Thesis Proposal Document
This document should be a maximum of 6 pages in length. (excluding references) It should consist of:
Page 1
Title page with your name, subject, and proposed thesis title.
To make your title effective as a communication tool please try and link the major independent variable with the key dependent variables and possibly add the context. eg
The influence of colour image enhanced maps on visitor satisfaction for rainforest long walks. OR
Effects of temperature and vegetation on visitor mood in major tourist attractions in X’ian, China.
Page 2 & 3
The next two pages should be a succinct statement of the key references and ideas which shape the project. These references and ideas should be organised hierarchically, that is from the most general concerns and issues to the specific focussed references bearing most directly on your thesis. At this stage 10-20 core references should be shaping your project. For the thesis itself a longer, more expansive discussion of points will be needed. An example of how to present your references is given below, first for a general background reference and secondly for a reference close to and pertinent to your actual study.
Zube (1980) considered the techniques and methods for exploring how people reacted to their immediate physical environment. He pioneered the use of photographic simulation of altered environments to assess people’s attitudes. This work is part of an environmental tradition in studying people and their settings.
Moscardo (2000) explored visitor reactions to a specific tourist environment, the floating pontoon. She found visitors were concerned with safety and temperature of surfaces. Some of the questions about surfaces and physical comfort will be employed in the present research on visitors’ comfort at Chinese tourist attractions.
Page 4
At the end of the 2 pages of references and related comments as above, you should proceed to a fourth page which clearly states the aims or objectives of the project. If you are able to state clear hypotheses then please do so at this point.
An example of page 4 would be:
Aim 1: To explore the preferences and comfort levels of all visitors to well vegetated and less well vegetated major tourist attractions in X’ian, China
Aim 2: To test for preferences and comfort level differences between Chinese and Western visitors to attractions which are well vegetated versus less well vegetated.
Aim 3: To relate physical comfort levels of both Western and Chinese visitors at tourist attractions to overall satisfaction with the attractions.
You should probably have no more than 5 major aims. A detailed set of aims for each demographic or visitor profile variable, would for example, be excessive at this stage.
Page 5
On page 5 you should attempt to specify the measurement or operationalisation of the key variables in your study.
What will you measure and how will you measure it (examples follow the case).
“comfort level” will be defined by a) visitor’s rating of their physical comfort on a 9 point scale and b) by taking measures with a wet bulb thermometer of temperature and relative humidity scores and scoring these measures from thermal comfort charts
“preference” will be operationalised as visitors’ choosing one of four digitally altered photographs of the 2 tourist sites which differ in the amount of vegetation in the waiting and plaza areas of the site.
“Chinese” will be defined as people who state their residence as mainland China
“Western” will refer to people with residence in UK, Europe, United States and Australia.
Page 6
On page 6 you should write a 1 page brief of your proposed procedure. Who will you study, where, how many people or businesses, what will you ask them to do. The page 6 statement should finish with a brief timetable of your planned work. A Gantt chart would be appropriate; that is a grid of activities by the time you will work on each activity.
You should expect to receive feedback on your document within 1 week of submission. Clearly you will need to work with your supervisor to achieve these targets. Good luck with the work.
A statement saying whether or not you will have to complete an Ethics form is a required final item for this document.
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