance?

What are some examples of research questions in Geography?

• How does urbanisation impact local microclimates?
• What factors influence water scarcity in Region X?
• How do migration patterns correlate with economic disparities?
• What’s the relationship between deforestation and soil erosion in Area Y?
• How have coastlines changed over the past decade?
• Why are certain regions’ biodiversity hotspots?

What are some examples of research questions in Psychology?

• How does social media usage affect adolescent self-esteem?
• What factors contribute to resilience in trauma survivors?
• How does sleep deprivation impact decision-making abilities?
• Are certain teaching methods more effective for children with ADHD?
• What are the psychological effects of long-term social isolation?
• How do early attachments influence adult relationships?

What are the three basic research questions?

The three basic types of research questions are:

• Descriptive: Seeks to depict a phenomenon or issue. E.g., “What are the symptoms of depression?”
• Relational: Investigates relationships between variables. E.g., “Is there a correlation between stress and heart disease?”
• Causal: Determines cause and effect. E.g., “Does smoking cause lung cancer?”

You May Also Like

Find how to write research questions with the mentioned steps required for a perfect research question. Choose an interesting topic and begin your research.

Struggling to find relevant and up-to-date topics for your dissertation? Here is all you need to know if unsure about how to choose dissertation topic.

How to write a hypothesis for dissertation,? A hypothesis is a statement that can be tested with the help of experimental or theoretical research.

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Dissertation Proposal | Examples, Steps & Structure

Introduction

What is the dissertation proposal process, what is the difference between a dissertation and a dissertation proposal, what are the elements of a dissertation proposal, what does a good dissertation proposal look like, how do you present a dissertation proposal.

With the dissertation as the culminating work that leads to successful completion of a doctoral degree, the dissertation proposal or thesis proposal serves as the backbone of the research that will ultimately inform your research agenda in the dissertation stage and beyond. A well-crafted proposed study details the research problem , your research question , and your methodology for studying the dissertation topic.

In this article, we will provide a brief introduction of the components of a good dissertation proposal, why they are important, and what needs to be incorporated into a proposal to allow your committee to conduct further study on your topic.

A typical doctoral program requires a dissertation or thesis through which a doctoral student demonstrates their knowledge and expertise in the prevailing theories and methodologies in their chosen research area. By the time a student is ready for the dissertation proposal stage, they will have taken the necessary coursework on theory and research methods or have demonstrated their expertise in lab work or written publications.

Most doctoral programs also require students to complete comprehensive examinations (these may go by other names such as qualifying exams or preliminary exams). These assess the ability to understand and synthesize scientific knowledge in a given research field. What separates the dissertation proposal from these examinations is that the dissertation proposal asks students to create an entirely new study that builds on that existing knowledge, separating fully-fledged researchers and scientists from merely scholars familiar with expert knowledge.

Needless to say, the dissertation proposal is the precursor to the eventual dissertation. Think of the proposal as a request for permission to conduct the study that you need to conduct to write and defend your dissertation.

Because a rigorous research process is also extensive and drawn out, the proposal is also a reflection of the expertise you have about the dissertation topic. Committee members want to know if you have the necessary knowledge about the existing research to be able to generate empirical knowledge through a full dissertation study.

Once you have conducted your research, the dissertation itself will often take components from your written proposal in providing a comprehensive report on the scholarly knowledge you have generated and how you generated it. That said, the overall scholarly work will likely evolve between the proposal stage and the final dissertation, making the proposal a useful foundation on which your entire research agenda is built.

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By this point in a doctoral program, a student is already familiar with components in a research paper such as a thesis statement, a research question , methodology , and findings and discussion sections. These aspects are commonly found in journal articles and conference presentations. However, a dissertation proposal is most likely a lengthy document as your dissertation committee will expect certain things that may not always belong in a journal article with the level of detail found in a proposal.

Problem statement

A clear dissertation proposal outlines the problem that the proposed research aims to address. An effective problem statement can identify the potential value of the research if it is approved and conducted. It also elevates the research from an inquiry generated from pure intellectual curiosity to a directed study that the greater academic community will find relevant and compelling.

Identifying a problem that research can solve is less about a personal interest and more about justifying why the research deserves to go forward. A good dissertation proposal should make the case that the research can expand theoretical knowledge or identify applications to address practical concerns.

Research questions are the product of a good problem statement. Whereas a useful problem statement will establish the relevance of the study, a research question will focus on aspects of the problem that, when addressed through research, will yield useful theoretical developments or practical insights.

Research background

Once the proposed project is justified in terms of its potential value, the next question is whether existing research has something to say about the problem. A thorough literature review is necessary to be able to identify the necessary gaps in the theory or methodology.

A thorough survey of the research background can also provide a useful theoretical framework that researchers can use to conduct data collection and analysis . Basing your analytical approach on published research will establish useful connections between your research and existing scientific knowledge, a quality that your committee will look for in determining the importance of your proposed study.

Proposed methodology

With a useful theoretical background in mind, the methodology section lays out what the study will look like if it is approved. In a nutshell, a comprehensive treatment of the methodology should include descriptions of the research context (e.g., the participants and the broader environment they occupy), data collection procedures, data analysis strategies, and any expected outcomes.

A thorough explanation of the methodological approach you will apply to your study is critical to a successful proposal. Compared to an explanation of methods in a peer-reviewed journal article, the methodology is expected to take up an entire chapter in your dissertation, so the methods section in your proposal should be just as long. Be prepared to explain not only what strategies for data collection and analysis you choose but why they are appropriate for your research topic and research questions.

The expected outcomes represent the student's best guess as to what might happen and what insights might be collected during the course of the study. This is similar to a research hypothesis in that an expected outcome provides a sort of baseline that the researcher should use to determine the extent of the novelty in the findings.

At this point, dissertation committee members are looking at the extent to which a doctoral student can design a transparent and rigorous study that can contribute new knowledge to the existing body of relevant literature on a given research topic. Especially in the social sciences, the approach a researcher takes in generating new knowledge is often more important than the new knowledge itself, making the methods section arguably the most critical component in your proposal.

Successful dissertation proposals serve both as compelling arguments justifying future research as well as written knowledge that can be incorporated into the eventual dissertation. Oftentimes, students are advised that the dissertation proposal has a similar structure to that of the first few chapters of a dissertation, as they describe the research problem , background, and methodology .

In that sense, a good proposal will help the student save time in writing what will be an even lengthier dissertation. To your advisor and your committee, a successful proposal is less an examination than it is a tool or formal process to help you through the doctoral journey.

Throughout the process of writing your proposal, it's important to communicate with the members of your dissertation committee so they can clarify their expectations regarding what belongs in the proposal. Ultimately, beyond the accepted norms regarding what goes into a typical dissertation proposal, it is up to your committee to determine if you have the expertise and appropriate methodological approach to conduct novel research.

The proposal will most likely be the longest report you will write in your doctoral program, with the exception of the dissertation itself. That's because you will need to describe your research design in the kind of painstaking detail that often isn't included in a typical peer-reviewed research article or academic presentation.

In general terms, the more detail that you can provide in your proposal, the clearer your research agenda as you collect and analyze data , and the easier your dissertation will be to write. However, a dissertation proposal is more than simply a word or page count. It is a document that is intended to "sell" the value of your research to your committee.

Your committee will be made up of your advisor and other faculty members in your university (with some exceptions depending on your doctoral program). These members need to be convinced that your research can contribute to the larger body of scholarly knowledge within the university and in the greater academic community as a whole. As a result, a good proposal is not an encyclopedic presentation of knowledge, but an informed synthesis of theory and methodology that points out where research in a particular topic should be conducted next.

In addition to the substance of your proposal, also pay attention to the packaging of your proposal. Little details such as the title page and reference list also provide indicators that you have carefully thought about the research you want to conduct, and show your level of commitment as a future career scholar. As with submitting a research paper for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, developing the dissertation proposal should also be done with the necessary care that demonstrates a professional attitude toward literacy practices and best practices in academic research.

Typically, the dissertation proposal will need to be presented in person to your committee. This is a chance for your committee to confirm they have read the proposal, offer feedback to strengthen the research design, and offer their approval for you to go ahead and conduct your research if it is a strong enough proposal. In many respects, the proposal meeting is a dry run for the kind of questions you will likely face from your committee when it comes time to defend your dissertation.

Even if you successfully defend your proposal, your advisor may ask for revisions to the written proposal based on the feedback your committee provides. These revisions are not only crucial to the eventual data collection and analysis but to strengthening the argument you will make about the validity and novelty of your research later on.

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Proposal Overview and Format

Proposal committee, proposal hearing or meeting.

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Students are urged to begin thinking about a dissertation topic early in their degree program. Concentrated work on a dissertation proposal normally begins after successful completion of the Second-Year Review, which often includes a “mini” proposal, an extended literature review, or a theoretical essay, plus advancement to doctoral candidacy. In defining a dissertation topic, the student collaborates with their faculty advisor or dissertation advisor (if one is selected) in the choice of a topic for the dissertation.

The dissertation proposal is a comprehensive statement on the extent and nature of the student’s dissertation research interests. Students submit a draft of the proposal to their dissertation advisor between the end of the seventh and middle of the ninth quarters. The student must provide a written copy of the proposal to the faculty committee no later than two weeks prior to the date of the proposal hearing. Committee members could require an earlier deadline (e.g., four weeks before the hearing).

The major components of the proposal are as follows, with some variations across Areas and disciplines:

• A detailed statement of the problem that is to be studied and the context within which it is to be seen. This should include a justification of the importance of the problem on both theoretical and educational grounds.
• A thorough review of the literature pertinent to the research problem. This review should provide proof that the relevant literature in the field has been thoroughly researched. Good research is cumulative; it builds on the thoughts, findings, and mistakes of others.
• its general explanatory interest
• the overall theoretical framework within which this interest is to be pursued
• the model or hypotheses to be tested or the research questions to be answered
• a discussion of the conceptual and operational properties of the variables
• an overview of strategies for collecting appropriate evidence (sampling, instrumentation, data collection, data reduction, data analysis)
• a discussion of how the evidence is to be interpreted (This aspect of the proposal will be somewhat different in fields such as history and philosophy of education.)
• If applicable, students should complete a request for approval of research with human subjects, using the Human Subjects Review Form ( http://humansubjects.stanford.edu/ ). Except for pilot work, the University requires the approval of the Administrative Panel on Human Subjects in Behavioral Science Research before any data can be collected from human subjects.

Registration (i.e., enrollment) is required for any quarter during which a degree requirement is completed, including the dissertation proposal. Refer to the Registration or Enrollment for Milestone Completion section for more details.

As students progress through the program, their interests may change. There is no commitment on the part of the student’s advisor to automatically serve as the dissertation chair. Based on the student’s interests and the dissertation topic, many students approach other GSE professors to serve as the dissertation advisor, if appropriate.

A dissertation proposal committee is comprised of three academic council faculty members, one of whom will serve as the major dissertation advisor. Whether or not the student’s general program advisor serves on the dissertation proposal committee and later the reading committee will depend on the relevance of that faculty member’s expertise to the topic of the dissertation, and their availability. There is no requirement that a program advisor serve, although very often they do. Members of the dissertation proposal committee may be drawn from other area committees within the GSE, from other departments in the University, or from emeriti faculty. At least one person serving on the proposal committee must be from the student’s area committee (CTE, DAPS, SHIPS). All three members must be on the Academic Council; if the student desires the expertise of a non-Academic Council member, it may be possible to petition. After the hearing, a memorandum listing the changes to be made will be written and submitted with the signed proposal cover sheet and a copy of the proposal itself to the Doctoral Programs Officer.

Review and approval of the dissertation proposal occurs normally during the third year. The proposal hearing seeks to review the quality and feasibility of the proposal. The Second-Year Review and the Proposal Hearing are separate milestones and may not occur as part of the same hearing or meeting.

The student and the dissertation advisor are responsible for scheduling a formal meeting or hearing to review the proposal; the student and proposal committee convene for this evaluative period. Normally, all must be present at the meeting either in person or via conference phone call.

At the end of this meeting, the dissertation proposal committee members should sign the Cover Sheet for Dissertation Proposal and indicate their approval or rejection of the proposal. This signed form should be submitted to the Doctoral Programs Officer. If the student is required to make revisions, an addendum is required with the written approval of each member of the committee stating that the proposal has been revised to their satisfaction.

After submitting the Proposal Hearing material to the Doctoral Programs Officer, the student should make arrangements with three faculty members to serve on their Dissertation Reading Committee. The Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form should be completed and given to the Doctoral Programs Officer to enter in the University student records system. Note: The proposal hearing committee and the reading committee do not have to be the same three faculty members. Normally, the proposal hearing precedes the designation of a Dissertation Reading Committee, and faculty on either committee may differ (except for the primary dissertation advisor). However, some students may advance to Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status before completing their dissertation proposal hearing if they have established a dissertation reading committee. In these cases, it is acceptable for the student to form a reading committee prior to the dissertation proposal hearing. The reading committee then serves as the proposal committee.

The proposal and reading committee forms and related instructions are on the GSE website, under current students>forms.

Printing Credit for Use in GSE Labs

Upon completion of their doctoral dissertation proposal, GSE students are eligible for a $300 printing credit redeemable in any of the GSE computer labs where students are normally charged for print jobs. Only one $300 credit per student will be issued, but it is usable throughout the remainder of her or his doctoral program until the balance is exhausted. The print credit can be used only at the printers in Cubberley basement and CERAS, and cannot be used toward copying.

After submitting the signed dissertation proposal cover sheet to the Doctoral Programs Officer indicating approval (see above), students can submit a HELP SU ticket online at helpsu.stanford.edu to request the credit. When submitting the help ticket, the following should be selected from the drop-down menus for HELP SU:

Request Category :  Computer, Handhelds (PDAs), Printers, Servers Request Type :  Printer Operating System : (whatever system is used by the student, e.g., Windows XP.)

The help ticket will be routed to the GSE's IT Group for processing; they will in turn notify the student via email when the credit is available.

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• Timetable for the Doctoral Degree
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Hardest Research Proposal Questions and Best Sample Answers

Featured Expert: Dr. Michela Insenga, PhD

Practicing with sample research proposal questions and answers can have great benefits for any major research project such as a dissertation or thesis. This is often the final step before you finally get your doctorate degree. However, before all of that, you must first craft a research proposal. This is a detailed outline that will transform into the thesis that you will eventually have to defend in front of a panel of distinguished academics. It is always important to be aware of what thesis defense questions you will be asked when it is all said and done, but you may have to start justifying your research a little earlier on with the completion of a research proposal.

In this article, we include sample questions and answers you could be faced with when submitting your research proposal, some tips for preparing your responses, as well as the benefits of seeking professional help from a grad school advisor .

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 13 min read

What to expect for your research proposal.

Early on in your PhD process, you may have to submit a research proposal that details the scope of your research and what you plan to for an eventual thesis or dissertation project. You have already learned how to find a PhD topic , so now it is time to put your passion for your field into practice and start to manifest the ideas swimming in your head.

This document should include the specific topic you would like to research, what angle you will be taking for your research, as well as your justification for choosing this subject. Regardless of whether or not your goals are the same as when you wrote your research interest statement sample , you must still provide an update about what your project is going to examine.

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The purpose of the research proposal is to convince your supervisor that you are on the right direction. You are essentially providing a roadmap for your supervisor through your motives in undertaking this project and how you plan to complete it. Your supervisor will have to evaluate whether or not your project is relevant to the degree you are completing and manageable within the time constraints or other limitations you have.

As a result, you may have to undergo a research proposal defense or your supervisor will ask guiding questions about the state of your project. While this is still very early in the process, it is a great way for getting to know how to prepare for a thesis defense , as the questions you will be have a similar intent. Receiving guidance on your research before spending a lot of time on it can be more beneficial to you as you complete coursework or any other responsibilities as a graduate student. Questions from your supervisor can make your think critically about the end result of your result, and will hopefully lead to a better result.

Be Very Familiar With Your Proposal

This sounds like an obvious tip, but PhD research proposals can be 1500-2000 words long and can be a lot of information to remember at once. Once it is complete, try and have as great of a grasp of the material as you can. Before going into any meeting where you will discuss your work, make sure to become reacquainted with the information you have found and the goals you are hoping to achieve. Re-read your proposal several times to both proofread it for typos or other errors, but also to become comfortable with its contents. You want to make sure that your answers line up with the document you are officially submitting as your proposal.

Ask for Advice

If you are having trouble creating your proposal, you can always consult thesis writing services to help you plan out and put your thoughts into words. Professionals can also help with your speaking ability when responding and help you strategize so that you deliver efficient responses that sum up your research faithfully. Either together with an advisor or on your own, you can predict the obvious questions that are coming and prepare yourself to answer them. If your supervisor will be overseeing your proposal, try to anticipate what concerns they will have. Come up with a list of questions yourself, so you can workshop how you answer them.

Use Strategies to Answer Questions

Just like preparing for graduate school interview questions , you can develop strategies for how to answer questions about your research proposal. Keep your answers direct. You can also pose questions about areas you are unsure about. Do not be afraid to not have all the answers. At this point of your research, you are not expected to know everything point. The purpose of your proposal is to see where you are at right now and what you need to adjust on to make the best final product possible. Your supervisor or other academics that will pose questions about your proposal are not out to get you. They have years of experiences with similar projects, and are likely are qualified to give helpful feedback on your work in progress.

1. What is your research project about?

This answer should be a short summary about your research project. This question may seem like this simplest of them all, but you need to have a solid direction on where you want your thesis to go in order for it be effective. It does not need to be as complete as if you were to be summarizing your final product, since your project is still in its development stages. For instance, a sociological study regarding gendered tendencies towards deviant behaviors on the internet might be formatted in this manner:

For this research project, I plan to examine the rise of online deviant sociological behaviour on social media platforms during recent global shutdowns such as the COVID-19 pandemic and how gender identity and sexual orientation amplify these concerns. These acts of deviance can include instances of catfishing, deception, pornography, obscenity, cyber bullying, flaming, among others. I will also relate these findings to psychological impacts of both the perpetrators and victims or other relevant criminal behaviors that do not take place online, pointing out the differences between common trends for men vs. women in these altercations.

2. Why did you select this particular topic?

This question is meant to assess your motivation for choosing the subject of your research proposal. It is possible that you have previously touched on this kind of question during your graduate school interview when answering “Why do you want to do a PhD?” . This answer is one that could get a little more into your personal inclination towards the research you pursue. Focus on your particular interests and shape it to the goals of the project. For example, if you conducted a study called, “Forgotten Minds: Book History and Women’s Lost Contributions in 18th and 19th-century England” then you can frame your answer in this way:

As a scholar of the marriage industrial complex that permeated British society in past centuries, I am interested in the ways that a patriarchal structure can silence the marginalized voices of others, as matrimony often did for women. This is all the more evident in the interdisciplinary field of book history, where women’s contributions to the publishing were often ignored, erased, or overshadowed by their husbands. I wanted to indicate any trends that can be discovered by examining the roles of women in 18th and 19th-century printing houses and potentially unearth the forgotten stories of women who worked in these instances.

3. Does your project have a working title?

Titles are very important for academic articles or formal dissertation projects. If you have already learned how to publish as a graduate student , you will know that the title is how other academics or students will find your work when searching through journals and databases. You need to make sure your title is accurate to the research provided. At this point, your title will likely not be final, but it always important to be thinking about.

Sample Answer: My tentative title is “Take a Chill Pill: Natural and Traditional Methods for College Student Anxiety Levels”. I chose this title because it represents both the holistic self-care methods such as meditation and exercise as well as prescription medication. It also points out the focus group immediately, since the study will examine current college students between the ages of 18-24 and indicate any patterns for how they manage stress among unprecedented times.

4. What scope do you think your project will have?

Your proposal will likely touch on several points related to your topic, but it is not really plausible to have a project that considers every single aspect imaginable. You may need to narrow this down as you further develop your research. Start thinking of the boundaries you may have to set as you progress through your work.

Sample Answer: This study will examine consumption trends related to the snack food industry. To start with, I have chosen over 25 products from different companies will be able to be listed and reviewed in the final thesis submission.

5. What makes your project original?

Being a publishing academic is all about filling the gaps in scholarship. Make sure to point out what makes your project stand out from others in the field.

Sample Answer: The project focuses on how remote working and telemedicine shifts the delivery of family medicine procedures in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It does engage with similar studies on the topic of telemedicine, but will add a new perspective by discussing family doctors practicing in the greater Montreal area, specifically, which is a subset I have not yet found within existing scholarship.

6. How is your research in conversation with existing scholarship?

While your research must add something to the field, it also should be in a dialogue with other published works. Explain your process surrounding the other studies you have used to guide your own thesis.

Sample Answer: As my project is related to how autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis present themselves in young adults, I have included fundamental studies on the topic from Dr. Arthur Golden and Dr. Melina Rizzo, as well as other more current examples of scholarship. My study will utilize their concepts in relation to a focus group that is below the age of 30.

7. What kind of research methodology will you be using?

How you will be accessing this research is just as important as the research itself. Try to have a clear path about the measures you will take to complete your study.

Sample Answer: I aim to use detailed and meticulously written surveys about women’s birth experiences at hospitals or affiliated birthing centers. These results will act as the main foundation for my study on maternity health care and treatment.

8. Have you found there to be any interesting developments so far?

Was there any part of the part of the process that you did not expect? For this response, detail any new directions your research has taken as of writing your proposal.

Sample Answer: While looking for evidence that suggests that gender socialization of children affects their behaviour, I was surprised to find out that there is a discrepancy between the emotional responses in animated characters based on gender. Female or feminine-presenting characters are shown smiling on screen much more than their male counterparts, and the masculine-presenting characters were generally more likely to be shown as upset or even violent. That is a development in my research that I did not initially think of or foresee.

9. What do you think your biggest limitations for this research will be?

Look into the work you will have to do for your eventual full-length research project. What do you see being the most difficult part?

Sample Answer: I am looking into the nutritional benefits of drug store chewable gummy multivitamins. However, based on an individual’s prior health conditions or genetic makeup, the results may vary or be distorted. I am presuming that this will be a major limitation as I write my thesis.

10. What will be the dependent and independent variables of this project?

When researching, there are different variables that can potentially affect your results. An independent variable is not affected by other variables in your study, while dependent variables also change if other variables do.

Sample Answer: My study will investigate the impact of guidance counselling for junior and senior high school students. The independent variable is the type of help they require, such as college applications, social development skills, or academic performance. The dependent variable would be the actual outcomes of said counselling.

11. What is your provisional research timeline?

Even if it is not 100% stuck to, try to have a detailed timeline in mind about when research will be completed and how you will fulfill all of your obligations prior to the respective deadlines.

Sample Answer: The provisional research timeline for my proposal is designed to ensure systematic progress and timely completion of all research objectives. My timeline is divided into five phases:

Preparation Phase (4 weeks): In this initial stage, I will conduct a thorough literature review to familiarize myself with existing research and identify potential gaps. Simultaneously, I will finalize the research questions and establish the overall framework for my study.

Data Collection and Analysis (8 weeks): During this phase, I will gather primary data through surveys and interviews, ensuring data collection aligns with ethical guidelines. Once collected, I will proceed with data analysis, utilizing appropriate statistical methods to extract meaningful insights.

Literature Integration (4 weeks): Building upon the analyzed data, I will integrate my findings with existing literature to provide a comprehensive context for my research.

Drafting and Revision (6 weeks): I will dedicate this phase to writing the research proposal. The initial draft will be critically reviewed and refined through multiple iterations to enhance clarity and coherence.

Finalization and Submission (1 week): In the final phase, I will incorporate feedback from peers and advisors and polish the research paper to its final form. The completed research paper will be submitted by the designated deadline.

This provisional timeline, spanning 23 weeks, allows for flexibility and contingency plans to accommodate unforeseen challenges. Regular progress assessments and adjustments will be made to ensure timely completion and adherence to all obligations.

12. Who are the demographics who will be most interested in your research?

An important aspect of your research to think about will be who will be the most interested in reading it, as well as who it impacts the most.

Sample Answer: The demographics most interested in my research are likely to be professionals and policymakers within the healthcare industry. Given the focus of my research on implementing technology-driven solutions to enhance patient care and improve healthcare outcomes, healthcare practitioners, administrators, and researchers would find the findings particularly relevant.

Additionally, technology enthusiasts, innovators, and entrepreneurs interested in the intersection of healthcare and technology are also expected to show interest in the research. This group may be keen to explore potential commercial applications of the proposed solutions or seek opportunities for collaboration.

Moreover, the research would significantly impact patients and healthcare consumers. As technology increasingly plays a vital role in healthcare delivery, patients would be interested in understanding how these advancements can positively influence their healthcare experiences and overall well-being.

To ensure the research's reach and impact, I will disseminate the findings through academic publications, conferences, and workshops. Additionally, I will aim to engage with relevant professional organizations, healthcare institutions, and technology forums to stimulate interest and foster practical applications of the research outcomes.

By targeting these demographics, the research can make a meaningful contribution to the field of healthcare technology and help drive advancements that benefit both healthcare providers and patients alike.

13. What do you hope to be the significance of your research?

This is the “So what?” of your research. Will your research have lasting impacts? Evaluate which current issues your research could resolve.

Sample Answer:

The significance of my research lies in its potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery through technology-driven solutions. By addressing current issues such as inefficiencies in healthcare systems, lack of patient engagement, and suboptimal outcomes, my research aims to foster lasting impacts. Implementing technology to improve patient care, streamline processes, and enhance healthcare accessibility could lead to better health outcomes, reduced costs, and an overall improvement in the quality of healthcare services.

14. Are there any ethical issues or debates surrounding your research project?

Some projects are directly tied to ethics and moral issues that are currently being debated. It would be important to mention any ties to these issues and how your research is part of a larger conversation.

Sample Answer: While my research primarily focuses on technology-driven solutions to enhance healthcare, there are potential ethical considerations surrounding data privacy and security. As the research involves collecting and analyzing patient data, ensuring the confidentiality and informed consent of participants is paramount. Additionally, discussions about the responsible use of artificial intelligence in healthcare and potential biases in algorithms are relevant to the larger conversation on the ethical implications of technology in healthcare. Addressing these issues will be crucial to maintaining the integrity and societal benefit of the research.

15. Do you have any personal predictions for the outcome of your research?

If you haven’t yet conducted surveys or a thorough literature review, relay what you think will happen and any other concerns to your supervisor.

Sample Answer: As of now, without conducting surveys or an extensive literature review, I anticipate that the research will demonstrate the potential of technology in positively impacting healthcare outcomes and patient experiences. However, I am also aware that challenges related to data security, technology adoption, and ethical considerations may arise during the research. I will keep my supervisor informed about any unexpected findings and concerns throughout the study to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the research outcomes.

Now that you have seen some sample answers, here are some additional questions you can take on:

• What sample groups are you using and why?
• What secondary sources do you plan to use?
• What do you believe is the strongest point in your research?
• Are there any biases that could exist in your research or your secondary sources?
• What are some ways your findings will be put into practice?
• What was the approach you took when starting your project?
• What phenomenon are you trying to understand with this research?
• How has your research project changed from when you started this degree?
• Do you see any foreseeable weaknesses or blind spots in your study?
• What measurement instrument did you use for this research?
• What theoretical framework is your research based on?
• Is the literature you chose up to date?
• What pertinent information have you found so far?
• Does your research have any use for policy makers?
• What do you plan to do with this research project once you have graduated?

When you are wondering, “should you pursue a master’s or a PhD?” , you truly need to consider the importance of research within the discipline you choose. Part of being an academic is the ability to contribute to the field and, by extension, society as a whole. The research proposal and the subsequent dissertation may be the last step to complete your degree, but it is also can be the first real step of your professional career.

Any meeting with your supervisor or instant where you have to defend your work is simply part of the process of being a working academic. This can have lasting implications for the future of your career, as knowing how to conduct and present research effectively is key to learning how to find a job in academia . That being said, the first step is putting yourself in the best position to succeed. Using PhD consultants can make all the difference for your project. If you are currently applying to graduate school, these trained experts can help you get into the school of your dreams or assist with finding programs that suit your skillset. They can also provide pointers on your research, as many of them have been in your shoes before.

A research proposal is a concise and structured document that outlines the key objectives, methodology, and significance of a proposed research project, aiming to convince others about the value and feasibility of the study.

A typical research proposal for a doctoral thesis is usually between 10 to 20 pages, depending on the specific requirements of the academic institution and the complexity of the research project.

To find the right research topic for a doctoral thesis, consider your interests, expertise, and the significance of the topic in your field. Engage with relevant literature, consult with advisors and experts, and identify gaps or unresolved issues to narrow down your focus.

Yes, you can and you should include your research on your grad school CV . 

Most graduate programs will ask you to defend your research proposal. However, if it’s a smaller project, a review of the proposal may be sufficient. 

To prepare for a research proposal or thesis defense, thoroughly review your research work, anticipate potential questions, and practice presenting your findings in a clear and concise manner to effectively communicate your research objectives, methodology, and results.

Some mistakes to avoid when writing a research proposal include: lack of clarity in research objectives, insufficient literature review, neglecting to address potential limitations, and failing to align the proposal with the funding agency's guidelines or the university's requirements.

Yes, you can always reach out to thesis writing services for some guidance. 

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How to write a research proposal: a detailed guide for students

A professional writer with ten years of experience and a Ph.D. in Modern History, Catharine Tawil writes engaging and insightful papers for academic exchange. With deep insight into the impact of historical events on the present, she provides a unique perspective in giving students a feel for the past. Her writing educates and stimulates critical thinking, making her a treasure to those wading through the complexities of history.

How to write a research proposal? Although writing academic papers and completing projects is part of the routine of any young learner, this assignment can often be troublesome. Still, if you are looking for professional research proposal guidelines, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll go down the rabbit hole and discover all the best ways to complete this assignment easily and quickly. 

Research proposal: meaning and description

Research proposals are not easy to write. However, if you follow our tips and tricks, you will achieve all your academic goals. As a rule, you need to develop a strong research proposal before you start working on your research paper. In other words, it’s like preparing a list of ingredients for cooking your main course. 

Your paper will generally contain a topic (well, that’s the most straightforward component), your research questions, methodology, and the significance of the chosen field. However, the requirements might differ depending on your academic level and the overall complexity of your paper. 

Why a good research proposal matters

What do I need to compose a proposal writing? Many bright minds ask this question. The answer is that it has many goals. First and foremost, it allows learners to clarify their ideas and get approval from their teachers or professors. The second thing about this writing is that it helps students create a well-structured and properly formatted paper before diving too deep into the research paper. As a rule, you must submit your proposal before you start working on your research project, thesis, or dissertation. 

Top components of a research proposal

Your research proposal must cover many experts. For your convenience, we’ve prepared a list of top features you are expected to have in this type of writing. 

• Topic: Similar to a research paper, your proposal must have a precise topic. It should be understandable, fresh, and sharp. And, of course, it should be focused on your research for 100%.
• Intro: This is background info for your topic. In most cases, it highlights the importance of your study and describes the research objectives. 
• Literature review: What literature is related to the chosen niche? What unresolved questions does your field have? Why do you need to conduct the research? Your literature review helps you prove that you have already conducted the primary research and understand the selected topic well. This point is a must-to-write for all research proposals.
• Research questions: What questions will your study address? Make sure they are unique, measurable, and achievable.
• Methodology: In this field, you must specify the methods and techniques you will use to collect and process your findings. 
• Timeline: Every project has its deadlines and milestones. You will need to create an approximate schedule for completing your assignment. This schedule must include time for collecting information, advanced data analysis, and writing. 
• Reference: As with the other academic assignments, you must develop a reference list for your paper proposal. 
• Appendices: This is the best place to provide your supplementary artifacts and other materials. 

How can you understand your research problem 

Now that you have a better understanding of a research proposal, what’s next? Below is a simple step-by-step solution for writing a research proposal. 

Spotlighting the research gap

Identifying a research gap for a research proposal involves several stages. Firstly, you will need to review existing literature in your field. This will allow you to pinpoint areas where knowledge is lacking or contradictory. For example, you can search for some unanswered questions that require more investigation. After that, you may consider recent developments or emerging trends that created new gaps in existing research. Finally, you should critically evaluate your expertise and interests. 

Developing your main research question

Developing your main research question for a research proposal usually involves the following critical steps: 

• Brainstorming ideas and narrowing down your topic to a specific field. 
• Clarify the gaps you’ve discovered in the previous stage.
• Formulate your main research question.
• Double-check your question for relevance and clarity.
• Refine your research question and make sure it fully aligns with your goals. 

Choosing your top-notch research objectives

Now, it’s time to dive into the ocean of your research proposal objectives. Although there might be too many goals, you must select only the most important ones. Moreover, it requires careful consideration and strategic planning. The best approach to this task is to start by identifying the main purpose of your research. After that, you may try to connect your goals with the main questions and the research gap. Not to mention, make sure to focus only on realistic goals during your objective’s research design. 

Working on your literature review

If you look at any good-written research proposal example, you will notice that it always has a literature review section. To complete it easily, feel free to follow these easy steps:

• Gather articles and texts that address these themes.
• Critically analyze and synthesize the findings from the chosen sources.
• Organize your literature review thematically or chronologically.
• Conclude by summarizing the current state of knowledge and explaining your proposed research's contribution.

Selecting the research methodology 

When choosing the most fitting research methodology, consider the following parameters: 

• Define the research questions to guide your methodology selection.
• Evaluate different research methodologies (for example, you can choose quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods.)
• Consider practical factors, including resources, time constraints, and access to participants.
• Choose a methodology that aligns with your research goals and theoretical framework.
• Explain how the chosen methodology enables you to collect relevant data and generate insights for your research proposal.

Developing the introduction

There is nothing new about the introduction being one of the most impactful parts of any academic paper. To succeed in writing your assignment, you must follow many rules and requirements. So, here is a quick start on how to complete this part like a real pro. 

Collecting the background information

Writing a research proposal is never an easy task. However, a good introduction with properly arranged background information is one of the keys to success. You can begin by introducing the broad study area and its significance in the academic or practical realm. After that, you can provide historical context or foundational theories relevant to the research topic. It is always a brilliant idea to summarize past research and scholarly discussions related to the subject and highlight your key findings and knowledge gaps. After all, connect your background info and the proposed research. You can also add a smooth transition to your problem statements and research proposal purpose. 

Arranging the study context

This part of writing is one of the most complicated. However, the tips below might help you cope with it more easily. 

• Describe your research's social, cultural, economic, or environmental context.
• Identify any trends, developments, or events that underscore the relevance of the research significance.
• Highlight any specific challenges or opportunities presented by the research context.
• Emphasize the need to address the identified research problem.

Describing the research problem and objectives

This section articulates the specific research problem the proposal aims to address. The research problem is the focal point of the study, representing the gap or issue in knowledge that the research seeks to explore. Always make sure your objectives provide clear and measurable targets for the study.

Demonstrating the significance of the study

All excellent research proposal examples can boast of having an outstanding demonstration of the significance of the study. And you can do that, too! For these purposes, follow this easy schema: 

• Discuss the broader significance of the research topic within its field or discipline, emphasizing its relevance and timeliness.
• Identify the potential contributions that the proposed research is expected to make.

Composing the research methodology

You might feel tired of all the rules, but it’s not the time to give up. Your research proposal template desperately needs a sound research methodology. So, let’s get started! 

Determining the right research design

When determining the right research design for your proposal, consider the following tips:

• Clarify your research questions and objectives.
• Explore various research designs and methodologies that can fit the research proposal structure well. This approach will help you identify the best options for your research aims.
• Consider practical constraints. You need to consider time, budget, access to participants or data, and ethical considerations.
• Pilot-test your research design. It is always good to conduct a pilot study or small-scale test to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of your chosen research design in the primary stage of the research proposal template development. 

Choosing the research participants

Always consider the practical aspects of participant selection, such as accessibility and feasibility. Finally, be transparent about the participant selection process in your research proposal.

Collecting data: your most fitting methods

Any student is required to select the most suitable methods of data collection for their assignment. Here are a few tips for your convenience: 

• Choose methods that best capture the data needed to address your research questions and objectives.
• Assess the practicality of each method in terms of resources, time, and access to participants or data sources.
• Select methods that yield data with high reliability and validity.

The truth is that every research proposal format requires diverse methods of collecting data. So, always adapt them to your specific writing. 

Creating the plan for data analysis

In this step, you will outline the specific techniques and procedures you will use to analyze your research data. This includes selecting appropriate statistical or qualitative analysis methods and organizing and coding your data. The data analysis plan should align with your research objectives. This is the essential feature of all research proposals.

Ensuring the validity and reliability of your research

Ensuring validity and reliability means making sure your research methods accurately measure what they're supposed to and produce consistent results. Remember that ensuring research study validity is a must for this type of academic paper. 

Crafting the literature review

According to research proposal format rules, your paper must contain a literature review. Some students believe that completing this task during the data collection step is easier, while others admit they usually craft it at the final steps of writing a proposal. Anyway, the process usually has several steps. 

Choosing the relevant literature

Identifying the foundational studies and key sources that will guide your research is essential. Although you can look for some research proposal examples, it is still good to follow this plan during writing:

• Search academic databases and scholarly sources related to your research topic.
• Look for key studies, articles, and books that provide insights into your research area.
• Focus on literature that directly addresses your research questions and objectives.

Summarizing the literature lists

Once you've gathered relevant literature for your paper proposal, synthesizing it will be your next step. Here's how to approach it:

• Summarize the main findings and arguments of the chosen literature list.
• Identify common themes, trends, and patterns in different sources.
• Analyze how the literature contributes to the understanding of your research topic.

Evaluating the literature sources

Now, it's high time to evaluate the resources’ quality and relevance critically:

• Assess each source's credibility, relevance, and methodological rigor for your proposal writing.
• Consider the strengths and weaknesses of different research methods used in the literature.

Exploring the research gaps

At the final step of working with your literature sources, you need to find out the areas for further investigation: 

• Evaluate the existing literature to identify unanswered questions.
• Look for contradictions, inconsistencies, or limitations in the current research.
• Consider emerging trends, recent developments, or advancements in your field.

Now, the work with literature lists for your research proposal is done. 

Note: Failure to effectively analyze your sources is one of the most common mistakes in writing a research proposal, so don’t underestimate it. 

Creating the conclusion 

Every research proposal has a conclusion. Although many students don’t like this part of writing, it is still necessary to pay attention to it. Here is how to do that. 

Summarizing your findings

• Condense the primary outcomes of your study into clear statements.
• Make sure that your summary captures the essential research findings derived from your research.

Adding recommendations for future research

• Suggest areas for further investigation based on the limitations identified in your research proposal.
• Offer suggestions or directions for future research.

Showing off the implications of your study

• Discuss the broader significance and relevance of your study's findings for theory, practice, or policy.
• Articulate the potential impact or practical applications of your research results.

Note: The conclusion is a must-have writing piece in every research proposal format. Always add it to your paper. 

Composing the abstract

If you look at any professionally written research proposal example, you will discover it also has an abstract. 

Offering a concise study overview

Start your abstract with a brief overview of the study. In other words, you can provide a snapshot of your paper’s purpose and significance. You will also need to summarize the main topic and objectives. If you are feeling a bit lost in what to write in this part, read the introduction of your research proposal once more - you will find some basic info to write about. 

Introducing the research problem and objectives

Regardless of your writing style, it is crucial to add your research paper objectives to your abstract: 

• Clearly present your research problem and objectives.
• Define the research problem, emphasizing its importance.
• Clearly state the specific research questions that your study aims to address.

Detailing the research methodology

• Ensure the credibility of your study by providing a detailed overview of your research methodology.
• Describe your research design and methods used while composing a research proposal briefly.
• Justify your methodology choice.
• Briefly outline your data collection, analysis, and interpretation procedures.

Recapping the research findings

• Summarize your key findings.
• Outline the main outcomes of your study in clear and straightforward language.
• Highlight how your findings address the research objectives and contribute to filling the research gap.

Note: According to research proposal format requirements, all these abstract parts are obligatory.

Style and formatting

If you look for a fresh and up-to-date research proposal example online, you will likely discover they all have different formats. However, there are still some rules you are expected to follow. 

Following the research proposal guidelines

Employing clear and concise writing, proofreading and editing the proposal, conclusion .

Of course, writing papers is usually a tricky process. Fortunately, you can always get professional help and pay for essay online. Still, if you want to complete it by yourself, remember about these critical aspects. 

Most universities and colleges have a solid view of the components of the proposal:

• Introduction;
• Literature Review;
• Methodology;
• Research Timeline;
• References;
• Appendices.

A perfectly written research proposal is a roadmap for the entire research project. In other words, it guides the researcher in defining objectives, methods, and expected outcomes. A research proposal is also necessary to secure funding, gain approval from ethics committees, and attract collaborators or participants.

Final thoughts and recommendations

The best recommendation for creating this type of writing is to begin far in advance and follow all the professor’s requirements. Still, if you have an urgent deadline or writing difficulties, you can always rely on the Write my paper for me professional service. So, how to write a research proposal? It’s up to you!

What is the main goal of a research proposal?

The purpose of a research proposal is to outline the planned research project, including its objectives, methodology, and significance.

How long should a typical research proposal be?

Research proposal length typically ranges from 1500 to 2500 words.

What are the common mistakes to avoid when composing a research proposal?

The list of mistakes includes unclear objectives, inadequate literature review, and lack of coherence in the methodology.

Can I revise a research proposal after submission?

Yes, a research proposal can be revised after submission based on reviewer feedback or research plan changes.

How is it better to ensure the validity and reliability of my research study?

Use appropriate research designs and methods, maintain consistency in data collection and analysis, and address potential sources of bias.

Related posts

8 Answers on How to Write an Annotated Bibliography

How to write a research proposal: top tips for busy students

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Take advantage of what the University of West Georgia has to offer. UWG boasts 87 programs of study.

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Do you have a research idea, a paper from last semester, or research that is currently in progress that you would enjoy sharing? Don't miss your opportunity to participate in SPARC!

SPARC is a research conference, held each spring, designed to facilitate personal and professional enrichment as both undergraduate and graduate students share their papers and projects.

Our conference is a wonderful way for students to present and get feedback in a supportive and collaborative environment. SPARC makes a great addition to your resume, and truly one of the UWG Psychology's most celebratory and communal events of the school year!

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• Submissions are due each spring semester. Look for the deadline to be posted closer to time.
• SPARC presentations are generally 15-20 minutes. They span many different interests and pursuits. We encourage all of these interests and have been able to share many new and intriguing research ideas through our entire department. This can vary from a research project, thesis, dissertation, upcoming publication, term paper, newfound interest in psychological phenomena, psychological exploration of a topic and more!
• SPARC presentations require a faculty sponsorship. In order to get a faculty sponsorship you need to have express permission from a member of the psychology faculty to present on your topic of interest. Your professor may ask more questions to understand your project in further detail, give more insights for you to pursue or even ask to see your progress. This is a great time to get to work closer with your professors and let them know more about you!
• Once the form is submitted, our submissions committee will reach out to your faculty sponsor and then you should receive a response briefly afterward of approval of your submission. If there are any issues with your submission or we need further information you will be contacted so that we can have the information submitted correctly.
• In rare circumstances we do reject submissions. This is mostly due to not receiving faculty sponsorship previous to submitting. Most of the time we will ask for more information about a presentation before we have to proceed with rejection.
• We look forward to seeing your submissions and sharing ideas with one another!

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How do i submit a proposal, can i submit multiple proposals, can i submit proposals with other students, how long is a sparc presentation, will i need to miss class to participate, graduate students, undergraduate students.

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How to Choose a Dissertation Topic | 8 Steps to Follow

Published on November 11, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on November 20, 2023.

Choosing your dissertation topic is the first step in making sure your research goes as smoothly as possible. When choosing a topic, it’s important to consider:

• Your institution and department’s requirements
• Your areas of knowledge and interest
• The scientific, social, or practical relevance
• The availability of data and resources
• The timeframe of your dissertation
• The relevance of your topic

You can follow these steps to begin narrowing down your ideas.

Table of contents

Step 1: check the requirements, step 2: choose a broad field of research, step 3: look for books and articles, step 4: find a niche, step 5: consider the type of research, step 6: determine the relevance, step 7: make sure it’s plausible, step 8: get your topic approved, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about dissertation topics.

The very first step is to check your program’s requirements. This determines the scope of what it is possible for you to research.

• Is there a minimum and maximum word count?
• When is the deadline?
• Should the research have an academic or a professional orientation?
• Are there any methodological conditions? Do you have to conduct fieldwork, or use specific types of sources?

Some programs have stricter requirements than others. You might be given nothing more than a word count and a deadline, or you might have a restricted list of topics and approaches to choose from. If in doubt about what is expected of you, always ask your supervisor or department coordinator.

Start by thinking about your areas of interest within the subject you’re studying. Examples of broad ideas include:

• Twentieth-century literature
• Economic history
• Health policy

To get a more specific sense of the current state of research on your potential topic, skim through a few recent issues of the top journals in your field. Be sure to check out their most-cited articles in particular. For inspiration, you can also search Google Scholar , subject-specific databases , and your university library’s resources.

As you read, note down any specific ideas that interest you and make a shortlist of possible topics. If you’ve written other papers, such as a 3rd-year paper or a conference paper, consider how those topics can be broadened into a dissertation.

After doing some initial reading, it’s time to start narrowing down options for your potential topic. This can be a gradual process, and should get more and more specific as you go. For example, from the ideas above, you might narrow it down like this:

• Twentieth-century literature   Twentieth-century Irish literature   Post-war Irish poetry
• Economic history   European economic history   German labor union history
• Health policy   Reproductive health policy   Reproductive rights in South America

All of these topics are still broad enough that you’ll find a huge amount of books and articles about them. Try to find a specific niche where you can make your mark, such as: something not many people have researched yet, a question that’s still being debated, or a very current practical issue.

At this stage, make sure you have a few backup ideas — there’s still time to change your focus. If your topic doesn’t make it through the next few steps, you can try a different one. Later, you will narrow your focus down even more in your problem statement and research questions .

There are many different types of research , so at this stage, it’s a good idea to start thinking about what kind of approach you’ll take to your topic. Will you mainly focus on:

• Collecting original data (e.g., experimental or field research)?
• Analyzing existing data (e.g., national statistics, public records, or archives)?
• Interpreting cultural objects (e.g., novels, films, or paintings)?
• Comparing scholarly approaches (e.g., theories, methods, or interpretations)?

Many dissertations will combine more than one of these. Sometimes the type of research is obvious: if your topic is post-war Irish poetry, you will probably mainly be interpreting poems. But in other cases, there are several possible approaches. If your topic is reproductive rights in South America, you could analyze public policy documents and media coverage, or you could gather original data through interviews and surveys .

You don’t have to finalize your research design and methods yet, but the type of research will influence which aspects of the topic it’s possible to address, so it’s wise to consider this as you narrow down your ideas.

It’s important that your topic is interesting to you, but you’ll also have to make sure it’s academically, socially or practically relevant to your field.

• Academic relevance means that the research can fill a gap in knowledge or contribute to a scholarly debate in your field.
• Social relevance means that the research can advance our understanding of society and inform social change.
• Practical relevance means that the research can be applied to solve concrete problems or improve real-life processes.

The easiest way to make sure your research is relevant is to choose a topic that is clearly connected to current issues or debates, either in society at large or in your academic discipline. The relevance must be clearly stated when you define your research problem .

Before you make a final decision on your topic, consider again the length of your dissertation, the timeframe in which you have to complete it, and the practicalities of conducting the research.

Will you have enough time to read all the most important academic literature on this topic? If there’s too much information to tackle, consider narrowing your focus even more.

Will you be able to find enough sources or gather enough data to fulfil the requirements of the dissertation? If you think you might struggle to find information, consider broadening or shifting your focus.

Do you have to go to a specific location to gather data on the topic? Make sure that you have enough funding and practical access.

Last but not least, will the topic hold your interest for the length of the research process? To stay motivated, it’s important to choose something you’re enthusiastic about!

Most programmes will require you to submit a brief description of your topic, called a research prospectus or proposal .

Remember, if you discover that your topic is not as strong as you thought it was, it’s usually acceptable to change your mind and switch focus early in the dissertation process. Just make sure you have enough time to start on a new topic, and always check with your supervisor or department.

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .

However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:

• Researchability
• Feasibility and specificity
• Relevance and originality

All research questions should be:

• Focused on a single problem or issue
• Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
• Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
• Specific enough to answer thoroughly
• Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
• Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly

You can assess information and arguments critically by asking certain questions about the source. You can use the CRAAP test , focusing on the currency , relevance , authority , accuracy , and purpose of a source of information.

Ask questions such as:

• Who is the author? Are they an expert?
• Why did the author publish it? What is their motivation?
• How do they make their argument? Is it backed up by evidence?

A dissertation prospectus or proposal describes what or who you plan to research for your dissertation. It delves into why, when, where, and how you will do your research, as well as helps you choose a type of research to pursue. You should also determine whether you plan to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives , ready to be approved by your supervisor or committee.

Note that some departments require a defense component, where you present your prospectus to your committee orally.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

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June 24, 2024

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The final FY 2025 Fringe Benefit Rates are available in SAGE, as well as in the Fringe Benefit Rate table . Use these updated rates on multi-year sponsored program proposal budgets to best reflect anticipated costs.

If you submitted a proposal using the previously published (preliminary) rates for budget years beyond FY25, upon award, you may re-budget as necessary to account for these changes. In most cases, this will not require sponsor approval.

Apply updated benefit rates to a SAGE Budget in progress:

Go to the Budget Settings on the left navigation, expand the Data & Calculations section and “Refresh Benefit Rates”.

Questions about incorporating these rates into proposal budgets?

Review the GIM 3 Benefit Rate policy or contact your department’s OSP reviewer . SAGE Budget questions? Contact [email protected]

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Linda Katzman Palumbo Successfully Defends her Dissertation Proposal

Doctoral Program | Student Spotlights

Congratulations to Linda Katzman Palumbo who on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, successfully defended her dissertation proposal. The title of Linda’s study is TEACHER ENGAGEMENT IN THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A QUALITATIVE STUDY.     

Linda’s interpretive inquiry aims to understand how instructional decision makers (IDMs) engage teachers in the ever-important process of planning and implementing collective professional development.  Through her research, Linda also will explore how IDMs’ descriptions of the outcomes of teacher-engaged professional development relate to Knowles' principles of adult learning.  Linda's study promises to offer an enriched understanding of best practices toward teacher engagement in the PD process thereby enhancing teacher learning and, ultimately, student outcomes.     

DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CHAIR : Dr. Joanne Marien  

DISSERTATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS : Dr. Kenneth Mitchell Dr. Lynn Allen

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Framing disinformation through legislation: Evidence from policy proposals in Brazil

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This article analyzes 62 bills introduced in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies between 2019–2022 to understand how legislators frame disinformation into different problems and their respective solutions. The timeframe coincides with the administration of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. The study shows a tendency from legislators of parties opposed to Bolsonaro to attempt to criminalize the creation and spread of health-related and government-led disinformation. This trend is explained by the Brazilian polarized democracy in a moment of crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic.

School of Communication, American University, USA

Research Questions

• What common disinformation problems do legislators try to solve?  
• How do legislators try to solve the disinformation problems they identify?
• How do the disinformation problems relate to legislators’ proposed solutions?
• Does party affiliation interfere with the legislators’ preferred solutions to disinformation problems?

RESEARCH NOTE SUMMARY

• This study examined 62 disinformation bills proposed by Brazilian legislators during the administration of right-wing politician Jair Bolsonaro (2019–2022). Bills were coded qualitatively following Entman’s (1993) framing approach according to the legislators’ problem definition and treatment recommendation.
• Results showed that most Brazilian legislators propose disinformation bills without specifying exactly what disinformation-related problem they are trying to tackle.
• Still, during the Bolsonaro administration and the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a proliferation of disinformation bills related to health issues, elections, and government-sponsored misleading information.
• Brazilian legislators also proposed defamation and hate speech bills justifying their importance under the claim of fighting disinformation.
• Criminalization was the most common treatment recommendation proposed by lawmakers for disinformation problems, especially those related to health, defamation and hate speech, and government-led disinformation. Legislators from parties opposing the Bolsonaro administration were responsible for most of the bills proposing criminalizing solutions, especially trying to tackle government-led disinformation and health disinformation.
• The second most common remedy was platform regulation initiatives, a treatment that was usually proposed to tackle the problem of general disinformation. Such a treatment was mostly proposed by lawmakers from parties neutral to or aligned with Bolsonaro.
• Legislators from parties aligned with the Bolsonaro administration did not identify government-led disinformation as a problem.
• How legislators frame disinformation problems and their solutions is tightly connected with their struggle for truth and authority under polarized democracies.

Implications

The way politicians frame disinformation has a real-world impact: It affects the policies they create. Farkas and Schou (2018) demonstrate that fake news is a discursive signifier mobilized as part of political struggles to make certain agendas hegemonic. Under such understanding, different conceptions of fake news articulate political battlegrounds over reality. As Marda and Milan (2018) explain, fake news may be understood as “a battle of and over narratives” (p. 3). When politicians propose regulatory texts about disinformation, they make specific assumptions about what the problem is and how to solve it. How a lawmaker attributes meaning to disinformation follows their own ideology and worldview. Thus, political struggles around disinformation are embedded in seemingly neutral policy documents.

Regulation and policymaking are communicative processes (Popiel, 2020). Policy discourses and texts not only express strategic legislators’ goals. They foster specific ideological projects and are a site of contestation and conflict (Popiel, 2020; Lentz, 2011). The specific terms used in regulatory documents such as bills are employed strategically to define the contours of an issue (Napoli & Caplan, 2017). In the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, disinformation bills are immersed in contrasting political agendas. As this study shows, legislators are framing disinformation problems and proposing treatments in their bills in ways that further political polarization instead of working to reduce it.

Misinformation is defined as false or inaccurate information shared without the intention to cause harm, while disinformation refers to false or inaccurate information shared with the intent to mislead (Bennett & Livingston, 2020; Epstein, 2020; Wardle & Derakhshan, 2017). In Portuguese, however, there is no widely used word for “misinformation.” In Brazil, the term desinformação refers to both intentional and unintentional inaccuracies and falsehoods.

Most Brazilian lawmakers do not clearly define disinformation in their bills. In their policy documents, disinformation is a signifier, a term that adapts to whatever their interpreters ascribe to it. Thus, the term is used by fundamentally different political projects that promote both antagonism among lawmakers and political conflicts (Farkas & Schou, 2018). The way the legislators frame disinformation in their bills is rooted in a deeper political struggle about truth during the government of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro.

Brazil has a tradition of internet-related legislation and has been increasingly regulating disinformation (Keller, 2020). The Brazilian Civil Rights Framework for the Internet was approved in 2014 after almost seven years of multistakeholder debates where interested parties participated in public discussions. It was celebrated as one of the most innovative and human rights-oriented internet regulations in the world and represents a milestone of global internet governance (Rossini et al., 2015; Segurado, 2019). Brazilian internet-related regulation tends to impact international debates, and so may be the case of Brazilian disinformation regulation.

Disinformation tactics were deeply embedded in the 2018 election campaign of populist right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro (Baptista et al., 2019; dos Santos et al., 2019; Recuero & Gruzd, 2019). Bolsonaro holds a digital media apparatus that includes WhatsApp/Telegram supporter groups that is employed as a discursive mobilization mechanism. The content and frames that are posted and spread through this apparatus constitute a political tactic intended to influence people and build hegemony around Bolsonaro, thus asserting his political dominance (Cesarino, 2020). His populism spread across his supporters’ practices over digital media, furthering the polarization of social media discourse. Bolsonaro’s success is directly connected to his communication campaign based on the intense use of social media, especially through micro-targeting campaigns under the direct and indirect guidance of Bolsonaro’s administration (Cesarino, 2020; dos Santos et al., 2019; Evangelista & Bruno, 2018).

Disinformation was also a prominent topic during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time in which many online posts spread false and inaccurate information about the disease in the country (de Sousa Júnior et al., 2020). Such information was validated by politicians and governmental authorities attached to the Bolsonaro administration (Recuero & Soares, 2021). During the pandemic, health disinformation circulated more among radical right-wing groups of Bolsonaro’s supporters rather than any other political groups (Recuero et al., 2021; Soares et al., 2020). Far-right discourse around the pandemic framed COVID-19 as a political rather than a public health issue, with Bolsonaro’s supporters spreading disinformation about the disease to support the president’s polarizing health decisions about the pandemic (Soares et al., 2021).

Disinformation is connected to partisanship, as support for a certain political figure may be a strong motivator for spreading disinformation, fostering an “evil” versus “good” environment (Soares et al., 2021). The response to disinformation from lawmakers reflects the interconnectedness between disinformation and partisanship. For instance, many bills about disinformation created by lawmakers opposing Bolsonaro’s administration are aimed at problems connected to Bolsonaro’s use of digital media, with a focus on health and government-led disinformation. Dealing with these specific disinformation problems is important, but the nature of how to do so varies, including regulating social media platforms or fostering digital literacy programs. For example, lawmakers opposing Bolsonaro’s administration proposed the greatest number of penal solutions. Still, initiatives focused on criminalization tend to reinforce a polarizing narrative of “us” versus “them, the criminals.”

Moreover, legislators from parties aligned with Bolsonaro proposed bills tackling general disinformation mainly through remedies that dealt with how internet platforms work. The remedies were framed especially in terms of assuring freedom of expression and/or limiting anonymity online. Such platform regulation initiatives feed from and add to Bolsonaro’s digital populist characteristics (Cesarino, 2020), also fostering polarizing narratives.

Only about 1% of all bills introduced in the Brazilian legislative branch eventually became law (Marcelino & Helfstein, 2019). During the completion of this study, none of the 62 bills were turned into de jure policies. The problems and remedies I uncovered in this study make visible the political disputes around what disinformation is and what should be done about it from within policy documents. Research on disinformation policies might focus on disinformation effects and political disputes throughout the policymaking processes. I focused on mapping the discourses and symbolic dimensions around disinformation in the bills, which helps researchers and policymakers calibrate expectations and guide future policies on the issue.

In this study, I examined the ways that legislators perceived and conceptualized disinformation and tried to remedy it, implicitly or explicitly, according to their alignment with Bolsonaro’s political identity and ideology. I found that if they opposed Bolsonaro, they tended to tailor their strategies under punitive lenses, and if they favored him, they aimed to regulate internet platforms to ensure and protect specific political discourses, potentially those aligned to Bolsonaro’s digital populism strategies. Previous research has shown that support for Bolsonaro was a strong motivator for disinformation circulation in Brazil (Soares et al., 2021). Similarly, partisanship, manifested through alignment to the Bolsonaro administration, also influenced disinformation regulation.

Bolsonaro’s opponents were the lawmakers who proposed the highest number of disinformation bills (35 in total), even though opposing parties have not made up the majority of the politicians in the Chamber of Deputies since 2018. Neutral parties have the most representatives, followed by the opposition, and then by Bolsonaro’s supporters. Neutral parties created 29 bills, of which 7 came from a single representative, Alexandre Frota, a polemic politician who publicly accused Bolsonaro’s sons of creating disinformation campaigns for their father (Bomfim, 2020). Supporters created 11 bills. Two bills had more than one author whose parties had contrasting standings about Bolsonaro. They were labeled “multiparty.”

I identified how lawmakers framed disinformation in different problems and remedies. From a public policy perspective, frames are interpretations that tell “what needs fixing, and how it might be fixed” (Rein & Schön, 1996, p. 89). I found that general disinformation was the most cited problem among lawmakers (see Figure 1). In these cases, legislators did not identify a specific problem related to disinformation. They used general terms such as fake news and tried to tackle all problems at once. Health-related disinformation was the second most cited problem. These bills mainly tackled disinformation around the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines, the proposal of unscientific health treatments, or the dismissal of guidelines from national and international health authorities. Defamation and hate speech was the third most cited problem, followed closely by election- and government-related disinformation, both usually related to misinformative practices seen during the campaign of Jair Bolsonaro for the 2018 election and the administration’s communication efforts about COVID-19.

Although many of the bills focused on specific problems, the majority of these policy documents lack clear definitions of disinformation. Moreover, some lawmakers mixed disinformation problems with other issues such as framing disinformation as defamation and hate speech. For instance, bill 241/2019 from a neutral party states that “the purpose of this proposition is to protect the subjective honor of people who are attacked every day through the internet.” When disinformation becomes a matter of subjective honor, defining the contours of what behavior is being targeted is more difficult. Authoritarian and surveilling measures, for example, may hide under the argument of tackling disinformation and elevating truth (Farkas & Schou, 2019).

The lawmakers’ preferred solution to disinformation was criminalization, turning the act of creating or spreading disinformation into a crime punishable under the country’s federal penal code. Such a preference prevailed especially among parties opposing or neutral to Bolsonaro. Platform regulation came thereafter. Remedies under this category included provisions that relate to how internet platforms work in Brazil. For example, some tried to end intermediary liability, proposed content moderation guidelines, or changed requirements for the creation of social media accounts (e.g., requiring the equivalent of a social security number to avoid anonymity online). Bills labeled under sanction mainly proposed fines for creating and spreading disinformation. Digital literacy bills proposed public awareness campaigns. Other solutions included miscellaneous things such as prohibiting governmental agencies from advertising on media known to spread disinformation or compelling news organizations to always disclose the names of journalists responsible for their publications.

When comparing the legislators’ problem identification and their proposed treatments (Figure 3), we see that penal remedies were especially popular on bills about COVID-19 and vaccine-related disinformation. Crises are fertile ground for disputes between frames and counter-frames (i.e., between interpretations and opposing interpretations of certain realities) concerning the nature and severity of a crisis, its causes, who is responsible for its occurrence or escalation, and what comes next (Boin et al., 2009). The Covid-19 crisis and the communication campaigns about the disease carried out by the Bolsonaro government stimulated the creation of bills tackling both health- and government-related disinformation.

Such measures were embedded in the political dispute against Bolsonaro’s supporters. In bill 1068/2020 from an opposing party, for instance, the legislators are clear in stating their intent to “punish exemplarily” (author’s translation) those who put the health of the entire population at risk by spreading disinformation, especially when misinformative communication comes from public authorities.

Bolsonaro’s opponents were the ones mostly concerned with health and governmental disinformation and who proposed criminalization remedies as solutions. The target of such bills, under the legislators’ understanding, would be malicious actors that were usually seen to be Bolsonaro’s supporters. It is the legislators’ diagnostic that those engaging in disinformation are Bolsonaro’s supporters who take part, voluntarily or involuntarily, in his political tactic of spreading misleading content to strengthen his figure and leadership while advancing his ideology. When the problem was identified as general disinformation, platform regulation was the most common solution.

To create the dataset, I searched the web archives of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies ( Câmara dos Deputados ) for the Portuguese word equivalent to disinformation, “desinformação,” considering all bills introduced between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2022. The time frame coincides with the duration of the Bolsonaro administration. This search limits this study to bills that mention the word “ desinformação ” or that were labeled by the Chamber of Deputies as dealing with disinformation.

I labeled the bills by the lawmaker’s party affiliation. Brazilian democracy is a multiparty system. In the 2018 elections, thirty parties got at least one politician elected to the Chamber of Deputies. I classified parties according to their endorsement in the 2018 presidential race. I labeled parties that openly supported Bolsonaro as “supporters.” Those who opposed him and openly advocated for the candidacy of Fernando Haddad from the Workers’ Party ( Partido dos Trabalhadores ) were labeled “opposers.” Parties labeled as “neutral” did not manifest their standing, explicitly said, they were neutral, or dismissed their affiliated politicians to endorse whatever candidate they preferred. I turned to news pieces that assembled the parties’ stance on the presidential elections to classify parties on this study’s database (Bertoni, 2018; “Posição dos partidos,” 2018). Throughout Bolsonaro’s administration, parties oscillated in their alignment with the government. Such oscillation is common in multiparty systems, especially in the Brazilian political model that researchers usually refer to as Coalitional Presidentialism (Abranches, 2018; Limongi & Figueiredo, 1998). Neutral parties, for example, sometimes moved closer to or farther from Bolsonaro during his administration. The decision to label parties according to their alignment with Bolsonaro at the moment of his election allowed me to pin down a time when parties were explicit and fixed on their stance.

I removed from the dataset bills that were pulled out from the legislative process by the legislators themselves and those labeled in the web archives as “desinformação,” but did not deal with disinformation as commonly identified in the literature (e.g., bills about ideological falsehood in identification documents). The remaining 62 bills were coded based on Entman’s (1993) definition of framing. In a communicative text, such as a bill of law, one chooses some aspects of reality over others, making them more salient, “in such a way as to promote a particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and/or treatment recommendation for the item described” (Entman, 1993, p. 52).

To identify the frames in the disinformation bills, I followed an elaborative top-down coding approach (Saldaña, 2008). I read through the bills and identified the overall problems legislators were trying to address as well as the treatment recommendations they had for each. After this deductive process of listing and classifying problems and treatments, I searched for patterned codes and found emergent discourses. I then merged similar problems and treatments under codes to offer a concise overview of the bills. The software NVivo was used to facilitate data coding and qualitative analysis. Table 1 in the Appendix is a codebook with examples of bills for each problem and treatment recommendation.

A second researcher, knowledgeable both in political communication and Portuguese, coded a random sample of half of the data set (31 bills) according to the codebook. The researcher was given access to the codebook and a brief explanation of each code. Following best practices on intercoder reliability reporting (Cheung & Tai, 2021; Coleman et al., 2024), I calculated the percentage of agreement by adding the rates that the independent researcher and I agreed upon and dividing it by the total number of ratings. We reached 86% of agreement. 2 Some studies that rely on qualitative coding report their intercoder reliability by using protocols such as Cohen’s kappa. However, a simple agreement percentage (total of agreements divided by the total of assessments) is appropriate for a small dataset and a study with different numbers of codes for each category (e.g., problem and remedy).

In Brazil, all bills have a legislative intent and share a similar layout. First, lawmakers introduce the provision proposed. This part may eventually become law. Then, they offer a justification for the importance of their bill. To understand the rationale of a legislator in their bill of law, I analyzed and coded both the solution being proposed and the argumentation behind it. In the coding process, a single bill can be categorized as having more than one problem and one treatment recommendation. The frames are not mutually exclusive.

Limitations and future agenda

The Brazilian federal legislative branch, called the National Congress (Congresso Nacional), follows a bicameral model. Bills from the Federal Senate (Senado Federal) database were not considered in this analysis. At the Federal Senate, elections are staggered so that either a third or two-thirds of senators’ seats are up for election every four years. At the Chamber of Deputies, however, all seats are open for election every four years. In this article, I look at a single place in time-the Bolsonaro administration- and focused on the Chamber of Deputies to analyze bills from lawmakers who engaged and got elected in said cycle. Future research could expand the scope of the study to address how other lawmakers, including senators who were not elected in the same cycle as Bolsonaro, framed disinformation. Moreover, this study focuses on frames around disinformation alone. Future studies could map out other terms and expressions lawmakers are employing to deal with disinformation-related problems.

• Disinformation
• / Law & Government
• / Partisan Issues

Cite this Essay

Anastácio, K. (2024). Framing disinformation through legislation: Evidence from policy proposals in Brazil. Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review . https://doi.org/10.37016/mr-2020-150

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No funding has been received to conduct this research.

Competing Interests

The author declares no competing interests.

The data for the project was obtained from publicly available sources at the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies website.

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original author and source are properly credited.

Data Availability

All materials needed to replicate this study are available via the Harvard Dataverse: https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/HVVPEA .

Acknowledgements

I thank the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Misinformation Review editors and reviewers for their thoughtful recommendations. I also extend my gratitude to Pedro Abelin, who coded a sample of the dataset, to Dr. Saif Shahin, and those at AU School of Communication, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), and the Research Group on Society-State Relationships (Resocie) at the University of Brasília who have read previous iterations of this work.

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