s edwards. The problem statement

The purpose of the dissertation template is to ensure that the dissertation manuscript is a quality, scholarly document. This template provides recommended content for key chapters of the dissertation as well as information on formatting. When it comes to the sequencing of content sections and sub-headings, dissertation committee members may advise students to modify the recommendations provided in this template. For example, dissertations utilizing a comparative research design might contain a separate chapter for each case study. The template is meant to serve simply as a guide to help ensuring the key components of a dissertation project are in place.

Below is the Dissertation Template with a description of each section.

iv

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE TITLE PAGE: THE TITLE SHOULD GO HERE (ALL CAPS)

by

Student’s Full Legal Name

Liberty University

A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree

[Doctor of Philosophy]

Liberty University

Year

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE SIGNATURE PAGE: THE TITLE SHOULD GO HERE (ALL CAPS)

by Student’s Full Legal Name

A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree

[Doctor of Philosophy]

Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA

Year

APPROVED BY:

Name and degree, Committee Chair

Name and degree, Committee Member

Name and degree, Committee Member

The abstract summarizes the contents of the manuscript, including the purpose of the study, the academic contribution of the study, the research question, the research design and methodology, results, conclusions, policy implications (if appropriate), and recommendations for further research. Descriptions of the research design should include sample, setting, and data collection and analysis methods. Approximately 250 words or less is recommended; however, some dissertation abstracts are a little longer. No more than one page is allowable, and the abstract should be written as one, double-spaced paragraph. The abstract should include results of the study, but should not include statistics or citations. The word “ABSTRACT” should be in all caps, bold, and centered. Keywords should be located at the end of the Abstract. Indent and italicize the work Keyword followed by a colon, then a list of the words in lower case separated by a comma.

Keywords: This is a list of 4-7 words (separated by commas) that are central to your study.

The dedication page is a page in which the candidate dedicates the manuscript. This page is optional.

The acknowledgments page provides the opportunity for the candidate to acknowledge individuals who influenced the writing and completion of the dissertation. This page is optional.

The Table of Contents lists the various chapters and subsections of the manuscript along with their page numbers. This sample table of contents is meant only as a starting point. Often, the labels for sub-headings/sections will correspond with the dissertation’s topic. The Table of Contents should include the Abstract, Copyright Page (optional), Dedication (optional), Acknowledgements (optional), List of Tables, List of Figures, CHAPTER TITLES (all caps), Level 1 headings, Level 2 headings, REFERENCES (all caps), and APPENDIX or APPENDICES (all caps). These should be left justified. The subsections included should only be APA Level 1 and Level 2 headings within the manuscript. Level 1 headings should be indented one half inch and Level 2 headings should be indented one inch. Chapter titles are not considered Level 1 headings. Entries should be double-spaced.

The List of Tables cites the tables and the corresponding pages of each table. This enables the reader to easily locate the tables in the manuscript. The title of this page should be a Level 1 heading, centered, 1 inch from the top of the page. Entries should be double spaced.

The List of Figures cites the figures and the corresponding pages of each figure. This enables the reader to easily locate the figures in the manuscript. The title of this page should be a Level 1 heading, centered, 1 inch from the top of the page. Entries should be double-spaced.

The title of this page should be a Level 1 heading, centered, 1 inch from the top of the page. Entries should be double-spaced. Examples are provided below.

Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC)

The purpose of Chapter One is to provide a framework for the research. The chapter should create reader interest, provide a foundation for the problem that necessitates the research, overview the context of literature in which the research is founded, identify the importance of the research for a specific audience, and briefly introduce the research via the research questions. The Overview must clearly and concisely describe the contents and organization of the chapter. Chapter One may vary in length from 10-15 pages for the final dissertation.

The Background section contains a summary of the most relevant literature and provides the historical (i.e., how the problem has evolved over time), social (i.e., contexts), and theoretical (e.g., important variables, the theoretical concepts, and the principles underpinning the research) contexts for the research problem. Each of the three contexts must be specifically examined using APA Level 2 headings for each. You should be sure to link and relate the background of the study to the proposed research. Questions that may be asked or addressed in this section may include, but are not limited to: What is the problem and why is it an interest? Who else is affected by the problem? What research has been done to investigate or address the problem? How will the proposed research extend or refine the existing knowledge in the area under study? Who will benefit or use the proposed research? What new information does the current research add to the body of existing literature regarding the topic? The majority of literature cited in this section should be no more than five years old.

This section provides an opportunity for you to articulate your motivation for conducting the study and identify the philosophical assumptions (ontological, epistemological, rhetorical, axiological) you bring to the research and the paradigm (positivism/post-positivism, constructivism, participatory, and pragmatism) that will guide the study.

“A problem might be defined as the issue that exists in the literature, theory, or practice that leads to a need for the study” (Creswell, 1994, p. 50). A problem statement summarizes “the context for the study” and the main problem the researcher seeks to address (Wiersma, 1995, p. 404). It identifies the general problem, the specific problem, the focus of the research, and the population sample. The problem statement draws from the background section; it includes current (i.e., five years or less since publication) literature (three to five citations) to show that the proposed research is empirically significant and relevant to the field. It should be stated clearly and unambiguously in one to two paragraphs. You should state: “The problem is….” In one to two focused paragraphs, convince the reader why the particular issue or problem your study is investigating needs to be done.

· Introduce the general topic needing more research, including relevant/recent statistics on the issue.

· Summarize the recent research on the topic.

· Explain how/why the current research is deficient or falls short.

· Conclude with a focused statement identifying the problem in relation to your research design.

The purpose statement should follow the problem statement and clearly and succinctly state the focus and intentions of the proposed research. “The purpose statement should provide a specific and accurate synopsis of the overall purpose of the study” (Locke, Spirduso, & Silverman, 1987, p. 5) and begin with the following statement: “The purpose of this study is . . .” It foreshadows the research question(s), and the statement must be used consistently throughout the dissertation. You are encouraged to use the following template adapted from Creswell (2013):

The purpose of this _________ (phenomenological, grounded theory, ethnographic, case, historical) study is to _______________ (understand? describe? develop? discover?) the _____________ (central phenomenon of the study) for _____________ (the participants) at __________ (the site). At this stage in the research, ___________ (central phenomenon) will be generally defined as ________________ (a general definition of the central concept). The theory guiding this study is (identify theory and cite theorist) as it (explain the relationship between the theory and your focus of inquiry).

Although brief in nature, the problem and purpose statements are two very important aspects of the manuscript. These statements support the importance of the study and identify the goal of the research. All preceding writing within the manuscript should funnel into the problem and purpose statements, and all proceeding aspects of the manuscript should align with, support, and further expand upon the problem and purpose statements.

The significance of the study section contains a description of the contributions that the study makes to the knowledge base or discipline, both theoretically and empirically (i.e., How does it relate to other studies that are similar or that investigate the same issue?)

This section also includes a brief description of the practical significance of the study; why it is important to the location, organization, general population, or sample being studied (e.g., Why and how does it affect them? How will it improve the conditions, lives, work environment, etc.? How can this study be used on a wider scale to affect change to help a wider group of people or the organization as a whole?). References are very important here to lend additional credence and support the study. All assertions in this section need to be well supported by the literature. Citations are needed.

The proposed research questions should be derived from the problem and purpose statements. A well-written research question is feasible, clear, significant, and ethical. In qualitative studies, research questions are often philosophical or pragmatic in nature and ask about meaning, process, perceptions, or behavior. Qualitative research questions are usually broader and become more specific as you move into the actual data collection/analysis process. Identify at least three research questions. If a central research question is used, the subsequent questions are called sub-questions. Include a brief description and discussion of each one before moving to the next question, using the literature (including citations) to support the focus of the question. Remember that each research question will need to be addressed in the data collection, data analysis, and discussion sections of later chapters. Be sure these questions do not elicit simple yes/no responses. Note that traditional research hypotheses are not necessary or appropriate for most qualitative studies.

1. Attitude - Attitude is a psychological tendency that involves evaluating a particular object with some degree of favor or disfavor (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993).

2. Interest - The combination of emotion and personal valuation of a task resulting in a desire for various levels of enjoyment (Ainley & Ainley, 2011).

3. Etc…

Provide a chapter summary here. The Summary includes a succinct restatement of the problem and purpose of the study and provides a strong conclusion to the chapter.

Provide a brief “roadmap” for the reader, so the reader knows what to expect in forthcoming chapters and sections.

Chapter Two is often the longest chapter of the dissertation. The minimum length must be 30 pages, but most are much longer. Its purpose is to provide a context for the present research and to demonstrate its importance based on the problem demonstrated via the literature as well as the need or gap in the literature. Chapter Two is comprised of at least four sections: (a) the Overview, (b) a Theoretical (or Conceptual) Framework section, (c) a Related Literature section, and (d) a Summary. Subheadings at Level 2 and Level 3 are often necessary. Often 1,000–2,000 articles are read and at least 100–200 integrated in the construction of this chapter. The majority of the literature cited in the chapter should be current (i.e., five years or less since publication), though it is understood that some seminal studies published more than five years are appropriate in certain sections and discussions. The Overview must clearly and concisely describe the contents and organization of the chapter.

This section should provide the reader with a direct connection to the conceptual or theoretical framework that will effectively guide the study and allow the findings to be situated within a greater context. According to Maxwell (2005),

The point is not to summarize what has already been done in the field. Instead, it is to ground your proposed study in the relevant previous work, and to give the reader a clear sense of your theoretical approach to the phenomena that you propose to study. (p. 123)

Start by describing the theory(ies), including origination and major theorist(s). Next discuss how the theory(ies) has advanced or informed the literature on your topic. Conclude by articulating how your specific research focus relates to the theory and how it may potentially advance or extend the theory(ies). Examples of theoretical frameworks include Bandura’s (1986) Social Cognitive Theory, Maslow’s (1954) Hierarchy of Needs, Knowles (1980) Adult Learning Theory, etc. Situating your study and focus of inquiry within an established theoretical framework helps establish the significance of the study.

The purpose of this section is to provide a tight synthesis (not simply a study-by-study summary) of the existing knowledge on this topic and link this existing knowledge to the proposed study. Remember that this section is the argument for the significance of the study. It communicates what has been examined on the topic(s), what has not been examined or how understanding on the topic is still developing, and how the study can fill the gap or further understanding in the field.

This section should provide a focused summary of what is currently known, what is not known, and how your proposed study can specifically address gaps in the existing literature.

Begin Chapter Three with a brief, introductory statement (one short paragraph). This should orient the reader to the contents of the chapter. The Overview may begin with a brief restatement of the nature and purpose of the study. It must clearly and concisely describe the contents and organization of the chapter. The purpose of Chapter Three is to present the procedures, research design, and analysis for the present research study. That is, it provides the reader with the details of what will occur during the execution of research. Descriptions in this chapter should be comprehensive and in sufficient detail as to permit the replication of the study. Chapter Three contains several subsections; they are listed below.

RQ1: What affect does country type (metro/suburban/rural) have on intergovernmental growth rate (IGR)?

· H01: There is no statistically significant difference in the intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) based on county type (metro/suburban/rural).

· Ha1: There is a statistically significant, positive relationship between intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) and country type (metro/suburban/rural).

RQ2: Controlling for political orientation (political), What affect does country type (metro/suburban/rural) have on intergovernmental growth rate (IGR)?

· H02: Controlling for political orientation (political), there is no statistically significant difference in the intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) based on county type (metro/ suburban/rural).

· Ha2: Controlling for political orientation (political), there is a statistically significant, positive relationship between intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) and country type (metro/suburban/rural).

The nature of the research question(s) should determine the overall research design and methodology. This section should contain a description and identification of the specific research design and methodology. For example, it is not sufficient to state that “a quasi-experimental study will be used.” It would be more appropriate to state that “a quasi-experimental static-group comparison design will be used.” The identification/description of the research design and methods must be comprehensive and in sufficient detail as to permit the replication of the study.

In addition to describing the design, this section must provide a complete rationale and justification for why the design is most appropriate for the study. Ph.D. candidates must convincingly demonstrate that their chosen research design is the best fit for the study of their own research question(s). This rationale must be supported by and derived from the most relevant, topic-specific, peer-reviewed literature. It must be logically constructed, rooted in seminal methodological texts, and fit the norms of research in the subfield. This rationale should address questions including but not limited to, what is the purpose of the design? When is it used? Why is it the most appropriate choice for the present study? What advantages might be gained by using an alternative design? Potential weaknesses in the design should be thoroughly identified and addressed. The chosen research design(s) should be consistent with the research question and hypotheses as well as the other research procedures. After providing the rationale for the design, a description of the implementation of the research approach/design should be included, one designed to facilitate the replicability of the study.

In the Design section, the planned type of study (e.g., qualitative) and research design (e.g., case study, ethnography, grounded theory, phenomenology, or historical research) should be identified. Identify (a) why the study is qualitative, (b) why the general design is appropriate, and (c) why the specific type of design was selected. Additionally, the research design type should be fully defined (with a brief history of the research design type) with citations. Further, a concise rationale for the research design and a concise description of the implementation of the design should be included. The purpose and the research design should be consistent with the research questions proposed as well as the procedures described. Be sure to also identify and describe the specific approach within the approach. For example, if selecting a phenomenological study, be sure to identify what type (e.g., hermeneutic, transcendental, consensual, etc.). If conducting a case study, identify whether it is a single instrumental, collective, or intrinsic case study. Be sure to provide a clear rationale, linking the design to your purpose. Throughout this section, refer to primary qualitative research texts for the proper design description and use them to support your rationales.

Chapter Three must specify, explain, and justify the unit of analysis. Chapter Three must include an explanation and justification for the population and sample selected for study. Ensure the sample size is appropriate and explain/justify the appropriateness of the sample size. This point of saturation will look different for each kind of project and must also be guided and informed by seminal works in research methodology (and not textbooks designed solely for classroom use). The sample must also be described with enough detail so that other researchers could replicate your study.

Ensure Chapter Three contains a discussion of the anticipated generalizability of your results, and explain how your project is maximizing the generalizability of the empirical results. If alternative approaches to increasing generalizability were considered but not implemented, explain why those alternative paths for increasing generalizability were rejected. The sample must also be described with enough detail so that other researchers could replicate your study.

If you are collecting data from primary data sets, list and describe those sources in great detail. If you are building your own dataset, lay out the process for building and justification for the dataset.

In this section you must clearly and thoroughly explain your role as the “human instrument” in the study. You must be straightforward about your relationship to the participants, your role in the setting or research site, and any bias or assumptions you bring to the study that may influence how you view the data or conduct your analysis. The role of the researcher must also be articulated in light of the chosen design and the implications of this role on the data collection and data analysis procedures must be addressed.

Chapter Three must contain a thorough description of data sources. If you are collecting data from primary data sets, list and describe those sources in great detail. If you are building your own dataset, lay out the process for building and justification for the dataset.

Chapter Three should include a conceptualization, operationalization and measurement scheme for each key variable. In this section, list, and operationalize all variables you will use (independent, dependent, and control variables). The literature review should serve as a basis for your focus upon/inclusion of key variables.

To operationalize a variable, first conceptualize it by defining exactly what it is, and what it is not. This is often done by supporting your definition with previous research that utilizes the same or similar conceptualizations. Then, explain how you will operationalize and measure this variable. Specify/explain what, for example, what changes in the outcome/dependent variable actually consist of and “look like”. Where appropriate, provide anticipated observable implications (especially for the dependent variable(s)/primary explanatory variable(s)).  All variables used in this study must be operationalized and measured appropriately regardless of whether primarily quantitative or qualitative data analysis techniques are utilized in the study. It is acceptable to use or build upon the conceptualization/measurement schemes used in previous peer-reviewed work so long as you give credit where credit is due.

Every research question will normally have at least one corresponding null hypothesis; however, sometimes more than one is needed. The number of hypotheses needed should be based upon the number of variables under study and the planned analysis method. Well-formulated hypotheses are based on the following criteria: (a) the hypothesis states the expected relationship/differences between variables, (b) the hypothesis is testable, (c) the hypothesis is stated as simply and concisely as possible, and (d) the hypothesis is founded in the problem statement and supported by research. Like the research questions, the hypotheses directly influence the statistical procedures used. It is recommended that hypotheses be written in the null form, mainly because that is how they will be treated in the statistical analyses. If hypotheses are written in directional form (directional research hypotheses), there must be a firm basis in the literature for doing so. Example:

The null hypotheses for this study are:

RQ1: Is there a significant difference in the intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) based on county type (metro/suburban/rural)?

• H01: There is no statistically significant difference in the intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) based on county type (metro/suburban/rural).

• Ha1: There is a statistically significant difference in the intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) based on county type (metro/suburban/rural).

RQ2: Controlling for political orientation (political), is there a significant difference in the intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) based on county type (metro/suburban/rural)?

• H02: Controlling for political orientation (political), there is no statistically significant difference in the intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) based on county type (metro/ suburban/rural).

• Ha2: Controlling for political orientation (political), there is a statistically significant difference in the intergovernmental revenue growth rate (IGR) based on county type (metro/suburban/rural).

In the instrumentation section, the instruments that are used to measure each variable need to be identified. The instruments may be tests, surveys, questionnaires, or other measurements. Only validated instruments may be used. A description of each instrument, its content, its origin, and its appropriateness needs to be included. State other peer-reviewed studies where an instrument was used. This will help with its credibility. For example, “the instrument was used in numerous studies (e.g., Jackson, 2014; Jones, 2013; Smith, 2009).” The scales of measurement need to be discussed and include the number of questions. For example “… the instrument consisted of 30 questions and used a five-point Likert scale that ranged from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree. Responses were as follows: Strongly Agree = 5, Agree = 4, Neutral = 3, Disagree = 2, and Strongly Disagree = 1.” Include scoring information regarding the instrument. For example, “… the combined possible score on the ATSF range from 20 to 200 points. A score of 20 points is the lowest possible score, meaning that…and a score of 200 points is the highest, meaning that…etc.” The composite and each subscale need to be included as well as validity information and reliability statistics. The validity and reliability information should be cited. State that permission was granted to use the instrument(s). All documents related to the instrument should be included as appendices. The instrument itself should only be included if written permission was granted to do so.

In the Data Analysis section, the type of data analysis is identified and a concise rationale for the type of analysis is provided. The chosen statistical procedures should be consistent with the research questions, hypotheses, and the type of data collected. In other words, why is the chosen analysis the most appropriate choice to test the hypotheses? The rationale needs to be supported by your research textbooks. For each identified analysis, be sure to discuss all assumption tests and how they were tested, the statistic used to report the effect size and the convention used to interpret it, and the alpha used. In this section, there needs to be identified statistical procedures for each hypothesis. Thus, it is useful to organize this section according to the research hypotheses.

Chapter Three must describe, explain, and justify the type of data analysis employed in the project. The chosen technique should be consistent with the research questions, hypotheses, and the type of data collected. It should be very clear why the chosen technique for analysis is the most appropriate choice available to test the hypotheses. This discussion may present in earlier sections of this chapter, or in latter sections after other details of the research design have already been justified. All aspects of each data analysis technique must be described and explained at some point in Chapter Three (for example, if working with a statistical technique for a particular hypothesis, be sure to discuss all assumption tests and how they were tested, the statistic used to report the effect size and the convention used to interpret it, and the alpha used. If utilizing document analysis in a qualitative study, for example, coding schemes should be included, explained, and justified). It may be useful and appropriate to organize this section according to each research hypotheses.

In this section the data analysis procedures should be identified and a concise rationale for each type of analysis should be provided. Be sure that your analysis procedures are aligned with your research design. For example, open, axial, and selective coding are appropriate for grounded theory studies, but not necessarily for other designs. As another example, if conducting a transcendental phenomenological study, be sure to order the primary sources for this design (e.g., Moustakas, 1994) and describe these design-specific procedures in depth. Be sure to use the primary resources on your topic to guide your development of this section. While secondary sources (e.g., course textbooks) provide good overviews of different research designs and analysis procedures, they typically lack the detailed procedural information needed to write Chapter Three. You need to provide enough detail that someone can replicate your study by following procedures outlined in this chapter. Further, as your study involves multiple forms of data collection in order to achieve triangulation, you need to discuss how you will analyze each set of data and then synthesize findings across all three (or more) sets of data. Some form of coding, along with bracketing and memoing, are tools commonly used to organize data and identify recurring themes for many qualitative data analysis strategies. If you are employing these tools while you analyze data, be sure to discuss them here (fully defined and cited). Additionally, if you will use a Qualitative Data Analysis Software (QDAS) such as NVivo, Ethnograph, or MaxQDA, discuss that in this section as well. Surveys and quantitative instruments cannot be analyzed in accordance with analysis procedures for textual (qualitative) data. If utilizing quantitative instruments, be sure to clearly address how you will analyze and then integrate or triangulate the quantitative findings with the qualitative.

At the outset of each of the sub-sections for the individual data collection strategies, you should identify the data collection strategy, fully define it in the context of qualitative inquiry (with citation), explain the data collection strategy in layman’s terms (if appropriate), and justify its appropriateness for your research. Discuss any logistics (when/where/how/with whom will data be collected, recording, etc.) and explicate which of your research questions will be answered by this data collection strategy. It is important to demonstrate that interview (and focus group) questions are generated from and grounded in the literature on your topic. Your questions should be included in a numbered list with an item-by-item discussion of each question and its basis in the literature. Here is an example as it must appear in your paper:

Standardized Open-Ended Interview Questions

1. Please introduce yourself to me, as if we just met one another.

2. Please walk me through your worldview development timeline.

3. Of the formative experiences you identified on your timeline, which would you say were the most significant?

4. What made them significant?

5. Is there something else you would like to add to your timeline that you haven’t already written down?

6. Experts suggest that a person is often not aware of his or her worldview and its influence on his or her life and choices. On a scale from one to five, with one being very unaware and five being completely aware, how aware are you of your worldview?

7. Describe your worldview.

8. Ideally, part of becoming an adult involves the process of examining and evaluating one’s worldview. Where are you in that process?

9. How does your parents’ worldview compare to yours?

10. Think about a friend who also has a Biblical worldview. What formative experiences do you think they would want to tell me about?

11. Tell me about the struggles you’ve experienced-- since graduating high school-- as you have worked out your worldview.

12. What questions, if any, came up for you as you developed a Biblical worldview?

13. If you were a parent of a 19-year-old, how would you help her as she develops a Biblical worldview?

14. Imagine you’re being interviewed at a youth conference, in front of thousands of Christian young people. What would you want to tell them to expect to experience as they develop their worldview over the next few years?

15. I’d like to ask you a question that will prompt you to put everything together, so to speak. Reflecting on your lifetime of experience developing a Biblical worldview, what advice would you give to Christians your age as they develop their worldview?

16. This next question is unique in that it will invite you to look ahead. How do you expect your worldview to change or develop over the next several years?

17. We’ve covered a lot of ground in our conversation, and I so appreciate the time you’ve given to this. One final question… What else do you think would be important for me to know about the development of your worldview?

Questions one through five are knowledge questions (Patton, 2015), and are designed as follow-up questions to the worldview development timelines that will have been previously created and submitted by the participants. These questions are intended to be relatively straightforward and non-threatening, and will ideally serve to help develop rapport between the participant and me (Patton, 2015). The questions will be adjusted as necessary for each participant, based on the data included on each individual timeline.

Fowler (1981) suggested that for adolescents, the formation of complex systems of values and beliefs is primarily a subconscious task. Only after one progresses out of synthetic-conventional faith does a person begin to develop a deep awareness of one’s faith. With this new awareness comes the capacity to consciously reflect on one’s faith and to make intentional choices about what to include in a workable system of meaning. Furthermore, Sire (2015) concluded that components of a person’s worldview may be consciously or unconsciously held. Therefore, it is important to ask questions that will help participants reflect on their level of awareness of their own worldview and on the progress they have made in examining and evaluating their worldview. Questions six through eight are designed for these purposes.

Question nine invites the participant to reflect on his or her worldview as compared to his or her parents’ worldview. Several studies suggest that there is a strong correlation between an individual’s worldview and that of his or her parents (Brickhill, 2010; Kimball, Boyatzis, Cook, Leonard, & Flanagan, 2013; Perkins, 2007). Probing about parent worldviews will help to discover a more complete picture of influences on worldview development. Since research suggests that family is such a significant factor in worldview development, it is likely that participants will mention their parents in some way in the context of their timeline. If participants have already discussed parental influence, this question may not need to be asked.

The tenth question invites the participant to take another person’s perspective, which is often helpful in gaining new insights (Patton, 2015). It is also a non-threatening question, allowing the participants to talk more in-depth about the phenomenon of worldview development, without requiring them to be highly vulnerable. However, it is hoped that the question will lead to keeping the interview moving along in an engaging fashion and yielding valuable data. This is particularly important given the nature of the question that follows.

Question 11 is the first question that will likely require a relatively high degree of vulnerability, and for this reason, I chose to not ask it until the interview is well underway. Ideally by this time in the interview, a good rapport will have been established (Patton, 2015), and therefore the participant will be willing to share more intimate details about his or her struggles in developing a Biblical worldview. For several researchers, personal struggle is an important component of worldview development (Bryant, 2011; Fowler, 1981; Mayhew, 2012; Mayhew, Seifert, & Pascarella, 2012).

Questioning truth seems to be a key element of the passage from an adolescent faith to an adult faith (Fowler, 1981; King, Clardy, & Ramos, 2014). Question 12 is designed to elicit some of the questions participants may have asked as part of the process of developing their worldview. I will be particularly attentive to the concept of cognitive dissonance that such questions can cause (Bryant, 2011; Ciarrochi & Heaven, 2012; Fowler, 1981). I will also be prepared to probe further with the participants in order to gain additional data about how they felt about and how they responded to questions that were suggested by becoming exposed to alternate worldviews held by others (Mayhew, 2012; Mayhew, Seifert, & Pascarella, 2012).

Questions 13 and 14 are designed to put participants into role-playing contexts, which can help the participants to think more deeply about their own worldview development by inviting them to step outside of themselves and become an observer, or co-researcher (Patton, 2015; Creswell, 2013). Questions 15 and 16 put the participant in the role of expert on worldview development, which is yet another way to elicit different and valuable data. To encourage maximum value from these questions, I have crafted them to include prefatory statements, which will help to transition the participants into the role of expert (Patton, 2015).

Question number 17 is a one-shot question (Patton, 2015), designed to give the participant one further opportunity to offer valuable insight. This one-shot question also serves as the closing question (Patton, 2015), giving the participant freedom to add to what has already been said, keeping him or her in the role of expert on his or her own life and story. From my experience in asking thousands of such questions as a life coach, I have found that these one-shot, parting questions often yield a tremendous amount of valuable information, when the interview or discussion could very easily have been otherwise shut down.

--- End example---

By explaining in detail the purpose of each question, you not only establish the validity of your questions, but also establish the basis for your discussion of findings in relation to the literature in Chapter Five. After developing the questions, discuss in your Procedures that you will get experts in the field to review, and then pilot the interview with a small sample outside of your study sample to ensure clarity of questions and wording. The anchoring in the literature and the expert review should be conducted prior to your proposal defense; the piloting needs to be done after you receive IRB approval to collect data.

All surveys and questionnaires must elicit qualitative, not quantitative data. If using a published survey or questionnaire, be sure to gain permission to use it and explain here how the survey was developed and how validity and reliability were established. If generating your own, you need to address face and content validity and describe piloting procedures.

Document analysis may be applied to a variety of sources including, but not limited to legal documents, records, meeting minutes, letters, diaries, etc. Every effort should be made to incorporate primary, as opposed to secondary sources. Identify and describe the specific documents collected. Provide a specific rationale for why each type of document was selected.

Focus groups provide an opportunity for the researcher to interact with multiple participants at the same time. Focus groups are especially useful for exploring complex, multi-layered concepts from the perspectives of the participants. Focus group questions must be developed and reported using the same format as interview questions (see Interview section above).

If conducting observations, develop and include in the appendices your observation protocol (examples are provided in most qualitative research texts), and be sure to address both descriptive and reflective field notes. Be sure to discuss whether observations will be scheduled or unscheduled, and whether you will be a participant or non-participant observer. Identify frequency and duration of observations.

Chapter Three should contain a thorough discussion of the validity of the study as well as the potential biases present in the project. Strategies for increasing validity and controlling for biases should be clearly and completely laid out and justified.

Trustworthiness addresses credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability. Each topic must be covered in detail under its own APA Level 2 subheading. In each subheading, fully define the aspect of trustworthiness (credibility, dependability, transferability, or confirmability) addressed and discuss its importance (with citations). Then, identify the methods whereby you propose to achieve each aspect of trustworthiness (triangulation, direct quotes, enumeration, member checks, prolonged engagement, etc.), fully defining each method (with citations). Methods for increasing trustworthiness include, but are not limited to, triangulation, member checks, prolonged engagement, negative case analysis, peer/expert review, external audit, etc.

Credibility refers to the extent to which the findings accurately describe reality. Credibility depends on the richness of the information gathered and on the analytical abilities of the researcher.

Dependability and confirmability are similar to reliability in quantitative studies and deal with consistency, which is addressed through the provision of rich detail about the context and setting of the study.

Transferability is another aspect of qualitative research that should be considered; it refers to the possibility that what was found in one context is applicable to another context. In quantitative research, the term "transferability" is often used in a similar way to generalizability, referring to the extent to which study findings can be applied to other settings or contexts.

Any ethical considerations or implications of the research should be discussed. These might include data storage (e.g., locked filing cabinets and password protection for electronic files) and usage, influence, confidentiality (e.g., use of site and participant pseudonyms), and any other potential issues that might arise and how they will be addressed.

Provide a chapter summary. The Summary provides a strong conclusion to the chapter.

Chapter Four should conclude by identifying themes and summarizing these themes in the research. Analysis, interpretation, and discussion of the results will be presented in Chapter 5.

Chapter Five is designated for analysis, interpretation, and discussion of the research project’s results. Threats to both internal and external validity should be thoroughly addressed. The generalizability of the research findings should be thoroughly addressed. There are various this chapter may be organized, however, the analysis, interpretation, and discussion of the research project’s results, should crescendo towards and support presentation of the student’s contribution to academic knowledge.

Chapter Five should make it clear that this study adds to the existing body of academic knowledge and theory. The project’s contribution to academic knowledge/theory must be made clear in this chapter. The chapter should appropriately define the type of contribution to academic knowledge the dissertation is making.

The limits of the dissertation’s contribution to theory/academic knowledge should be thoroughly addressed and discussed. At some point in Chapter Five, alternative explanations for the results/findings should be identified and addressed. Candidates should demonstrate a capacity to exercise logic and good judgement when it comes to identifying the appropriate place in their dissertation manuscript for addressing alternative explanations for their results.

The policy implications and real-world applicability of the dissertation’s contributions should be explained and discussed. Recommendations for further academic research should also be addressed and discussed.

All the references cited within the text should be listed in accordance with the most recent edition of APA. The reference title should be all capitalized, bold, and centered.

The Appendix may include a variety of artifacts. The appendix may include the IRB application (replace with the approval letter for the complete dissertation), informed consent/assent forms, surveys/questionnaires/instruments (with written permission only), protocols (interviews or observations), sample transcripts of interviews, theoretical memos, and other documents used to establish and audit trail. Any identifying or personal information (names, schools, districts, phone numbers, email addresses) should be eliminated. If numerous types of artifacts are included as appendices, each type should have a section labeled as Appendix A, Appendix B, etc. The appendix title should be capitalized, bold, and centered.