What to do after submitting your research proposal: The next steps

This year I am supervising a group of Tourism & Hospitality Management undergraduate students, and after working on their topics for a few weeks they submitted their formal research proposal. I have given them feedback and one of the questions they asked in our latest group meeting was: What now? 

The answer is: The focus now shifts to refining your topic further and developing your methodology.

Stage two of the literature review kicks in

Your literature review is not a one‑off exercise. It unfolds in stages, each serving a different purpose:

• Stage 1: Informs the research proposal by surveying the field to show the idea is feasible.

• Stage 2: Refines your topic and informs methodology.

• Stage 3: Deepens analysis and supports your final dissertation writing.

Some of my students have yet to develop the necessary understanding of what their research is about, and therefore they should continue to work towards developing their research proposal further.

Fortunately most of them have successfully completed Stage 1 and can move on to stage 2. If you are at this stage, your task is to use the literature to refine your research focus and design your methodology. Think of it as moving from “what could I study?” to “what exactly am I going to research, and how will I do it?” This stage is crucial because it reduces uncertainty. Once you have a pretty detailed understanding of what you’re investigating, the rest of the dissertation becomes easier (easier does not me easy!).

Clarifying your topic: Anchoring your research

If you find yourself in this situation, the way forward is to deepen your literature analysis to help you make decisions about what theories and frameworks you can use to anchor your study, and how you are going to use them. Ask yourself:

• Which areas of the literature provide a basis for my study?

• What concepts or models can I use to underpin my research? How am I going to use them?

• What specific questions am I going to address?

For example, if your initial idea was “customer satisfaction” you may discover through further reading that the concept is too broad. Anchoring it in a more specific satisfaction area or framework is crucial to then be in a position to theoretically underpin the study and design the methodology.

Innovation: Small steps count

As students clarify the parameters of their research, I encourage them to keep an eye for innovation. Where do you see gaps, inconsistencies, or opportunities for innovation? This might sound daunting and students often worry that their dissertation must revolutionise the field. In reality, innovation in undergraduate and master’s research is usually incremental. You’re not reinventing the wheel; You’re building on existing wheels to create your own.

Innovation can be as simple as:

• Applying a known theory to a new context

• Exploring a variable that has been overlooked

• Combining two concepts in a fresh way

 These small contributions are valuable as they demonstrate critical thinking and originality without requiring you to change the world.

Becoming an expert: Knowledge as confidence

As previously mentioned, the weeks that follow from submitting your research proposal should be dedicated to immersing yourself in the literature further. The goal is not just to collect more sources but to become an expert in your topic, understood here from a theory perspective. This expertise brings confidence, and confidence reduces the anxiety of “not knowing what to write about.”

I continue to emphasise the need to apply the SALA process: Structured Approach to Literature Analysis, as this is an extremely effective way of developing this expertise. I have documented this process extensively in the Literature Review resource, which is also available as part of the Virtual Tutor resource. The SALA process involves:

• Using search engines like Google Scholar effectively

• Confidently reading papers to extract meaning

• Organise your notes in bullet points or thematic clusters

• Write summaries in your own words based on the structured notes

• Keep a running list of potential gaps or questions that emerge.

Remember: a strong literature review is the backbone of your dissertation. For a 10,000 word dissertation, aim for 3,000-4,000 words. When I said this in the most recent group dissertation meeting, one of the students rolled her eyes like ‘That’s a lot of words!’. My reply was that if you do thorough analysis using the SALA process, you’ll likely have far more notes than you can use. That’s a good problem, as you are then spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding what to include in the final document.

Practical next steps

So, what should you do right now, after submitting your proposal?

1.  Dedicate a few weeks to refining your topic. Use the literature to identify a clear conceptual anchor and clarify the research objectives further.

2. Map out your methodology. Decide how you will collect and analyse data, guided by what the literature suggests is feasible.

3. Organise your notes. Keep your literature review structured and add content as you progress, so you can select the best material later.

4. Stay flexible. If your initial idea proves too broad or impractical, let the literature guide you toward a sharper focus.

5. Keep perspective. Innovation is about small, meaningful contributions, not grand revolutions.

Final Thoughts

Submitting your proposal is only the beginning and the real work comes in the weeks that follow, as you refine your topic and design your methodology. Think of this stage as moving towards the clarify that is needed to collect good quality data. Once you know exactly what you’re researching and how you’ll do it, the rest of the dissertation journey becomes far more manageable.

If you’d like tailored guidance beyond these general steps, I also offer dedicated 1‑to‑1 dissertation support. This support can help you refine your topic, structure your literature review, or building confidence in your methodology, just to name a few areas.