WRITING A THESIS PROPOSAL ( PROF. RASHID MOTEN)

Writing a Thesis Proposal

A thesis proposal is a document that proposes a research project. A research project addresses a research problem. This problem is framed as a research question for which the thesis will offer an answer or solution.

Goal of a thesis proposal
Your thesis proposal must convince me that the research project is feasible. Feasible means
that the project should be undertaken, i.e. that it is an important question for your field that should be researched,
that it is possible, i.e. that you know how to approach and execute the project,
that you know that there is sufficient data, and
that you can do the project in the required timeframe.

Importance of writing a strong thesis proposal

A clearly defined research problem (or question) is central to the success of a research project. It helps you to determine that your project is doable before you begin writing the thesis.
In addition, if you take the time to clearly describe your project in your proposal, you will be able to write your thesis faster and more easily because you will have solidified key elements. Also, the thesis proposal can be used as a guide to help you stay on track while writing your thesis.
Sections of a thesis proposal

A thesis proposal usually contains some formulation of the following sections:

~statement of the research question
~rationale for the research project
~literature review
~theoretical / conceptual framework
~methodology
~research design – a plan outlining how and when each step of the project will be done

Statement of the research question

~The research question drives your entire research project, so it is important to state it clearly. ~To identify your research question, it may be useful to respond to the following questions:
~What do you want to argue?
~Why? Why is this important? Why do you think you should argue it in a thesis?
~What directed you to this argument?
~What question sparked your research into your topic?

Rationale

After stating the research question, you must convince me that your research project is worthwhile. Think about the present factors, such as a lack of research on your topic. Then consider the future implications, what your project will contribute to your field, in order to demonstrate the validity of your project.
~Why is it important that a study be done on this topic? What new insights would this bring?
~Have no studies been done by other people (which will be revealed in a literature review)?
~Have some studies been done which missed aspects of the problem you think are important?
~Would the results of such a study provide valuable information needed to solve a certain problem?
~Would the results open up possibilities for further research?

Literature Review

A literature review allows you to show that you are familiar with the literature pertinent to your topic. In addition, by identifying elements of your topic that have not been written about, a literature review helps you to show the importance of your decision to conduct research and write on your topic with the approach you have chosen.

What kinds of literature do you have to read in order to determine what has been written on your topic? Why?

What has been written on your topic? By whom?

In all that you read, what does it tell you? What does it not tell you? Why are both of these important for your topic?

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework is the viewpoint or angle from which you are approaching your topic. This framework should enable you to ask questions of a topic that could not be asked (or could not be asked as effectively) without it.

~On what basis are you making your arguments?
~What assumptions or presuppositions are you bringing to your work? Why?
~How are these based in a theoretical framework?
~What does your theoretical framework enable you to do with your topic?
~Remember the distinction between theoretical framework and framework for analysis.

Methodology

Your methodology comprises the various methods and material that you will use to obtain and analyze the information necessary to answer your research question. Be careful not to simply describe your methodology, you must also justify it. This means explaining why a particular choice of methodology will enable you to do a project that will produce results that are new or unique.
- How are you going to do your project?
- What research methods will you use? (Qualitative? Quantitative?) Why?
- What material will you use? (Types of books? Interviews? Analytical tools?) Why?
- How do particular methodologies allow you to address different questions?
- What are the strengths of your methods and materials? What are their weaknesses?

REMEMBER:

Each of the sections of your proposal represents an element of the larger project. Accordingly, each section you write should represent an essential element of your thesis project.

When writing each section,
Always keep in mind the project as a whole. Make sure that everything you write helps to make that project possible.

Ask yourself,

~What does the section contribute to the project?
~How is the section essential to the project as a whole?
~How would the project look without the section?

lessons from the history of ancient and madieval western political thought~

In your own words, what are the important lessons that may be derived from the history of ancient and medieval western political thought?

In my opinion, there are many important lessons that can be derived from the history of ancient and medieval western political thought such for example, the development of knowledge, the establishment of state, cultural development, organization of law and many other contributions that we can see throughout the history. During the time of Plato, it is the period of ‘dark ages’ where people are low in their intellectuality and this has led man to the no where. Plato at that time more focused on knowledge in order to make people move forward and develop a better society. When people realize that knowledge is important, they start to develop step by step until they reach at certain level which makes them develop intellectually and discover and inventing new things in order to move a better living. During that time, people start to study human nature and acquired knowledge and the main characteristic during that time was the focus on humanocentrism which more focus on human. In addition, Plato are much emphasized on knowledge as he argued that knowledge as absolute that can explain the nature of human existence. For Plato, he said that only knowledge that can produce virtue and only knowledge that can bring man out of the state of ignorance. It is relevant to our daily life, where knowledge is important that determines the level of civilization attained by any human community. Knowledge means power and power is one form of success and therefore knowledge is success, success in any field that make human community moving to the next level of life.

Furthermore, the major contribution during the ancient period is also the study of philosophy and also the development of state. When man start to discover, they realize the need for an institution to govern them and that is where the government institution emerge and it is where civilization begin. Aristotle for example, he believe that people are basically good and they constantly seek for moral perfection and men according to him are social being by nature that is men need each other in order to survive in this world, thus, for Aristotle the formation of state emerge due to the reason of humans interaction. Therefore, when state emerge, a big community will also emerge and a big community develop complex relationship between its members and that is why it has to have a leadership ( a ruler), a stratified society with codes and conducts, division of labor, security and so on. All these things emerge as a result of human intellectual movement. Besides, the emergence of state also led to the expansion of territorial. Plato’s idea of the rise and decline of the state also give a big impact on the civilization, according to him, state will decline is due to the fact that there is no moral and ethics, for him, ethics and politics can not be separated and this idea is relevant until today as we can see what happen to the world today where man are being regulated by his own desire. Aristotle also mention about this when he said that man should rule according to his knowledge acquired and not by using his emotional to judge.

In addition to that, during medieval period, we can see the improvement of the society where there is the invention of religion, belief and values are more being emphasized, man start to discover the important of religion. In addition, there are also the emergences of the organization of law. Like for example, St Augustine believe that only law of God that can ensure the happiness in human life. To add, according to Cicero, law is the highest reason that tells man what should do and what should not do. Law can fully develop human mind. It is law that can guide man to the right path. In addition, the societies also began to separated, ( during that time protestant and orthodox Christian) and it is the result of what we called civilization where man are more and more advance in thinking, the religion become dominant and people are separated based on what they are believing in.

There are many other ideas, ideologies, perceptions that can be derive from ancient and medieval thought like for example the form of government such as democracy as what Plato said ‘ the rule by the many’, communism, private and public ownership and so on. The division of labor emerge and the idea of slavery that are still occurred in our modern world. Is also bring about the era of scientific revolution where people are more emphasized on science and technology. Today more and more people have access to a higher education than ever before in order to move at the next level and improve the quality of life in human society as I mention earlier that knowledge determines the height of civilization achieved by the society. Based on this, I can conclude that, during ancient and medieval time, there are lots of contributions that we can derive from and it is still relevant in this world as we can see that modernization is happening everywhere, the system change and the society move forward.

di mana DIA di hatiku ?

" Takutkan neraka bwat kita xmalu minta syurga, tp kenapa masih xmalu bwat dosa?"

semakin dibilek helaian buku tulisan pahrol muhd juoi ni...semakin pedih hati...betol...kekadang kita lupa...especially msa sibuk.....kekadang byk bwat dosa....terasa diri xberguna....tiada CINTA...sunyi....sbb apa?? sbb tiada DIA...

YA ALLAH
berikan hati yg lain
hati yang yang lebih yakin
hati yg lunak
agar mampu mencintai-MU

Emas perlu ditempa, Intan perlu digilap,
mungkin begitula jiwa manusia
ditempa oleh ujian, digilap melalui kesusahan
sengatan ujian tu sakit tp akhirnya akan beroleh ketenangan hati
lali dengan kegagalan dan kekecewaan pada masa kini dan msa akan dtg...

apa yg tekandung dalam hati, luahkan
berikan hati itu ubat
ubatkn dia dengan ayat2 suci Al-Quran
Allah jadikan sesuatu dengan tujuan

YAKINLAH

semalam singgah bazaar...sorang2 ( xde laa sedih pon) then ternampak si budak kecik neh.....sgt nakal....lari sana...lari sini.....Si ayah pandang dengan bengis ( nak marah ramai yg tgk barangkali)....Si budak kecik neh xendahkah Si ayah....Si ayah masih bersabar.....ikut si anak......si anak sgt2 nakal....Si ayah bersabar....kemudian dtg Si emak....dengan ank kecil...masih kecil.....Si emak tegur Si anak nakal....Si anak masih lari ke sana sini...Si ayah kelihatan marah....tinggalkan Si Emak dgn Si anak nakal dan Si anak kecil........makin penatlah Si emak yg kelihatanya juga seperti bekerjaya...........

kecian tgk family neh...Si ayah kenapa lepas tgn?marah boleh disimpan...kesian laa dgn isteri....bawak si ank kecil lg...dgn Si anak nakal......bukankah kerjasama itu perlu dalam rumahtangga???hmmmmm....( xmacho laaaa)

apa kena mengena dgn aku? ADA.....dalam memilh suami ( haha) ... itu laaa....zaman bercinta lain dengan berumahtanga ( mcm pro je...ok sy byk bc!!!!).....lain...sgt lain.....

" Untuk mengekalkan Cinta, Cintalah yang Maha Kekal,
Cinta kepadaNya adalah teras cinta sesama insan"

Mengikut syariat Islam, kemas rumh, masak, bukan tugas isteri semata-mata....suami pon perlu turut sama.....bukankah itu lebih baik?

Mengemis Kasih-MU
TUHAN dulu pernah aku menagih simpati
kepada manusia yang alpa jua buta
lalu terheretlah aku di lorong gelisah
luka hati yang berdarah kini jadi kian parah

semalam sudah sampai ke penghujungnya
kisah seribu duka ku harap sudah berlalu
tak ingin lagi kuulangi kembali
gerak dosa yang menghiris hati

TUHAN
dosaku menggunung tinggi
tapi rahmat-MU melangit luas
harga selautan syukurku
hanyalah setitis nikmatMu di bumi

TUHAN
walaupun taubat sering ku mungkir
namunpengampunanMU tak pernah bertepi
bila selangkah kurapat padaMu
seribu langkah KAU rapat padaku......
( Pahrol Mohd Juoi- Di mana DIA di haitku)


Epilog Silam - Haikal