7. Finalize the Thesis Prospectus/Proposal
The thesis prospectus is a description of the student’s thesis plan and includes a statement of the research question or aims, a review of the relevant background information framing these aims, a statement of the clinical importance of the study, an outline of the proposed methodology, a timetable, and required resources to complete the research.
Students should work with their thesis advisor to develop a written thesis prospectus document to be submitted to their thesis committee at the prospectus meeting. The prospectus may be fairly well developed from the requirements from enrollment in CD 724-02, but modifications should be expected.
The research proposal should include an introduction, in which the research question is clearly stated along with the specific goals of the project and its clinical significance. A literature review of relevant research is an important component of the introduction. The methods section is the place to describe important information such as sample size, variables to be measured, how the data will be collected, reliability and validity of the measurements, and the plan for data analysis. The final section of the proposal should include a proposed timetable to accomplish the research and the resources required to complete the project. In cases where a relatively small amount of money is needed to cover expenses related to thesis research, a student may apply for funds from the Christopher Norman Fund (application form here).