What is a research proposal——开题报告1.doc

What is a research proposal? A research proposal is a sort of feasibility study report of your research work. It aims to inform your adviser and review committee of the purport of your research and the central idea of your paper, and to convince them that your are doing the right thing. 2 When to write a proposal At this stage … You have chosen a topic area or have a topic selected (at least in general) You have surveyed some/the literature on the topic area You think you know what to do (stages involved) You think you know how to do it (from research questions to research methods) You now must convince your supervisor/tutor and the dissertation committee (1) that the research is of value and importance and (2) that you are ready and able to do the proposed research You do this with a dissertation/research proposal or dissertation/research prospectus This is a stage that bridges the selection and approval of the topic and the writing of the research/dissertation. (upgrading, 进入论文写作阶段) 3 Possible/general Components in a Proposal 3.1 Introduction Background information Justification of the research(argument for the necessity and researchability of the topic) Aim(s) and objectives (thesis statement) Research questions (topics stated as questions, topics stated as hypotheses) Theoretical framework Data collection Research methods Structure of the dissertation (how the dissertation is shaped or structured) 3.2 Literature review General research situation in the topic area (Too few references will imply that the researcher has not done enough library research and does not have the necessary background information to undertake the proposed study) Previous studies – important findings Deficiencies in previous research Proposing a new/different way of investigation (Important: the ability to quote, paraphrase, summarize) 3.3 Theoretical framework Introducing your theoretical framework Focusing on relevant components of the framework Quoting, summarizing and paraphrasing exis