Write an introduction to your research topic. The introduction will need to summarize the concepts and issues related to your research topic and state your main research question. Limit the introduction to a few brief sentences that gets to the point and engage your audience.
Label the next section as the "Problem Statement." This section serves to articulate the issues that require research on your chosen topic, explains the urgency for research to resolve the issues and explain the importance of the problem within the context of your chosen topic. This section requires compelling statements backed by other scholars who have contributed to the topic, explains the benefits of research, and for whom.
Create the next section and label it "Theoretical Framework." In this section you will need to explain what research you will examine and which theories you will apply to your research question. You will need to define all terms you intend to use in your dissertation and explain how you will use those terms. The objective here is to identify gaps in existing research, explain why filling in those gaps is crucial and how filling in those gaps will help answer the main research question. This section should incorporate the use of graphs and diagrams to show what you think is happening in relation to the topic and main research question.
Write the heading "Methods" for the next section. In this section you will explain the type of research methods you will use to answer the question and why you chose those methods over other available methods. Specifically, you need to demonstrate why your chosen methods will yield more reliable answers than others.
Catalog a bibliography as the next section. You should begin your bibliography well before writing your dissertation proposal and it should detail all the works you examine in the review of the associated literature before and during the writing of your dissertation proposal. Prof. Chris M. Golde with the University of Wisconsin-Madison recommends you start your bibliography as soon as you begin taking classes.
Include appendices at the end of your proposal that both support and define your research. The main part of the appendices is the timeline graphing when you review or carried out research, in addition to copies of all research data compiled.