Order 1244865: Comprehensive Instructional Program

CHAPTER PAGE

NOTE: This template was created to guide candidates in the completion of their dissertation. Portions of each candidate’s dissertation may be different than others, depending on topics, variables, methodology, etc. and may also vary depending on Chair’s preference. Please consult with your Chair for answers to specific questions.

Before beginning the writing of Chapter I, the candidate should have a conversation with the Chair. Candidates are responsible for adhering to all deadlines within the EdD program, including dissertation deadlines, and following the leadership of the dissertation Chair and committee.

In Chapter I, the candidate introduces the study and gives a general overview of the problem to be investigated, the research questions, the theoretical framework, the description of important terms, the benefits or significance of the research project, and the assumptions of the candidate at this point.

When writing this section, the researcher should start broad (e.g., importance of school attendance) and narrow to a specific topic (e.g., low attendance affects behavior in schools). The research will continue by providing a description of the problem in local context (e.g., the relationship between low attendance and suspensions in ABC School). When talking about problems in the local context, that can be geographic, at a specific site, using a particular data set, related to one population, etc. This section ends with a purpose statement. (The purpose is always to investigate the problem.)

Research questions should tell the reader what the researcher plans to investigate and how the researcher will measure the variables of the investigation. The research questions guide the research, as all of the investigation will center on these questions. Although each dissertation may include a different number of research questions, typically, a research project has one to three well-constructed research questions. As the candidate must test, address, and answer each research question thoroughly when reporting the findings (Chapter IV), limiting the number of well-stated research questions will narrow the candidate’s scope and result in more pertinent data. Particularly in qualitative research, candidates should avoid yes/no research questions, as one-word responses to research questions leave no need for discussion. Research questions should include the source of data and contain much context without providing analysis. Research questions should be stated as level-3 headings (indented, boldfaced, stated in paragraph format, and ended with a period).

Research question 1. Based on data from the XXX, what was the relationship between XXX and XXX in six middle schools in STATE?

Research question 2. What….?

The candidate does not answer the research question in Chapter I but rather only states the questions in this section. Research questions should be restated in Chapter IV, exactly as they appear in Chapter I.

The candidate should discuss the predominant theory that the candidate used to support and inform the research and provide the basis and rationale for the research questions. In other words, the candidate should describe the framework that served as the reference from which the candidate determined the extent to which the research questions were appropriate (realistic and relevant) and helped the candidate identify the study’s boundaries.

Some theoretical frameworks from social science, specifically education, include Social learning theory: Bandura (1986); Rotter (1954); Adult learning theory: Knowles (1980); Motivation: Maslow (1970); and Job satisfaction: Herzberg (1966).

The candidate gives the rationale and the importance of studying the problem and addresses how the study will add to or enhance the research in the field; therefore, the significance of the problem should link to the statement of the problem and the research questions guiding the study. The significance of the project will explain how or why the project will answer the research questions. The candidate explains who or what group of individuals will benefit from this study. Why is it necessary to gather data or study this problem? How is the present study new? How will candidates address the gap in the literature? Candidates should explain the significance of these factors for both research and practice.

In this section, candidates who have selected a quantitative design should provide operational definitions for each of the variables included in the research questions, using complete sentences and not definitional phrases. An operational definition is one that describes a variable exclusively by how the candidate empirically and quantitatively measured its attributes or qualities to obtain the data analyzed in the process of deriving the study’s findings.

A candidate who has chosen to use a qualitative design should follow these guidelines but, upon approval of the dissertation Chair, may describe—not just define—terms that are relevant to the study.

The candidate may need to write a paragraph or two to provide a thorough explanation of the term; however, the candidate should avoid beginning the literature review in this section. The candidate must present each term as a separate level-3 heading and list the terms in alphabetical order.

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After a brief introductory paragraph, the candidate begins Chapter II with level-2 headings (flushed left, boldfaced, and with uppercase and lowercase headings), labeling topics pertinent to the study. In this chapter, the level-2 headings will vary with the research topic.

In Chapter II, the candidate describes relevant empirical research that others have completed. In reviewing these former studies, the candidate should describe studies that are pertinent to the research topic and should organize the reviews such that lead the reader to a deeper understanding of the issues at hand. Include sufficient details so the reader can ascertain how the researchers obtained the findings and conclusions (i.e., include a brief description of the population and sample, identify the instrumentation and analytical tools, and, if appropriate, provide effect size and level of significance of the findings). Remember, the narrative should not consist of a series of opinions and speculations. Suggestions and recommendations that others have made, regardless of who those people are, are relatively useless if sufficient empirical support does not accompany them. Candidates should present a balanced view of research—not just research that is favorable to what the candidate wants to prove.

After reading the literature of earlier studies available on the particular topic, the candidate should begin by organizing the theoretical and empirical evidence for the study. The candidate should place each major topic or theme into a separate section and begin each with a Level 2 heading.

Candidates should synthesize readings and avoid simply threading together a series of references and quotes. Discussing the cited information shows a thorough understanding of the relevancy and interdependencies relative to the candidate’s study and enhances the usefulness of the dissertation and the candidate’s research.

Candidates should remember to use proper citations when paraphrasing others’ thoughts as well as when using direct quotes. Any quote that is 40 words or more should follow the indented paragraph format. Candidates should avoid breaking quoted material with a word or two. This practice does not make the paragraph a paraphrase.

The following is an example of how block quotes should appear:

Candidates upload electronic copies to their personal page on the Dissertation Portal. (Candidates upload drafts of Chapters I, II, and III to their Proposal Library and, after receiving final approval for those chapters, will upload drafts of their dissertations while working on Chapters IV and V to their Content Library. (Author, year, page)

A quoting mistake that candidates often make is citing secondary sources as primary sources. The first rule of thumb when citing a source within a source is to retrieve the original source; however, if a candidate cannot locate the primary source, the candidate could avoid using the quote or cite as shown in the following example:

Jones (as cited in Smith, 2014) stated that . . .

In this case, the candidate has discovered that Smith (2014) is quoting Jones in the text of some article, book, or online source. (Note: In this example, Jones’ date is not important and not indicated.) In using the in-text citation example given, the candidate would list only Smith (2014) in the reference pages. That is, if the candidate does not or cannot find the primary source (Jones), then the candidate does not list Jones in the reference pages.

When paraphrasing or summarizing former studies relative to the topic, candidates do not simply rearrange sentences or phrases or use synonyms to rewrite the author’s ideas. Candidates must (a) use quotation marks; (b) list the source; (c) list the date; and (d) list page or paragraph number for every exact phrasing, key term, or idea as well as when presenting specific data that are associated with research findings.

As in other chapters, the second page of Chapter II has continuous pagination. Candidate should continue the text avoiding the use of page breaks or section breaks within each chapter, except when the candidate needs to change the page layout (e.g., from portrait to landscape) to include a table or chart.

An important rule for Chapter II is that the candidate must use past tense in describing the research. The candidate is reporting findings or citing studies that have already occurred. Thus, write Chapter II in past tense.

Level-2 Heading

Candidates should provide access to each article or source (with accurate and complete web links) for the dissertation Chair. Candidates must also send an electronic copy of each chapter submission to the dissertation Chair.

In Chapter III, the candidate explains what the candidate did, including the exact processes—the how and the specific order—while conducting the study or researching the problem. Because the candidate writes Chapter III before the candidate conducts the actual research, the candidate must return to this chapter and modify to represent the exact research procedures and methods the candidate used to conduct the study. After a brief introductory paragraph, the candidate presents the study by stating and addressing the following level-2 headings in Chapter III. The headings for Chapter III are uniform; the candidate must address each of these headings, without changing or adding extra headings.

In this section, the candidate gives an overview of the research design, including the methods and procedures followed to conduct the study. A design is a description of the overall strategy that the candidate used to integrate the different components of the study coherently and logically (Trochim, 2006). This should include the candidate’s rationale for choosing qualitative or quantitative research methods. For a qualitative study, the candidate should describe the concepts and a brief historical background of the specific research design used. For a quantitative study, the candidate should explain the choice of descriptive, correlational, causal-comparative, or experimental research design. Any candidate who uses a mixed-method research approach to study the problem should be able to explain the theories behind all research methods used in the candidate’s approach to the research.

The candidate’s research design guides the candidate relative to (a) an appropriate selection of the sample, (b) data collection procedures and techniques (including instrumentation), and (c) tools for analyzing the data and presenting the findings. The design should align with commonly accepted good practices that enable the candidate to answer the research question(s) later—in Chapter IV.

In the Population section, the candidate describes the population and sample by providing information about the persons or groups from whom the researcher obtained data for the study. The candidate details the population (N), the size and attributes of the sample (n), and the characteristics of the individuals or groups involved in the study. The candidate should describe the procedures used to identify and select the specific sample for the study.

In this section, the candidate explains the exact stepbystep procedures used to collect and organize the data that enabled the candidate to derive the findings and arrive at a conclusion for each of the hypotheses based on each of the variables investigated. The candidate will answer the how, who, what, when, and where associated with collecting and organizing the data for analysis only. The candidate does not report the actual findings in this chapter—only the method used to collect the data.

The candidate describes the statistical methods or qualitative procedures used and how these produced reliable and valid findings that allowed the candidate to test each of the hypotheses he or she has presented for testing. In the Analytical Methods section, the candidates should describe analyzation of the data, the statistical package, or how the candidate examined the data—whether quantitative or qualitative. Candidates must explain and justify why the analysis was used. Again, results are not listed in this chapter, only methods—how the candidate conducted the study, examined the data, and why.

The candidate must discuss and provide evidence that establishes the validity and reliability of any instrumentation used in the data collection process. The accuracy, dependability, and credibility of the information the candidate analyzes and interprets depend on the quality of the instrumentation the candidate uses.

In quantitative research, reliability refers to the ability to replicate the results of a study. This will include a validation discussion (e.g., pilot study or expert panel) of how the instrument provided necessary data that enabled the candidate to answer the research question(s).

In qualitative research, where the expectation of exactly replicating the candidate’s study does not exist, the candidate should discuss the instrumentation used to collect data in terms of quality, rigor, or trustworthiness instead of validity, dependability, and reliability (Davis & Dodd, 2002; Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Seale, 1999). The narrative should only include information that helps the reader understand how researchers or authors established the validity and determined the reliability of the instruments and what the results of those methods revealed for this study. Triangulation from multiple data sources (not necessarily 3) may be used to help with trustworthiness. Note: In qualitative studies, the researcher is the biggest threat to validity.

In any study, reasonable limitations exist. Limitations are potential weaknesses in your study and are out of your [the researchers’] control” (Simon, 2011, p. 1). A limitation is a boundary over which the candidate has no control while selecting the population (sample) or while collecting and analyzing the data. The candidate acknowledges the possibilities of the hindrances to the outcomes of the study. For example, the study may be limited because, by law, the candidate may not be able to access data for specific individuals but may be able to obtain aggregate data for the group in which the individuals are members. Another limitation may be related to the fact that data may be available for some groups but not for others. In this section, the candidate should list any factor that may restrict the results or the scope of the study over which the candidate has no control. In writing about the limitations, the candidate describes each factor that limits the value or the scope of the study. The candidate also explains how the study is worthwhile in spite of the limitations.

“Delimitations are those characteristics that limit the scope and define the boundaries of your study” (Simon, 2011, p. 1). The delimitations of the study are limits, constraints, or boundaries that the candidate intentionally places upon the study to narrow the focus or the scope of the study. When writing about delimitations, the candidate explains what effect these delimitations may have on the study.

Assumptions and Biases of the Study

Assumptions are statements that the candidate makes concerning factors that have a reasonable chance to influence or impact findings but for which the candidate cannot obtain solid data, specifically quantify, or cannot (or explicitly chooses not to) control. With what assumptions, ideas, or opinions did the candidate approach the study? What did the candidate expect to find?

An assumption generally meets two conditions:

1. Its truth is important in order for the candidate to complete the analysis of data obtained in the study.

2. The candidate cannot obtain direct evidence as to whether or not the assumption is true. The candidate only states each assumption and the reason for making such an assumption.

Biases should be addressed in qualitative studies, not necessarily quantitative studies. If not applicable, remove wording from the title of this section.

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In this chapter, the candidate gives a summary of what he or she actually found as a result of the research, reporting the objective data—not opinions. The candidate writes Chapter IV after completion of the study. The candidate writes all sections of this chapter in past tense. The headings for Chapter IV are uniform; the candidate must address each of these headings, without changing or adding extra headings.

The candidate summarizes the actual results of the research through an organization of the data associated with the findings. The candidate may be able to accomplish this through tables and figures, particularly if the study is quantitative. The candidate should analyze and filter the data for the research questions using procedures consistent with the narrative in the Theoretical Framework. While data are presented in this section, the research questions are answered in the following.

In this section of Chapter IV, the candidate addresses each research question included in Chapter I by describing the data that apply to each question and interpreting the findings relative to that question. If the candidate includes tables, or to present relevant data for a particular research question, the candidate should position that table or figure in the section that exists for that research question. The candidate should not include conclusions in Chapter IV but merely report findings. The discussion for each research question begins with a restatement of the question (exactly as in Chapter I) in the context of a level-3 heading as the following example illustrates.

Research question 1. Restate research question 1. (Make sure the text matches the text for Research Question 1 in Chapter I.) Then report the findings for this research question by explaining, in paragraph form, the results that are specific to this research question.

Research question 2. Restate research question 2. (Make sure the text matches the text for Research Question 2 in Chapter I.) Then report the findings for this research question by explaining, in paragraph form, the results that are specific to this research question.

Repeat the process and format for each of the study’s research questions. In this chapter, the candidate can make effective use of tables and figures to present an enhanced picture of a large amount of data. Tables generally represent numerical or quantitative data, while figures are charts, graphs, or pictorial representations of data. Candidates should only use tables and figures if these tables or figures actually enhance or supplement the text. Reasons to include tables, charts, or graphs include exposing patterns or relationships; comparing or contrasting different sets of data; or presenting only the data upon which the candidate bases the conclusions in Chapter V.

The candidate must mention each respective table and figure in the text of the dissertation (see Table X), and this text reference must be on the same page as the respective table or figure. (Notation should appear before the table or figure—not after.) In the narrative that accompanies the table or figure, the candidate should only highlight key items of the table or figure—not reiterate or repeat the statistics of the tables or figures in the text. Repeating information evident in the table or figure is repetitive and distracting to the reader. Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, the table or figure should supplement the text in the same manner as a picture.

In the last section of Chapter IV, the candidate presents a concise summary of the main points of the chapter, including a discussion of the results based on the research questions. The candidate may report any inconsistencies in the results here; however, the candidate should not use specific statistics or data in this section, as this is a summation of the results. Candidates should avoid stating conclusions and generalizations from the data in this section. All conclusions belong in the first section of Chapter V.

In the fifth and final chapter, the candidate makes generalizations and recommendations and discusses implications for future research. The candidate has become the expert in the field and is ready to make generalizations (perhaps, even bold statements) which the candidate could not make in Chapter I. The candidate has new information based on the thorough theoretical and empirical research of the literature and insights the candidate has discovered during experimentation and collection of data. The headings for Chapter V are uniform; the candidate must address each of these headings without changing or adding extra headings.

The emphasis of the first section of Chapter V is not the summary of the study but rather the conclusions, the generalizations that the candidate can now make based on the review of the literature and the findings obtained within the study. The candidate should be able to make some basic statements (conclusions) that are substantiated by the research without reiterating findings from Chapter IV.

Conclusions should communicate understandings that the researcher (and others) did not know prior to obtaining and examining the findings of the study. Conclusions should be cohesive; that is, none should refute another, and the candidate must base each on data (findings) generated during the study.

Having thoroughly discussed the findings of the study in Chapter IV, the candidate should not refer to this particular study, per se, in Chapter V. This may be a difficult task for the candidate because the researcher must write the conclusions considering what the researcher has just learned but generalize those findings to other populations. Thus, while constructing the conclusions for Chapter V, the candidate must remember to make these generalizations applicable to many populations—not just to the current population. Candidates must avoid referring to their population sample, their participants, their school districts, or any specific findings from their data in Chapter V.

Chapter V is the expansion chapter—the So what? chapter. The end result is while thinking about this study, the candidate will expand to other populations the significance of this study to and for others—without repeating specific data. The BIG question: Can the candidate now substantiate the claims made in Chapter I in the Significance of the Study section? What knowledge does this study expand to general populations? The candidate should examine each section of Chapter I and ensure each has been addressed.

In this section, the researcher advises future researchers of possible problem areas and, considering limitations, presents possible future research opportunities. The researcher should answer the following questions in the Implications section:

1. What questions or situations did the candidate not address in this study due to limitations or delimitations of the research but could be foci for future studies, unencumbered by similar limitations?

2. What are the possibilities for this topic if the researcher used a larger sample size or several school districts?

3. What are the implications for this topic if studied in a different region?

4. What significance does future research in this area hold?

Implications for research (no long term studies to see if it does what it should) and practice (what do we do now) – different level headings

The results of this research may generate new questions, but the candidate should avoid making broad generalizations or suggesting new and unsupported claims not substantiated from the study. Based on new insights the candidate developed during the research, the candidate (in the Implications section) describes a new context within which other researchers could examine the topic to advance the knowledge base that surrounds the topic.

The candidate finishes the dissertation with the reference list, which contains all sources cited in the text of the dissertation. If the candidate has included appendices, these follow the references with lettered half-title pages.

Recommendations for Future Research

In this section, candidates present findings that they did not expect or that did not answer research questions. Recommendations are specific, concrete suggestions (actionable items) for future consideration regarding the topic. While conducting this study, the candidate may conceptualize new ideas, develop different methods for dealing with the topic, create a training program for improvement, or generate new funding sources. In this section, the candidate recommends the development of these tangible actions or products to others. The candidate does not recommend future research in this section. Those suggestions are reserved for the Implications (for future research) section.

In the Recommendations section, the candidate reflects on what would improve policy or practice associated with the topic studied and how others could use the findings to effect that improvement. The candidate should present the ideas as recommendations and base each idea on the review of the literature and the candidate’s own study. The candidate limits the discussion to actions that the conclusions clearly support. Examples might include different policies, practices, and innovative strategies, even budgeting ideas, to explore or execute procedures related to the topic. Candidates’ recommendations should not be a list of possible research topics to expand their current topic.

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Davis, D., & Dodd, J. (2000). Qualitative research and the question of rigor. Qualitative Health Research, 12(2), 278-289.

Lincoln, Y., & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Maxwell, J. A. (2005). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Seale, C. (1999). Quality in qualitative research. Qualitative Inquiry, 5(4), 465-478.

Smith, J. E. (2013). Qualitative psychology: A practical and helpful tool in research. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Smith, J. E., & Jones, M. J. (2012). What is wrong with our schools? New York, NY: Maxim.

Smith, J. E., & Jones, M. J. (2013). What is wrong with our schools? Educational Leadership, 46(5), 89-102.

Smith, J. E., & Jones, M. J. (2014). What is wrong with our schools? Maxim Group. Retrieved from www.whatiswrongwithourschoolsreport.org

Spahr, P. (2015). What is transformational leadership? How new ideas produce impressive results. St Thomas University Online. Retrieved from http://online.stu.edu/transformational-leadership/#definition

(Some of these references in this sample page are fictitious.)

Lincoln Memorial University Dissertation Guidelines

General Dissertation Policies and Guidelines

Purposes of the Dissertation

Lincoln Memorial___________________ University requires a dissertation or record of study from all doctoral candidates. Writing a dissertation is an opportunity for the researcher to satisfy developing curiosity about an important and current research question and to demonstrate to the dissertation committee and other interested individuals the researcher’s ability to function independently as a researcher.

The dissertation should be presented in a scholarly, well-integrated, properly documented manner, which records the original work done by the researcher under the supervision of the dissertation committee. The finished work must reflect a comprehensive understanding of the pertinent and current literature and must express in clear and legible English the method, significance, and results of the researcher's research. Full documentation and appropriate tabular and graphic presentations are especially important. The length may vary according to research topic and method chosen.

Quality Assurance

The dissertation Chairperson has the primary responsibility for dissertation quality, including the assurance of academic integrity. A candidate whose written work falls below the bar of doctoral level quality and published standards will be advised to seek the assistance of an editor or other support measures. Dissertation Chair or committee members will not serve as dissertation editors.

Writing Guidelines

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 6th ed. (2010) (referred to as APA Guide hereafter in this document) governs the format of research documents in the doctoral program. In addition to following APA format, all dissertations should be written in scholarly language and style and should be devoid of grammatical errors. Editing and proofreading are crucial in the completion of research projects and are the responsibility of the researcher. Thus, students should run multiple spelling and grammar checks on the dissertation document and consult the APA Guide concerning questions of clear and concise writing, reduction of bias, ethics, and plagiarism.

The purpose of this explanation is to help the candidate decide what information to include in the appendices. Candidates should include in the appendices any information that is pertinent to the study but does not fit easily into the text. Letters or correspondence, survey or interview instruments, pre- and post-tests, and figures or tables are examples of information suited for the appendices. These items do not need an extra heading or title, as the title appears on the half-title page; however, some items have their own heading, such as letterheads or special certificates. In those instances, candidates should leave these headings intact, in addition to the title on the half-title page.

If the study requires more than one appendix, the candidate should label these as Appendix A, Appendix B, and Appendix C. Order the appendices in the sequence in which they appear in the text of the dissertation. In other words, candidates should not discuss Appendix D in the body of the dissertation before discussing Appendix A. If this is a problem for text discussion, the candidate should reorder the appendices or rewrite the text of the dissertation

Candidates do not need to list any tables or figures in the List of Tables or List of Figures if those tables or figures occur in the appendices. Candidates should label tables or figures in appendices with the respective appendix letter (A1 or B1).