Prospectus Topic " An examination of Police Brutality and it's Impact on Victims Families"

8

[Note: The purpose of the prospectus is to show the alignment among the components of the study]

[Dissertation Title–Qualitative]

by

[your official name]

Dissertation Prospectus Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Management

Walden University

[Year]

Prospectus: Title

[Start with “Prospectus” and a colon, and then include the title as it appears on the title page. Double-space if over one line of type and center it at the top of the page.]

Problem Statement

Describe your problem statement in terms of the Hook (symptom of the problem and captures the interest of the reader), Anchor (sources in the literature that support the existence of the symptom and problem, which is often a statistic), Social Problem, and Specific Research Problem. Review the text below for guidance of what could be covered in approximately 200 to 300 words.

Provide a one- to two-paragraph statement that is the result of a review of research findings and current practice and that contains the following information:

1. A clear, concise, and logical argument for the need to address a significant social problem as identified by current issue or problem and a demonstrated gap in the research literature that has current relevance to the discipline and area of practice. [Keep in mind that a gap in the research is not, in and of itself, a problem but rather a rationale to conduct research.]

2. The situation being experienced in a societal population or discipline is described within the problem statement.

3. Preliminary evidence that provides justification that the problem is meaningful to the discipline or professional field.

4. Provide three to five key citations that support the relevance and currency of the problem. These references need not all be from peer-reviewed journals but should be from reputable sources, such as national agency databases or scholarly books, and should ideally be from the past 5 years to ensure the problem is current.

5. State the research problem. Summarize evidence of consensus that the problem is current, relevant, and significant to the discipline. Frame the problem in a way that builds upon or counters previous research findings focusing primarily on research conducted in the last 5 years. Address a meaningful gap in the current research literature.

The problem is framed within and primarily focused on the discipline (program of study).

[Notes: The problem statement needs to meet the Walden litmus test, that is, it must be justified, grounded in the literature, original, and amenable to scientific study. See the Walden Center for Research Quality (CRQ) Research Planning & Writing page for more information on the Litmus Test and Historical Alignment Tool. In addition to the four elements in the Litmus Test, the PhD in Management adds a fifth element: connects with positive social change. Walden University envisions a distinctively different 21st century learning community where knowledge is judged worthy to the degree it can be applied by its graduates to the immediate solutions of critical societal challenges, thereby advancing the greater global good. Show how your dissertation will connect with positive social change.

Purpose of the Study

Present a concise, one-paragraph statement that includes the research method and design for the overall purpose or intention of the study. The purpose statement serves as the connection between the problem being addressed and the focus of the study.

· In qualitative studies, describe the need for increased understanding about the issue to be studied, based on the identified gap or problem.

· Provide a concise statement that serves as the connection between the problem being addressed and the focus of the study.

The purpose contains (a) an indication that this is a qualitative study and (b) the study design and intent (such as understand, discover, describe, compare, explain, or explore). For more on alignment among the elements of a doctoral capstone, see the Doctoral Capstone Research Resource and the Research Design Alignment Table on the CRQ Research Planning & Writing page.

[Notes: see Creswell’s Research Design, Chapter 6, for scripts on writing purpose statements. Do not reference Creswell as a primary source in your doctoral research unless it is an article written by Creswell. The Creswell textbooks are research summaries.

This section should be concisely written and about a half a page in length.]

Significance of the Study

The Significance of the Study is described in terms of (a) advancing theory, (b) advancing practice, and (c) having a positive social change (e.g., improvement of human or social conditions by promoting the worth, dignity, and development of individuals, communities, organizations, institutions, cultures, or societies). Be certain to address and include the phrase positive social change in this section.

Significance to Theory and Practice

Identify potential contributions of the study that advance knowledge in the discipline. This is an elaboration of what the problem addresses and advances practice and/or policy as applicable.

Significance to Social Change

Describe potential implications for positive social change that are consistent with and bounded by the scope of the study.

[Note: This section should be 3/4 page or two or three paragraphs in length with the following subheadings.]

Background of the Study

Provide an overview of key search terms, databases used, and representative list of scholarships and findings that support and clarify main assertions in the research problem statement.

Include five to 10 peer-reviewed articles, the majority published within the last 5 years, as short annotations (one to two sentences), with one annotation per author/s to reflect the key ideas in the articles.

Example:

1. Baltes et al. (2010) and Bieschke (2006) provided information on research self-efficacy, which has been shown as a key predictor of the future research of doctoral students.

2. Gelso (2006), Holmes (2009), Hilliard (2013), and Kim and Karau (2009) provided different views of strategies to support the development of scholar practitioners during the capstone experience.

[Note: This section is approximately ½ page to one page in length.]

Conceptual Framework

Identify and define the concept/phenomenon that grounds the study. Describe the concepts that lead to the theories that are combined to develop the conceptual framework (e.g., the distinctive ideas, the concepts outlined in the overarching research question and specific problem statement) as derived from the literature. State the logical connections among concepts of the framework. State how the framework relates to the study approach and the overarching research question.

[Notes: A framework is a container for ideas, information, which also includes aspects of the theories and models. A theory is a body of knowledge that is explanatory and predictive. For example, Porter’s value chain is a framework, while Ricardo’s comparative advantage is a theory. The framework can be a collection of many theories and aspects of theories that will support the development of the literature review and argument.

This section may be approximately ½ page to one page in length.]

Research Question

State the overarching research question. The overarching research question is constructed to incorporate the specific problem. All key concepts should be articulated in the overarching research question.

Example:

· The specific research problem that some leaders in legal organizations in the midwestern United States do not have a clear way to make decisions on how to utilize cloud computing technology.

· Overarching research question: How do leaders of legal organizations make the decisions about the usage of cloud computing technology?

[Note: This section should be between one and three pages in length.]

Nature of the Study

1. Describe the method (i.e., qualitative) and design, which may include autoethnographic, case study, phenomenological, narrative or other variations and specific designs. Provide seminal and germinal references.

2. Include the research paradigm (positivist, pragmatic, etc.).

3. Describe the general and target populations and phenomenon under investigation as well as appropriate sample size and rationale and a general description of the data collection and analysis strategy.

[Note: This section is approximately one page in length.]

Possible Types of Sources of Data

Provide a list of possible types and sources of data that could be used to address the proposed research question(s), observations of a phenomenon, interviews with practitioners, focus groups, historical documents, or meta-knowledge literature. Sources of information that support and clarify the problem belong in the Background section. If you are thinking about collecting data on a sensitive topic or from a vulnerable population, an early consultation with the IRB ([email protected]) during your prospectus writing process is recommended to gain ethics guidance that you can incorporate into your subsequent proposal drafts and research planning. Find more information on the IRB Guides and FAQs page.

Limitations, Challenges, and/or Barriers

Provide information, such as limitations, challenges, and/or barriers that may need to be addressed when conducting this study. These may include but are not limited to access to participants, access to data, separation of roles (researcher versus employee), instrumentation fees.

References

On a new page, list your references formatted in the correct style (seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, modeled here and in the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide) for all citations within the Dissertation Prospectus.

· Please use the proper APA formatting provided by this template.

· Limit PDF documents to those from a journal or university homepage.

Follow the APA 7 style rules for reference list entries on the Doctoral Capstone Form and Style APA References page.

Note: Please make sure you do not work on your proposal before you have a MET Prospectus by the Program Director.