dba research proposal sample

The University of Warwick

How to write a strong DBA research proposal

Share this article:

Recruitment and Business Development Executive Arione McQueenie, answers the questions she most commonly gets asked about how to write a strong research proposal when applying for the Doctor of Business Administration.

As part of your application to the Doctor of Business Administration at Warwick Business School, you must submit a research proposal which outlines what you are interested in researching as part of the programme. This proposal should centre on a specific problem within your organisation that you are looking to tackle using the practical applied research and organisation interventions you will design as part of the DBA.

One of the most common questions I am asked in my capacity as Recruitment Executive for the DBA is ‘what do I include in my research proposal?’ When considering this question, it is important to remember that although the DBA is an equivalent level to a PhD, the focus of the programme is on applied research rather than theoretical knowledge. Therefore, the proposal does not need to be as in-depth or academic as a PhD proposal. To help you get started with your DBA proposal, below are some FAQ’s,

What topic should I write about in my DBA research proposal?

A DBA project is motivated by a business problem in search of a solution. Your DBA proposal should outline the problem you intend to investigate and why this is important to you and your business.

Does it have to be a problem facing my business?

Ideally, yes. Your research problem needs to be something you are able to actively design and implement interventions for. This means students will most likely conduct their research within their own business, although in some cases they will consider other organisations in an industry they are interested in (for example, in the case of candidates who work as consultants).

What are the key sections / information to include?

A good DBA proposal should include what you are interested in researching, and how you intend to use the academic insights offered by the programme to tackle your specific issue. Ideally, a good proposal should address the following questions:

What is the business problem or opportunity you intend to investigate?
Why is this practically and theoretically relevant?
What is the domain/literature (e.g. strategy, entrepreneurship etc.) within which your problem is situated?
What does this literature discuss about your problem or opportunity and how it can be addressed?
Where do you plan to conduct your empirical study and how do you plan to get access to the field site?
How do you plan to collect your data (e.g. interviews, observation, surveys, etc.)?
How will practitioners benefit from your research?

How long should it be?

Your proposal should be roughly five pages long. This allows us to understand the feasibility of your research as well as allowing better matching with potential supervisors. You should attach the proposal, along with your CV, to your application. We will be unable to assess your application if the research proposal is not attached and this may delay the admissions process.

Any hints & tips?

Get started writing your proposal as soon as possible, as it is always best to give yourself time for edits and rewrites. However, don’t get too caught up in trying to write the perfect proposal, as this only forms a small part of your application. Remember that your problem and ideas to approaching it will probably change throughout the programme; therefore, you don’t have to have all the answers now.

I would also recommend researching our subject groups within WBS. It is important that your research project falls into one of our areas of interest, otherwise we will not have suitable faculty to allocate as your supervisor.

Next Steps:

The DBA only has one intake per year, in October. You can find more information on how to apply via our website.

If you would like to find out more about the programme, or if your question was not answered above, you can email [email protected]

Arione McQueenie Recruitment and Business Development Executive

Welcome to the new OASIS website! We have academic skills, library skills, math and statistics support, and writing resources all together in one new home.

Walden University
Faculty Portal

Walden Capstone Writing Collaborative: Introduction to Writing the DBA Doctoral Study

Introduction to writing the dba doctoral study.

The DBA Rubric and Handbook presents a step-by-step guide to writing each of the sections and subsections of the DBA Docstudy. This document outlines the expectations for student work. Reviewing this material should be one of the first steps in beginning the doctoral study writing process.

Next, as students begin preparing to write, they should review the materials related to the DBA Docstudy document and process provided on the Office of Research and Doctoral Services website . This page contains resources for writing the prospectus, proposal, and final study. In addition, students should download the appropriate template from the Writing Center’s Form and Style DBA Templates page .

To introduce students to writing a DBA Docstudy capstone, here is a description of the main goals and outcomes associated with this process and document:

The goal is to address a specific, defined, and applied business problem

Students begin by identifying a problem that exists in the business world, then define a specific business problem within that.
The goal of the document is to address the specific business problem in that specific company and in that industry.
Subsequent goals of the study are to articulate implications for business practice in the field (how other business leaders, etc., can use the information) AND the implications for social change (who will benefit from the results and how; see more below).

The document addresses a gap—the specific business problem has not been studied before

After identifying the problem, students should identify/ensure there is a gap, as one of the goals of the study is to contribute to the scholarship in that area.
It is important to make sure that the topic/problem has not already been addressed by other researchers.
The results should make a significant contribution to the student’s chosen area of focus.

The study demonstrates a grounding in related literature and research in the field

Another goal of the study is to demonstrate knowledge and expertise in the subject areas covered in the literature review.
This is why the literature review is lengthy and exhaustive; it is the student’s demonstration that he/she is an expert in these areas, is familiar with all previous relevant research, and can convey this expertise through writing.

The study is built on basic or applied research

The study demonstrates knowledge and expertise in the identified research design and interpretation of results.
The study shows that the student can convey this expertise through writing.

The document advances social change

A final, Walden-specific and important outcome of the study is that results also make a contribution to social change. Students need to describe who may benefit from the findings of the study and how they may benefit.
Previous Page: Introduction to Writing the PhD Dissertation
Next Page: Introduction to Writing the DNP Project Study
Office of Student Disability Services