Dissertation - progress checklist

So the dissertation proposal deadline is approaching. For everyone prone to worrying their heads off, here is a checklist of essential things you should have done by now. (Compiled with help from a qualified geographer...who shall go unnamed for now:))

Progress Checklist

• Decide on a topic and aim - what's your dissertation about?
• Summarise the context - why does your research matter?
• Read the relevant papers - how does it fit into existing research?
• Pick your research questions - what would you like to find out?
• Figure out the right methods - what sort of answers are you trying to get?
• Think about the logistics - what will be more likely to work, considering time and cost etc? How would you go about doing it?
• Speculate about the outcome - how will your research contribute to the field?

If you can safely say you've tackled each of these items and then some, congrats - you're all set to start writing up the dissy proposal! If your checklist looks a bit pathetic, at least now you know what to do:)