Week 5 DOC/714S

DOC/714S v2

Prospectus Guide

DOC/714S v2

Page 2 of 2

Prospectus Guide

This guide describes the development of the prospectus in detail.​

The Dissertation Phases

· Phase 1: Prospectus (focus in DOC/714S: Symposium I)

· Phase 2: Dissertation Chapter 1: Introduction

· Phase 3: Dissertation Chapter 2: Literature Review

· Phase 4: Dissertation Chapter 3: Proposal

· Phase 5: Dissertation Chapters 4 and 5: Dissertation

Prospectus Objectives

· The initial dissertation milestone, the prospectus, is a formal outline of the research project that outlines information to convey that the research can be completed and will provide meaningful results that contribute to the academic and practitioner communities.​

· Additionally, the prospectus will be used to convey the research intent to your Dissertation Chair and University Research Methodologist (URM) starting in DOC/715: Doctoral Seminar 1.​

Elements of the Prospectus

The following figure depicts the elements of the prospectus that must be aligned.

Prospectus Research Outline Components

1. Program of Study: For example, this could be DBA, DHA, DM, or EDD, including specialization, when applicable.​

2. Problem Statement: The problem should convey an existing issue and the statement should be supported by citing literature or personal communication from an organizational leader. 

3. Purpose Statement: Provide a statement of the study’s objectives. Review the “Purpose” section of the “Research Design Selection and Alignment” section associated with the proposed design to ensure alignment.​

4. Research Methodology (Proposed Method and Design): After reviewing the “Overview of Methods and Designs” section and the “Research Design Selection and Alignment” section, select a method and a design that are most appropriate for the proposed study. State the proposed method and design and briefly describe why these are appropriate to achieve the proposed objectives.​

5. Research Population and Sample and Other Data Sources: Describe the population by discussing the criteria for selecting the study participants. Additionally, describe the sample size and describe the rationale for the sample size. If the study will include archival data, briefly explain the proposed data sources. ​

6. Significance of the Study: Provide a statement of the importance of conducting the study. Review the “Significance of the Study” section of the “Research Design Selection” and “Alignment” section associated with the proposed design to ensure alignment.​

7. Research Questions/Hypotheses: State the proposed research questions and hypotheses, when appropriate. Review the “Research Questions/Hypotheses” section of the “Research Design Selection” and “Alignment” section associated with the proposed design to ensure alignment. ​

8. Topic Literature: Provide a list of 5 to 10 references in APA format that are relevant to the proposed study. Include 1 or 2 sentences with each reference to describe the relevance of the literature to the proposed study. ​

9. Topic Theories: Review research literature associated with the selected research topic(s) and state up to 3 relevant theories associated with the topics. This step will become the basis for the conceptual or theoretical framework, which will become more fully developed in chapters 1 and 2 of the proposal. ​

10. Research Data Collection Strategy: Briefly describe the proposed process for collecting these data from the research sample and from any archival sources described in item 5. 

Achieving Alignment

Each of the major elements of the prospectus must be aligned in order to plan a systematic and feasible study. 

Alignment: Problem Statement

· The problem statement is viewed as the starting point for developing the prospectus. ​

· The research problem should be presented as an existing social issue for which there is not a known solution or an effective solution. 

· The problem must be supported with citations. ​

· The stated problem then drives the purpose; the research method and design must align with the purpose. ​

Alignment: Purpose Statement

· The alignment between the purpose and design should be an iterative process. ​

· Once an appropriate method and design are selected, the purpose should be modified to reflect that specific design.

· The design sections of the College of Doctoral Studies Dissertation Guide on the CDS Central website provide examples of appropriate purpose statements for various methods and designs.

Alignment: Research Questions

· The research questions should be developed based on the study’s purpose.​

· The key to alignment between the purpose and the research questions is to ensure that the research questions in aggregate are neither narrower nor wider than the purpose. ​

· The research questions must fully address the stated purpose and should not be broader than the stated purpose. ​

· Qualitative studies should either include a central research question and at least 2 sub-questions, or at least 2 research questions. In order to maintain a narrow research focus, it is recommended to set a limit of no more than 4 research questions. ​

· Quantitative studies require only 1 research question, they but must include at least 2 sets of hypotheses. 

· Mixed-method studies must include at least 1 qualitative research question and at least 1 quantitative research question supported by hypotheses. ​

Alignment: Study Title

· The study title should reflect the purpose and the selected design. ​

· Note that the title may need to change later as the dissertation elements are further developed. Therefore, during this phase the title can be considered a working title. ​

Copyright 2021 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Copyright 2021 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.