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Stage 6: Writing a Dissertation Proposal

Why is this stage important?

A dissertation proposal persuades your committee that your dissertation will pursue an interesting and worthwhile question; furthermore, the proposal demonstrates that you are a scholar clearly capable of:

The proposal also helps you clarify your thoughts, arguments, and approach to your topic. The proposal is not a time to prove or claim you have read every article, book and monograph related to your proposed dissertation focus. Consider these questions when first drafting a proposal:

Be sure to make clear and explicit the ways in which your conclusions or hypotheses follow from the assumptions, ideas and research you have outlined in the proposal – and locate your own work within the field of study.

Step 1: Determine your department’s timelines and content requirements.

Step 2: Determine which of the following resources can most usefully serve as guides while you draft your proposal.

Step 3: Return to your Research Questions (Stage 2)

Step 4: As you develop the proposal, determine how you will work with your primary advisor, your dissertation chair, and your dissertation committee.

  1. Return to "Questions to ask to help select an advisor" (from Step 5) to renew your understanding of when and how and from whom you will solicit feedback
  2. Glimpse a dissertation advisor's point of view; see Professor Colleen Capper's memo outlining expectations.

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Last revised: July 07, 2004
URL: http://www.lib.umn.edu/help/disscalc/stage6.phtml
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