Brainstorming is often the hardest part of developing a thesis proposal. Often, depending on the student, ideas abound and simply must be narrowed down to a feasible topic. For other students, the concept of the thesis proposal is so frightening that even coming up with an idea leaves them stymied.
Begin with the subject that the proposal is for. Someone studying English is more likely to do a thesis on the use of language in Stephen King novels while a future physicist may want to examine the properties of a specific atom. After listing the broad subject matter, try zeroing in on a particular part of the topic, such as Stephen King novels or oxygen molecules.
Head to the library or your favorite search engine. Once the student identifies the subject area for his thesis, reading existing current research on the topic can help to eliminate topics that have already been dealt with and spark additional research questions. Using academic journals and professional publications will help provide a solid basis for the thesis.
Form a question. The best research topics are the ones that answer a question, so the key to writing a thesis proposal is to come up with a question to answer. Be sure to make the question complicated enough to have several sides to examine and not a yes or no answer.
Research the question. Determine if an answer already exists. If it does, start again. If not, give fair attention to each side of the argument. Be sure to research all the facts and make no assumptions. Verify, verify, verify. This is the preliminary research that will form the literature review. It may also lead to other areas that require exploration.
Create an outline, beginning with an introduction to the topic and why it is important. The objective of the thesis proposal is both to create the basis for writing the thesis and to win the approval of the thesis advisor. The outline should include a description of the research methods being used to study the question and a time frame for completing the thesis.