Dissertation proposals are deceiving. At first glance, they look simple - just a few thousand words, some headings, a couple of references. Nothing compared to the dissertation itself.
But here’s what no one tells you: A weak proposal sets the tone for everything that follows.
If the structure is off, your methodology vague, or your research question poorly designed, you’ll spend the next six months fixing mistakes you made in week one.
Here are the most common mistakes I’ve seen (and made myself) - with real solutions that actually work.
- Choosing a Topic That Sounds Impressive But Is Impossible to Deliver
Here’s what most students do: they try to impress their supervisor with a sweeping, ambitious idea - something “fresh” or “critical” - often pulled from a trending issue or last week’s TED Talk.
What they forget is that research isn’t measured by how flashy the topic sounds. It’s about clarity, depth, and feasibility.
Example:
A friend of mine tried to explore "The psychological effects of climate change on young adults across three continents." She thought it sounded global and urgent. But when it came to data collection and design, she had no workable method, no clear population, and no way to define variables. She had to rework everything mid-semester.
Instead, aim for a narrow, researchable slice of a bigger issue.
Not “climate change and mental health,” but “anxiety levels in undergraduate students in London exposed to climate-related media.”
- Mistaking a Topic for a Research Question
It’s incredibly common to write a proposal with a “theme” instead of a research question. You talk about an issue, but never define the exact question your research is trying to answer.
A strong research question is:
- Focused
- Researchable
- Clearly connected to your methods
- Not already answered by existing literature
Poor:
“How do people use social media?”
Better:
“How does the use of Instagram’s ‘close friends’ feature affect perceptions of privacy among UK university students?”
Test this: If someone read just your research question, could they guess what kind of data you plan to collect, how you’ll analyse it, and why it matters?
If not, you’re not there yet.
- Treating the Literature Review Like a Book Report
The literature review isn’t about listing every article you’ve read - it’s about building a foundation for your study. You’re supposed to show where your research fits in.
The mistake? Writing summaries of other people’s work without connecting it to your own.
I once submitted a proposal with 20 references… but when asked how they informed my project, I froze. It was basically a reading log, not a review.
What to do instead:
Organize your literature into themes or debates. Show where scholars disagree. Highlight gaps. Then - and this is crucial - position your research as a response to that gap.
Also, cite current work. Using five sources from 2009 makes your reviewer wonder if you’ve kept up with the field.
- Writing a Methodology That's Aspirational, Not Operational
A lot of students describe the kind of study they wish they could do - but never fully explain what they’re actually going to do.
For example:
“I will conduct interviews and analyse the responses.”
Sounds fine. Until someone asks:
- How many interviews?
- With whom?
- How will they be recruited?
- What kind of questions?
- What analysis method?
- How will you handle ethical concerns?
Always remember: The methodology section should be detailed enough that someone else could replicate your study just by reading it.
Tip: Name the method (e.g. thematic analysis, grounded theory, regression analysis), explain why it’s suitable, and show how it connects to your question.
- Underestimating the Importance of Ethics Approval
Ethics isn’t just a box you tick. If you’re dealing with people - especially sensitive populations - sloppy ethics planning will delay or derail your entire project.
What often goes wrong:
- Vague consent procedures
- No plan for data confidentiality
- No explanation of how participants can withdraw
Your proposal should outline how you’ll protect participants, what forms or protocols you’ll follow, and how you’ll manage any risks. Use your institution’s actual ethics documents as a checklist.
- Not Acknowledging Limitations (Because You're Afraid It Looks Weak)
Here’s something I learned the hard way: acknowledging limitations does not make your proposal look weak.
Pretending your research is flawless does.
No one expects a student dissertation to be groundbreaking. What reviewers look for is whether you understand the scope of your work.
Example of a good limitation:
“This study is limited to a small sample of participants from one university, which may affect generalizability.”
Simple, honest, and shows you understand your research boundaries.
- Missing or Rushed Timeline
The timeline section is often treated as filler. But reviewers care - because if you can't map out your process, how will you meet your deadlines?
A solid timeline doesn’t have to be fancy. A simple list works:
- Sept–Oct: Literature review
- Oct–Nov: Ethics approval + pilot interviews
- Nov–Jan: Data collection
- Jan–Feb: Analysis
- Mar: Drafting and final revisions
Note: Add buffer time. Everything takes longer than you think.
- Ignoring the Formatting Guidelines
I once lost marks for not including a word count. Another time for forgetting to include page numbers.
Tiny details? Maybe. But they send a message: this person didn’t double-check.
Before submitting, go back to the university template or handbook and make sure you’ve included:
- Title page with student number
- Word count
- Line spacing (usually 1.5 or double)
- References (use the correct style!)
- Proper section headings
- Page numbers
It’s boring, yes. But skipping this step tells your reviewer that you might also skip steps in your actual research.
Your dissertation proposal is not a formality. It’s the blueprint for everything that follows - and writing a solid one saves you months of future stress.
Here’s the bottom line: Focus your question, justify your methods, ground your work in real literature, and show that you’ve thought this through from start to finish.
You don’t need to be perfect. But you do need to be precise.
