信息管理专业毕业Dissertation开题报告模板（Proposal Guidance Note for SBIT Proposals）

对于很多第一次接触英国硕士毕业论文（Dissertation）的同学来说，Research Methods Proposal 或 Dissertation Proposal 往往是整个毕业论文最难迈出的第一步。导师通常要求学生完成完整的 Proposal，包括 Research Methods、literature review、Research Design、Data Collection、research Question、Aim and Objectives 等多个部分，不仅需要符合学术规范，还要体现研究思路和方法。

本文整理的是 Proposal Guidance Note for SBIT Proposals 原始指导资料。为了方便大家学习，我们保留了英文原文内容，无论是信息管理专业（Information Management）、计算机专业（Computer Science）、金融硕士（Finance）、MBA、商业分析（Business Analytics）还是其他商科专业，这份资料对于完成 Dissertation Proposal 都具有较高的参考价值。

如果你目前正在准备 Research Proposal、Dissertation Proposal、开题报告，建议先完整阅读导师要求，再结合自己的研究方向进行修改，而不是直接套用模板。优秀的 Proposal 并不是简单地堆积文献，而是能够清晰说明自己的研究问题、研究方法以及研究计划。

作为 1999 年创立 的论文辅导平台，ukthesis 长期整理英国、澳洲、美国、加拿大等高校的毕业论文资料，包括 Dissertation Proposal、Research Methods、Literature Review、开题报告、硕士论文写作指导 等内容，希望帮助更多留学生理解论文写作规范，提高论文完成效率。

对于需要进一步学习 Proposal 写作、Research Methods 设计、文献综述（Literature Review）、数据分析（Data Analysis）以及硕士论文写作思路的同学，也可以参考 ukthesis 整理的相关资料。对于时间紧张、研究方法不熟悉或导师修改意见较多的情况，也有不少同学会提前了解 开题报告辅导、硕士论文辅导、Research Proposal 写作指导 等相关内容，用来帮助自己完善论文框架和研究思路。

本文主要内容

Research Methods Proposal 写作要求

Research Design 设计方法

Literature Review 文献综述写法

Research Question 如何确定

Aim and Objectives 写作技巧

Data Collection 数据收集方法

Data Analysis 数据分析

Evaluation 与 Project Plan

Proposal写作前需要注意哪些问题？

正式开始撰写 Proposal 之前，建议先确认以下几个方面：

研究主题是否明确？

Research Question 是否具体？

Literature Review 是否围绕研究问题展开？

Research Method 是否合理？

Data Collection 是否具有可操作性？

Data Analysis 是否能够回答研究问题？

Timeline 是否符合导师要求？

Reference 是否符合 Harvard、APA 等引用格式？

这些内容几乎也是英国高校导师在 Proposal 审阅过程中最关注的部分。

Proposal写作小建议

很多同学第一次写 Proposal 时，总觉得字数越多越好，其实并不是这样。导师更希望看到的是你的研究逻辑是否清晰，而不是简单堆积文献。

一个优秀的 Dissertation Proposal，通常能够回答三个核心问题：

研究什么（Research Question）

为什么研究（Research Gap）

如何研究（Research Methodology）

只要这三个问题回答得足够清楚，Proposal 通常都会更加容易获得导师认可。

Key Points for Writing a Research Methods Proposal

After understanding the overall requirements, students should remember that a high-quality Research Proposal is not simply a summary of ideas. It should clearly demonstrate that the proposed research is academically meaningful, methodologically appropriate and practically achievable.

A successful Research Methods Proposal should normally include:

A clearly defined research topic.

Well-developed research aims and objectives.

A focused Literature Review based on recent academic research.

An appropriate Research Methodology that matches the research question.

Suitable Data Collection methods.

Practical Data Analysis techniques.

Ethical considerations where required.

A realistic research timetable.

Accurate Harvard, APA or other required referencing style.

These elements work together to form a complete Research Proposal. If one section is weak—for example, an unclear research question or an unsuitable methodology—it will often affect the overall quality of the final Dissertation.

For postgraduate students, investing more time in preparing a well-structured Proposal usually saves much more time during the Dissertation stage. A clear Proposal also makes communication with supervisors much easier.

Common Mistakes in Research Proposal

The following problems are frequently found in postgraduate Research Proposals:

Research topic is too broad.

Research questions are not clearly defined.

Literature Review only summarises studies without critical analysis.

Methodology does not match the research objectives.

Data Collection methods are unrealistic.

Data Analysis techniques are not clearly explained.

References are incomplete or incorrectly formatted.

No contingency plan for possible research difficulties.

Avoiding these common mistakes can significantly improve the quality of your Proposal and increase the likelihood of receiving positive feedback from your supervisor.

Research methods proposal

Research methods proposal:

Title page, to include your name, title of proposal, name of supervisor.

Introduction, including aims and objectives – what are you studying and why? (approximately 500 words).

Literature review, including links to aims and objectives, and concluding with a hypothesis or research question that you are aiming to answer (approximately 2500 words).

Research design (brief justification of methodology or method to be employed, including data collection and data analysis) (approximately 500 words).

Full bibliography (see Appendix B – a penalty of 10 marks will be applied if this information is missing).

The aim of the Research Proposal is to explain what you plan to do in your research project in a way that demonstrates your understanding of research methods and your ability to undertake an academic research project.

Introduction / Aims and Objectives / Literature Review

When preparing these sections of your Proposal, consider the following questions carefully.

Are the aims and objectives clearly set out?

Are all important terms clearly defined and properly referenced?

Have you organised your discussion into themes rather than simply introducing one author after another?

Have you drawn on appropriate academic journal articles rather than relying mainly on textbooks or websites?

Is your referencing accurate and consistent?

Do you have too many or too few sub-sections?

Is every paragraph directly relevant to your research topic? For example, if your topic focuses on ABC in China, avoid discussing ABC in general or China in general. Instead, keep your discussion focused on ABC within the Chinese context.

Does the Literature Review conclude by identifying a clear Research Question or Research Hypothesis?

Method Section

This section explains and justifies your intended research methodology and research methods, including data collection and data analysis.

When preparing this section, think carefully about the following issues:

You are not required to explain general research theory (for example, the differences between inductive and deductive research). Instead, explain the specific research approach you intend to use and why it is appropriate.

Why have you selected this particular research methodology?

Which published studies have adopted a similar methodology?

Why is this methodology suitable for your research question?

Why have you selected this particular research method (such as surveys or interviews)?

Why have you selected this organisation or industry?

Why have you selected this research population?

Why is your proposed sample size appropriate?

How will your data be collected?

When and where will data collection take place?

Which techniques will be used to analyse the data?

If you are using a questionnaire, is it based on an existing validated questionnaire? Where possible, existing questionnaires should be adapted rather than creating an entirely new one.

If your questionnaire is distributed by email or post, consult recognised research methods references such as Dillman and other methodology textbooks.

Have you carefully proofread your covering letter and supporting documents before sending them externally?

Has your supervisor approved your covering letter, questionnaire or interview schedule before data collection begins?

Have you included copies of your questionnaire, interview questions and covering letter within your submission?

Research Methods

Aims

The Research Methods course is designed to help students develop the knowledge and practical skills required to complete a successful postgraduate dissertation. Throughout the course, students are expected to build a solid understanding of research design, methodology and academic writing, while preparing a well-structured Research Proposal.

The Research Methods course aims to:

Provide guidance in developing a suitable research question within the areas of Accounting, Banking, Finance, Financial Information Systems and other related disciplines.

Explore the academic and methodological requirements for accounting- and finance-based M.Sc. dissertations.

Introduce the fundamental elements of research methods, including Research Methodology, Research Design, Data Collection and Data Analysis.

Enable students to refine and develop their chosen topic into a complete Research Proposal with guidance from an academic supervisor.

Develop an understanding of both quantitative and qualitative research methods appropriate for small-scale postgraduate research projects.

Improve advanced academic skills including critical thinking, evaluation, analysis, synthesis, project planning and academic communication.

The overall objective of the module is not simply to teach research theory, but to prepare students to undertake an independent Dissertation project with confidence and a clear research strategy.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the Research Methods course, students should be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes.

Students will be able to:

Identify the key elements involved in defining an academic research project and organise those elements into a logical research structure.

Define an appropriate research topic together with relevant research questions and research objectives.

Conduct a focused and comprehensive Literature Review using appropriate academic journals, books and other scholarly sources.

Explain the purpose and importance of Literature Review within the overall research process.

Evaluate the relationship between the research topic, existing literature, Research Methodology, Research Design and Research Methods.

Identify appropriate sources of primary and secondary data.

Collect relevant research data using suitable research methods.

Analyse research findings using appropriate qualitative or quantitative techniques.

Produce a formal written Research Proposal that:

Develops and addresses a clearly defined Research Question based upon existing academic literature.

Includes a logical Research Question or Research Hypothesis.

Presents an achievable Research Design supported by appropriate Research Methods.

Demonstrates an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed methodology.

Includes a realistic contingency plan to deal with predictable research difficulties.

Evaluates how existing academic literature has influenced both the research design and the expected contribution of the Dissertation.

These learning outcomes provide the academic foundation required for successful completion of a postgraduate Dissertation.

Outcomes

By the end of the Research Methods course, students are expected to have completed a detailed written Research Proposal based upon the chosen Dissertation topic.

The completed Proposal should include a clear research plan explaining:

what the research intends to investigate;

why the topic is academically important;

how the research will be conducted;

which research methods will be employed;

how the collected data will be analysed;

and how the overall Dissertation will be completed within the available timeframe.

Successful completion of the Research Methods course demonstrates that the student has undertaken substantial preparation before beginning the Dissertation.

More importantly, it shows that the student has developed the ability to undertake independent academic study, which is one of the most important characteristics of postgraduate research.

The Process of Learning and Teaching

The Research Methods course has been designed to support students in producing a detailed and well-developed Research Proposal before beginning the Dissertation.

The objective is to ensure that, by the beginning of the following semester, students are ready to undertake every stage of the research project, including:

Literature Review;

Data Collection;

Data Analysis;

Interpretation of Results;

Dissertation Writing.

The course is divided into two main components.

1. Taught Component

The taught component introduces students to the overall requirements of the Research Proposal and provides guidance on how to undertake independent academic research.

This part of the course focuses on:

understanding the structure of a Research Proposal;

developing Research Questions;

reviewing academic literature;

selecting appropriate Research Methodology;

designing questionnaires and interviews;

collecting research data;

analysing quantitative and qualitative information;

applying statistical techniques where appropriate.

Teaching normally consists of weekly lectures together with tutorial sessions designed to reinforce the practical application of research methods.

2. Supervisory Component

The supervisory component provides individual academic guidance relating to each student's own Dissertation topic.

Every student is allocated a supervisor who offers advice throughout the development of the Research Proposal.

However, supervision should not be viewed as step-by-step instruction. Instead, supervisors expect students to take responsibility for developing their own ideas, identifying relevant literature and solving research problems independently.

The supervisor's role is to:

provide academic guidance;

review research progress;

comment on Proposal drafts;

identify weaknesses in the research design;

suggest appropriate academic literature;

ensure that the proposed research is academically feasible.

Ultimately, responsibility for producing a high-quality Research Proposal remains with the student.

Why Is Research Methods Important?

Many postgraduate students believe that writing the Dissertation begins only after the Proposal has been approved. In reality, the Research Methods module is where the Dissertation truly begins.

A carefully prepared Research Proposal provides a clear research direction, reduces unnecessary revisions and helps students avoid common methodological mistakes later in the Dissertation.

Students who invest sufficient time in the Proposal stage generally experience fewer problems during data collection, analysis and final Dissertation writing.

Independent Study

Undertaking the Research Proposal introduces students to one of the most important aspects of postgraduate study—independent learning.

Although supervisors are available to provide academic guidance throughout the Proposal stage, a master's Dissertation is ultimately an independent research project. One of the key objectives of postgraduate education is to demonstrate that students are capable of planning, organising and completing an academic research project largely through their own efforts.

Many universities provide only limited guidance during the Dissertation process. However, because a large number of students have never previously completed an independent research project, supervisors usually provide additional support during the Proposal stage where appropriate.

The level of supervision may vary depending on several factors, including:

the complexity of the research topic;

the research methodology being employed;

the number of students assigned to each supervisor;

the overall progress of the individual student.

Normally, students should expect at least two formal contacts with their supervisor during the Proposal stage. These meetings may take place face-to-face, online or via email.

Some supervisors may arrange additional meetings where necessary, particularly if the research topic is complex or requires specialist methodological guidance.

Characteristics of Successful Research Proposal Students

Experience shows that students who perform well in both the Research Proposal and the final Dissertation generally share several common characteristics.

1. They treat the Proposal as a research project.

Rather than attempting to complete everything at the last minute, successful students divide the Proposal into smaller, manageable tasks with realistic deadlines.

Typical stages include:

selecting a research topic;

conducting preliminary reading;

identifying Research Questions;

preparing the Literature Review;

designing the Research Methodology;

developing questionnaires or interview schedules;

preparing the Proposal draft.

Breaking the work into smaller stages makes the overall project much easier to manage.

2. They understand the importance of independent study.

Good postgraduate students do not wait for supervisors to provide every answer.

Instead, they first conduct their own reading, identify potential solutions and then discuss their ideas with their supervisor.

This demonstrates initiative, critical thinking and genuine academic independence.

3. They understand the role of the supervisor.

A supervisor is not expected to write the Dissertation or provide detailed solutions for every research problem.

Instead, supervisors provide guidance, suggestions and constructive feedback while expecting students to take responsibility for their own academic development.

Recognising this balance helps students develop the independent research skills expected at master's level.

4. They study previous Dissertations.

Successful students usually spend time reading previous master's dissertations to understand:

Dissertation structure;

Research Design;

Literature Review organisation;

Methodology presentation;

Academic writing style.

However, they also understand that there is no single correct way to complete a Dissertation.

Each research project should be designed according to its own objectives, research questions and methodology.

5. They continually improve their research skills.

Research skills are developed gradually throughout the project.

Students who regularly consult Research Methods textbooks, academic journals and supervisor feedback generally produce much stronger Research Proposals than students who rely only on lecture notes.

Continuous learning is therefore an important part of successful postgraduate research.

Key Points for Writing a Dissertation Proposal

Before submitting your Research Proposal, it is useful to review the following checklist.

A strong Proposal should normally include:

A clearly defined research topic.

Well-developed research aims and objectives.

A focused Literature Review.

A practical and academically justified Research Methodology.

Appropriate Data Collection methods.

Suitable Data Analysis techniques.

Ethical considerations where necessary.

A realistic research timetable.

Accurate Harvard, APA or other required referencing style.

A clearly stated Research Question or Research Hypothesis.

Students who carefully review these points before submission are generally more likely to receive positive feedback from their supervisor.

Common Mistakes in Research Proposal Writing

Some of the most common problems found in postgraduate Research Proposals include:

Research topics that are too broad.

Research Questions that are unclear.

Literature Reviews that simply describe previous studies without critical analysis.

Research Methods that do not answer the Research Question.

Sample sizes that are unrealistic.

Weak justification for the selected methodology.

Poor referencing.

Lack of a realistic timetable.

Failure to explain possible research limitations.

Avoiding these mistakes will improve both the Proposal and the final Dissertation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a Research Methods Proposal?

A Research Methods Proposal explains what you intend to research, why the topic is important, how the research will be conducted and which methods will be used to answer the research question.

How many words should a Dissertation Proposal contain?

Most UK universities require between 2,000 and 4,000 words, although the exact length depends on the programme and supervisor requirements.

What is the difference between a Research Proposal and a Dissertation?

A Research Proposal is a research plan prepared before the Dissertation.

A Dissertation is the completed academic research project based on the approved Proposal.

How many references should be included?

There is no fixed number.

Most master's Research Proposals normally cite between 30 and 80 academic references, depending on the discipline and research topic.

Which referencing style should I use?

Students should always follow the referencing style required by their university.

The most common styles include:

Harvard

APA

MLA

Chicago

Can the Proposal be changed after approval?

Yes.

Many students refine their research questions, methodology or timetable after receiving supervisor feedback.

Minor adjustments are common throughout the Dissertation process.

Conclusion

The Research Methods Proposal is one of the most important foundations of a successful Dissertation. A well-prepared Proposal not only demonstrates academic ability but also provides a clear roadmap for the entire research project.

Students who invest sufficient time in developing a focused Research Question, conducting a comprehensive Literature Review and selecting an appropriate Research Methodology usually experience a much smoother Dissertation writing process.

The purpose of this guidance is to help postgraduate students understand the overall structure of a Research Proposal and develop the research skills required for master's level study.

As a professional academic support platform established in 1999, ukthesis has accumulated extensive experience in postgraduate research guidance. We continue to organise and share resources covering Research Proposal writing, Dissertation planning, Research Methods, Literature Review, Methodology, Information Management Dissertation, Finance Dissertation, MBA Dissertation and other academic topics to help international students better understand university research requirements and improve the quality of their academic work.