Practical Advice On Writing A Dissertation Proposal On Leadership

So it’s come to that time of the year where you need to write your dissertation. Before writing your actual dissertation, though, you need to put forward your proposal. Writing a dissertation proposal on leadership is not so different to writing a proposal for any other topic. The key is to follow the guidelines that your tutor sets for you. This said, if you are still struggling with getting started, below are some tips and tricks for writing your proposal.

What is a dissertation proposal?

Your dissertation proposal is a way for you to tell your reader what your dissertation is about, the topic and questions you are going to be analyzing, the research methods you are going to use, and the potential outcomes.

Structure of the proposal

• Start with the title. Make your title short and to point but do not choose a play on words or any kind of joke. Humor is in the eye of the beholder so, what is funny to you could not be to your readers.
• State your objectives. Choose the key objectives of your dissertation. You should have two or three specific objectives for your study.
• Literature review. This is a chance to talk about the areas of research you are going to be undertaking. Mention the key books or publications you will be using.
• Methodologies. The real question is, how are you going to answer your study question? Are you going to use qualitative or quantitative research methods? Interviews or another method altogether? This section enables you to not only make this clear but also allow you to put some thought into how you are going to analyze the data or research you will be undertaking.
• Potential outcomes. In this section of your proposal you do not guess what the outcome of your study is, you are talking about what you hope the outcome will be and why. This is where the importance of your question comes in. If you choose a very simple question, there is no point in writing a dissertation in the first place because you already know the answer.
• Scheduling. Especially in project or event management, this part is key because your tutor wants to know how you are managing your research and time so make sure you include a schedule for your dissertation research either in a calendar format or by using some form of Gantt chart. Make sure there are a clear start and end point.

Unfortunately it has to be done!

Bibliography and referencing. No, you cannot get out of this section. Most dissertations require a bibliography. Check what format your tutor is expecting as you could lose points through pure lack of reading the instructions.

There are a number websites and organizations that offer dissertation writing advice. For a more detailed list of advice on writing dissertation proposal visit this service!