One Discussion and two peer replies.
Rosi_1
DissertationHandbook2017-18.pdf
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
1
DISSERTATION AND CASE STUDY
HANDBOOK 2017-2018
By Barry A. Vann, PhD, EdD; Director
Doctor of Education (EdD) in Educational Leadership &
PhD in Leadership
&
Aaron N. Coleman, PhD
Associate Professor Higher Education and History
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
2
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Purpose of Research 2
Nature of Advanced Educational Organizational Research 3
Selecting a Topic 5
Go to the Sources 6
Primary and Secondary Sources 7
Block Quotations 8
Building a Literature Review and Research Questions 8
Formatting the Manuscript (Examples) 10
Chapter One 14
Chapter Two 16
Pointers for Effective Formatting, Writing, and Submission 18
Chapter Three 22
Chapter Four 23
Chapter Five 27
References 28
Qualitative Studies Guidelines 30
Handbook Appendices 42
Introduction
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
3
Overview
Welcome to the Dissertation and Case Study phases of your doctoral studies here at the
University of the Cumberlands. The purpose of this Dissertation and Case Study Handbook is to
provide you with basic guidelines for writing a course case study/paper, and dissertation. Before
beginning our exploration of the writing process, it is helpful to revisit the mission of the
doctoral program because well-written case studies that are sometimes called term papers and
dissertations help the program achieve its mission and goals:
The doctoral tracks in leadership extend the University’s long-standing mission to
prepare students for “lives of responsible service and leadership.” Curricular options in
the doctoral program allow students to develop advanced practitioner skills applicable to
community settings, businesses, and higher education organizations; particular emphasis
is on academic leadership in collegiate level business, education, and English, as well as
history, math, psychology, and ministry departments (UC Doctoral Program Catalog, p.
1).
In pursuit of its mission, the doctoral curriculum serves the following program goals:
• Goal 1: To develop critical and reflective thinking to facilitate institutional problem
solving and organizational or college improvement.
• Goal 2: To nurture effective and ethical professional leadership at the college-,
organizational, or unit-level.
• Goal 3. To strengthen the research, analytical and communication skills necessary for
professional decision-making.
• Goal 4: To strengthen content knowledge in a specialty area.
• Goal 5: To promote public service and ethical leadership in professional and community
settings.
Informed by the program’s mission and goals, the Dissertation and Case Study Handbook begins
with an overview of the research process, including research paradigms. It then moves on to
describe ways to locate and cite sources. The Handbook also provides discussions on basic
stylistic issues, methods and procedures, analysis, and implications of the research. At the end of
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
4
the Handbook, you will find specific guidelines on the format needed for submitting your
manuscript. In the last sections, you will find information about the composition and layout of
the front as well as the back matter of the dissertation. A complete outline of the dissertation is
presented in Appendix A.
Please note that whereas your case studies/papers and dissertation must use a
dispassionate, third person voice, this Handbook employs a more conversational first-person
voice. In other words, the Handbook will make good use of “you,” “your,” and “we.” It also
presents some words in bold font to show their importance. As is shown later, please avoid
using bold fonts in your manuscript. In other ways, however, the Handbook intends to model the
writing style and formatting expected in your dissertation.
Purpose of Research
Faculty members are often asked by students: “How should I choose a topic for my paper or
dissertation?” The dissertation is the capstone experience in the doctoral program in Leadership.
A dissertation is a research-based project that must satisfy the program’s goals and appeal to its
philosophy (“Leadership through andragogy and the Platinum Rule”); program assessment, or
other themes stressed in one or more of the core classes, may also be considered as a dissertation
topic. A full-time faculty member in the Department of Leadership Studies must have an interest
in a proposed dissertation topic and assume responsibility for directing the study. As a student,
you should recognize that achieving the full support and recommendation of your study by
faculty is how your entire degree gains its credibility. Faculty biographies are available at the
end of the catalog. Faculty signatures must be on a completed dissertation for it to be completed.
The process of getting faculty to approve a dissertation topic begins in LEAR 736 and ends with
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
5
a successful dissertation defense. It is essential that you discuss dissertation ideas with research
instructors (LEAR courses).
Nature of Advanced Organizational Research
Dissertation Seminar (LEAR 736) describes qualitative and quantitative methods. Suffice it to
say that the quantitative method is based on scientific realism (logic, reason and a verifiable
method of assessment and replication) while the qualitative approach appeals to social
constructivism, which is a popular perspective embraced in the humanities (i.e., English,
literature, history, art). The researcher still must use, however, logic, reason, and a verifiable
method that can be replicated. A major difference lies in the approach to the study in question.
While the quantitative paradigm or school of thought follows a set of steps to study a
problem, the other is guided more by an open-ended search for truth in a wide variety of places,
which may evolve as the research unfolds. Replication of a qualitative study is made possible by
citing sources. If you think about it, the quantitative method more often than not follows a
deductive approach while the qualitative method relies more on induction because this
paradigm assumes that humanity is too complex to be reduced to simple explanations, so there is
resistance to shrinking problems to fit into simple scientific generalizations. Paradoxically, the
researcher that follows a qualitative approach eventually makes generalizations. It is helpful to
view the deductive approach as equivalent to making a big assumption or hypothesis that then
requires you to look for pieces of evidence to test its validity or veracity. The qualitative
approach is also used in theoretical research which weaves or synthesizes ideas and evidence
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
6
that lead to large conclusions that, if published, will likely be tested by others employing a
deductive method.
In some respects, the type of study one pursues is a function of one’s research
philosophy, hence the concept of paradigm. As such, advocates of qualitative research believe
that they alone look for many variables (factors that play a role in shaping human behavior or
learning). The truth is that the quantitative approach too requires the researcher to find and then
control for influencing factors and extraneous variables through a well-developed research
design. Nevertheless, one must decide to follow an inductive (simple or small pieces of evidence
that lead to large assumptions or generalizations) approach or a deductive method (such as
hypothesis testing) to study a particular problem. It is helpful for you to identify your philosophy
of research. It will lead you to either a quantitative or qualitative study.
Educators often hear colleagues refer to some projects as “action research.” How does
action research differ from quantitative or qualitative research? While action research may be
quantitative or qualitative, it is a sub-form of applied research, which intends to answer a
specific education problem or situation. Action research is highly focused and more restricted in
its implications. Action research is hence not designed for large external audiences such as those
who read professional journals. Action research is geared more to the needs of local folk such as
committees and board members or maybe just the scholar alone. To be valid and reliable, which
indicates similar results in subsequent applications of the method, action research needs to have
the same rigor and component parts as any applied or theoretical research project: (1)
introduction; (2) review of the literature, (3) procedures and methodology, (4) research
findings and (5) summary, discussion, and implications Please note that those parts make up
the five chapters of a dissertation (see Appendix A for a layout of chapters and subsections).
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
7
Selecting a Topic
A dissertation must feature leadership or policy analysis that has direct implications for
educational or community decision makers; it cannot be on classroom teaching, curriculum
design, or the manner in which instructional technology is used unless the study has direct
implications on a leader’s ability to recommend or make decisions.
The LEAR faculty with peer reviewed publications are qualified to supervise studies that
apply leadership (contemporary and historical), human resource development, or program
assessment to a variety of higher education and organizational settings, but topics on teaching or
counseling effectiveness outside of leadership or higher education suggests that we offer a
terminal degree in curriculum and instruction, social work, or counseling which the program is
not accredited to provide. A rule of thumb to follow is this: if a proposed dissertation topic relies
more on theories outside of those taught in the core classes of this program, it is not a leadership
study. It is strongly advised that you complete the following courses before enrolling in LEAR
736: LEAS 835 - the change process; LEAS 830 - leadership in theory and practice; LEAC 731-
learning in adulthood; and LEAS 732 – Program Planning and Assessment. Please plan your
studies in such a way that you will complete all of your coursework by the end of the term in
which you finish LEAR 839. To enroll in LEAR 930, you must have completed all of your
coursework, including in the specialty area, and pass the Comprehensive Examinations.
Go to the Sources
Students often ask: “how do you cite a quote within a quote”? For example, let us say that you
are reading a book that says: According to Jasmine, “guitars made of pine are best” (1999, p. 21).
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
8
This passage appears in Lucas, (2001, p. 302), but you don’t know how to cite it. I would handle
the quote as coming from Jasmine and also give credit to Lucas by writing another sentence that
states: Lucas (2001, p, 302) agrees with Jasmine (2001). It takes a little reflection to see that
this approach to citing sources is a handy way to build your reference or bibliography page.
However, in consideration of strict American Psychological Association (APA) style guidelines,
you should use single quotes inside of double quotes. Here is how that approach looks:
According to Jasmine (2001, p. 21), “’guitars made of pine are best’” (Lucas, 2001, p. 302). In
either case you need to cite two sources. Because the strict APA approach is cumbersome for
some to read through, it is preferable to use the first example in which Lucas and Jasmine are
given separate sentences.
Please note that you should look for sources that appear in peer-reviewed publications.
Peers are professionals who know the literature in your area of interest. By citing the source in
which you found the original source, you have given your work more credibility. Peer reviewed
articles and books insure readers that they are reading the most accurate information available.
The issue of citing sources is discussed later in the Handbook.
Primary and Secondary Sources
Primary sources are original publications or information sources (i.e., autobiographies, very old
books that contain social observations, meeting notes, and papers, census reports, as well as
interviews with participants). For example, suppose you are writing about the history of social
studies education and you want to know how the field was born. You read in a book published
in 1991 that “social studies” was coined at a conference in 1916 to identify elementary forms of
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
9
social sciences used in the K-12 system, which gave K-12 social studies its unique but affiliated
identity. The 1991 publication, a typical textbook, is a secondary source, but if you could get
your hands on the papers presented at that conference in which the name was adopted, you would
be getting your hands on a primary source.
If you could find the minutes of the 1916 meeting in which the decision was made to
name the elementary form of the social sciences “social studies,” you would have the primary
source, but what if you found a copy of the minutes recorded verbatim in a secondary
publication? Because we always want to get as close as we can to the original source, you
should cite both sources (Ellis, 1991, p. 107; Social Sciences Conference Proceedings, 1916, p.
3). We will look closer at how to cite sources in a later section.
Now let us look at other types of data such as population and economic figures. Are there
primary sources for these? Yes, there are indeed. The US Census Bureau and other government
agencies publish reports about populations and economic conditions. These sources are closer to
the original source than a textbook. The more secondary sources you have that provide the same
data and information, the stronger is your position. Of course, you cannot get much stronger
than showing the primary information, so if you have data found in Census Reports or
Appalachian Regional Commission reports, for instance, you have gone to the primary sources.
Block Quotations
The subject of using block quotations needs to be addressed. Use block quotes when you are
citing directly 40 or more words. Here is an example of the use of a block quotation:
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
10
The doctoral tracks in leadership extend the University’s long-standing mission to
prepare students for “lives of responsible service and leadership.” Curricular options in
the doctoral program allow students to develop advanced practitioner skills applicable to
community settings, K-12 schools, and higher education organizations; particular
emphasis is on academic leadership in collegiate level business, education, and English,
as well as history, math, psychology, and ministry departments (UC Program Catalog
and Handbook, 2017, p. 1).
Now let us turn our attention to using someone’s pictures, illustrations, and maps. If you intend
to use someone’s artistic work, you must secure written permission from the copyright holder to
use it in your dissertation. A copy of the letter should be placed in the Appendices.
Building a Literature Review and Research Questions
The first piece of the dissertation to be written is not Chapter One. Chapter Two, the Literature
review, is actually written first. One misconception that many students of research have is that a
literature review (or lit review for short) is just a hoop to jump through on the way to writing a
dissertation. It is in fact the basis for identifying hypotheses statements or research questions,
which are described in Chapter One. How else could you get an education on what has been
determined about a problem or situation? Personal observations and experiences are nice, but
they may not be consistent with others’ perspectives. A well-written review of the literature tells
readers that you have sufficient knowledge to present a hypothesis. A great place to start
building Chapter Two is to find recently published books and journal articles on the subject.
Keep in mind that a book takes up to two years to actually be printed. A book that came out in
2008 would not likely contain many sources newer than 2006. If you want to see a synopsis of
what writers have stated on the subject up to 2006-07, it is a great source, but if you want to find
the latest sources, it is limited to the time period in which the book was written. As a general
rule, recently published journal articles are more up-to-date than books. However, books often
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
11
provide greater depth to the subject in question than is the case with articles. It is perhaps more
important to pay attention to which sources are cited the most, especially if they are older than
five years. Repetitive citations are a good sign that these are seminal or important sources that
provide a theoretical foundation for what was published after them.
Researchers can use several online sources to find sources. JSTOR, Google Scholar, and
World Cat (www.worldcat.org) are great sources. You can go to Google Scholar at this address:
www.googlescholar.com. The University has a number of other means to help you secure
documents and books, including through interlibrary loan.
Formatting the Manuscript
Let us assume that you are working on a dissertation that deals with how fine arts education can
increase students’ academic performance in a host of other courses. If you think of the literature
review as a large essay describing what has been written lately on the subject of the relationship
between a student’s exposure to the arts and his/her overall academic development, then you are
on your way to writing a good lit review, especially if you write the essay from broad to specific
sub-topics. The same approach would apply if your topic is middle school or college discipline
issues.
After you have read the material, think about how it can be divided into its sub-parts (i.e.,
art and cognitive processing, or music and social expression, etc.). Once you have done this, line
the sub-parts up into logically connected sections and give them a sub-heading (i.e. art and
cognitive processing and music and social expression).
A section’s sub-title level, which will be shown shortly, is determined by its relationship
to the preceding and succeeding sections. Is the section in question separate and equal to the
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
12
adjoining sections (before and after)? If so, then use the same level (such as italics) for the
subheading. In the example above, clearly art and cognitive processing and music and social
expression are two different topics that are of equal importance, so you would assign them the
same level.
Level selection is mostly based on the preceding section. The same level means that the
sections (both preceding and present) are separate and equal in importance to the overall project.
On the other hand, let us say that that we have a section called “factors affecting cognitive
processing.” Art, then, would form a sub-section and would thus be assigned a lower level than
factors affecting cognitive processing. We will take a specific look at this example shortly, but,
for now, let us return briefly to a general discussion on formatting.
In a nutshell, formatting style uses sub-headings to help the reader easily understand the
organization of your paper. These headings are arranged in a hierarchy, with the same heading
levels applying to topics of equal importance. The subheadings also follow your thesis map
which should be written in the introductory section of each chapter. The thesis map shows the
reader the sections of the chapter that support your thesis statement or main idea.
The format or look of your sub-headings depends on how many levels of subheadings
you have in the chapter. Most chapters will only use two or three levels of headings. Four and
five levels are typically used for papers describing multiple experiments. In either case, format
the entire chapter as indicated below:
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
13
Chapter Two (One level)
Review of the Literature (Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading)
Chapter Two (Two levels)
Review of the Literature (Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading) Flush
Left, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading
Chapter Two (Three Levels)
Review of the Literature (Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading)
Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading
Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading, ending with a period, with following
text starting on the same line.
Chapter Two (Four levels)
Review of the Literature (Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading)
Centered, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
14
Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading
Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading, ending with a period, with following
text starting on the same line.
CHAPTER TWO (Five levels)
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE (CENTERED UPPERCASE HEADING)
Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading
Centered, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading
Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading
Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading, ending with a period, with following
text starting on the same line.
As a reminder, please note that the formatting of sub-headings is determined by the number of
headings and their relationship to each other. Also note that the first section of all chapters
should be labeled Introduction, except for Chapter One (Introduction). Its introduction should be
titled “Overview.” The next sub-heading used after that section is assigned the next highest level
of heading (usually Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading). Note that you
must use Times New Roman 12 font. Double space the lines. Note that Chapter One and
Introduction have one double-spaced line between them. There are three double space lines
between Introduction and Overview. Upon completing a subsection, there should be two double-
spaced lines between that section and the next subtitle. There is only one double-spaced line
between the subtitle and its text. On the following pages are formatting examples:
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
15
Chapter One
Introduction
(Example)
Overview
National service programs like the AmeriCorps program are becoming increasingly important
opportunities for recent college graduates, the sites that host them, and the communities in which
they serve. National service poses an opportunity to develop both personally and professionally
as well as deepen civic commitment to the area where serving (Cohen, 1996). Many recent
graduates are actively seeking opportunities to further develop skills and give back to the
community through experiential or service learning based activities prior to entering their chosen
career (Martin, 2010). Additionally, funding for conservation and environmentally based
programs is readily becoming more restricted and therefore programs are seeking innovative
ways to meet their missions while minimizing overhead expenses. While positive impacts of
participation in national service programs is well documented (Tschirat, Mesch, Perry, Miller &
Lee, 2001; Simon, 2002; Selingo, 1998; Cohen, 1996), impacts of environmentally focused
national service is underrepresented in the literature, specifically service at conservation-based
facilities. This research seeks to determine if participation in a conservation-based AmeriCorps
program impacts the leadership skills and career decision self-efficacy of members.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
16
Chapter Two (Example)
Review of the Literature
Introduction
Begin writing here….
Teaching College Art
Begin writing here. …
Teaching College Music
Begin writing here….
Summary
One could easily add another level to the previous example. Suppose you are interested in
differentiating sculpture and painting as art forms. The chapter would be formatted thusly:
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
17
Chapter Two
Review of the Literature
Introduction
Teaching College Art
Teaching sculpturing. Begin text here….
Teaching painting. Begin text here….
Teaching College Music
Summary
The same steps could be taken to add subsections to teaching college music. We are now ready
to leave behind the discussion on formatting and the use of level subheadings. The next section
shows some effective pointers for research writing.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
18
Pointers for Effective Formatting, Writing, Submission, and Resubmissions
English classes often focus on writing entertaining and descriptive sentences. These kinds of
sentences require an ample use of adjectives and adverbs. Research writing, on the other hand,
sheds itself of color and hyperbole—the use of exaggerations to stress a point. We cringe at the
use of words like “never,” “always,” “very,” “totally,” and “everyone” because while there are
laws that govern forces in the natural world, there are virtually none found among humans in the
social and cultural worlds that we create. Here are some more basic points to remember:
• Use third person voice. Do not use “I,” “we,” or “our.” Write statements like “The
researcher observed eight students eating before the lecture.”
• Do not indent the first sentence of a new subsection. The first line of each paragraph that
follows in the subsection is indented, however.
• Double space after periods.
• Single space after colons and semicolons
• Write shorter sentences for clarity. Consider which is best:
Example A. “The study, using a casual-comparative design, examined the relationship
between gender and ethnicity with respect to students’ perceptions of deterrents to
college completion as revealed in graduation rates.”
Example B: “A study was conducted on college graduation rates. The research
considered gender and ethnicity as factors affecting students’ attitudes toward program
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
19
completion. Data collected in the study were evaluated using a causal-comparative
design.”
• Question: Is example A or B better for the reader? We hope you answered B.
• Write each paragraph like it is a mini essay. Start it with a topic sentence (introduction)
and end it with a summary or transition sentence that leads into the next paragraph.
• Do not use bold letters for any reason, including subheadings. The APA format shows
the subsection’s relationship to the chapter, so you do not need bold letters to show
importance.
• Spell the word percent.
• Spell out numbers smaller than 10, unless it is a name or begins a sentence.
• Avoid using words like “very,” “always,” “never,” “everyone,” “no one,” or “totally.”
• Do not leave orphans and widows at the bottom of a page. These take the form of a
single line that starts a paragraph or a lone subheading.
• Place page numbers in the bottom right hand corner (footer) (This is stylistic departure
from APA).
• Place your last name in the upper left corner or header.
• Place the running head or short title in the upper right corner or header.
• Use single-spaced lines in the Reference section, but double space between source
entries. Indent all but the first line of the citation.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
20
Resubmissions of critiqued and edited work. Guidelines for Editing and Resubmissions In
offering a student feedback on term papers or dissertations, faculty often proceed from chapter to
chapter (or subsection to subsection). Nearly all reviews require some comments and editing.
Please note that yellow areas highlight spaces that were edited by the professor. It is helpful to
check them for clarity with a comparison to the previous or original submission. Parenthetical
green areas need the student’s attention and/or action. All changes, additions, or edits that a
student makes to any part of the file that has been critiqued should be highlighted or shaded in
light blue. Some professors use red shading to show the student where a deletion is needed.
It is important for students to learn from faculty’s feedback and then look ahead in the
pages that have not been critiqued and work to fix similar issues; we are creatures of habit, so we
often make the same mistakes. Once a student has responded to the edits and comments in the
latest submission, and if requested, return the same file to the instructor. Please delete other files
that are similar or reflect earlier submissions; it is not uncommon for students to return the wrong
file. A student who is in receipt of a critiqued file, please respond to the green areas and check
edits (yellow areas) for clarity, and if they are good, remove the shading. With respect to the
green parenthetical areas, a student should respond to the request, remove the green parenthetical
comment, and if a student writes something in response to a green parenthetical comment or
otherwise, as stated above, edits any material that has been critiqued, shade the new writing light
blue.
This system of submissions and feedback show faculty where students are working. Side
bar comments are fine if the professor does not expect a resubmission on dissertation chapters,
but experience has shown that when a resubmission is expected, invariably students that move
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
21
between two or more files often leave out important material. The color coding system is
advised even for term papers.
Now that we have looked at pointers for making sure you clearly communicate
information in the review of the literature, we ask that you apply the same guidelines throughout
the five-chapter project. When you are ready to present the entire manuscript, please submit six
copies typed or printed on quality paper to your dissertation director. With respect to the final
submission only, set margins thusly: one and a half inches on the left and one inch on the other
sides. The extra half inch on the left accounts for binding.
Let us now turn our attention to formatting the remaining chapters, references, and
appendices.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
22
Chapter Three (Example)
Methods and Procedures
Introduction
Chapter Three is the procedures and methods section of your study. It logically proceeds from
Chapter Two, the Literature Review. A major point to consider here is the question: did your
review of the literature review show that further investigation is warranted? Can you therefore
develop a hypothesis or educated guess from your review of the literature? Can you write a
procedure to test your hypothesis? Can someone interested in your study follow or replicate
your work? If you can answer yes to all of those questions, chapter three will be a snap to write.
In many respects this is the fun chapter to write because it allows you to show your
creativity in setting up a test of your insight(s) otherwise known as the hypothesis. The chapter
is divided into the following sections: introduction, research paradigm, research design, data
collection and sources, and statistical tests discussion. There should also be a reference to a letter
to the Ethics or HRB/IRB Committee (placed in the Appendices) to show that participants were
informed of the consequences, if any, of participating in the study. It should also demonstrate to
the participant that his or her participation is voluntary and confidential or otherwise anonymous.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
23
Chapter Four (Example)
Research Findings
Introduction
Chapter Four contains analyses of the research findings. The chapter includes answers to each
research question or hypothesis statement. There may also be a supplementary section in which
unexpected insights were detected. The chapter concludes with a summary called “Review of
the Findings.” It is perhaps best to think of this chapter as a venue for discussing the statistical
significance of the findings. As is seen in the next section, Chapter Five provides you with an
opportunity to explain the practical significance of the results. Before we proceed to that
important discussion, let us explore ways to report the results of inferential statistics tests
commonly used in educational research (t-tests, ANOVA, chi square, Spearman’s rs and
correlations). In the first example, Dr. Anita Coffee (UC, 2011) compared pre-test scores in
phonics, a topic of special interest to primary school teachers. She correctly used an independent
samples t-test to compare differences between two independent groups. In the event that she
wanted to compare differences, if any, between pre- and post-test scores within one group, she
would have used correlated samples (matched pairs) t-test. Note that block quoting is used in
some of the following examples, which is required for direct quotes that exceed 50 words.
Flex and Homeroom Group findings for Pre-Test in Phonics
Independent samples t-test was used to compare data generated by rotating Flex grouping
and Homeroom grouping on a pre-test in phonics (see Table 1). Data in Table 1 show
that there was a significant difference between the groups at the beginning of the study.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
24
The results of the t-test show that homeroom or experimental grouping (N = 17)
displayed a higher rate of achievement (M = 80.4) than their counterparts who rotated
classes for Flex phonics instruction (M = 67.9), (t [16] = -2.75, p < 0.01).
Table 1: t-test Two-Sample Assuming Equal Variances in Flex and Homeroom Grouping
on Pre-Test for Phonics
Control Experimental
Mean 67.88235 80.3529412
Variance 297.8603 387.242647
Observations 17 17
Pearson Correlation 0.495347
Hypothesized Mean
Difference 0
Df 16
t Stat -2.75374
P(T<=t) one-tail 0.007063
t Critical one-tail 1.745884
P(T<=t) two-tail 0.014125
t Critical two-tail 2.119905
It is important to note that “N” equals the number of pairs of data considered in the study; “M” is
the mean for a group; and “16” represents the degrees of freedom.
Next, we turn our attention to analysis of variance (ANOVA). A one-way ANOVA
performs like a t-test in that it compares differences among means. Whereas a t-test is used to
compare two sets of data, ANOVA is used to compare more than two sets of data, typically three
or four. If a researcher is interested in measuring possible differences among means produced by
three groups of students, a one-way ANOVA is good choice. On the other hand, if one is
interested in seeing if gender makes a difference among the three groups, the independent
variable (mean examination scores) would have two levels (male and female). This kind of
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
25
investigation calls for a two-way or factorial ANOVA. In either case, the results would be
reported in the manner used by Vann (1996, p. 148):
An ANOVA was conducted on the groups’ educational data. The test is summarized in
Table 4. The test supported the notion (aka hypothesis) that there was a difference
between the groups’ educational levels (F [3, 218] = 10.17, p < .01). To determine which
pairs of means were different, a modified Tukey’s HSD test, which corrects for unequal
subsample Ns, was conducted (Spatz & Johnston, 1989). After comparing the means of
group one (M = 11.87) and group two (M = 10.95) and finding a significant difference
(HSD [218] = 3.69, p < .05), comparisons of the remaining pairs were made, and no
differences were measured. (If using an independent samples t-test as a post hoc tool,
substitute t for HSD and replace 218 with the appropriate degrees of freedom df.)
Table 4. Summary of ANOVA for Groups
________________________________________________________
Source df SS MS F
Between Groups 3 67.71 22.57 10.17
Within Groups 218 483.15 2.22
Total 221 550.86
________________________________________________________
As with the t-test shown previously, the critical value and the p value are featured in writing the
results of a test.
The last parametric test that will be used to illustrate how to report results is the
correlation r. As with Spearman’s rs, correlations between -1.0 and 1.0 are possible. A
correlation of .33, or .66 for that matter, may or may not be significant. Clearly, however, if all
variables are constant, an r = .33 shows less of a correlation between continuous variables than
an r = .66. In addition to a table showing descriptive statistics, your narrative for a test that
produced a significant Pearson Product Moment Correlation should say something like: “The
two variables were correlated, (r [55] = .49, p < .01).” The formula N-2 is used to calculate
degrees of freedom for a correlation coefficient. However, a regression will provide results of
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
26
ANOVA in evaluating the significance of the results; in that case the results would be reported as
“the two variables were correlated, (r = .79, F [1, 13] = 22.28, p < .001).”
Let us now shift our attention to reporting non-parametric tests like Spearman’s rs and chi
square. These tests compare rank orders and frequencies, respectively. Here is an example of
reporting a Spearman’s rs test: “The rank-order comparison suggests that participants in both
studies saw time constraints as the most imposing deterrent (rs [5] = .90, p < .10).” The
following is an example of how to report a chi square test: “Gender was not a factor in the
percentage of gifted students that completed the program, (X2 [1, N = 90] = 0.89, p >.10).”
Chapter Four presents the statistical significance of the analyses, but Chapter Five
requires you to look at the data and then discuss the practical implications of the findings as well
as their implications for future studies.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
27
Chapter Five
Summary, Discussion, and Implications
Introduction
As with the first four chapters, Chapter Five begins with an introduction that contains a thesis
statement and thesis map. The headings should follow the thesis map. First, discuss the results
the research questions/hypotheses with respect to their “Practical Significance.” You will also
add a subsection that identifies some of the “Limitations of the Study.” Another subsection ends
the chapter. It is called “Implications of the Findings” (this is tantamount to a summary). In
this subsection, you provide other scholars with a “heads up” so to speak about what to consider
in any subsequent studies on the topic. More importantly, this chapter places your work and its
findings in the body of literature. In other words, how is your work similar to or different from
existing studies on the subject? Be sure to emphasize the importance or practical significance of
your findings.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
28
References (Example)
Immediately following the body of the thesis, place the references. Please do not call them
resources or even a collective bibliography. The section is simply titled “References.” Before
we look at the different ways to cite sources in the Reference section, it is important to ask you to
avoid, when possible, citing Internet addresses. It is always best to use the actual land or
traditional method of citing sources. However, online journals and newsletters are flourishing,
so there are obvious exceptions to using Internet-based sources. In the final analysis, the key
issue in selecting a source is whether or not it was peer-reviewed. There are many bloggers out
there in cyberspace whose thoughts are solely their own and which have not been vetted through
a peer review process. Among the more respected and common types of sources used in
educational research are books, journal articles and other periodicals, census or government
agency reports, and yes, the Internet. These are basic ways to cite sources:
Books. Books can be written by single or multiple authors. They can also be edited
works. The following examples follow that order:
Johnson, A. B. (1994). Teaching in the community college. San Francisco: Bass Publishers.
Johnson, A. B., & Smith, B. A. (1991). Teaching in the community college. San Francisco:
Bass Publishers.
Johnson, A. B., Smith, B. A., & Jones, I. O. (1990). Teaching in the community college. San
Francisco: Bass Publishers.
Billings, M. T. (Ed.). (1992). Teaching in the community college. San Francisco: Bass
Publishers.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
29
Journals. Journals and other periodicals such as magazines and scholarly newsletters are
cited thusly:
Vann, B. A. (2007). “Irish Protestants and the creation of the Bible belt.” Journal of
Transatlantic Studies, 5 (1), 87-106.
Online periodical citation. The following example shows how to cite an online journal
article:
Johnson, A. B., & Mathews, B. C. (2000). “Teaching adult students.” Higher Education, 1 (7),
2-9. Retrieved August 19, 2009, from http://www.highered.com.
If the online source does not have a page number, please cite the paragraph number, which you
will likely have to count.
When constructing references, please do not use the APA reference function in Microsoft
Word or any other automatic reference software. Since we use a modified version of APA, we
are unable to highlight and edit any changes that might need to be made if you use programs to
generate references. Although it takes a little longer, it is in your best interest to individually
type each reference.
These are just a few of the more common ways to cite references. You are certainly
encouraged to use the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association as a
source for citing publications not shown in this handbook.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
30
Qualitative Research Projects
Along with the quantitative dissertations, the Community and Higher Education Program also
permits leadership dissertations based upon qualitative methodology when the subject of the
study is of an historical nature. Therefore, this section of the Handbook provides a brief overview
of Qualitative Research for those PhD students wishing to write a dissertation on a historical
approach to leadership or leadership theories. Although some qualitative dissertations can, and
will, use statistical analysis, research topics that can be answered via statistical analysis must
continue to conform to the methods employed in the heretofore described Quantitative Research
approach.
The Nature of Qualitative Research
Although qualitative and quantitative research requires the student to ask questions and find
answers, each has its own methodology. Quantitative research, the type more commonly
associated with the EdD and the PhD, employs the scientific method and has conclusions that
are often numbers-driven. Quantitative research, moreover, relies upon a deductive approach, or
top-down approach to research, suggesting that such a study starts with a hypothesis, and, with
the scientific method, attempts to answer or refute the premise on which the study is based. One
of the more interesting aspects of quantitative studies is that the question being researched may
have a narrow focus, but, because it relies upon the scientific method, its answers can be
generalized to a larger population. As long as the researcher can defend the validity of the
conclusions and methods leading to the answers, any outside researcher should be able to
replicate the methodology and arrive at similar results.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
31
Qualitative research takes a different approach. Although it applies deductive reasoning,
in that its method and conclusions derive from the logical explanations of evidence, qualitative
research relies more upon inductive reasoning. It is a bottom-up approach in which the
researcher accumulates evidence, assesses it, and then draws conclusions. It does not – and
should not – have a preconceived answer. Although all studies start with a basic research
question (e.g., “What were the leadership techniques of George Washington?”), a good
qualitative study draws its hypotheses, or (the more commonly used term) thesis, only after the
researcher has gathered the evidence. Although the researcher interprets the evidence, good
qualitative studies “let the evidence speak for itself.” This means that qualitative studies allow
more subjectivity than quantitative studies. Because qualitative studies are evidence-driven,
another researcher may examine the same evidence but draw different conclusions from it. The
following table illustrates the different approaches between quantitative and qualitative
research.
Quantitative (top-down research): Qualitative (bottom-up research):
1: Research Question(s) 1: Pose Research Question
2: Hypothesis 2: Evidence Gathering
3: Testing/Evidence Gathering 3: Observation/Analysis (could use
statistical tests)
4: Observation/Analysis 4: Thesis
5: Confirmation of Study
6: Recommendations for Future Studies
Obviously, this table simplifies the process of both styles, but it is a handy tool to summarize the
two approaches.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
32
One other important distinction exists between quantitative and qualitative studies.
Quantitative studies tend to be factual and to-the-point; there is little room for narrative and
prolonged explanation. As such, they have a reputation (not always deserved) for being “dry”
and short. Frequently, the audience for quantitative studies is those only interested in the specific
topic. Qualitative studies, however, are narrative-driven, meaning they require the author to
“tell (spacing issue in original)the story” of the evidence. As such, qualitative studies tend to be
longer because authors are required to offer longer explanations of why the evidence makes their
conclusions correct. Authors of qualitative studies must be excellent writers because their
narratives often employ a more flowery, literary, and hence more descriptive voice; thus longer,
more narrative-driven writing leads many to conclude (sometimes falsely) that qualitative studies
are more entertaining. One (spacing issue in original) final, but very important, element of
narrative writing needs to be addressed: the use of the imagination. Anytime one is trying to
reconstruct the development of something, be it a person, idea, or anything, it requires the use of
the imagination. Of course, this is not the imagination of the fiction writer, but rather the use of
the imagination to shape and bring order to a disparate set of primary sources.
Selecting the Topic
The PhD in Leadership dissertation must concentrate on the development or application of
leadership theories or practices. This can take the form of a study on a theory of leadership, the
historical development of a leadership idea, or the leadership style/approach of a historical figure
or even figures. Because it concentrates on the development of leadership, one of the key aspects
of the PhD dissertation will be the importance of context in explaining that development. As
such, the PhD Leadership dissertation cannot focus solely on classroom teaching, other
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
33
pedagogical issues, or a contemporary policy or program analysis. These types of studies
demand a deductive approach to writing the dissertation.
Sources for the PhD in Leadership
All Leadership PhD dissertations must be based heavily upon primary source research. A
primary resource is an original document (e.g., private/public letters, published essays, poems,
books, pamphlets, newspapers, state papers, etc.) that is from the period under discussion. For
example, if you are writing on the leadership style of Thomas Jefferson, your sources must
include those written at the time of Jefferson’s life. Because of the narrative style of the PhD
dissertations, you will necessarily want a broad array of primary sources. Going back to the
Jefferson example, you would need to include more than Jefferson’s letters to explain his
leadership approach because you will be situating Jefferson’s style within the context of his time.
Thus, you will need to broaden your research – and sources – to explain why Jefferson’s
approach to leadership took the form it did.
PhD dissertations should also use secondary sources. A secondary source is a work that
has analyzed primary sources and is unrelated to the period under discussion. They can range
from articles in peer-reviewed journals, published academic books, textbooks, etc. With few
exceptions, students should use only those secondary sources that are peer-reviewed, meaning
that experts in the topic have reviewed and accepted the publication as an important contribution.
It also means that the factual-information contained within the source is reliable, although for
not-so-obvious reasons, their work lacks a complete or accurate interpretation of the subject
matter; there has to be a reason for the reader to plod through your work, so it is essential that
you be critical of secondary sources. Please avoid encyclopedia and most online sources, as both
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
34
are rarely academic in nature. This applies to dictionaries too, with one notable exception, The
Oxford English Dictionary.
Formatting the PhD Dissertation
All qualitative PhD dissertations must adhere to Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term
Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 8th ed. (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2008) for proper
citation and formatting style. Chapters 15-17, 20-26, and the Appendix are particularly helpful.
The Community and Higher Education Program (are we still using this title?) requires the use of
footnotes and a bibliography for all qualitative dissertations. All dissertations should be double-
spaced, typed in 12pt, Times New Roman (spacing issue) with 1.5 left margins and 1’ margins
for the rest. Footnotes must be in 10pt Times New Roman with a double space between notes,
but a single space inside the note itself (examples will follow). Please use continuous page
numbers in the text. Page numbers of the actual text should be in the upper right corner, with the
exception of the first page of a new chapter; those page numbers should be at the bottom-center.
The acknowledgements and other non-textual pages at the beginning of the dissertation should
be in roman numerals at the bottom center of the page, and they should be continuous. The title
page does not have a page number. You must spell out all numbers below 100. When quoting,
place punctuation marks inside the quotation marks. For visual examples of the title page,
bibliography, and general formatting, please refer to the appendix of the Turabian citation
manual.
Unlike the EdD and Quantitative PhD dissertations, which follow a five-chapter format,
the qualitative dissertation is not bound by those requirements. Rather, the qualitative dissertation
should generally contain a minimum of 45,000 words. This word requirement applies to the text
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
35
of the dissertation only; it does not cover the title page, acknowledgements, table of contents, or
other non-content related pages.
Despite the open-ended nature of the qualitative dissertation, each dissertation must start
with an Introduction. In the “Introduction,” the author must present his or her research project,
the overall scope of the work, and produce the general thesis of the work as well a thesis map
elaborating the sub-topics/extent of each chapter. The thesis map should logically support the
thesis statement. The introduction of each chapter should be the only place where an outright
thesis statement and map are used. The thesis can (and probably should) be referred to
throughout the work, but it should be done in a more subtle, literary style. Allow the
introduction to be the place where you state the thesis in a bold, upfront, and “in your face”
manner.
After the Introductory chapter, Chapter One of the dissertation should be your
Literature Review. Here, you will elaborate and engage what the secondary literature says about
the general topic you are writing about. You are expected to discuss and analyze both the
seminal works – those writings which have had an important and lasting impact on how a topic
is understood – on the topic as well lesser-known contributions. You should make special note of
potential trends, how understanding of the topic has changed over time, and any potential
paradigms that might have emerged and been influential on the writings on your topic. This
does not mean, however, you must cover everything ever written on the topic or even talk about
them in glowing terms. Remember, be critical and set your perspective and work apart from the
other pieces on the subject. For many topics, it would take a lifetime or more to master that
literature. Rather, a good-faith effort to master the literature is what is expected.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
36
After the Introduction and Chapter One, the rest is up to you. You will spend the next
chapters (however many) elaborating your contribution and understanding of the topic. These
chapters need to be primary source-driven. The last element of the textual part of the dissertation
must be a Conclusion. In it, you must provide a general overview of the literature, what your
work just argued, and offer suggestive questions for future researchers on the topic.
Footnote and Bibliographic Examples
The Turabian citation method follows a rather simplistic citation style compared to MLA or
APA. If you are using Microsoft Word, you can insert footnotes by going to the “References”
tab, clicking “Insert Footnote.” It will insert a superscript with the appropriate footnote number
and a bottom break line with the corresponding number for you to place your citation. All
footnotes must be single space internally and double-spaced between notes and they must be
numerical (no roman numerals or letters). Footnotes must follow the punctuation mark; please do
not put footnotes in the middle of a sentence. All footnote texts must be in 10pt Times New
Roman. Titles of books are italicized. The title of journal articles must be set off with quotation
marks, “ ”, while the title of the journal placed in italics. The following examples are for the most
common citations: a book and article with a single author. For remaining, and less common
citations (i.e. multiple authors, editors, books in a series, etc.), please refer to the Turabian
citation manual, chapters sixteen and seventeen.
Footnote for a Book (in 10pt font)
Barry A. Vann, In Search of Ulster-Scots: The Birth and Geotheological Imagings of a Transatlantic People, 1603-
1703 (Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press, 2008), pg(s).
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
37
Please note: the above text is in 10pt font, and the pg(s) at end should be the actual page numbers
of the citation.
Bibliographic citation of the same source (in 12pt font)
Vann, Barry A., In Search of Ulster-Scots: The Birth and Geotheological Imagings of a
Transatlantic People, 1603-1703. Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press,
2008.
Footnote for a Journal Article (in 10pt font)
Aaron N. Coleman, “Debating the Nature of State Sovereignty: Nationalists, State Sovereigntists, and the Treaty of
Paris (1783)” Journal of the Historical Society 12 (Fall 2012): pg(s)
A brief breakdown: After the title of the journal, which is italicized, you must put the volume
number (in the example that is 12), and then in parenthesis you must put the year of the journal.
If the journal includes a time or month of year in which it is published (i.e., Spring, Summer,
Fall, or Winter or a March, August, December, etc.), please include it.
Bibliographic citation of the same source (12pt font)
Coleman, Aaron N. “Debating the Nature of State Sovereignty: Nationalists, State
Sovereigntists, and the Treaty of Paris (1783).” Journal of the Historical Society 12 (Fall
2012): 309-340.
Note here that on the Bibliographic citation for journal articles, you must include the page
number the article can be found.
The Explanatory Footnote
Often, when doing qualitative research, you will have information that is important but not of
direct relevance to the text. This is when the explanatory, or annotative, footnote comes into
play. You can place a note after your textual information and in the footnote, write out (explain)
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
38
that other piece of information. They are an excellent tool to provide further information and
elaboration for your readers.
Headings and Subheadings
The use of headings inside the chapters is common practice, while subheadings are rarer. All
headings should be set off in bold text, and every important word capitalized (as if it were a title
of a book). Please do not underline or italicize headings.
Introduction (Example):
Title of Your Project
Overview
As stated earlier, the introduction is where you will establish for your readers the overall scope of
your project. You will establish the topic, the thesis, and general thesis map. It is in the
Introduction where you “hook” your readers into wanting to know more about your topic and
argument. In many ways, this your chance to show off your writing, thinking, and expertise on
the subject as the Introduction serves as your place to show the readers why your project is
important and worthwhile.
Please note several things regarding the format. First, at the top-center, you note the
Introduction, Chapter, Table of Contents, Acknowledgments, or Dedication, placing a colon at
the end. Second, for the Introduction and Chapters, you will then space one line down, and place
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
39
the title of each chapter. The exceptions are Introduction where you will place the dissertation’s
title and Chapter 1, which you will title “Literature Review.” From there, double-space between
the chapter title and the start of the text. Please note: unlike this example, the page number at the
start of the Introduction and each chapter must be bottom-center.
(See previous sections of the Handbook for formatting instructions and examples.)
Appendices
Items included in the Appendices are named and given a letter (A, B, C, etc) to further identify
them. You should place any survey forms; questionnaires, the Informed Consent document, and
the IRB letter in this section (see Appendices at the end of the manual).
Preliminary Pages
Preliminary Pages are placed in the beginning of the Dissertation. Like the thesis itself, these
pages are also written with Times New Roman 12 Font type. Beginning with the title page, they
are numbered with lower case Roman numerals (bottom right). The numbering system switches
to 1 etc. on the first page of Chapter One:
Title all parts are centered and appropriately spaced from each other. Title (all caps); write
below the title: A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
of doctor of philosophy then write below: by your full name followed by abbreviations for prior
degrees (i.e., by Gertrude Bridgette Burnside, B.S., M.S.); then further down the page, write the
Month and Year, University of the Cumberlands (see Appendix B).
Signature has the following parts: Write this statement (flush left, top of page): This
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
40
Dissertation is approved for recommendation to the faculty and administration of the University
of the Cumberlands. The recommendation is then followed by signature lines for the
Dissertation Director (type in the Director’s name below the line). The Director’s signature line
is followed (flush left) by lines and names (typed under the lines) of each committee member.
(See Appendix C.)
Acknowledgement(s) is where you thank those who have helped you achieve this goal (see
Appendix D).
Abstract is 150 words in length. It should succinctly mention the topic, rationale, research
paradigm, method, and general findings (see Appendix E).
Table of Contents provides chapter and subsections by page number.
List of Tables provides the table number and title along with page number.
List of Figures and Maps provides figure and map numbers and titles along with page numbers.
Please note that the Table of Contents and Lists of Tables and Figures are their own separate
pages.
Dissertation Submission Process
Once the Dissertation Director and Committee have given you permission, you are to:
• Set margins thusly: one and a half inches on the left and one inch on the other sides. The
extra space in the left margin allows for binding. Submit seven copies typed or printed
on paper to your dissertation director.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
41
Handbook Summary
This Dissertation manual was assembled to help you write, prepare, and defend your research
project as a capstone experience in your educational career. You are encouraged to refer to the
manual periodically as the need arises. While the manual is a useful tool in shaping your project
for the consumption of others, its value pales in comparison to the thoughts, ideas, and insights
that your writing represents. May God bless you and your work!
Barry Aron Vann
Nathan Coleman
Handbook Appendices Appendix A
Thesis Structure: Chapter and Subsection Layout
Your final research proposal should flow in the following manner:
Preliminary Pages:
Title Page
Signature Page
Abstract Page (limit it to 150 words; it should show the study’s purpose and statistical results)
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
42
List of Tables
List of Figures (if any)
Chapter One (Introduction)
**Overview
**Background and Problem Statement
**Purpose of the Study
**Research Questions or Questions to be Answered (Hypotheses Statements)
**Limitations of the Study
**Assumptions
**Definitions **Summary
Chapter Two (Review of
Literature)
**Introduction to the Chapter
**An Integrated Analysis on the Literature of the Selected Topic
**Extrapolated Themes from the Literature connect to the Background and Problem
Statement as well as the Research Questions. This chapter should follow a deductive
approach that leads the reader to a logical association between the body of literature and
the research questions asked in the study.
**Summary
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
43
Chapter Three (Procedures and Methodology)
**Introduction
**Research Paradigm (qualitative or quantitative)
**Research Design(s)
**Sampling Procedures and or/
**Data Collection Sources (reference Informed Consent document placed in Appendices)
**Data Analysis Techniques or Statistical Tests
**Summary
Chapter Four (Research Findings)
**Introduction
**Analyses of research questions or hypotheses statements (one at a time)
**Supplementary Findings (if any)
**Summary or Review of the Findings
Chapter Five (Summary, Discussion, and Implications)
**Introduction
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
44
**Provide practical assessment for each research question or hypothesis statement
**Limitations of the Study
**Implications for Future Study
**Summary
Reference Page in APA Format
Appendices – This section contains any tables, figures and possible data sources that could not
be placed in the text of the paper due to its size, as well as copies of consent forms and
IRB letters.
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
45
Appendix B
Title Page Layout
INTERPERSONAL FACTORS AFFECTING PROGRAM ASSESSMENTS IN AN
APPALACHIAN COLLEGE HISTORY DEPARTMENT
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of
Education (Ed.D.)
By
Gertrude Bridgette Jackson-Lee, B.S., M.S
May 2010
University of the Cumberlands
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
46
Appendix C
Signature Page Layout
This Dissertation is approved for recommendation to the faculty and administration of the
University of the Cumberlands
Dissertation Director:
___________________
Dr. Jimmy J. Atkinson
Dissertation Evaluators:
___________________
Dr. Hattie Sage Williamson
___________________
Dr. Cooper V. Holmes
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
47
Appendix D
Acknowledgements
There are many to whom a debt of gratitude is owed for their assistance in conducting this
research…. (It is appropriate to thank key faculty, friends, and family members, as well as
ministers and God. It is advisable to limit the comments to one page)
Doctoral Program Dissertation and Case Study Handbook
48
Appendix E
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Introduction 1
Background X
Follow chapter and subheadings X
References X
Appendix A X
Appendix B X
On the page after the Table of Contents, place the List of Tables. It follows the same
pattern as the Table of Contents. Finally, on the next page place the List of Figures. The List of
Figures is formatted in the same fashion.
