Guide to Writing Research Proposal and Thesis
GUIDE TO WRITING RESEARCH PROPOSAL AND THESIS
STRUCTURE I
Doctor of Philosophy (BA)
Master of Science (BA)
CENTRE FOR GRADUATE STUDIES
SEPTEMBER 2009
INTRODUCTION
All students pursuing a postgraduate programme under Structure I shall submit a thesis for examination as a requirement for the award of the degree. This would entail the preparation of a research proposal which is later developed into a thesis. This document provides guidelines for writing the research proposal and the thesis. WRITING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Research proposal is a document written to inform others including your supervisor or graduate committee and your examiners of a proposed piece of research you intent to do. You should be aware that a research proposal which is poorly prepared can be rejected and you may not be able to proceed with your PhD program. So, the research proposal is obviously an important piece of document. Therefore it is imperative that you spend some time getting it right. A well-planned proposal will save you a lot of time in the long run. If the proposal is well-prepared, it could become a part of your final thesis. In other words, the proposal could eventually maps out different parts of your final thesis.
Before writing your proposal, it is a good idea to read several articles in peer-reviewed journals that cover your general topic area. This process should familiarize you with the type of content expected and with writing styles.
The format of the proposal varies from one institution to another. In Open University Malaysia (OUM), the research proposal could be turn into the first few chapters of the final thesis that will be written later. The three-chapter proposal with the relevant appendices should clearly illustrate all the theoretical and methodological aspects of the proposed study. You will notice that OUM requires its student to produce quite a detailed proposal. The rationale is that OUM wants to ensure that the student is able to proceed with
STRUCTURE I
Doctor of Philosophy (BA)
Master of Science (BA)
CENTRE FOR GRADUATE STUDIES
SEPTEMBER 2009
INTRODUCTION
All students pursuing a postgraduate programme under Structure I shall submit a thesis for examination as a requirement for the award of the degree. This would entail the preparation of a research proposal which is later developed into a thesis. This document provides guidelines for writing the research proposal and the thesis. WRITING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Research proposal is a document written to inform others including your supervisor or graduate committee and your examiners of a proposed piece of research you intent to do. You should be aware that a research proposal which is poorly prepared can be rejected and you may not be able to proceed with your PhD program. So, the research proposal is obviously an important piece of document. Therefore it is imperative that you spend some time getting it right. A well-planned proposal will save you a lot of time in the long run. If the proposal is well-prepared, it could become a part of your final thesis. In other words, the proposal could eventually maps out different parts of your final thesis.
Before writing your proposal, it is a good idea to read several articles in peer-reviewed journals that cover your general topic area. This process should familiarize you with the type of content expected and with writing styles.
The format of the proposal varies from one institution to another. In Open University Malaysia (OUM), the research proposal could be turn into the first few chapters of the final thesis that will be written later. The three-chapter proposal with the relevant appendices should clearly illustrate all the theoretical and methodological aspects of the proposed study. You will notice that OUM requires its student to produce quite a detailed proposal. The rationale is that OUM wants to ensure that the student is able to proceed with