A prospectus is a paper in which you should describe what you plan to do in your dissertation. This might look similar to an abstract, but an abstract should be written after you’ve completed your paper, and a prospectus should be composed before you start researching. Not all students know what to write in their prospectuses. Read this article and learn helpful tips that will help you with this matter.
First of all you should write about the subject of your study. Indicate whether you will use particular terminology in a specific context. Make a list of the main questions of your research that you aim to give answers on.
Write why you decided to address this particular topic in your dissertation. Tell about other authors who have written their works on similar topics and indicate how your approach differs from their research. Write whether there is something that other authors have missed, and you want to fill in the gap. Tell how your new approach will contribute to the development of your topic.
Make a list of the main sources that you will use to investigate your topic. Indicate the reason that makes these sources better and more appropriate for your work in comparison to other sources.
You should make a basic outline for your study and present it in your prospectus. Make sure to divide your paper into sections that will serve different purposes and will complement each other.
You should indicate in your prospectus whether you have special needs in order to conduct your study successfully. Write whether you need funding for various purposes, like acquiring special equipment or gaining access to archives and collections. Tell whether you have necessary skills, like technical expertise or knowledge of foreign languages that are required by your project.
You should compose your prospectus in such a way, so that your readers could understand that your work is important and interesting. First of all, use terminology that is understandable for a generally well educated person rather than for a specialist in a narrow field. Indicate that your project is feasible and you can complete it in a reasonable period of time.
These are the tips that you should follow to compose an excellent prospectus for your paper.