Basic Issues in Writing a Thesis/Research Proposal

By Prof. Aly Qoura

Professor of ELT , Mansoura Faculty of Education

Following is a brief discussion of some fundamental issues in

writing a thesis/research proposal. Three main issues, namely
"Choosing a topic for research", "structure of a thesis/research
proposal", and "criteria for developing and evaluating thesis
research proposal" are focused on.

Is My Topic Researchable?

You may start with a rather vague idea of a research topic. It is

then necessary to assess how the topic can be narrowed down
to potential sub-topics for more thorough consideration. The
following checklist contains one set of general questions, and
five sets of specific questions for specific types of topics. It is
recommended that you read all the questions in all sub-
sections because the questions may trigger ideas that you have
not considered previously. Also, you will not be able to answer
all the questions at this stage. Rather, use them to guide your
thinking.

Questions about the topic in general

(1) Is there current interest in this topic in your field or in a

closely related field?

(2) Is there a gap in knowledge that work on this topic could

help to fill or a controversy that it might help to resolve?

(3) Is it possible to focus on a small enough segment of the

topic to make a manageable thesis project?
 (4) Is there a body of literature available relevant to the topic?
Is a search manageable?

(5) Are there large problems (i.e. logistic, attitudinal) to be

surmounted in working in this topic? Do you have the means to
handle them?

(6) Does the topic relate reasonably well to others done in your
department?

(7) Are the needed data easily accessible? Will you have
control of the data?

(8) Do you have a clear statement of the purpose, scope,

objectives, procedures, and limitations of the study?

Questions for topics employing a research hypothesis

(1) Do you have acceptable statements of research questions or

hypotheses?

(2) Can you specify how you will answer the questions or test
the hypotheses?

(3) Have subsidiary questions or hypotheses been identified

that deserve study along with the major ones?

Questions for topics using a questionnaire/scale approach

(1) What form of questionnaire will be most productive for this

kind of study? Has it been tested?

(2) Why is the questionnaire the tool of choice for data

collection?
(3) How will the questionnaire responses be validated?
Analyzed?

Questions for topics involving Statistical analysis of data

(1)What quantitative analyses are planned? What will they
produce?

(2)Are the quantitative analyses appropriate to the kinds of

data collected?

(3)What level of confidence will be accepted as significant?

Why?

(4) What Are the computer programs that will be used save
time, energy, and money?

Questions for topics making use of existing data from other

sources

(1)Are the data relevant? Reliable? Valid? Complete?

(2)Why is it better to use these data than to collect one's

own afresh?

(3)What obligations to the other sources that you should

consider?

Questions for topics involving tests and testing in data

gathering

(1) Are the tests the valid and reliable?

(2) Do the tests discriminate against significant groups in

the sample?
 (3) Do the tests provide direct measures of the key
variables in the study?

(4) How will confidentiality be preserved?

Requirements of a Proposal

In order to achieve its purpose, a thesis proposal must fulfill the

following general requirements:
• Establish a context for your research and demonstrate the
need for it.
• Show that your study will meet this need, and how it will
meet this need, i.e. the method you will use. More specifically,
a research proposal should have the following elements:

Introduction
Nature of the problem
Why the problem is important
How your research would contribute to the solution of the
problem.

Research question or hypothesis

For example, what is the relationship between two or more
concepts, variables, phenomena, etc. This should also include a
definition of terms.

A review of the relevant literature

This should not simply be a list of summaries with some
comments added on, but an integrated statement that explains
why these studies or theories are important to your research.

A description of the procedure.

This can include:
- a description of the theoretical or conceptual framework
- sources of evidence and authority
- analytical technique and research design

 Bibliography
At this stage the bibliography does not need to be complete.
Its purpose is to give the supervisor an indication of the
quality of sources available, and it enables the supervisor to
suggest additional sources that you may have overlooked.

STRUCTURE OF THE PROPOSAL

There are various ways in which proposals can be structured.

However, most proposals require the following parts in the
order given:

THE COVER PAGE

UNIVERSITY OF…………………......

RESEARCH PROPOSAL…………….

Name of candidate………………….

Proposed degree……………………..

Department……………………………..

Title of thesis……………………………

Supervisor……………………………….

Co-supervisor (if any)………………

Date…………………………………………

TITLE
The title should convey clearly and succinctly the topic being
researched. The title should be brief and provide a good idea
about the focus of the thesis. Avoid obscure and unnecessarily
lengthy title.

Title should be a reflection of the contents of the document.

- Fully explanatory when standing alone.

- Should not contain redundancies such as ‘a study of…..or ‘an

investigation of……

- Scientific names should be in italics.

- Should contain 12 to 19 words.

An Example of a Title or a Cover Page:

A typical wording is as follows:

Utilizing the SQ6R Strategy to Improve the Reading

Comprehension Skills for EFL Libyan Secondary School
Students and Their Attitude Towards It.

A dissertation (or thesis) submitted in fulfillment of the

requirements of the degree of MA (or a Ph. D) in Education
(TEFL) Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction

By Wedad Masued Akriem

June 2014

Introduction

In no more than 600-900 words, say what your central problem

question is, why it is a problem worthy of study, and how you
will go about studying it. Your introduction should be brief,
clear and informative, giving a clear indication of what is
intended and why. This focuses on the research topic, its new,
current and relevant aspects. Strive for clarity; your greatest
challenge might be narrowing the topic . You should go from
the general to the very specific data concerning your variables
of the study.

No matter what you choose for the introductory section of your

proposal, it should, in the most general sense, do two things for
the reader:

It should provide a "map" of what is ahead.

It should make the reader want to find out more about your
research.

More specifically the introductory section to a thesis proposal

should tell the reader something about the following:

What is the study about?

Why is it important?

What is the problem, question, hypothesis, theory to be tested,

etc.?

What is some of the most important relevant work done in this

area?

What further research is needed in this area?

What can be the usefulness of your study?

In terms of sequencing this information, a move from the
general to the specific would be appropriate in many cases. The
following questions can serve as a guideline:
What is the topic? Orientate the reader by giving some general
background to the topic.

Why is the topic important? Justify your research by explaining

to the reader why this is an important area of research
What do we know about the topic in general?*

Provide the reader with a context for your research

by giving a brief summary of past research
What are some gaps or weaknesses in our
knowledge about the topic?*

Justify your research by showing gaps, weaknesses, etc.

What are you going to do about these
gaps?**

Give the reader a general statement about the purpose of your

research.

The questions marked * can be developed in more detail in a

literature review.
The question marked ** can be developed in more detail in a
section that states your research questions, aims, objective,
hypotheses etc.

AIM/S OF THE RESEARCH

You must specify an academic aim, which is the issue problem

your thesis hopes to address on the basis of developments in
the academic literature and aimed at an academic audience.

In order to formulate your aims, it may be useful to start off by

clarifying: the theme (the broad topic) the topic (an aspect of
that theme) and the specific focus on an issue within that topic.
Formulate the academic aims so that they capture an academic
undertaking. Consider starting your aim/s with words like:
explore, investigate, analyze, determine, interpret, understand,
demarcate, critique, ascertain, compare, contrast, evaluate,
assess.

Note that there needs to be a tight coherence between the

Title, and the Aim/s of the research.

RATIONALE / BACKGROUND

In this section you need to explain:

The context that gives rise to your research project. What

conditions have led you to propose your research project and
to define your aim/s in the way that you have done? (You may
be aware of certain events, processes and debates and be of
the view that certain issues require systematic and focused
research. You may be of the view that our current knowledge
of certain issues is inadequate or that certain issues have been
poorly researched. You may be in disagreement with the
interpretation advanced by a certain scholar and/or the
methodology s/he used, etc

Your motivation for the research project. What is your interest

in the research project? What motivates you to do the project?
Why is it worthy of academic investigation?

The importance of the proposed research. What do you

consider to be the significance of the research project? What
contribution will the research project make in terms of current
knowledge around the issue or problem that is being
researched?
The function of this section is to indicate the general
importance of the field and to start giving an indication of the
nature of present understanding in the field.

THE LITERATURE REVIEW

In this section you need to demonstrate that you have some

sense of the debates in literature around the topic. Mere
appeal to your own experiences or general knowledge is
inadequate. The literature review is crucial to formulating the
framework of the research. For your research proposal, the
literature review should draw on a limited number of sources.
The thesis itself will expand on the literature.

In this section you will therefore need to indicate:

What is the context within which your research project is

located? What is the history of your area of study? What are
the most recent findings in your area of study? What gaps and
contradictions exist among these findings? What new research
questions do these findings suggest? Consult a few
introductory texts, some standard articles, and chapters in
standard works in order to sketch an orientation of the kinds of
academic debates in the field.

In what conceptual framework will you be developing your

discussion? How will you be interpreting some of the key
concepts? Is there a gap in the previous literature? Have you
identified an inadequacy in the existing body of literature? In
relation to current knowledge (as reflected in the literature),
what do you intend to do? What theoretical model relates to
your research topic? Consult some of the major texts and some
recent articles to demonstrate that you have a clear sense of
the major positions and trends in the field of study.

What methodological frameworks will you be using? What

methods and results have previous researchers in your field
produced? What different methodologies have been used by
other researchers in your area? What are the key
methodological issues that have been addressed?

In brief you should:

 Reference the most important contributions of other

scientists.

 Discuss the theoretical scope or the framework of ideas
that will be used to back the research.

 Demonstrate that you are fully conversant with the ideas
you are dealing with and that you grasp their
methodological implications.

 Indicate the open problem which then will be the motive

for your project. State clearly how your research will
contribute to the existing research.

RESEARCH PROBLEM

This part captures the essential focus of your thesis and it is

therefore important that you spend time on formulating a
clear, focused and interesting problem that is researchable.
This problem is the engine of your thesis – it drives the various
sections, directs your discussion towards the destination you
want to get to, and informs the way in which you will develop
your thesis.
Your central research problem must be:

One main problem, stated in a single sentence or question. If

you can't do this, it is indication that you don't as yet have
enough focus. You need to demarcate your problem more.

The question must indeed be a problem. It should focus on, for

example, a gap in the debates ,an ambiguity, or a paradox. You
should be able to explain why it is a problem and why it is
worthy of study.

Your research question must be tightly related to your research

aim/s and must also emerge from your research framework.

Pay attention to the kind of problem question you pose. Some

questions may be of an empirical kind in that they seek to
obtain information and data that are descriptive in nature.
Other questions may be of an analytical kind; that is, they steer
you towards explaining a phenomenon. (Questions can start
with “can?”, “should?”, “is?”, “how?”, “what?”, “why?” etc.
Each of these will have a different focus, so make sure that you
formulate a question which coheres with the aims and title of
your research project.

RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The word "hypothesis" means "supposition" or "possible

explanation" for a particular situation or condition. A
hypothesis can be defined as "a shrewd guess, an assumption,
an opinion, a hunch, an informed judgment, or an inference
that is provisionally adopted to explain facts or conditions or to
guide how one starts to attack a problem.
In a research context, a hypothesis can also be a suggested
solution to a problem.
By suggesting a possible solution to a problem, research can
take a certain direction, otherwise much time can be wasted in
an investigation without direction. It will affect the kind of data
to be collected and the method analysis of the data.

Example

(i) Students who score highly on the vocabulary tests are more
likely to score likewise on the comprehension tests (cloze tests
and reading comprehension texts).

(ii) Students are more likely to perform better on the multiple-

choice reading test than on the cloze tests, given that lack of
active vocabulary will more seriously affect performance on the
cloze texts.

(iii) It is expected that scores on multiple-choice reading

comprehension tests will be higher than on the cloze tests, and
it follows that there will be a stronger correlation between
multiple-choice reading comprehension tests and the
standardized vocabulary test.

Some research proposals, especially those planning to

undertake experimental work, or planning to do survey studies
and empirical studies, need a research hypothesis. You will
need to articulate in proposition (statement) form what you
expect to find. Your expectation needs to be based on existing
theories, borrowed from other empirical studies or based on
logical deduction. Your thesis will aim to verify or falsify the
hypothesis within the theoretical framework of the research
project.
A good hypothesis has several basic characteristics: It should be
reasonable. It should be consistent with available facts and
theory, i.e. it must be consistent with results established from
previous research; It should be testable. You should be able to
prove that it is correct or incorrect. It should be stated as
simply as possible.

RESEARCH DESIGN / RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This is the means by which you hope to achieve your research

aims, to outline a procedure which, if necessary, can be
repeated by others, and to indicate the sources of data that will
be used. The research design needs to go into some detail
about the methods and procedures to be used.

This will vary according to the nature of your field of study. A

proposal for a traditional experiment will require detailed
specification of the design, the variables, and the measures
that are going to be used. A proposal for a purely literature-
based study will have to specify what kind of sources you are
going to consult and how you are going to engage with them. A
proposal for an empirical study will have to give details about
the methods, to justify your choice of methods, and to give
details about the where, when, and who that your methods will
involve. For example, if you are going to interview people, say
what the purpose of your interview is, the structure of it, as
well as who, when and where you are going to interview.

The proposal must justify why the research questions are best
dealt with in this way. You must also demonstrate, through
argument and referencing, that you are competent to carry out
this kind of research and capable of using the proposed
methods.

In this section you need to tell your reader about:

Your information and data sources. The methods and

techniques you will use for obtaining information and data.
(How you will obtain the information and data? Will you use
documentary, and/or qualitative and/or quantitative methods?
If you will use quantitative methods, which technique/s will you
use - survey or questionnaire, etc? If you are intending to use a
qualitative method, which technique/s will you use - structured
interview, semi-structured interview, open-ended interview,
participant observation?, etc

Your justification for your choice of method/s and

technique/s

Why you will use, from the range of available methods /

techniques, the particular methods /techniques you propose?
Is the method and technique appropriate for your research
aims and questions?

Where appropriate, how you intend to verify the reliability of

the information and data you collect.

The feasibility of your proposed project. (What arrangements

have you made to obtain information and data? That is, will
you have access to your information /data sources? Do you
have the skills to use certain techniques and to analyze the data
you will gather? If not, how will you learn these? Do you have
the resources - equipment, funds etc. - that will be required?.

The plan for data analysis. In terms of what criteria are you
going to analyze your findings? What methods are you going to
use for analysis? Don't merely say, for example, that you are
going to use SPSS – say why this would be appropriate to use.
Make sure that you don't give the impression that you are
going to gather the data and then think about the analysis
afterwards!.

Your research design must cohere with your aims, research

question/ hypothesis and research framework. (What design is
most appropriate for the research questions you aim to
address?)

DELIMITATION OF STUDY / ASSUMPTIONS ON WHICH THE

RESEARCH PROJECT RESTS

A thesis must have very clearly defined limits. You cannot

tackle everything. Rather than trying to do too much in a
superficial way, focus on a small area which you aim to
investigate in depth. All research projects must have a starting
point and an end point. That necessarily means that you have
to set clear boundaries.

Your proposal needs to demonstrate that you have been able

to demarcate or delimit your area of study.

Narrow your field of study. Most proposals suffer from being

too ambitious and trying to cover too wide an area. It is
through reading that you start focusing on particular aspects.

Studies that embark on empirical research

Usually studies of this kind follow a format that consists of:

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Theoretical framework/ literature review

Chapter 3: Research design and methodology

Chapter 4: Research findings and analysis

Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendations

CHECKLIST FOR EVALUATING THESIS/ PROPOSALS

THE Basic ELEMENTS

Your thesis should contain the following elements:

Title page

A typical wording is as follows:

Utilizing the SQ6R Strategy to Improve the Reading

Comprehension Skills for EFL Libyan Secondary School
Students and Their Attitude Towards It.

A dissertation (or thesis) submitted in fulfillment of the

requirements of the degree of MA (or a Ph. D) in Education
(TEFL) Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction

By Wedad Masued Akriem

June 2014

Table of contents

This should clearly indicate the structure of your dissertation

and direct the reader, with page numbers, to all chapters,
major sections within chapters, appendices and any other
sections of the document. The table of contents should be set
out in such a way that the relationships between sections are
clear.

List of tables (if applicable)

This should list in order of appearance the numbers, titles and

page references for all tables included in your dissertation.
These should be numbered in one continuous sequence (Table
1,Table 2 etc.) running through the whole document and
should correspond to the numbers and titles that appear as
headings or captions with the tables themselves.

List of figures (if applicable)

This should list in order of appearance the numbers, titles page

references for all diagrams, figures etc. in your dissertation.
These should be numbered in one continuous sequence (Figure
1, Figure 2 etc.,) running through the whole document and
should correspond to the numbers and titles that appear as
headings or captions with the figures themselves

Acknowledgments (if applicable)

You should acknowledge the participation of all individuals and

organizations that have helped you with your research,
indicating the kind of assistance received – for example,
supervision of your research, cooperation with data collection,
advice on data analysis, or help with editing or proof-reading
your text.

It is usual to acknowledge people by name unless it is necessary

to preserve their anonymity for reasons of confidentiality. In
such cases it is often appropriate to acknowledge the
organization or group to which the people belong, for example,
‘the students of Somewhere School’.
Glossary / List of abbreviations (if applicable)

If you use a large number of special terms, abbreviations or

acronyms which your readers may not be familiar with, it may
be helpful to include these in a glossary. Such a glossary may be

conveniently placed at the end of your dissertation, before the

reference list.

Abstract

This section summarizes your research project, giving brief

information on your objectives, hypothesis, methodology and
data as well as on your conclusions and their implications,
including implications for further research. Your abstract should
not be more than a few hundred words in length (usually not
more than one typed A4 page in one-and-a-half or double line
spacing). An Example is as follows:
Communication strategies used by Indonesian learners of English in natural
conversation with native speakers of English

)Master of Applied Linguistics dissertation by Helena I R Agustien(

Abstract

This study is aimed at documenting communication strategies (CSs) used by two

groups of Indonesian learners of English (ILEs), who have different backgrounds in
terms of previous English learning experiences, in natural casual conversations with
native speakers of English.

The first group consists of postgraduate students majoring in different subjects and
this group is called the non-linguistic group (NLG). The second group consists of
those majoring in applied linguistics and therefore it is called the linguistic group
(LG).

The LG is assumed to have a higher English proficiency because its members had at
least the four years of formal intensive English training at the tertiary /
undergraduate level. Each group had a separate conversational session but both
conversed for about 90 minutes. The conversations were recorded and then
analyzed using Tarone’s CS taxonomy (1977) but any other CSs found in the data
were also counted although they are not included in those of Tarone.

It was found that the NLG used nearly three times as many CSs as the LG; that
generally speaking the two groups have similar patterns in terms of the proportions
of CS use; that the two groups differ very much in the use of comprehension
indicators functioning as showing appreciation to the interlocutor in that the NLG
almost never used them whereas the LG used them quite a few times; that both
groups share ‘favorite CSs and among them are the new CSs not included in Tarone’s
repetition, ,taxonomy which include approximation, message abandonment, repair
over-elaboration, context manipulation and team effort; and that new CSs (context
manipulation and team effort) are found in the study. Lastly, CSs are found to
operate at both individual and social levels. Individual CSs include approximation,
language switch, topic avoidance, message abandonment, over-elaboration and
context manipulation. Social SCs include team effort, appeal for assistance,
comprehensive indicator and clarification request.

Some CSs operating at both individual and social levels are circumlocution, repair
and repetition.

Introductory chapter

Your introductory chapter should include background

information on such areas as:

• the context in which your research was conducted

• your reasons for choosing your topic

• other related research (or the lack of it)

• the scope of your research: what you set out to achieve.

The information contained in the introductory chapter should

be much more detailed than the information in your abstract.
Literature review / background

An important part of the research process is a comprehensive

review of existing literature on your topic and on closely
related topics. Typically this will involve conducting searches in

library catalogues and research databases. This is an iterative

process, i.e. after locating source documents which are
identified by your initial searches, you may need to explore
other references that are cited in those documents. When you
have conducted your literature search and read widely on and
around your topic, you should be ready to write your literature
review.

Remember that:

1. a literature review is much more than an annotated

bibliography. It should be an informed critical analysis and
discussion of the ideas and debates put forward by

other researchers in your area.

2. You need to sift and synthesize the ideas contained in other

researchers’ work, showing how they relate to your research.

3. The literature review is your way to place your study in a

context as well as helping to provide a rationale and
justification for your study.

4. It should be expressed precisely and clearly in order to help

readers locate your study within a wider research context and
to understand the significance of your research
5. It is difficult to say how long your literature review should be
because all dissertations are different. However, as a rough
guide, it would be fair to say that the literature review should
not be more than 3,000 to 3,500 words, given your dissertation
should be no more than 15,000 words (or 60-70 pages).

6. Often the literature review occupies one chapter of a

dissertation. However, in some research projects it may be
more appropriate to integrate the literature review into the
reporting of your research, rather than place it in a separate
chapter.

Research methodology

This chapter should set out in detail the methodology adopted

for your project, describing the research paradigm selected
(and your reasons for choosing it) and the steps followed in
collecting, analyzing and interpreting data.

Data, analysis and interpretation

The section covering analysis and interpretation of your data

will usually occupy one or more chapters of your dissertation.
You should describe clearly the assumptions you have made in
analyzing the data, and the conclusions you have drawn a result
of your analysis. Aim to demonstrate through your data
analysis that your research changes or adds to existing
knowledge in the field.

If your data are quantitative, it is often most appropriate to

present your results first and then discuss and interpret them.
However, if your data are qualitative, it may be more
appropriate to integrate your results with your discussion of
them.

Summary and conclusions

Your research project is not the end of the road. Most research
generates many new questions -sometimes more than it has
answered. This is an essential feature of the process of
academic enquiry.

Your dissertation should conclude with a chapter which

summarizes your research and your findings and indicates
areas for further research which you have identified in the
course of your research. This discussion should also clearly
outline the significance of your findings (i.e. what do they
mean?) in the light of the literature you reviewed at the
beginning of the dissertation. In other words, you need to link
your findings with those of the studies examined in the
literature review.

Reference List

Your reference list should list full bibliographic details of all

sources you have drawn on in your research.

The reference list should not be an indiscriminate list of

everything you have read which relates to your area of
research. Rather, it should include all books, articles,
conference papers, unpublished theses, teaching materials and
other resources which you have either quoted in your
dissertation or have consulted or been influenced by in the
course of your research.

Appendices (if applicable)

You should attach as appendices such information as:

• transcripts of data

• samples of questionnaires, correspondence or other

instruments used to collect data

• other information which is relevant but which is not required

in the body of the dissertation.

CHECK LIST FOR RESEARCH PRPOSAL/THESIS DEVELOPMENT

Formulation of the Research Problem

1. Present a clear, brief statement of the problem with

concepts defined where necessary.

2. Show that the problem is soluble.

Describe the significance of the problem with reference to one

or more of the following criteria:

a) its relationship to the areas of interest

b) relevance to a large population including social/economic

benefits expected and how they could be assessed

c) it is timely and practical.

Background

3.Have you comprehensively reviewed the literature

concerning the problem? Have Important previous findings
been critically evaluated?
4.In what important areas is new knowledge needed? Will the
proposed study answer previously unanswered questions or
confirm work that requires additional corroboration?

The Hypotheses

5. What are the major hypotheses? Are they stated clearly,

concisely, and in such a way that they can be tested? Have you
spelled out all the operations and predictions indicated by the
hypotheses? Are the hypotheses related to available
techniques?

6. Are you trying to investigate too many questions in one

research project?

7. Are the concepts clearly defined, preferably in operational

terms?

The Choice of Study Design

8. Have you considered the pros and cons of alternative .10

study designs, with particular attention to the control of
extraneous factors which may produce bias?

9. Describe the design you have selected including how control

of extraneous factors is to be achieved?

Sampling Procedures

10. Specify the population to which the hypotheses are

relevant.

11. Explain determination of size and type of sample.

12. Specify sample size and method of drawing or selecting the

sample.
Is it feasible to obtain the necessary numbers of subject

Collection of Data

13. Have you listed all the variables you wish to measure and
checked to see if your instruments collect the required data
with the detail necessary for analysis?

14. Have you presented the research instruments? Can you

evaluate their validity and precision?

15. How will data be collected: e.g. by direct interview, all or

part mail, telephone, or other means?

16. Who will be responsible for collecting the data and

maintaining the quality control?

17. Will computerized data files be established in such a way

that information is easily retrievable through the use of
standard data management and statistical packages?

18. Have you shown that you have (or will have) the
appropriate skills and expertise to satisfactorily complete the
project?

Evaluation of the Proposals and Finished Theses

The following list shows the criteria that committees and

examiners look for in proposals and finished theses. It would be
useful to keep those criteria in mind as you are writing your
proposal and your thesis to focus on the relevant criteria.
(The items marked * are used to evaluate the final thesis, not
proposals.)

Characteristics Being Evaluated

(1) Title is clear and concise.

(2) Problem is significant and clearly stated.

(3) Limitations and delimitations of the study are stated.

(4) Delimitations are well defined and appropriate to solutions

of the problem.

(5) Assumptions are clearly stated.

(6) Specific questions to be studied are clearly stated.

(7) Hypotheses, elements, or research questions are clearly

stated.

(8) Hypotheses, elements, or research questions are testable,

or answerable.

(9) Hypotheses, elements, or research questions derive from

the review of the literature.

(10) Relationship of study to previous research is clear.

(11) Review of literature is efficiently summarized.

(12) Procedures are described in detail.

(13) Procedures are appropriate for the solution of the problem.

(14) Population and sample are clearly described.

(15) Method of sampling is appropriate.

(16) Variables have been controlled.

(17) Data gathering methods are described.

(18) Data gathering methods are appropriate to solution of the

problem.

(19) Validity and reliability of data gathering are explained.

(20) Appropriate methods are used to analyze data.

(21) Sentence structure and punctuation are correct.

(22) Minimum of typographical errors.

(23) Spelling and grammar are correct.

(24) Material is clearly written.

(25) Tone is unbiased and impartial.

(26) Overall rating of creativity and significance of the problem.

(27)* Tables and figures are used effectively.

(28)* Results of analysis are presented clearly.

(29)* Major findings are discussed clearly and related to

previous research.

(30)* Importance of findings is explained.

(31)* The relationship between the research and the findings is

demonstrated with tight, logical reasoning.

(32)* Conclusions are clearly stated.

(32)* Conclusions are based on the results.
(33)* Limitations and weaknesses of study are discussed.

(34)* Implications of findings for the field are discussed.

(45)* Suggestions for further research are cited.

* Not evaluated in proposal but in finished thesis only.

References

Macquarie University (2008) Writing your dissertation: A guide.

Macquarie University, UNSW 2019, Australia.

Mauch, J.E. and Birch, J.W. (1989) (2nd ed.) Guide to the
successful thesis and dissertation. New York: Marcel Dekker.

Moore, B. (1995). Handbook for research students in the faculty

of education. Adelaide: University of South Australia.

Moore, B.N. & Parker, R. (2000). Critical thinking (6th Ed.).

Boston: McGraw Hill.

Sajavaara, K. (1994). The thesis: A writer’s guide. Finland:

Department of English, University of Jyvaskyla.

University of Ottawa (2007) Writing a thesis proposal: A

systems approach. Academic Writing Help Center.
www.sass.uottawa.ca

University of Sydney (2001) Writing a thesis proposal. Learning

cater, Learning resources. http://www.usyd.edu.au/1c

Useful Websites:
http://sosig.ac.uk

http://www.rdn.ac.uk

http://www.hw.ac.uk/libWWW/irn/pinakes/pinakes.html

http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-
writing/literature-review

http://www.deakin.edu.au/library/findout/research/litrev.php

http://www.nrf.ac.za/yenza

http://www.nrf.ac.za/methods/proposals.htm

http://www.ananzi.com