Data Collection in Legal Research: Practical Considerations for Dissertation Proposals

Data Collection in Legal Research: Practical Considerations for Dissertation Proposals
7 min read

A dissertation proposal provides the layout for your dissertation project in which a student needs to mention the reasons for choosing a specific topic for research study. Logical reasoning along with the usage of facts and references helps in the formulation of a solid dissertation proposal. Each dissertation proposal is comprised of certain main divisions which have their individual purpose and requirements. Students often get dissertation proposal writing services in order to meet those requirements effectively because each detail matters.

Even though; the basic structure and purpose of a dissertation proposal are the same for all disciplines, there still can be certain changes when it comes to the sources for data collection or research approaches. As far as the dissertation proposal writing in the field of law is concerned then it has its own demands. Students often get dissertation help UK with their law projects because they need help in gathering data. Prior to the actual dissertation formulation, they have to collect data for the legal dissertation proposal. The following post will guide students regarding data collection methods and the considerations that the students must keep in mind. 

Structure Of A Dissertation Proposal:

Just like a dissertation project; a dissertation proposal must also follow the basic structure. It is this structure that forms the clarity and offers a smooth flow of sections. These sections include:

  • Title Page (The title of the project, the name of the student along with his coursework) 
  • Abstract ( The overview of the dissertation proposal that captures the essence of the project)
  • Introduction (The background context of the topic along with the presentation of the thesis statement)
  • Literature Review (The reference addition in order to prove the main argument)
  • Methodology (The mentioning of the potential research design)
  • Ethical Considerations (The approved consents of the participants for research conduction)
  • Limitations (The potential study gaps and limitations)
  • Time Frame (The specific amount of time that will be taken in order to conduct research)
  • Conclusion (The brief summary of the whole proposal)

Each of these sections has an individual purpose that stays relevant to the topic while flowing in a logical manner. This brings alignment and forms a structure of the dissertation proposal. 

Practical Considerations For Data Collection In Legal Research Proposal:

The section of a dissertation proposal where the data has to be gathered in order to prove your main objectives is known as a literature review. Even though; the literature review section of a dissertation proposal is quite limited as compared to the one that has to be formulated for an actual dissertation project; still; it still holds the data from such authentic resources that are enough to convince the advisor or the faculty to approve your research study.  This is the section through which a student can prove his stance by giving solid pieces of argument and laying the foundation for your whole dissertation proposal. Some of the elements that you must consider while executing the literature review section for your law dissertation proposal include:

  • Make sure to collect data from authentic sources only. 
  • The collected data must be relevant to your area of study.
  • Each added reference must be explained individually by the student and how it proves your point.
  • You can identify the gaps in the existing law research papers or can validate your main argument in this section. 

Legal Sources For Data Collection Purposes:

It has often been said to collect the data from authentic sources only but what are these sources? What sources can be used for legal research projects? Well! The nature of these sources can differ still; some of the most relatable sources in this regard are as follows:

Law Reports:

Legal reports are small notes or annotations in which different topics are discussed to enlighten the researcher about a specific case study. The researcher can further study the case by clicking on the annotations that refer to the secondary sources. 

Legal Periodicals:

Legal periodicals are the kind of articles that inform the reader about the current situation of law and the updated trends in the field. Cour decisions, critique laws, and different policies can be studied from such sources that are available in the form of journals, newspapers, and articles. 

Research Guides:

Research guides are the tools that are created to help the researcher by narrowing down the options for him according to his requirements. From letting him choose from the list of course guides to subject guides; the researcher is given the option to make his choice from the focused list of options. 

Practice Guides:

Practice guides are yet another kind of secondary source in which law-related information is available in a comprehensive form. You can study the case within the field of law in a broad manner and can use it for reference purposes. They can be present in the form of treatises or hornbooks.

Law Encyclopedias:

It is through law encyclopedias that researchers can get an overview of different legal cases. They can be added to the dissertation proposal as well. 

Citation Style Used In Legal Research Literature Review:

Now that the authentic resources for legal research proposals have been known; it is time to look into the citation style that must be followed while adding the references. Some of these citations include:

  • APA Referencing Style: The American Psychological Association referencing style is one of the most commonly used referencing styles in which the reference is added in the author-date citation style. 
  • MLA Referencing Style: Modern Language Association referencing style is the kind of citation which is added in the parenthesis form. It refers to an alphabetical list of words that are mentioned towards the end of the project. 
  • Chicago Referencing Style: This is the kind of citation style in which the surname of the author and the year of publication are mentioned in the brackets within the content. 

Conclusion:

Data collection is an essential requirement of a dissertation proposal in which data is collected from existing research papers within the field of law to prove your main argument. The practical considerations and the criterion of adding references in a legal dissertation proposal have been mentioned in the above post which will help students in following the procedure accurately. 

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Summer Davidson 2
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