How to Draft a Thesis Proposal
Choose your topic., Discuss your initial ideas with your thesis supervisor., Create a working title., Review the current literature.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose your topic.
You might begin with a vague idea of what you want to research.
You will need to define a topic that has interest in your field, can fill a gap in knowledge, and has a manageable scope.
The topic should interest you and be something you are capable of researching and writing about.For example, you can start with the general idea that you want to write about how children are portrayed in 19th century Russian literature and your favorite authors are Turgenev and Tolstoy. -
Step 2: Discuss your initial ideas with your thesis supervisor.
Before you begin writing your proposal, discuss your ideas with your supervisor.
They can help you understand the complexities of your topic and suggest how you can best approach it.
Having guided input will help you to write a better proposal. , A working title is a short statement about your thesis.
It can very briefly state what your research topic is and how you will conduct your research.
This can help you narrow your topic and be better prepared to discuss it with your professor and committee.
Your working title should be longer and more descriptive than your final title.
For example, your working title could be “Tracing the Portrayal of Children in 19th Century Russian Literature in the Works of Turgenev and Tolstoy.” , A literature review will provide you with information about what has already been published on your topic and help you identify gaps in earlier research.
This can help you figure out where more research is needed.
It can also show you how your thesis will fit into work already conducted in your field.Use the literature review to synthesize information about previous work done on your topic or topics related to yours.
Find the strengths and weaknesses in earlier studies that can be improved by your thesis.
Reviewing previous literature will help you figure out the potential significance of your thesis.
For example, you will want to start by looking for other works on Turgenev and Tolstoy as well as works that discuss the portrayal of children in 19th century Russian literature. -
Step 3: Create a working title.
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Step 4: Review the current literature.
Detailed Guide
You might begin with a vague idea of what you want to research.
You will need to define a topic that has interest in your field, can fill a gap in knowledge, and has a manageable scope.
The topic should interest you and be something you are capable of researching and writing about.For example, you can start with the general idea that you want to write about how children are portrayed in 19th century Russian literature and your favorite authors are Turgenev and Tolstoy.
Before you begin writing your proposal, discuss your ideas with your supervisor.
They can help you understand the complexities of your topic and suggest how you can best approach it.
Having guided input will help you to write a better proposal. , A working title is a short statement about your thesis.
It can very briefly state what your research topic is and how you will conduct your research.
This can help you narrow your topic and be better prepared to discuss it with your professor and committee.
Your working title should be longer and more descriptive than your final title.
For example, your working title could be “Tracing the Portrayal of Children in 19th Century Russian Literature in the Works of Turgenev and Tolstoy.” , A literature review will provide you with information about what has already been published on your topic and help you identify gaps in earlier research.
This can help you figure out where more research is needed.
It can also show you how your thesis will fit into work already conducted in your field.Use the literature review to synthesize information about previous work done on your topic or topics related to yours.
Find the strengths and weaknesses in earlier studies that can be improved by your thesis.
Reviewing previous literature will help you figure out the potential significance of your thesis.
For example, you will want to start by looking for other works on Turgenev and Tolstoy as well as works that discuss the portrayal of children in 19th century Russian literature.
About the Author
Laura Torres
Writer and educator with a focus on practical crafts knowledge.
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