by Paola Fanutti

Created on: October 13, 2009

A successful dissertation is a work in progress well before it becomes an eloquent, rational, articulate, tightly argued product. In the academic world, all serious research begins with an academic proposal, a presentation of a preliminary position, a rationale of what knowledge the researcher and writer intends to contribute to the studied field, and what his or her expected outcomes are.

An academic proposal is an important initial step to research and writing and allows a writer to:

*nurture an idea and test it out against the existing evidence, to see if it is logical and defensible

*organize his or her supporting evidence into a framework that streamlines and filters good sources and bad ones

and most importantly:

*introduces a position or topic prior to formal assessment to an academic advisor or professor for feedback, guidance and approval.

An academic proposal takes place after critically and judiciously reviewing evidence related to the topic at hand. During the course of your reading and study, some type of opinion about the material should have emerged, prompting ideas for further examination of the evidence. The opinion you have formed about the topic during your reading and research, that is, what you wish to expand upon, defend, challenge, test or refute is your thesis, and the sources and ways you intend to accomplish this end form part of your preliminary evidence. You will combine existing scholarship and literature with your own unique study and methodology to prove your unique position on the topic.

According to the University of Mississippi Writing Centre, an academic proposal should answer these questions:

What are we going to learn as the result of the proposed project that we do not know now?
Why is it worth knowing?
How will we know that the conclusions are valid?

A good academic proposal must therefore contain the following:

Statement of Intention: The relevancy of your topic in light of current scholarship must be explored here. How does your theoretical position contribute to knowledge and why is it valid or interesting? Why should a course director or professor allow you to continue researching this topic. What do you intend to achieve or show during the course of your research? Confidence is extremely important so be bold and use active verbs and precise vocabulary.

Your Position: Your stance on the subject, and how this position relates to what you may have researched or worked on in the past. Your theoretical position should include a potential thesis that is specific enough to explore thoroughly, yet vague enough to challenge and draw inferences from. Give substantial detail about your position, without describing too much of the project.

Review of the Literature: List the sources you have reviewed as your background to the topic. Relate how your proposed study builds upon or rejects contemporary scholarship and sources and how your topic covers new ground not previously treated . Decide what points you will extract and relate them to your current project.

Methodology: How will you achieve your study and set about proving your thesis? Here list your resources, time needed finances and the process involved in completing your project and the methods you will use to solidify your position.

For extra tips on academic writing, consult your course director and visit the University of Mississippi's Writing Centre for successful academic proposal writing.

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