By Dr Abolaji Azeez, Course Coordinator and CODESRIA African Diaspora Visiting Scholar, Lecturer, FSB Digbeth Campus

At FSB, research is not merely an academic requirement but a transformative journey of discovery and self-development. Across all disciplines, students are encouraged to question assumptions, explore innovative solutions, and contribute to the body of knowledge that shapes their fields. The transition from proposal to dissertation represents one of the most challenging (Terrell, 2022) yet rewarding stages in this journey – a bridge between conceptual thinking and empirical reality.  Drawing on experience from FSB’s Research Centre and supporting students through diverse programmes, here are concise, practical strategies to turn your proposal into a dissertation.

1. Revisit and Refine Your Proposal

The proposal serves as a roadmap (Krishna, 2024). After approval, critical reflection becomes crucial for students to develop credible research. Honest reflection enables students to refine their arguments and remain intellectually agile.  To achieve scientific feasibility, students must prioritise a clear research focus which improves manageability. This may involve deepening theoretical discussion to ensure the topic remains practical and achievable. For example, a student exploring organisational performance could refine a broad topic like ‘Business Efficiency’ to ‘Digital Innovation Strategies in Small Enterprises. Once the proposal is refined, the next step is to situate the research within existing scholarship through an expanded literature review.

2. Expand the Literature Review

At the proposal stage, the literature review is typically brief and focused on identifying a gap (Christou et al., 2025). In the dissertation, this section should evolve into a detailed analysis of theories, concepts, and previous studies. From the preliminary literature review in the proposal, students review existing empirical contributions, such as peer-reviewed articles and credible reports, to develop sound arguments. Such analytical discourse engenders exploration of the gap in knowledge. Students should organise key debates clearly; engage critically with diverse sources. Such engagement demonstrates their ability to situate their research within academic discourse. Also, a robust literature review reveals students’ understanding of the field, highlights gaps, and justifies your research direction.

3. Strengthen Methodology

A dissertation demands a full account of how the research was conducted, written in the past tense (Thompson, 2025). Explain why particular methods were chosen, how data was gathered, and what limitations were encountered. Students should ensure methods fit their questions. Also, the students should reflect on epistemological and ontological considerations. Importantly, include a section on research ethics, such as informed consent, confidentiality, beneficence, non-maleficence and data protection. Transparency about ethics and methods enhances credibility and allows others to replicate or build on the dissertation.

4. Analyse and Interpret Data

The capacity to critically interpret data demonstrates understanding and intellectual maturity to transform difficult information into relatable information to policy users. This stage brings the research process into analytical focus. Students focus on presenting clear descriptive and inferential findings which are linked to objectives. Besides, students interpret data patterns critically and create a logical nexus between empirical findings and theoretical frameworks. Regardless of level, organise students’ analysis around research questions rather than simply reporting results. For instance, instead of saying ‘Most participants agreed that…’, students should go further to say, for example: ‘This finding supports the theory that perceived control reduces workplace stress.’

5. Draw Meaningful Conclusions

With a critical interpretation of your findings, the conclusion should consolidate these insights into a coherent contribution. A strong conclusion presents logical judgment and demonstrates how the study contributes to knowledge or solves problems (Thompson, 2025). Students might emphasise practical implications and discuss theoretical or policy contributions. Also, the acknowledgement of study limitations and suggestions about future research directions are crucial to completing a dissertation. Students are expected to demonstrate brevity to show how research findings reconnect to the initial proposal’s aims. At FSB Digbeth, we’ve seen students transform innovative ideas into award-winning dissertations. Our students’ contributions were evidenced here: FSB’s Second Annual Research Conference Bridges the Gap Between Academia and Practice – Fairfield School of Business.

6. Maintain Academic Discipline

In academic writing, consistency is a prerequisite for a successful delivery of a dissertation; hence, students are expected to adhere to the following:

• Align with FSB’s guidelines on structure, referencing, and tone.
• Engage appropriate tense throughout, usually past tense when reporting completed work.
• Maintain effective time management and regular dialogue with supervisors to keep the dissertation on track.
• Ensure academic discipline to demonstrate professionalism and scholarly rigour.

At FSB, academic discipline reflects our ethos of professionalism, reflective scholarship, and commitment to lifelong learning. For us, the dissertation journey symbolises intellectual maturity and personal growth. It transforms students into independent thinkers who are capable of contributing new insights to the scientific space. By engaging critically and reflecting deeply, each student turns research into a pathway for both academic and professional advancement. Remember, your dissertation is not just an academic task; it’s your opportunity to add your voice to your field. At FSB, we believe every student has a unique contribution to make.

 References

Christou, E., Parmaxi, A., & Zaphiris, P. (2025). A systematic exploration of scoping and mapping literature reviews. Universal Access in the Information Society, 24(1), 941–951.

Krishna, K. R. (2024). Crafting an Effective Research Proposal. In Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development Book Series (pp. 291–320). https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-0806-7.ch012

Terrell, S. R. (2022). Writing a Proposal for Your Dissertation: Guidelines and Examples. Guilford Publications.

Thompson, P. (2025). Thesis and Dissertation Writing. In The Handbook of English for Specific Purposes (pp. 403–419).