1.3 THESIS AND THESIS/RESEARCH PROPOSAL

1.3 THESIS AND THESIS/RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A thesis is a long, focused piece of writing on one academic topic, and usually has to advance a new idea or expand the understanding of the current research in some way. Students usually write a thesis as the requirement for finishing their higher education, such as undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral degree. Before writing a full version of a thesis, students should firstly propose their research by composing a thesis/research proposal.

Research proposal is a necessary document which entails a detailed and thorough plan of the research you intend to undertake. Functioning as a blueprint, the research proposal outlines the whole groundwork of the actual research that is going to be performed. It covers the entire research preparation process, from the very beginning until the execution plan. It also explains what will be done, why it needs to be done, and how it will be done. 

The thesis/research proposal needs to demonstrate three main things: why the research is necessary by showing the gaps in current studies; an advance knowledge of the field of study by reading and providing thorough literature review related to the problem understudy; and an outline of the research by explaining the methodology in a lot of detail, the steps to take, the duration of the research and the process of gathering and analyzing data. More importantly, ethical consideration should also be included especially when the research concerns people, animals, or the environment.  

According to Locke et. al (2021), a research proposal serves three functions namely as a means of communication, a plan, and a contract, as shown in Table 1.1

Table 1.1 Functions of a Research Proposal

 

Communication

The research proposal acts as a communication tool to present your research plan to the evaluators or parties who offer consultation, authorization, and funding. It comprises all the necessary information of your proposed research, including the what, who, why, when, where, and how. Having the research plan in the form of a tangible document, the researchers can effectively communicate their entire plan and seek for consultation, approval, or fundings.

 

Plan

A popular quote once goes, “Fail to plan is a plan to fail.” Drawing on the analogy of a house-building, there is no way someone will venture to embark on constructing a house without a comprehensive preceding plan, because it will only go down the drain.  A similar thing applies to conducting research. A research proposal is a document consisting of the whole plan for the actual research you are going to perform. It is like a blueprint to a building. A well-prepared and thoughtfully crafted plan is crucial to assure the feasibility of your research and to mitigate potential challenges during the execution phase.




Contract

In the academic context, a research proposal can function as a contractual agreement which binds researchers with the advisers/supervisors, department, or university. In the research funding context, the approval of a proposal creates a contract between the researchers (often the university) and the funding source. Once the contract has been sealed, any proposed modifications, whether significant or minor, require an approval from all the parties involved.  

 

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