Academic Guidelines On How To Write A Dissertation Prospectus

There are specific academic guidelines for you to follow when writing your dissertation prospectus. A dissertation prospectus is what you will use to get your dissertation topic approved before you go ahead and work on it. The actual requirements may vary from school to school so be sure to look over the exact guidelines provided by your school to ensure that these guidelines are in line with your school’s requirements. The prospectus is designed to ensure that your dissertation is on the appropriate level before you start your work.

Here are some general guidelines that are used for many schools. Yours may vary slightly but that is something that you will have to look into prior to completing your prospectus. Many schools will give you a guide or pamphlet that has all of the information that you need to complete the prospectus in the correct format. Many schools will also provide you with a sample prospectus in this pamphlet that you can use as a guide.

Generalized Guidelines to Follow

It should be formatted in APA sixth edition formatting style. Main requirements to include:

1. 1 inch margins on all sides
2. Double spacing
3. Times New Roman font and 12 pt font size
4. Heading with title flush to the left and page number flush to the right
5. Title page and reference page set separate from the text

Sections should include:

1. Title page with a title about twelve words in length including the topic and any related variables. It should also include your name and the program of study.
2. Title as it appears on the title page.
3. Problem statement in one or two paragraphs which is a direct result of your research.
4. The significance of the study in addressing the problem statement and tying in old research.
5. Background information that needs to be included for the study to make sense to the audience.
6. Framework of the piece that will ground the study based on the literature that you have reviewed.
7. Research questions that show the purpose of the study and what needs to be done in the study to get results and how it will be accomplished.
8. Nature of the study including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods that may be used.
9. Possible sources that may be referenced to prove the thesis.
10. List of references that have already been found on the subject.

These are the general guidelines to follow when writing your dissertation prospectus. Good luck and get started now.