Starting from where we left in the previous week:
The introduction section of your dissertation proposal gives a very clear idea to the reader about your planned direction of the study and what kind of expectations should be generated from the document. For you as a writer or a researcher, the introduction is an opportunity to further explore the original idea so that you can think more deeply about what you think you could best achieve from your dissertation. There are certain things that the dissertation should include imperatively:
An outline: The key issues involved in the chosen title of your study that you wish to address through your research
Details of the issues: Here you need to give an explanation about why you think that the issues or problems you are intending to research are worth investigating. This adds relevance and importance to your research in the light of the existing research that is already done.
The revelations from your research: Starting with how you plan to go about your research, the proposed methodology. You need to predict or have some idea that what relevant outcome would come out of your research.
A compiled summary: again, a compilation of what you think you dissertation is going to achieve.
There are some tips you can keep in mind while writing the introduction for your proposal. My suggestion would be to not take it very lightly as the review committee would read it as the first thing in your proposal and create an impression which if not favourable, then at a later stage would be very challenging to break or alter.
- Know that it is a great opportunity for you to think through your dissertation and you raise all possible issues you can think of in relation to your research and discuss them with your supervisor so that you include only those that add relevance to your study. Remember a research that deals with a large spectrum of issues, somewhere gets lost in the midst. The more specific issues you have, the more precise and crisp is the outcome of your research.
- Be very thoughtful and focused about the wider impact of your dissertation. Not only in the academia but also consider the social and theoretical implications or impact that your research could make.
- Lastly, always remember that a struggle with the introduction chapter is a sign that you are not thorough with your topic or maybe it is not the right topic for you so take the cues from there before you proceed any further on.