PS2
Doctoral Comprehensive Assessment: Pre-Candidacy Prospectus
Doctoral Comprehensive Assessment: Pre-Candidacy Prospectus (continued)
Template for the Statement of the Problem
The Statement of the Problem (SoP) must identify a specific problem that is not being addressed in the literature or is not clearly understood or, in a PhD study, not clearly explained by theory. This template can be used to formulate the Statement of the Problem section. Limit the first 3 sections to 1-2 sentences maximum, cited with current peer-reviewed work. As you add to these sections, put a page number with the sources used just as a temporary reference. This forces you to relate what you are writing to a particular quote or quotes in the source and will improve your accuracy with citations. Make sure what you write is what the author was describing.
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Brief Narrative |
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1. Describe the ideal situation, how things should be when working correctly. Provide supporting citations. |
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Possible transition phrases: “However,” “…but…” “Unfortunately,” “The problem is…” |
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2. Describe and document, the actual situation, what is “going wrong” (Ellis & Levy, 2008). |
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Possible transition phrases: “Consequently,” “As a result…” “If the problem is not addressed…” |
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3. Describe the consequences that will result if the problem persists. Provide supporting citations. |
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4. Discuss 3 current, supporting studies that recommend further research about the problem described in Step 2. |
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