PhD Handbook: Dissertation Proposal Review
After the qualifying examination committee has passed the student, the chair of the committee completes the top of the Application for Advancement to Candidacy form he or she has received from Graduate Studies. This portion of the form certifies that the student has passed the examination on a specified date. The student will keep this form until it is ready to be filed with Graduate Studies. Completing the entire form and filing it will require the identification of a dissertation topic and title, and the names of three committee members, one of whom will serve as chair. As a result, the student must discuss this application with his or her faculty advisor and undertake the planning of a dissertation before filing this form.
Dissertation Proposal Guidelines
After passing the qualifying exam and before advancing to candidacy, doctoral students are required to complete the proposal review process. Students should consult their advisers and familiarize themselves with requirements for dissertations.
There are two reasons for writing a proposal. First, preparing one is an important part of the dissertation process because a good proposal constitutes a coherent and systematic procedure to be followed. Guided by this, students will have a methodical plan and they will be more efficient and purposeful when they undertake the research.
The second reason for writing a proposal is to demonstrate scholastic competence in particular areas of study. In doing so, students will need to persuade their committee that they have a clear, focused topic and research questions or hypotheses as appropriate to the topic, and that they have determined how they are going to carry the study out to fruition. An approved proposal serves as an agreement between the committee and the student.
Finally, writing a proposal is also good professional preparation for students that may help them later in their careers when they are called upon to write grant and book proposals.
The student should develop a dissertation idea and begin meeting with faculty who might serve on the dissertation committee. Individuals will agree to serve on the dissertation committee subject to approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies. One member, upon agreeing to serve as chair of the dissertation committee, will assume the responsibilities formerly held by the faculty adviser. (If the faculty adviser has not chaired the qualifying examination, he or she may serve as dissertation chair and continue to guide the student).
Once the dissertation committee has agreed to serve, the student prepares a formal dissertation proposal. This proposal should be submitted to the potential Dissertation Research Committee members within six months of completing the Qualifying Examination.
Proposal Guidelines
The following outline should be helpful to the student in preparing a proposal for the dissertation research. Each proposal will likely diverge somewhat from the outline depending on the type of study. Nonetheless, the broad sections and approximate page numbers should serve as rough guidelines for most studies proposed to the Graduate Group.
1. Title. The title should indicate, succinctly, what the thrust of the research will be. This title will be included on the advancement to candidacy form. It can be changed later but try to capture the essence of your study in the title.
2. Literature Review. Provide a brief review of the literature that places your study within the context of the extant research literature. Touch on the major themes, issues, and/or dilemmas bearing on the problem you will be addressing in the dissertation. Show how your study adds an important new dimension. This review should occupy three pages approximately.
3. Research Question. As succinctly as possible, list the question or questions you are pursuing in your research. What are you trying to find out? (Half a page, or even less).
4. Methodology. Describe the methods you will use to conduct your research. This section should include the greatest detail. Be specific about how you will go about:
a. Selecting a sample.
b. Deciding upon or designing data collection instruments (provide samples as an appendix, if appropriate).
c. Choosing how and when the data will be collected, i.e. your procedures (do not collect data prior to the Dissertation Proposal Review unless they are archival data).
d. Analyzing your data (including thoughts about how they will be reported).
e. Thinking about how each data element answers the question(s) you have posed.
This section on methodology should range from 1 to 5 pages, depending on the type of study you are doing and the complexity of your methods.
5. Timeline. Provide a timeline specifying what will be done when, and when you anticipate completing your work.
You may wish to prepare a longer proposal than indicated if you intend to seek outside funding for you research, but a shorter version will do for your dissertation review.
Dissertation Proposal Review Meeting
Once the student has completed the proposal it will be time to have a formal meeting with the prospective committee members. First, the student presents a proposal to the graduate group member who will serve as chair of the dissertation research committee. The chair will work with the student to get the proposal ready for the review meeting.
Next, the student finds and sets a date when all tentative members of the dissertation research committee may attend a meeting. At least two weeks in advance of the meeting, the student provides each member of the committee with a copy of the proposal the chair has approved.
At the dissertation proposal meeting, the committee will wish to discuss the proposed research in some detail. Plan for a meeting of at least one hour. At this meeting, the committee may accept or reject the proposal, or may require specific modifications. At this point, in rare circumstances, committee members may decide that they will be unable to contribute to the dissertation and suggest that they be replaced on the committee.
Should the committee require specific modifications in the proposal or make some suggestions to improve the study, these will be noted on a form provided for this purpose. The intent of this meeting is to establish a "contract" between the student and the committee concerning what will be attempted and what will be approved. This meeting will protect the student from unilateral requested modifications in the research plan after the meeting has ended, although mutually agreed upon changes will always be possible later.
Because the committee will wish to make suggestions during the meeting, it is important for all to remember that the goal is to produce a work of the highest quality. It is also important that the student not to begin data collection until after this meeting because changes in procedure and measures may occur. It is appropriate and even desirable, however, for the student to pilot test measures and procedures prior to the review meeting. Such trials will help all involved evaluate the viablity and practicality of the proposed research.