Writing a Thesis Proposal

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Writing a Thesis Proposal

• Faculty Technology Days
• University of Calgary
• May 6, 2008
• J. Andre, Effective Writing Program

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Overview

• Why a thesis proposal?
• Where to start?
• What should the proposal include?
• Writing strategies
• Help available

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Why a thesis proposal?

• To convince your readers that
• Your research topic is worthwhile
• You clearly understand your research problem and
  its research context
• Your research is feasible and your methods are
  sound and ethical

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Where to start?

• Familiarize yourself with research proposaland
  thesis requirements and deadlines
• Work closely with your supervisor in refining
  your topic and proposed approach
• Check out available resources
• Review thesis proposals in your field
• See the U of C thesis guidelines template
  http//www.grad.ucalgary.ca/policies/thesis
• Review several theses in your field

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What should the proposal include?

• Title optional Abstract of 150 to 350 words
• Problem statement ( research questions)
• Research objectives
• Review of related research (Lit review)
• Theoretical / conceptual framework (if necessary)
• Research design (methods procedures)
• Anticipated Results ( Outline of thesis
  contents)
• Schedule
• Budget
• References

Preliminary proposal 5 - 8 pages refs Final
proposal 10 - 15 pages
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Proposal title

• Make it informative and specific
• Include key words
• Avoid potentially unfamiliar terms and acronyms
  ideally, your title will be intelligible to
  readers outside your field
• Make it readable. Avoid noun strings like
• A study of chipmunk muscle tissue ion
  channel amino acid activationparameters e.g.,
  from Matthews, Bowen, Matthews, 2000, p. 66

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Sample titles for assessment

• Sample titles from Webspace.utexas.edu/cherwitz/ww
  w/ie/sample_diss.html
• Role of the hydrologic cycle in vegetation
  response to climate change An analysis using
  VEMAP Phase 2 model experiments (Wendy Gordon)
• Documentary film and social change A rhetorical
  investigation of dissent (Angela Aguayo)
• Dissertation proposal (Patti Giuffre)
• The rhetoric of expertise (E. Johanna Hartelius)
• An empirical study of product functional
  families Analyzing key performance metric trends
  to derive actionable design insights (Matthew G.
  Green)

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Proposal abstract (150-350 words)

• A brief summary of your projects
• research context
• purpose objectives (topic)
• significance
• theoretical and methodological framework
• research design
• An abstract is often optional but recommended

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Global gene expression of cells attached to a
tissue engineering scaffold. Klapperich, C. M.
Bertozzi, C. in Biomaterials Nov2004, Vol. 25
Issue 25, p5631, 11padapted from published
abstract I removed one sentence and changed the
tenses. JA A goal of tissue engineering is to
produce a scaffold material that will guide cells
to differentiate and regenerate functional
replacement tissue at the site of injury. Little
is known about how cells respond on a molecular
level to tissue engineering scaffold materials.
In this work we will use oligonucleotide
micro-arrays to interrogate gene expression
profiles associated with cellbiomaterial
interactions. We will seed collagenglycosa-minogl
ycan meshes, a widely used tissue engineering
scaffold material, with human IMR-90 fibroblasts
and compare transcript levels with control cells
grown on tissue culture polystyrene. . . .
Understanding the impact of a scaffold on
attached cells will facilitate the design of
improved tissue engineering materials.
Example
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Role of Telehealth in Seating Clinics A
Case-study of learners perspectives. Khoja, S.
R. (2003). U of Calgary adapted from actual
thesis I removed two sentences and changed the
tenses. JA The purpose of this qualitative
study is to understand learners perspectives
about the role of telehealth in providing
services, facilitating mutual learning and
encouraging team building for highly tactile
processes such as seating clinics. Interviews
will be conducted with the staff members at the
Alberta Childrens Hospital and Medicine Hat
Regional Hospital who are involved in planning
and implementing this telehealth initiative.
Outreach seating sessions will also be observed
to facilitate the analysis of these interviews. .
. . This study will contribute to our knowledge
about the role of telehealth in seating clinics
by providing insiders views on the benefits and
issues related to the introduction of telehealth.
Example
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Problem statement research question(s) (250
words)

• State the research problem or question, providing
  necessary context
• define key terms (if required)
• Outline the purpose and objectives of the study
  (e.g. to identify to determine to measure
  to evaluate to develop)
• Include your research questionsand hypotheses
  (if applicable)
• Indicate the studys scope
• Provide a rationale for your study commenton
  the significance of the proposed study

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Review of research (1,000 words)

• A literature review situates your (proposed)
  research into the larger research context by
• Reviewing previous research
• Synthesizing it into a summary of what is and
  isnt known
• Relating it to your research question
• Identifying weaknesses and points of
  controversy
• Suggesting questions for further
  research(Taylor, 2001, p. 1)

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Literature Review

• The literature review should also contextualize
• your own studys epistemological paradigm
  (e.g.,hermeneutic, critical)
• theoretical framework (e.g.,cognitive, social
  constructionist) and
• methodological orientation (e.g., empirical,
  policy, qualitative) (Public Health Sciences, U
  of T, n.d.)

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Literature Review - purpose
Ultimately, your literature review should
persuade readers that your proposed research is
necessary, that it is effectively conceptualized
and designed, and that it builds logically on
prior research. Your literature review should
seem to narrow inevitably to your own research
question and approach.
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Literature Review - approach

• Tornquist (1986) suggests the following approach
• Establish the existence and importance of the
  problem or question
• Discuss research . . . done on the question
• Present your conceptual framework and discuss how
  this framework or model has been applied in your
  problem area
• Point out flaws or gaps in the research
• Conclude with the purpose of your work (p.10)

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Literature Review - approach

• Organize your review thematically
• look at key concepts in your research
• use informative headings
• group related pieces of research
• Move from broad to highly relevant work,from
  theoretical to empirical,from known to unknown
  (Tornquist, 1986)
• Describe highly relevant work in more detail

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Literature Review writing process

• Try mapping your key concepts bodies of
  research
• e.g., study on gender differences in online
  learning for students enrolled in a distance
  nursing program
• Develop an outline
• Write first, edit later

Define
Researchon gender learning
Researchon onlinelearning
theory
Gender
Learningstyles
Learningstyles
Deliverymodes
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Literature Review writing process

• Keep a running bibliography (RefWorks may be
  helpful)
• Take point-form notes in your own words. If you
  jot down words from the original, always
• use quotation marks
• note the source page number

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Literature Review writing process

• Use charts to help synthesize information

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Literature Review writing process

• Consider the layered approach to drafting
  proposed by Thomas (2000, p. 21)
• 1. Focus on factual information
• 2. Add evaluative and critical material
• 3. Write integrative material (section
  previews, comparisons of studies, summaries)

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Literature Review examples from Thomas (2000,
pp. 38, 39)

• Too short for a highly relevant studyThomas,
  Stone and Greenwood (1990) found that age and
  length of compensation insurance claim were
  correlated in injured workers.
• Good detail with evaluative and integrative
  materialThomas, Stone and Greenwood (1990)
  performed an epi-demiological analysis of 65 000
  compensation insurance claims for injured workers
  in the Australian state of Victoria in 1989. They
  found a correlation of 0.98 between the age of
  the worker and the average length of time spent
  by the worker on compensation insurance benefits.
  This suggests that older workers may take longer
  to recover . . . than do younger workers. . . .
  The trends discovered are likely to be robust
  since they were based on a population study of 65
  000 claims. Thomas et al.s findings are
  consistent with those of Whacklow, Furtle Crun
  (1989). In their study . . .

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Literature Review verb tenses

• Use appropriate tenses
• Research in general present perfect
• Research has shown . . . has been studied
• Researcher actions - past tense
• Smith (2003) studied . . . Shelby (2004)
  found...
• Conclusions drawn - present tense
• Response time depends on . . . (Shelby, 2004)

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Theoretical Framework

• The theoretical perspective for the proposed
  study is most commonly referred to as the Health
  Belief Model. The...model (HBM), which has been
  utilized in most theory-based research that
  examines breast cancer screening, is useful in
  examining health-protecting or disease prevention
  behavior. The HBM proposes that the motivation to
  engage in health-promoting action is a function
  of the benefits obtained less the risk associated
  with the action. There are five variables
  associated with the model (1) susceptibility,
  (2) seriousness, (3) benefits, (4) barriers, and
  (5) health motivation. Leiningers theory is
  another theoretical perspective that... (
  Dias-Bowie, 1998. Retrieved May 5, 2008, from
  www.fiu.edu/ugs/regulations_manual/Appendix3.htm

Example
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Research design

• A methodology is not just a list of research
  tasks but an argument as to why these tasks add
  up tothe best attack on the problem (Przeworski
  Salomon, 2004, p. 1)

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Research design (500 words)

• Use subheadings to organize information
• Be as specific as possible -avoid general
  statements like analyses of variance will be
  used to analyze the data (North Dakota State
  University, n.d.)
• Justify key aspects of your research design
  (approach, sample, data collection, instruments,
  new methods)
• Include references for methods

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Research Design

• Summarize the research design
• Approach, research questions hypotheses
• Describe the research setting and sample
• Population, sample, sample size
• Sampling method process for recruiting
  participants
• Explain the intervention, research procedure,
  data collection procedures (e.g., interviews)
  tools (e.g.,surveys). Address the
• Variables and their measurement
• Validation of measurement instruments
• Sources of bias and means of reducing them

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Research design

• Detail the data analysis procedures
• Outline research ethics considerations and
  safeguards (e.g., regarding participant consent,
  confidentiality, safety, compliance with
  university requirements)
• ? For policies and guidelines on research
  involving human subjects, see
  www.ucalgary.ca/research/compliance/ethics/

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References

• Use a standard style (e.g., APA, CBE, Chicago,
  IEEE, MLA ) or that of a key journal in your
  field.
• ? Short see the U of C library website. Handouts
  are available at http//efwr.ucalgary.ca

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Appendices

• For your final proposal, if applicable, append
• Consent forms
• Research instruments (e.g., surveys)
• Ethics approvals
• Detailed technical information related to methods
  or results
• Label as Appendix A, B, C, title each

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Key Resources

• University of Calgary Writing Centre
• Half-hour writing consultations up to twice a
  week
• Book appointments online at http//efwr.ucalgary.c
  a
• SASS Academic Writing Help Centre, University of
  Ottawa. (2007). Graduate Writing Kit. Retrieved
  from http//www.sass.uottawa.ca/writing/kit/gradwr
  itingkit.php
• Essentials of Graduate Writing
• Essentials of Thesis Writing
• Writing a Thesis Proposal A Systems Approach
• Information Management for a Research Project
• Writing a Literature Review

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References Resources

• Alley, M. (1996). The craft of scientific
  writing. New York Springer.
• Couch, T. Knack, R. (1996). Get that grant How
  to write a winning proposal. Planning. 62 (12)
  17-21.
• Dept. of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of
  Medicine, University of Toronto. (n.d.) MSc/PhD
  Retrieved May 3, 2005 from http//www.phs.utoronto
  .ca/ssh_mscphd_thesis_guidelines.asp
• Friedland, A. J., Folt, C. L. (2000). Writing
  successful science proposals. New Haven CT Yale
  UP.
• Hart, C. (1998.) Doing a literature review.
  Thousand Oaks CA Sage.
• Kreitzer, L. M., Tam, D. M. Y., Engelman, L.
  (2005). Student handbook MSW international
  concentration. Retrieved May 5, 2008, from the
  University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work
  site http//fsw.ucalgary.ca/files/fsw/
  MSW_International_student_handbook.pdf
• Levine, J. (2004). A guide for writing funding
  proposals. Retrieved April 10, 2004, from
  http//www.learnerassociates.net/proposal/index.ht
  ml.
• Madison Writing Centre, University of Wisconsin.
  (n.d.). Resources for proposal writers. Retrieved
  April 10, 2004, from http//www.wisc.edu/writing/
  Handbook/proposals.html.

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References Resources

• Matthews, J. R., Bowen, J. M., Matthews, R. W.
  (2000). Successful scientific writing. Cambridge
  Cambridge UP.
• North Dakota State University. (n.d.) Guidelines
  for M.S. Thesis/PhD Research Proposal. Retrieved
  May 3, 2005, from http//www.ndsu.nodak.edu/HNES/G
  raduate20Stuff/
• ms.thesis.guid
• Przeworski, A., Salomon F. (2004). The art of
  writing proposals Some candid suggestions for
  applicants to Social Science Research Council
  competitions. Retrieved April 10, 2004, from
  http//www.ssrc.org/ publications/for-fellows/art_
  of_writing_proposals.page.
• Thomas, S. A. (2000). How to write health
  sciences papers, dissertations and theses.
  Toronto Churchill Livingstone.
• Tornquist, E. (1986). From proposal to
  publication An informal guide to writing about
  nursing research. Don Mills ON Addison-Wesley.