Introducing the Topic, Its Significance and Your Conceptual Framework

Introducing the Topic, Its Significance and Your Conceptual Framework

Oct 01, 2024Rene Tetzner

Introducing the Topic, Its Significance and Your Conceptual Framework

One of the primary purposes of the introduction in a thesis proposal (as in the thesis itself) is to identify the topic, problem or phenomenon on which the proposal and ultimately the thesis will focus. This might be introduced at any time in the introduction, though mentioning it briefly near the beginning and developing it as you proceed into a more comprehensive statement often works well. You should aim for absolute clarity and a precise definition of the nature and parameters of your topic, and be prepared to adjust your statement(s) in response to the feedback of your supervisor and other members of your thesis committee. It is essential to get this element of the proposal right during the proposal meeting if not before, because it lies at the heart of the thesis you will write, and changing it once the thesis is drafted can involve a great deal of work. The research you do in the course of the thesis may well necessitate some later adjustments to the problem as initially stated, but that is a very different matter.

An introduction should also explain the significance of the topic, problem or phenomenon under investigation. This is sometimes addressed immediately after identifying the topic, but it can also be achieved in the course of or immediately after outlining the background of your research and previous scholarship in the area. The significance of the topic, problem or phenomenon can be indicated in a number of ways, such as describing its impact, its complexity or mysterious nature, its occurrence and persistence, or the number of people or regions affected. The significance of your research topic is intertwined with the nature and methodology of your research, and your thesis committee may have suggestions for improvements and clarifications that are well worth consideration.

Also essential in an introduction is the establishment of a conceptual framework for the proposal and the thesis as a whole. A conceptual framework is very much like a textual map of the territory that you intend to investigate – a map that serves to define exactly what the territory that will be covered by the thesis is. Like the topic, problem or phenomenon you intend to explore in your thesis, the conceptual framework you describe in your proposal (or thesis) introduction may well change somewhat as your research develops, and it may also require some refinement in response to suggestions from your supervisor and thesis committee. It is essential to begin with a framework that allows you to include in meaningful ways everything you wish to investigate in your research. Tables and figures are sometimes used to visualise and clarify the conceptual framework of a thesis, so if you think they will be helpful for communicating your meaning to your thesis committee, do design them carefully and include them in your proposal introduction.

Why Our Editing and Proofreading Services?
At Proof-Reading-Service.com we offer the highest quality journal article editing, dissertation proofreading and online proofreading services via our large and extremely dedicated team of academic and scientific professionals. All of our proofreaders are native speakers of English who have earned their own postgraduate degrees, and their areas of specialisation cover such a wide range of disciplines that we are able to help our international clientele with research editing to improve and perfect all kinds of academic manuscripts for successful publication. Many of the carefully trained members of our manuscript editing and proofreading team work predominantly on articles intended for publication in scholarly journals, applying painstaking journal editing standards to ensure that the references and formatting used in each paper are in conformity with the journal’s instructions for authors and to correct any grammar, spelling, punctuation or simple typing errors. In this way, we enable our clients to report their research in the clear and accurate ways required to impress acquisitions proofreaders and achieve publication.

Our scientific proofreading services for the authors of a wide variety of scientific journal papers are especially popular, but we also offer manuscript proofreading services and have the experience and expertise to proofread and edit manuscripts in all scholarly disciplines, as well as beyond them. We have team members who specialise in medical proofreading services, and some of our experts dedicate their time exclusively to dissertation proofreading and manuscript proofreading, offering academics the opportunity to improve their use of formatting and language through the most exacting PhD thesis editing and journal article proofreading practices. Whether you are preparing a conference paper for presentation, polishing a progress report to share with colleagues, or facing the daunting task of editing and perfecting any kind of scholarly document for publication, a qualified member of our professional team can provide invaluable assistance and give you greater confidence in your written work.

If you are in the process of preparing an article for an academic or scientific journal, or planning one for the near future, you may well be interested in a new book, Guide to Journal Publication, which is available on our Tips and Advice on Publishing Research in Journals website.



更多文章