studywk1 dis
Unique1961
EdD_Dissertation_Checklist_Quantitative.docxEdD Dissertation Checklist: Quantitative
The following checklist provides guidance for reporting on quantitative EdD dissertations. A dissertation involves multiple steps, including (a) identification of the problem, purpose, theoretical or conceptual framework, and development of research question(s) to address them; (b) review of the background and context related to the problem; (c) systematic collection and analysis of data to inform a solution or strategy that addresses the practice-focused question(s); and (d) findings(s) and recommendation(s) for educational practice based on that analysis.
All items on the checklist should be addressed, although some may not be relevant to your particular study or may not necessarily be in the order that works best for your dissertation. Please consult with your committee; however, the checklist should work well in the absence of other considerations.
· Instructions for students:
· Indicate on the checklist the page number (use the actual document page number, not the MS Word pagination) where the appropriate indicator is located.
· Respond to comments from the committee in each comment history box. Do not delete previous commentsjust add your response in the appropriate space.
· Instructions for the chair and/or committee members:
· Provide specific feedback in the comment history column. Do not delete previous commentsjust add your response in the appropriate space.
· If you made detailed comments on the draft (using track changes and comments), you can make reference to the draft rather than restate everything in the checklist comment history section.
Date: (click here and type today’s date)
Student’s Name: Student ID:
Program:
Committee Members’ Names:
Chairperson:
Member:
University Research Reviewer:
|
Front Matter |
||
|
Checklist Items |
Comment History |
|
|
Title |
||
|
Type of relationship between variables. |
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
|
Key variables (independent and dependent). |
|
|
|
Applicable population. |
|
|
|
Abstract |
||
|
Describe the research problem and why it is important. |
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
|
Identify the purpose of the study. |
|
|
|
State the theoretical foundations. |
|
|
|
Summarize the key research question(s). |
|
|
|
Describe, concisely, the overall research design, methods, and data analysis procedures. (Include sample size ( N) and selection criteria.) |
|
|
|
Identify key results, conclusions, and recommendations that capture the essence of the research (for the final study only). |
|
|
|
Conclude with a statement on the implications for positive social change. |
|
|
|
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study |
||
|
Checklist Items |
Pg/NA |
Comment History |
|
Introduction (Note that APA section 3.03 does not allow a heading called Introduction; it is assumed that the first part of a manuscript is the introduction.) |
||
|
Describe the topic of the study, why the study needs to be conducted, and the potential positive social change implications of the study. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Preview major sections of the chapter. |
|
|
|
Background |
||
|
Briefly summarize research literature related to the scope of the study topic. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Describe a gap in practice in education that the study will address. |
|
|
|
End the section with why the study is needed. |
|
|
|
Problem Statement |
||
|
State the research problem. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Address a meaningful gap in practice supported by current research literature. |
|
|
|
Provide evidence that there is a consensus in research literature that the problem is current, relevant, and significant to the overall educational specialization (e.g., Adult Education, Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment) |
|
|
|
Frame the problem in a way that builds upon or counters previous research findings focusing primarily on research conducted in the last 5 years. |
|
|
|
Purpose of the Study |
||
|
Provide a concise statement that serves as the connection between the problem being addressed and the focus of the study. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Indicate that this is a quantitative study. |
|
|
|
Include the intent of the study (such as compare, correlate, explore, develop). |
|
|
|
Present the independent, dependent, and covariate variables (if applicable). |
|
|
|
Research Question(s) and Hypotheses |
||
|
State the research question(s). |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
State the null and alternative hypotheses that identify the independent and dependent variables being studied, the relationship being tested, and how the variables are being measured. |
|
|
|
Theoretical Framework for the Study |
||
|
Identify the theory or theories and provide the origin or source. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
State concisely the major theoretical propositions and/or major hypotheses with a reference to more detailed explanation in Chapter 2. |
|
|
|
Explain how the theory relates to the study approach and research questions. |
|
|
|
Nature of the Study |
||
|
Provide a concise rationale for selection of the design including references to primary sources for the chosen design. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Briefly describe the key study variables (independent, dependent, and covariates). |
|
|
|
Briefly summarize the methodology (from whom and how data are collected and how data will be analyzed). |
|
|
|
Definitions |
||
|
Provide concise definitions of the independent variable(s), dependent variable(s), and any covariates (with more detailed descriptions of variables described in Chapter 3). |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (catalick here) |
|
Define terms used in the study that have multiple meanings (e.g., socioeconomic status, educator, school administrator). Do not include common terms or terms that can easily be looked up in a dictionary. |
|
|
|
Include citations from the professional literature to support the definition or operational definition. |
|
|
|
Assumptions |
||
|
Clarify aspects of the study that are believed but cannot be demonstrated to be true. Only include assumptions critical to the meaningfulness of the study. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Describe the reasons why the assumption(s) was/were necessary in the context of the study. |
|
|
|
Scope and Delimitations |
||
|
Describe specific aspects of the research problem that are addressed in the study and why the specific focus was chosen. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Define the boundaries of the study by identifying populations included and excluded and theories most related to the area of study that were not investigated (this is an issue of external validity). |
|
|
|
Address potential generalizability. |
|
|
|
Limitations |
||
|
Describe limitations of the study related to design and/or methodological weaknesses, including issues related to limitations of internal and external validity, construct validity, and confounding variables. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Describe any biases that could influence study outcomes and how they are addressed. |
|
|
|
Describe reasonable measures to address limitations. |
|
|
|
Significance |
||
|
Identify potential contributions of the study that advance knowledge in the discipline. This discussion is an elaboration of what the problem addresses. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Identify potential contributions of the study that advance practice and/or policy, as applicable. |
|
|
|
Describe potential implications for positive social change that are consistent with and bounded by the scope of the study. |
|
|
|
Summary |
||
|
Summarize main points of the chapter. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Provide transition to Chapter 2. |
|
|
|
Chapter 2: Literature Review |
||
|
Checklist Items |
Pg/NA |
Comment History |
|
Introduction (Note that APA section 3.03 does not allow a heading called Introduction; it is assumed that the first part of a manuscript is the introduction.) |
||
|
Restate the problem and the purpose. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Provide a concise synopsis of the current literature that establishes the relevance of the problem. |
|
|
|
Preview major sections of the chapter. |
|
|
|
Literature Search Strategy |
||
|
List accessed library databases and search engines used. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
List key search terms and combinations of search terms, with more detailed search terms located in an appendix, if appropriate. |
|
|
|
Describe scope of literature review in terms of years searched as well as types of literature and sources searched, including seminal literature as well as current peer-reviewed literature. |
|
|
|
In cases where there is little current research, and few dissertations and/or conference proceedings, describe how this was handled. |
|
|
|
Theoretical Foundation |
||
|
Name the theory or theories. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Provide origin or source of the theory. |
|
|
|
Provide the rationale for the choice of this theory. |
|
|
|
Describe major theoretical propositions and/or major hypotheses, including delineation of any assumptions appropriate to the application of the theory. |
|
|
|
Provide a literature- and research- based analysis of how the theory has been applied previously in ways similar to the current study. |
|
|
|
Describe how and why the selected theory relates to the present study and how the research questions relate to, challenge, or build upon existing theory. |
|
|
|
Literature Review Related to Key Variables |
||
|
Provide an exhaustive (typically 50–75 sources) review of the current (within past 5 years) literature drawn from acceptable peer-reviewed journals or sound academic journals. Additional sources may be included that are older than 5 years. If current research studies have not been done, include a rationale for using studies older than 5 years to establish your gap. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Describe studies related to the constructs of interest and chosen methodology and methods that are consistent with the scope of the study. |
|
|
|
Describe ways education researchers have approached the problem and the strengths and weakness inherent in their approaches. |
|
|
|
Justify from the literature the rationale for selection of the variables or concepts. |
|
|
|
Review and synthesize studies related to the key independent and dependent variables to produce a description and explanation of what is known about the variables, what is controversial (i.e., mixed findings by researchers), and what remains to be studied. |
|
|
|
Review and synthesize studies related to the research questions. |
|
|
|
Summary and Conclusions |
||
|
Concisely summarize major themes in the literature. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Summarize what is known in the discipline related to the topic of study. |
|
|
|
Summarize what is not known in the discipline related to the topic of study. |
|
|
|
Describe how the present study fills a gap in the research about practice and will extend knowledge in the discipline (e.g., educational technology, higher education). |
|
|
|
Provide transitional material to connect the gap in the literature to the methods described in Chapter 3. |
|
|
|
Chapter 3: Research Method |
||
|
Checklist Items |
Pg/NA |
Comment History |
|
Introduction (Note that APA section 3.03 does not allow a heading called Introduction; it is assumed that the first part of a manuscript is the introduction.) |
||
|
Restate the study purpose as described in Chapter 1. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Preview major sections of the chapter. |
|
|
|
Research Design and Rationale |
||
|
Concisely state the study variables (independent, dependent, covariate, mediating, and/or moderating variables, as appropriate). |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Identify the research design and its connection to the research questions. |
|
|
|
Explain any time and resource constraints consistent with the design choice. |
|
|
|
Describe how design choice is consistent with research designs needed to advance knowledge in the discipline. |
|
|
|
If conducting an intervention study, defend the choice of intervention. |
|
|
|
Methodology |
||
|
Population |
||
|
Define the target population. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
State target population size (if known) or approximate/estimated size. |
|
|
|
Sampling and Sampling Procedures |
||
|
Identify and justify the type of sampling strategy. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Explain specific procedures for how the sample will be drawn. |
|
|
|
Describe the sampling frame (inclusion and exclusion criteria). |
|
|
|
Explain how the sample size was determined. |
|
|
|
Procedures for Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection (for students collecting their own data) |
||
|
Thoroughly describe recruiting procedures and particular demographic information that will be collected. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Describe how participants will be provided informed consent. |
|
|
|
Describe how data will be collected. |
|
|
|
Explain how participants exit the study (e.g., debriefing procedures). |
|
|
|
Describe any follow-up procedures (such as requirements to return for follow-up interviews, treatments). |
|
|
|
Intervention/Treatment (as appropriate) |
||
|
Describe clearly and thoroughly the nature of the treatment, intervention, or experimental manipulation, how it will be designed and administered, and by whom and to whom it will be administered. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Identify materials/programs applied as treatment or manipulation. |
|
|
|
Provide information on the developer of the materials and/or programs. |
|
|
|
If published, state where, how, and with which populations the instrument was previously used. |
|
|
|
If researcher-developed materials, state the basis for development and how the materials were developed. |
|
|
|
Provide evidence that another agency will sponsor intervention studies (Walden University cannot sponsor an intervention). |
|
|
|
Archival Data (as appropriate) |
||
|
Include all procedures for recruitment, participation, and data collection associated with the main data set from which the archived data will be drawn. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Describe the procedure for gaining access to the data set. |
|
|
|
Describe necessary permissions to gain access to the data. |
|
|
|
If historical or legal documents are used as sources of data, demonstrate the reputability of the sources and justify why they represent the best sources of data. |
|
|
|
Instrumentation and Operationalization of Constructs |
||
|
For published instruments, provide: · Name of developer(s) and year of publication. · Appropriateness to the current study. · Permission from developer to use the instrument (include permission letter in an appendix). · Published reliability and validity values relevant to their use in the study. · Where and/or with what populations the instrument was previously used and how validity/reliability are/were established in the study sample. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
For all researcher-created instruments, provide · Basis for development (literature sources or other bases for development, such as a pilot study). · Plan to provide evidence for reliability (e.g., internal consistency and test/retest). · Plan to provide evidence for validity (e.g., predictive and construct validity). Establish sufficiency of instrumentation to answer research questions. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Operationalize each variable by describing · How each variable is measured or manipulated. · How the variable/scale score is calculated. · What the scores represent. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Data Analysis Plan |
|
|
|
Identify software used for analyses. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Provide explanation of data cleaning and screening procedures as appropriate to the study. |
|
|
|
Restate the research questions and hypotheses here as written in Chapter 1. |
|
|
|
Describe in detail the analysis plan including the elements below including · Statistical tests that will be used to test the hypothesis(es). · Procedures used to account for multiple statistical tests, as appropriate (e.g., Holmes or Bonferroni). · Rationale for inclusion of potential covariates and/or confounding variables. · How results will be interpreted (key parameter estimates, confidence intervals and/or probability values, odds ratios). |
|
|
|
Threats to Validity |
||
|
Describe threats to external validity (e.g., testing reactivity, interaction effects of selection and experimental variables, specificity of variables, reactive effects of experimental arrangements, and multiple-treatment interference, as appropriate to the study) and how they will be and/or were addressed. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here)
|
|
Describe threats to internal validity (e.g., history, maturation, testing, instrumentation, statistical regression, experimental mortality, and selection-maturation interaction, as appropriate to the study) and how they will be and/or were addressed. |
|
|
|
Describe any threats to construct validity. |
|
|
|
Describe any threats to statistical conclusion validity (if appropriate). |
|
|
|
Ethical Procedures |
||
|
Describe the treatment of human participants including the following (include actual documents in the Institutional Review Board [IRB] application): · Institutional permissions, including IRB approvals that are needed (proposal) or were obtained (completed dissertation); include relevant IRB approval numbers in the final dissertation. · Ethical concerns related to recruitment materials and processes and a plan to address them. · Ethical concerns related to data collection and/or intervention activities (these could include participants refusing participation or early withdrawal from the study and response to any predicable adverse events and a plan to address them). |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Describe treatment of data (including archival data), including issues of: · Whether data are anonymous or confidential and any concerns related to each. · Protections for confidential data (data storage procedures, data dissemination, who will have access to the data, and when data will be destroyed). |
|
|
|
Other ethical issues as applicable (these issues could include doing a study within one’s own work environment, conflict of interest or power differentials, and justification for use of incentives). |
|
|
|
Summary |
||
|
Summary of design and methodology of the inquiry. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Transition to Chapter 4. |
|
|
|
[Content of Proposal Ends Here. See APA Form and Style Check at the End of the Checklist.]
|
||
|
Chapter 4: Results |
||
|
Checklist Items |
Pg/ NA |
Comment History |
|
Introduction (Note that APA section 3.03 does not allow a heading called Introduction; it is assumed that the first part of a manuscript is the introduction.) |
||
|
Review briefly the purpose, research questions, and hypotheses. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Preview the organization of Chapter 4. |
|
|
|
Data Collection |
||
|
Describe the time frame for data collection as well as actual recruitment and response rates. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Present any discrepancies in data collection from the plan presented in Chapter 3. |
|
|
|
Report baseline descriptive and demographic characteristics of the sample. |
|
|
|
Describe how representative the sample is of the population of interest or how proportional it is to the larger population if nonprobability sampling is used (external validity). |
|
|
|
If covariates are included in the design, provide results of basic univariate analyses that justify the inclusion of the covariates. |
|
|
|
Treatment and/or Intervention Fidelity (as appropriate) |
||
|
Describe whether the treatment was administered as planned and any challenges that prevented planned implementation as described in Chapter 3. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Describe any adverse events (those with serious consequences) related to the intervention. |
|
|
|
Results |
||
|
Report descriptive statistics that appropriately characterize the sample. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Evaluate statistical assumptions as appropriate to the study. |
|
|
|
Report statistical analysis findings, organized by research questions and/or hypotheses, including · Exact statistics and associated probability values. · Confidence intervals around the statistics, as appropriate. · Effect sizes, as appropriate. |
|
|
|
Report results of post-hoc analyses of statistical tests, if applicable. |
|
|
|
Report any additional statistical tests of hypotheses that emerged from the analysis of main hypotheses, as appropriate for the study. |
|
|
|
Include tables and figures to illustrate results, as appropriate, and per the current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association |
|
|
|
Summary |
||
|
Summarize answers to research questions. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Provide transitional material from the findings and introduce the reader to Chapter 5. |
|
|
|
Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations |
||
|
Checklist Items |
Pg/NA |
Comment History |
|
Introduction (Note that APA section 3.03 does not allow a heading called Introduction; it is assumed that the first part of a manuscript is the introduction.) |
||
|
Concisely reiterate the purpose and nature of the study and why it was conducted. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Concisely summarize key findings. |
|
|
|
Interpretation of the Findings |
||
|
Describe in what ways findings confirm, disconfirm, or extend knowledge of educational practice by comparing them with what has been found in the peer-reviewed literature described in Chapter 2. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Analyze and interpret the findings in the context of the theoretical framework, as appropriate. Ensure interpretations do not exceed the data, findings, and scope. |
|
|
|
Limitations of the Study |
||
|
Describe the limitations to generalizability and/or trustworthiness, validity, and reliability that arose from execution of the study. These outcomes should be used to revise what was written in Chapter 1 for the proposal. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Recommendations |
||
|
Describe recommendations for further research that are grounded in the strengths and limitations of the current study as well as the literature reviewed in Chapter 2. Ensure recommendations do not exceed the study boundaries. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Implications |
||
|
Describe the potential impact for positive social change at the appropriate level (individual, family, organizational, and societal/policy). Ensure implications for social change do not exceed the study boundaries. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Describe methodological, theoretical, and/or empirical implications, as appropriate. |
|
|
|
Describe recommendations for practice, as appropriate. |
|
|
|
Conclusion |
||
|
Provide a strong “take home” message that captures the key essence of the study. |
|
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
Checklist Items |
Comment History |
|
|
Citations and Referencing |
||
|
All citations have been crosschecked to ensure that there are corresponding references (and that there are no references that do not have associated citations). |
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
|
All sources are cited correctly per APA formatting requirements (e.g., studies listed in alphabetical order by first author; no first names of authors). |
|
|
|
Grammar, Spelling, and Syntax |
||
|
The paper has been thoroughly checked for grammar, spelling, and syntax errors. |
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
|
For the final dissertation, the dissertation has been checked for correct verb tense representing a completed study. |
|
|
|
Headings |
||
|
Headings are used, consistent with the Walden Dissertation Template. |
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
|
Use of the Writing Center Template |
||
|
The Writing Center EdD Dissertation Template (APA, 6th edition) was used to construct the proposal and/or dissertation so that all formatting is correct. |
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
|
|
Use of Academic Integrity Check |
||
|
An anti-plagiarism report was run with the exclusions setting set to “Exclude < 4 words.”. Previous submissions (false matches) should also be excluded. |
Chair Comments: (click here) Second Member Comments: (click here) URR Comments: (click here)
Student Response: (click here) |
