Dissertation Help - How to write and structure a dissertation proposal

This article will set out how to write and structure a dissertation proposal and provide an example of a dissertation proposal. The content of dissertation proposals will differ according to the institution that is marking the dissertation and the level of study that the dissertation is being produced at. The dissertation proposal will necessarily reflect these differences. A dissertation proposal will probably develop from an idea that has been developed in conjunction with, and agreed by the tutor. The structure of a dissertation proposal should incorporate the following key elements;

  • Introduction
  • Aims and objectives
  • Methodology and methods
  • Limitations
  • Timetable

The initial idea for the dissertation proposal must be manageable, and the proposal itself must illustrate the focus and the boundaries of the research to be undertaken. The dissertation proposal also needs to state how the dissertation will contribute to existing knowledge. It is important to ensure that a dissertation proposal is coherently written, well planned and manageable; the proposal could be marked, or linked to the final mark for the dissertation itself. A good dissertation proposal will also contribute to the ease with which the dissertation itself is written. This article will now explore each of the topics covered above by way of an example dissertation proposal for research specifically focussed on retaining volunteers within a charitable organisation.

The introduction of the dissertation proposal needs to set out context within which the dissertation is located. The theoretical background for the dissertation is located within the symbolic interactionist school of thought within psychology, which takes the perspective that meaning for an individual is generated through everyday activities and interactions, and the context within which they occur. Existing research into altruism and volunteering has shown that volunteers provide their time to charitable organisations for a number of reasons, or motivations;

  • Belief in the values of the organisation
  • Desire to help others, do something useful
  • Desire to give something back to society
  • Personal development
  • Career development
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These underlying motivations are often interlinked in a complex way, and are not mutually exclusive. Other reasons may also exist for particular individuals. Although patterns have been found across studies that support the underlying reasons listed above, individual volunteers differ on specific reasons, or combinations of reasons. The underlying reasons for volunteering are important because research has also shown that if volunteer’s motivations for volunteering are addressed and supported by a charitable organisation, a volunteer is likely to stay in the service of that organisation. The focus of the dissertation proposal is therefore the quantification or measurement of the degree to which volunteers at a specific charitable organisation feel that their volunteer activities at that organisation meet their own individual motivations for volunteering.

The aim or objective of the dissertation, which must be reflected in the dissertation proposal, is to analyse the existing cohort of volunteers within a specific charitable organisation, and to then interpret the data and communicate it in such a way that the data can be used to;

  • Predict retention rates across the organisation
  • Inform recruitment campaigns across the organisation
  • Target training to individual requirements
  • Target development initiatives to individual requirements

It is crucial to make the aims and objectives of the dissertation proposal achievable, relevant to the intended audience, and practical. If they are not, the dissertation proposal will likely go no further than proposal stage.

The methodology and methods stage of the dissertation proposal needs to set out how the aims and objectives are to be achieved in such a way that someone else could carry out the research. The dissertation proposal needs to be succinct, and clear, and illustrate how the methods and methodology selected align with the theoretical background, and provide the means to achieve the aims and objectives of the dissertation proposal. Focus here is critical. The dissertation proposal must be achievable, so the amount and type of data to be collected, how the data is to be collected and the type of analysis to be undertaken must all integrate, and provide the data required to meet the objectives of the proposed dissertation. For example, how will the dissertation proceed if not all of the volunteers are available at the time the research is undertaken? Because this is only a dissertation proposal, the detail does not need to be provided here, but the detail does need to be considered carefully at proposal stage to ensure that the dissertation proposal is realistic, and that the dissertation itself runs smoothly. The thought process is what is important. The actual dissertation proposal itself is an outline of the key points, but each key point needs to be thought through in order for the dissertation proposal to be fit-for-purpose. The methodology and methods govern how the research will be carried out, and fundamentally affect the theoretical and practical validity of the data that will be collected, so it is critical to get this right at the dissertation proposal stage.

The limitations of the dissertation need to be spelled out in the dissertation proposal. This is vital, as if the proposal looks unrealistic in terms of timescales and resources, or appears to be disjointed in terms of fit between theory, previous research, methods, and predicted findings, the dissertation proposal will not be accepted. This underlines the importance of thinking through each step of the dissertation. With reference to our example, the dissertation proposal is limited to a specific charitable organisation, and to the volunteers that work for that organisation at a given point in time - remember the point about volunteers not being available due to holidays? The generalised findings are limited by the theoretical background, in this case symbolic interactionism, which states that only patterns can be identified in human interactions, and that patterns are only predictors as opposed to causal effects. The individual level data is limited to specific individuals, and may alter over time and location, which also applies to the generalised findings.

Finally, a realistic and achievable timetable needs to be defined within the dissertation proposal, taking into account all of the steps outline above.

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