Graham Smith - Example

Ngāti Apa, Te Aitanga ā Hauiti

Suggestions for general thesis proposal (2-3 pages) From SAGE notes (2006)

The proposal is important because it shows that you have already thought carefully about your research, it demonstrates a seriousness and readiness to do a doctoral degree. Layout your proposal under the following headings:

Title: This may be a working title for now.

Key question(s): No more than four.

Literature overview

Identify some key writers in the area/topic and how your focus fits in to the existing knowledge or contributes something new. You should try and identify how your research and work will add something new to this particular field of study. Don’t forget that in taking a cultural point of view this will often add a new perspective as there is usually very little that’s already written from such a perspective.

Anticipated theoretical and methodological approach

For example, critical theory approach using focus groups, observations, literature review, and formal interviews with experts.

Field work

Describe this if you are going off campus to carry out your study, this intertwines with the ethical issues section.

Contribution to new knowledge

Identify how your thesis will inform and contribute to the wider field of knowledge (education, Māori, Indigenous etc.); you may anticipate this is what you think at this stage that your research will do. For Indigenous scholars, the very fact that we are undertaking a research based thesis will be a contribution to new knowledge given that there is not much written form the indigenous perspective. It is also useful to reflect on the contribution to other similar indigenous groups and populations.

Bibliography

Identify about fifty books related to aspects of your study and arrange in a Bibliography. This shows that there is a body of reading in the area and that you are already familiar with some key authors. You might want to split it up. Eg. 20 key authors on the subject; 10 key authors on the theoretical and methodological issues; 10 authors on the International context of the research; and 10 authors on indigenous transformation etc.

Chapter Overview

This is an intended chapter overview of the thesis (which is optional). It lays out the formative ideas for the thesis in similar fashion to a List of Contents. The themes and major issues to be discussed in each chapter are listed and can be seen at a glance. Obviously this represents very early thinking, but is useful when deciding what courses might be taken to supplement existing knowledge.