Prosectus Draft
The research prospectus is an expansion of your 10 Key Strategic Points and will serve as the framework for your dissertation proposal, and is considered the foundational document for your dissertation. The research prospectus will also assist your dissertation chair in providing valuable feedback to guide you in your dissertation. This assignment is the next step toward completing that process.
General Requirements:
Use the following information to ensure successful completion of the assignment:
Locate and download the most recent version of the Prospectus Template document in the DC Network(Attached). This document has helps and criteria information embedded to assist you in the completion of the prospectus.
Refer to your 10 Key Strategic Points document that you began in a previous course or residency. These will be included as an Appendix in this submission.
Doctoral learners are required to use APA style for their writing assignments.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. Only Word documents can be submitted to LopesWrite.
Directions:
Complete a draft of the prospectus by entering information from your 10 Key Strategic Points document into the prospectus template according to the helps and criteria presented in each section of the template. Be sure to synthesize into the prospectus draft all feedback given by prior instructors on your 10 Key Strategic Points document.
Include your 10 Key Strategic Points document as Appendix A in this submission.
14
Dissertation Prospectus
Submitted by
The Prospectus Overview and Instructions
The prospectus is brief document that serves as a road map for the dissertation. It provides the essential framework to guide the development of the dissertation proposal. The prospectus builds on the 10 Strategic Points (shown in Appendix A) and should be no longer than 6-10 pages, excluding the criteria tables and the appendices. The prospectus will be expanded to become the dissertation proposal (Chapters 1, 2 and 3 of the dissertation), which will, in turn, be expanded to become the complete dissertation (Chapters 1-5). In short, the prospectus is a plan for the proposal. Prior to developing the prospectus, the 10 Strategic points should be reviewed with the chair and committee to ensure the points are aligned and form a clear, defined, and doable study. The10 Strategic Points should be included in Appendix A of this prospectus document.
It is important to ensure the prospectus is well written from the very first draft. The most important consideration when writing the prospectus is using the required criteria specified in the criterion table below each section and writing specifically to each criterion! Also critical is for learners to follow standard paragraph structure: (1) contains a topic sentence defining the focus of the paragraph, (2) discusses only that single topic, (3) contains three to five sentences, and (4) includes a transition sentence to the next paragraph or section. The sentences should also be structurally correct, short, and focused. Throughout the dissertation process, learners are expected to always produce a well-written document as committee members and peer reviewers will not edit writing. If prospectus it is not well written, reviewers may reject the document and require the learner to address writing issues before they will review it again. Remove this page and the sample criterion table below upon submission for review.
Prospectus Instructions:
1. Read the entire Prospectus Template to understand the requirements for writing your prospectus. Each section contains a narrative overview of what should be included in the section and a table with required criteria for each section. WRITE TO THE CRITERIA, as they will be used to assess the prospectus for overall quality and feasibility of your proposed research study.
2. As you draft each section, delete the narrative instructions and insert your work related to that section. Use the criterion table for each section to ensure that you address the requirements for that particular section. Do not delete/remove the criterion table as this is used by you and your committee to evaluate your prospectus.
3. Prior to submitting your prospectus for review by your chair or methodologist, use the criteria table for each section to complete a realistic self-evaluation, inserting what you believe is your score for each listed criterion into the Learner Self-Evaluation column. This is an exercise in self-evaluation and critical reflection, and to ensure that you completed all sections, addressing all required criteria for that section.
4. The scoring for the criteria ranges from a 0-3 as defined below. Complete a realistic and thoughtful evaluation of your work. Your chair and methodologist will also use the criterion tables to evaluate your work.
5. Your Prospectus should be no longer than 6-10 pages when the tables are deleted.
Score
Assessment
0
Item Not Present
1
Item is Present. Does Not Meet Expectations. Revisions are Required: Not all components are present. Large gaps are present in the components that leave the reader with significant questions. All items scored at 1 must be addressed by learner per reviewer comments.
2
Item is Acceptable. Meets Expectations. Some Revisions May Be Required Now or in the Future. Component is present and adequate. Small gaps are present that leave the reader with questions. Any item scored at 2 must be addressed by the learner per the reviewer comments.
3
Item Exceeds Expectations. No Revisions Required. Component is addressed clearly and comprehensively. No gaps are present that leave the reader with questions. No changes required.
Dissertation Prospectus
Introduction
The Introduction section broadly describes the research topic that will be addressed by the dissertation and why that focus is worthy of further investigation. The introduction develops the significance of the study by describing how the study is new or different from other studies, how it addresses something that is not already known or has not been studied before, or how it extends prior research on the topic in some way. Using results, societal needs, recommendations for further study, or needs identified in three to five research studies (primarily from the last 3-5 years), the learner identifies the stated need, or gap, for the study. The reason it makes sense to focus on the last three years at this stage is that those sources will still fall within the five-year time frame when the dissertation has been completed. Additionally, the most recent studies on the topic need to be a focal point to show how the research is currently trending. Learners and committee members should also note the following information about the dissertation topic.
1. The College of Doctoral Studies recognizes the diversity of learners in our programs and the varied interests in research topics for their dissertations in the Social Sciences.
2. Dissertation topics must, at a minimum, be aligned to General Psychology in the Ph.D. program, Leadership in the Ed.D. Organizational Leadership program, Adult Instruction in the Ed.D. Teaching and Learning program, Management in the DBA program, and Counseling Practice, Counselor Education, Clinical Supervision or Advocacy/Leadership within the Counseling field in the Counselor Education Ph.D. program.
3. If there are questions regarding appropriate alignment of a dissertation topic to the program, the respective program chair will be the final authority for approval decisions.
4. Specifically, although the College prefers a learners topic align with the program emphasis, this alignment is not required. The College will remain flexible on the learners dissertation topic if it aligns with the degree program in which the learner is enrolled. The Ph.D. program in General Psychology does not support clinically-based research.
Criteria
(0-3)
Chair Evaluation Score
(0-3)
Reviewer Score
(0-3)
Introduction
This section briefly overviews the research focus or problem, why this study is worth conducting, and how this study will be completed.
The recommended length for this section is two to three paragraphs.
1. Dissertation topic is introduced along with why the study is needed.
2. Provides a summary of results from the prior empirical research on the topic.
3. Using results, societal needs, recommendations for further study, or needs identified in three to five research studies (primarily from the last three years), the learner identifies the stated need, called a gap.
4. Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.
NOTE: This Introduction section elaborates on the Topic from the 10 Strategic Points
. This Introduction section provides the foundation for the Introduction section in Chapter 1 of the Proposal.
Reviewer Comments:
Background of the Problem
The Background of the Problem section of the prospectus uses the literature to provide the reader with the identification and statement of the research gap and problem the study will address. The first part of the Background to the Problem section includes a brief discussion demonstrating how the gap has been established based on what is known, and not known, in the literature. This should include a clear statement informing the reader of the gap. The second part of this section presents a brief historical perspective of when the problem started and how it has evolved over time.
The gap. GCU defines the gap as a need or opportunity based on the existing body of recent empirical literature. Recent empirical literature refers to empirical research articles or dissertations within five years from date of defense. In other words, the gap for the dissertation is the difference between what is known in a field of research and what is not yet known, i.e., what researchers suggest needs to be known (that is, needs to be studied), but which is not yet known.
What is not a gap. A gap is
not
defined as research on a topic for which there is no related research in the existing body of literature (see Grand Canyon University [GCU], 2017). That is, the absence of literature in and of itself does not constitute a gap. Furthermore, a personal agenda or an interesting idea is not sufficient rationale to establish a gap.
How to establish the gap. The gap is created by synthesizing the literature related to a societal need and/or broad topic. The stated need is defined from the literature from recent years, usually within the last 3-5 years. There are a variety of ways to synthesize the literature to define the gap. Below is a set of steps that may be used:
First, explore original literature on this societal issue or big problem to determine what researchers have discovered and what still needs to be discovered. Then compare and contrast the original literature on this problem and provide an overarching summary of the current state of literature surrounding this problem.
Second, while exploring the original literature, identify the broad topics and problems researched. Explore the evolution of the research on the problem. How did the focus change? What findings emerged from these studies?
Third, describe the research from the past 2 to 3 years to discover what has been discovered, and elaborate to discuss what still needs to be researched or discovered. Discuss the trends and themes that emerged. What has been discovered? What do researchers say still needs to be researched or discovered?
Fourth, define the proposed topic and problem statement, given the syntheses of recent studies, trends, limitations, and defined future research needs.
Once the learner has established a gap from recent empirical literature, the gap then determines the research problem, which will be covered in the Problem Statement section of the prospectus. The research problem establishes how studying this gap will benefit society and/or professional needs. That is, the problem statement addresses the gap. The problem should be discussed as applicable beyond the local setting and contributes to societal, disciplinary, and/or professional needs. The studies referenced should help to justify the need for the specific research study. For further information see GCU (2017) and the DC Network for resources on finding the gap.
Evolution of problem. The second part of the Background of the Problem section should include a very short historical description of when the problem started and how it has evolved over time. This section will be further elaborated in Chapter 2 of the proposal, the literature review. This section must include citations from the past 3-5 years of the literature that clearly present evidence defining the current problem or opportunity that needs to be further researched.
Criteria
Learner Self-Evaluation Score
(0-3)
Chair or Score
(0-3)
Reviewer Score
(0-3)
Background of the Problem
This section uses the literature to provide the reader with a definition and statement of the research gap and problem the study will address. This section further presents a brief historical perspective of when the problem started and how it has evolved over time.
The recommended length for this section is two-three paragraphs.
1. Includes a brief discussion demonstrating how literature has established the gap and a clear statement informing the reader of the gap.
2. Discusses how the need or defined gap has evolved historically into the current problem or opportunity to be addressed by the proposed study (citing seminal and/or current research).
3. ALIGNMENT: The problem statement for the dissertation will be developed from and justified by the need or defined gap that is described in this section and supported by the empirical research literature published within the past 3-5 years.
4. Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.
NOTE: This Background of the Problem section uses information from the Literature Review in the 10 Strategic Points. This Background of the Problem section becomes the Background of the Study in Note, this section develops the foundation for Chapter 1 in the Proposal. It is then expanded to develop the comprehensive Background to the Problem section and Identification of the GAP sections in Chapter 2 (Literature Review) in the Proposal.
Reviewer Comments:
Theoretical Foundations/Conceptual Framework and Review of the Literature/Themes
The Theoretical Foundations section of the prospectus provides a big picture of the theory(ies) or conceptual models that will provide the foundation for the study and addressing the problem statement. The preliminary Review of the Literature/Themes section defines and describes the major topics or themes related to the dissertation topic. The Theoretical Foundations, as well as, the problem statement helps to define the Research Questions.
Theoretical foundations/conceptual framework. This section names and describes the theory(s) or model(s) that will provide the Theoretical Foundation/Conceptual Framework for the research study. Additionally, it describes their relevance to the proposed study topic and the stated problem that came out of the Background section. Citations from seminal and/or other sources are provided to justify the selected theory(s) or model(s). Seminal sources are ordinarily significantly older than 5 years (consider, for example, such seminal thinkers as Piaget or Vygotsky). For a quantitative study, it should provide the theory or model for each variable as well the rationale for studying the relationship between the variables. For a qualitative study, it should discuss how the theories or models are relevant to understanding the phenomenon.
Review of the literature/themes. This section on the Review of the Literature/Themes provides a bulleted list of the major themes you have synthesized from the literature related to the research topic and problem statement for the dissertation. Each theme should have a one-two sentence summary that describes the theme and its relevance to the dissertation research problem. Include at least two empirical research citations from the past 3-5 years for each theme. The analysis of the literature review is fundamental to identifying the gap (GCU, 2017). For example, list the themes that will be used as organizers for the larger literature review in Chapter 2. See below:
Theme 1. Write a few sentences here to describe the theme and include appropriate citations.
Theme 2. Write a few sentences here to describe the theme and include appropriate citations.
Criteria
Learner Self-Evaluation Score
(0-3)
Chair or Score
(0-3)
Reviewer Score
(0-3)
Theoretical Foundations and/or Conceptual Framework
This section identifies the theory(s) or model(s) that provide the foundation for the research. This section should present the theory(s) or models(s) and explain how the problem under investigation relates to the theory or model. The theory(s) or models(s) guide the research questions and justify what is being measured (variables) as well as how those variables are related (quantitative) or the phenomena being investigated (qualitative).
Review of the Literature/Themes
This section provides a broad, balanced overview of the existing literature related to the proposed
research topic. It describes the literature in related topic areas and its relevance to the proposed research topic findings, providing a short 3-4 sentence description of each theme and identifies its relevance to the research problem supporting it with at least two citations from the empirical literature from the
past 3-5 years.
The recommended length for this section is 1 paragraph for Theoretical Foundations and a bulleted list for Literature Themes section.
1.
Theoretical Foundations section identifies the theory(s), model(s) relevant to the variables (quantitative study) or phenomenon (qualitative study). This section should explain how the study topic or problem coming out of the need or defined gap in the as described in the Background to the Problem section relates to the theory(s) or model(s) presented in this section. (One paragraph)
2. Review of the Literature Themes section: This section is a bulleted list of the major themes or topics related to the research topic. Each theme or topic should have a one-two sentence summary.
3. ALIGNMENT: The Theoretical Foundations models and theories need to be related to and support the problem statement or study topic. The sections in the Review of the Literature are topical areas needed to understand the various aspects of the phenomenon (qualitative) or variables/groups (quantitative) being studied; to select the design needed to address the Problem Statement; to select surveys or instruments to collect information on variables/groups; to define the population and sample for the study; to describe components or factors that comprise the phenomenon; to describe key topics related to the study topic, etc.
4. Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.
NOTE: The two parts of this section use information about the Literature Review and Theoretical Foundations/Conceptual Framework from the 10 Strategic Points.
This Theoretical Foundations section is expanded upon to become the Theoretical Foundations section in Chapter 2 (Literature Review). The Theoretical Foundations and the Literature Review sections are also used to help create the Advancing Scientific Knowledge/Review of the Literature section in Chapter 2 (Literature Review).
Reviewer Comments:
Problem Statement
This section of the Prospectus evolves from the Background to the Problem section above. The Problem Statement section begins with a declarative statement of the problem under study, such as It is not known if and to what degree/extent/if there is a difference… (quantitative) or It is not known how or why (qualitative). Questions to consider when writing the problem include:
1. What is the need in the world or gap in the literature that this problem statement addresses?
What is the real issue that is affecting society, students, or organizations?
At what frequency is the problem occurring?
What is the extent of human suffering that the problem produces?
Why has the problem received lack of attention in the past?
What does the literature and research say about the problem that can and should be addressed at this time?
What are the negative outcomes that this issue is addressing?
After the short declarative problem statement, this section then describes the general population affected by the problem. Then, the learner needs to address the importance, scope, or opportunity for solving the problem and/or the importance of addressing the problem. This section ends with a description of the unit of analysis.
For qualitative studies, this describes how the phenomena will be studied. The unit of analysis can be, for example, individuals, group(s), case unit(s), community, organization(s), processes, or institution(s). The unit of analysis bounds how the researcher will study the phenomena.
For quantitative studies, the unit of analysis needs to be defined in terms of the variable structure (conceptual, operational, and measurement). At the operational level, the unit of analysis gets determined and defined by (and must align with) the research question/problem statement.
The conceptual level of a variable in a school setting may be, for example, student achievement. The operational level of the variable may be student performance in social studies. The measurement level for the variable may be individual student scores on the high stakes test, or percentage of overall students passing the test (at the school level).
Criteria
Learner Self-Evaluation Score
(0-3)
Chair or Score
(0-3)
Reviewer Score
(0-3)
Problem Statement
This section includes the problem statement, the population affected, and how the study will contribute to solving the problem.
The recommended length for this section is one paragraph.
1. States the specific problem proposed for research with a clear declarative statement.
Describes the population of interest affected by the problem. The general population refers to all individuals that could be affected by the study problem.
Describes the unit of analysis.
For qualitative studies this describes how the phenomenon will be studied. This can be individuals, group, or organization under study.
For quantitative studies, the unit of analysis needs to be defined in terms of the variable structure (conceptual, operational, and measurement).
Discusses the importance, scope, or opportunity for the problem and the importance of addressing the problem.
The problem statement is developed based on the need or gap defined in the Background to the Study section.
Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.
NOTE: This section elaborates on the Problem Statement from the 10 Strategic Points. This section becomes the foundation for the Problem Statement section in Chapter 1 and other Chapters where appropriate in the Proposal.
Reviewer Comments:
Purpose of the Study
The Purpose of the Study provides a reflection of the problem statement and identifies how the study will be accomplished. The section begins with a declarative statement, The purpose of this study is. Included in this statement are also the research design, target population, variables (quantitative) or phenomena (qualitative) to be studied, and the geographic location. Further, the section clearly defines the variables, relationship of variables, or comparison of groups for quantitative studies. For qualitative studies, this section describes the nature of the phenomena to be explored.
Criteria
Learner Self-Evaluation Score
(0-3)
Chair or Score
(0-3)
Reviewer Score
(0-3)
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This section reflects what the study is about, connecting the problem statement, methodology & research design, target population, variables/phenomena, and geographic location.
The recommended length for this section is one paragraph.
1. Begins with one sentence that identifies the research methodology and design, target population, variables (quantitative) or phenomena (qualitative) to be studied and geographic location.
Quantitative Studies
: Defines the variables and relationship of variables.
Qualitative Studies: Describes the nature of the phenomena to be explored.
Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.
NOTE: This section elaborates on information in the Purpose Statement from the 10 Strategic Points. This section becomes the foundation for the Purpose of the Study section in Chapter 1 and other Chapters where appropriate in the Proposal.
Reviewer Comments:
Research Questions and/or Hypotheses
This section narrows the focus of the study and specifies the research questions to address the problem statement. Based on the research questions, it describes the variables or groups and their hypothesized relationship for a quantitative study or the phenomena under investigation for a qualitative study. The research questions and hypotheses should be derived from, and are directly aligned with, the problem statement and theoretical foundation (theory(s) or model(s).
If the study is qualitative, state the research questions the study will answer, and describe the phenomenon to be studied. Qualitative studies require a minimum of two research questions. If the study is quantitative, state the research questions the study will answer, identify the variables, and state the hypotheses (predictive statements) using the format appropriate for the specific design. For quantitative studies, the research questions align with the purpose statement. Note: GCU requires a minimum of two research questions for a quantitative study.
In a paragraph prior to listing the research questions or hypotheses, include a discussion of the research questions, relating them to the problem statement. Then, include a leading phrase to introduce the questions such as: The following research questions guide this qualitative study:
RQ1: This is an example of how to format a qualitative research question should align within the text of the manuscript. Indent .25 inches from the left margin. Text that wraps around to the next line is indented using the Hanging Indent feature at 0.5. This style has been set up in this template and is called List RQ. (It is the same as that in the proposal and dissertation template v8.x).
RQ2: Add a research question here following the format above. Additional research questions should follow the same format.
Or, for a quantitative study the research questions are formatted as below. The following research question and hypotheses guide this quantitative study:
RQ1: This is an example of how a quantitative research questions and hypotheses should align within the text of the manuscript. The style has already been set up and is called List RQ. The preferences for that style are: Indent .25 inches from the left margin. Text that wraps around to the next line is indented using the Hanging Indent feature at .5.
H10: The null hypothesis that aligns to the research question is listed here. The null hypotheses always precede the alternative hypothesis.
H1a: The alternative hypothesis that aligns to the research question and null hypothesis is listed here. Repeat this pattern for each quantitative research question and associated hypotheses.
Criteria
Learner Self-Evaluation Score
(0-3)
Chair Score
(0-3)
Reviewer Score
(0-3)
Research Question(s) and/or Hypotheses
The recommendation is a minimum of two research questions along with related hypotheses and variables is required for a quantitative study.
Also recommended is a minimum of two research questions along with the phenomenon description is required for a qualitative study.
Put the Research Questions in the appropriate Table in Appendix B based on whether the study is qualitative or quantitative.
The recommended length for this section is a list of research questions and associated hypotheses (quantitative)
1.
Qualitative Studies:
States the research question(s) the study will answer and describes the phenomenon to be studied.
Quantitative Studies
: States the research questions the study will answer, identifies and describes the variables, and states the hypotheses (predictive statements) using the format appropriate for the specific design and statistical analysis.
Alignment: The research questions are based on both the Problem Statement and Theoretical Foundation model(s) or theory(s). There should be no research questions that are not clearly aligned to the Problem Statement.
Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.
NOTE: This section elaborates on the information about Research Questions) & Hypothesis/variables or Phenomena from the 10 Strategic Points. This section becomes the foundation for the Research Question(s) and/or Hypotheses section in Chapter 1 in the Proposal.
Reviewer Comments:
Advancing Scientific Knowledge and Significance of the Study
The Advancing Scientific Knowledge and Significance of the Study section reiterates the gap or need in the literature that was used to define the problem statement and develop the research questions. Further, it describes how the study will address the gap or identified need. The section describes how the research fits with, or will build on/add to the results of other studies on the topic and how those results will contribute to or advance the current literature or body of research. Although this advancement may be a small step forward in a line of current research, it must add to the current body of knowledge and align to the learners program of study. The section also discusses the implications of the potential results based on the research questions and problem statement, hypotheses, or the investigated phenomena. Further, it describes the potential practical applications from the research for the community of interest. The section identifies the theory(ies) or model(s) that provide the theoretical foundations or conceptual frameworks for the study. Finally, it connects the study directly to the theory and describes how the study will add or extend the theory or model.
Criteria
Learner Self-Evaluation Score
(0-3)
Chair Score
(0-3)
Reviewer Score
(0-3)
ADVANCING SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE and SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This section reiterates the gap or need in the literature and states how the study will address the gap or need and how the research will contribute to the literature, practical implications to the community of interest, and alignment with the program of study.
The recommended length for this section is one to two paragraphs, providing a brief synopsis of each criteria listed below which will be expanded in the proposal.
1. Clearly identifies the gap or need in the literature that was used to define the problem s
