While writing a dissertation proposal may seem like a daunting task, it should be easy to get started once you have made an initial intellectual leap in your research. The following is a general overview of what should be included in your proposal:

Problem Statement

Your research project aims to address a genuine problem that cannot be answered by existing literature on the subject. You must do some research on the question before you can formulate an answer to the problem. In this case, your research will address dilemmas related to using social media for mental health.

Background of the Problem

The problem statement and background should explain why this is a problem in the first place. The difficulties are usually described in terms of a past event that was likely less than ideal, but that was somewhat successful, making the present-day situation look only marginally better. You must explain how past experiences caused these social media dilemmas and how they still affect people today.

Research Hypotheses

This section aims to explain how you plan to measure whether or not your hypothesis is correct. You must also include some advice on what lengths it will take to obtain adequate measures of your hypotheses.

If you already have an existing research study that no longer needs to be carried out, your dissertation proposal will likely take the form of a literature review. This is a style of writing used when the researcher does not expect to carry out any new research but intends to examine existing work within the field to find evidence for their hypotheses.

Purpose

This section aims to explain why you need to revise or update the literature for your project. You must discuss existing methods and techniques used to solve similar problems or ideas in the past.

Literature Review

This section should summarize the existing work within your chosen fields. It should include a critique of the findings they are based on, your concerns with these findings, and what changes you recommend to improve this research. The literature review should also include references from other research papers and books related to your research.

Data Collection

It would be best if you were clear with how you will collect your data to evaluate your hypotheses. In most cases, the way you will collect data will vary depending on whether or not you have access to internet-based sources such as websites, forums, or chat rooms that can provide you with information for answering the research questions. If you do have access to online sources, the data you gather from these sources should be based on your own opinions and observations that will then be used to develop your conclusions.

Bottomline

Your dissertation proposal is the foundation that is laid before anything else can begin. You must take time carefully constructing your thoughts and ideas to make sure they are well-organized and easy for someone else to understand. The necessary items to include in a good proposal will depend on the type of dissertation you are writing. Still, you must never underestimate how difficult it can be to construct a valid proposal.