How to Write and Produce a Dissertation

How to Write and Produce a Dissertation Introduction While the course work is an important part of any doctoral program, it is the dissertation that is uniquely you. The topic chosen should be one that interests you, and that represents an area of study that you can use to identify you as one with special expertise in a particular area. Therefore, it is very important to proceed with forethought into the dissertation process. Choose the topic with care. Also be sure to choose your advisors carefully, as they will be your guides and mentors. This guidebook has been designed to provide you with the information you need to successfully complete this process. Read and follow it carefully. You are responsible for understanding and applying its contents. Research Criteria To produce a dissertation of which you and your school can be justly proud, it is essential that your dissertation meet certain quality standards that are generally recognized in graduate education. The following policy statement, by the Council of Graduate Schools, indicates in general terms what is expected. The document (doctoral dissertation) should demonstrate breadth of scholarship, depth of research, and ability to investigate problems independently and efficiently. It (dissertation) must be a significant contribution to scholarship. It should reveal the students ability to analyze, interpret, and synthesize; and demonstrate thorough knowledge of the literature relating to the project More specifically, the faculty of the School of Education has adopted the following criteria indicating that the doctoral research should: Present the relevance of existing theories to the problem. Include an original and unique dimension which builds on cited research. Enable the candidate to enter the national or regional debate. Be sufficiently broad from which to generalize to a larger audience. Acculturate the candidate to differing academic communities. Encourage the continuation of scholarly activity. Reflect the methodology appropriate to the type of research commonly found in dissertations. Dissertation Topic and Committee How do I get started? How is my committee formed? The first steps in producing a dissertation are (1) the selection of a topic (2) the selection and appointment of a research advisor and (3) the selection and appointment of a research committee to provide advisement throughout the process. Dissertation Topic Early in your doctoral studies, you should be thinking about research topics that interest you. Keep a notebook of ideas as they come to you. As you read for your various classes, add to or delete from your notebook of ideas. Talk informally with your professors. Find out their interests. Discuss- ing your ideas for potential dissertation topics with several faculty members helps you in selecting your topic and in choosing a committee. As your ideas about topics and committee members crystallize, you will want to discuss them with your adviser  and department chair. The topic you eventually select must be a topic useful to you and a topic of interest to a faculty member willing to serve as your advisor. Final selection of your topic will not occur until your coursework is nearly completed. You will need to consider such factors as the relationship of  your topic to your field of specialized study. Select a topic related to an area of academic strength in which you can conduct research responsibly. Finally, be sure that adequate La Sierra University resources are available for the support of the research, such as faculty guidance, library holdings (or access to relevant documents), and laboratory facilities. The Research Advisor The dissertation committee chair is the first member of the committee selected. The responsibility for  assigning a chair ultimately rests  with the dean, but you have the initial responsibility to find a chair  that is willing to work with you and is interested in your topic. This  chair must be a faculty member within  the School of Education and is usually an individual in your major department. Because it is important to have a chair who has an interest in your  proposed topic, you should have a  chair assigned before you enroll in  the final research methods class, EDRS  704. Finally, make your formal request for the  assignment of the chair to the dean. Dissertation Committee Your dissertation committee must contain at  least three members. The membership shall consist of a chair, one additional faculty  member from within the School of  Education, and one faculty member that may be within the larger La Sierra University faculty, or possibly a faculty member in  a different University. Approach potential committee members directly asking about their relationship to  your possible topic and whether they would have an interest in serving on  your committee. When you have agree- ment from all your potential committee members, be sure to report back to the dean for  final assignment of your committee. The chair carries the primary responsibility for guiding you through your dissertation and is the person  with whom you work most closely. An  easy, working relationship with your  committee chair is most important. The responsibilities of the chair are to: (1) provide guidance for the disserta- tion proposal and act as chairperson  during the committee meetings, (2) supervise completion of the disserta- tion, and (3) act as chairperson of  the final oral defense. The responsibilities of the committee members are to: (1) provide additional advisement to the student and/or act as a chairperson in the absence of the chairperson, (2) serve on a committee to read the dissertation proposal and participate during consideration of the proposal, and (3) serve on a committee to read the dissertation and participate during the final oral defense. In addition to the three (or more)  committee members, each dissertation The Proposal What is the proper format for a proposal? What are the steps in getting a proposal approved? The proposal serves as a contract between the student and the dissertation committee that, when approved by all parties, constitutes an agreement that data may be collected and the study may be completed. As long as the student follows the steps outlined in the proposal, committee members should be discouraged from demanding significant changes to the study after the proposal has been approved. Naturally, it is not uncommon to expect small changes, additions or deletions, because one can never envision the unpredictable turns that studies can take. The dissertation proposal is designed to show the purpose and organization of your research. The proposal gives your committee enough information to determine whether the topic your are investigat- ing and the procedures you will be using will be appropriate. Proposal Development The Research Methods Class, EDRS  704a or 704b, is designed to help you understand the process of writing a  formal research proposal and, hopefully, in the class you will have  completed or nearly completed the  research proposal. Regardless, this class will be a valuable resource,  although final proposal approval is a responsibility of your committee. Proposal Format and Content In both the proposal and the dissertation you are   to follow the latest edition of The School of Educa- tion Doctoral Dissertation Handbook and the American Psychological Association Publication Manual, 5th edition. Unless otherwise indicated by your committee, your proposal will generally consist of the follow- ing chapters and sections: Chapter 1 Purpose and Organization Introduction and background of the study Statement of the problem Purpose of the study/significance of study Theoretical foundation Research questions and null hypotheses Limitations and delimitations Definition of Terms Summary and outline of the remainder of the proposal Chapter 2 Review of Related Material Include an overview and description of represen- tative literature that supports the methodology used in the research. For certain types of research (such as statistical or clinical studies) this may require a brief description of procedures and instrumentation of previous studies. This review is not expected to be as extensive as the completed Chapter 2 in the final dissertation. A typical outline for this chapter is as follows: Summaries and critiques of previous studies Analysis of theories which bear on the studies Unresolved Issues, significant  problems or questions requiring further study. Evidence that the specific study proposed arises out of needs demonstrated in this chapter and that the proposed study could fill in gaps or add to substantive or theoreti- cal understanding Summary Chapter 3 Research Methodology Listed below are the most common sections to be included in this chapter. For some studies such as historical, philosophical, or  developmental studies, other items would be proper. Introduction Population and sample Description of instrument(s) Research procedures and time period of the study Analytical procedures to be used to attain the objectives, test the hypotheses, or respond to the research questions of the study Summary Preparation of Your Proposal You must prepare your proposal in a logical, polished form. Your committee judges your fitness to conduct research on your topic based on the quality of the proposal. If you have any problems with the English language, we advise you to employ the services of  an editorial assistant who can aid you in presenting to your committee polished prose in approved format and style. Your committee is not respon- sible to be your editor or writer. As a researcher, these responsibilities are yours. Committee Involvement During the preparation of your proposal you have opportunity to establish a working relationship with your committee chair. First submit all drafts to your committee  chair for evaluation and comment. After your committee chair has given approval, share the draft with the  other members of your committee. You must maintain this approach throughout the writing of the dissertation. When both your committee chair and the members of your committee have had opportunity to evaluate your proposal, request your committee chair to call your committee for formal consider- ation of your proposal. For this meeting, you must furnish one copy of your dissertation proposal to your committee chair and each committee member. Your committee, in formal face-to-face meeting discusses your proposal and questions you on any parts they believe may need revision. The committee will then discuss whether or not they will give approval to your proposal. They may or may not invite you to remain for this session. Consult with your com- mittee chair. Faculty Research Specialist Each dissertation committee shall receive formal input, in writing, from a faculty research specialist prior to the time of proposal approval. Institutional Research Board (IRB) If you are conducting research involving human subjects as part of your degree program, you must submit a proposal of research to the Institution of Review Board (IRB) for approval. This proposal includes: a general summary of the purpose of the study, a detailed description of the study, the letter of informed consent to be signed by the  subjects or their parents/guardians, and the copies of tests to be administered (if other than well- known standard tests). Detailed guidelines concerning this proposal are available in the office of the chairperson of the IRB. A report from the IRB should be attached to the final approved proposal. 6 Only after approval of your proposal are your  ready to begin collection of the data for the dissertation itself. Dissertation How does my committee function? What is the role of consultants? What are the contents of a dissertation? An excellently produced dissertation will demon- strate your familiarity with the literature pertinent to the topic, demonstrate your competence to conduct independent research and present a logically organized and readable account of the investigation, its findings, conclusions, and impli- cations. It should focus on a clearly defined  problem of strong importance to the profession and employ well planned and executed acceptable research techniques. Working with the Committee The chair of your dissertation committee carries the primary responsibility for guiding the disserta- tion and holds the prerogative of deciding when draft copy is or is not ready for examination by the other members of the committee. The preferred method of dissertation development in the School of Education is chapter-by-chapter submission to the committee, however, the committee chair has the privilege of choosing another procedure with the consent of the committee. When your committee chair has cleared a  chapter or section, prepare copies to present to the other members of your committee. After receiving their response, move on to the next chapter or section. It is well not to begin a new chapter for your dissertation until you resolve all questions on the previous chapter. If you have not heard from your committee members within a reasonable period, consult with your committee chair. In qualitative research, questions will continue to surface until the end of the study. Therefore, work  on several chapters may proceed simultaneously. Plan to pace your submissions to your committee  chair and members. Professors should be given opportunity to read you material thoughtfully. Plan on approximately two weeks time. Do not  expect committee members to respond to your time schedule. Working with Consultants It is possible that you may wish or need to  consult with individuals with special expertise such as statisticians or editors. Use such consultants discriminatingly to assist in developing your own understanding of and ability to communicate the various dimensions of the study. Arrangement of Contents Every dissertation consists of three parts: prelimi- nary pages, text, and reference materials. In addition, it must have an abstract. All the pages of these parts occur in a certain order and are counted and/or numbered according to specific rules. The following outlines incorporate a step by step excursion through the skeleton of the dissertation. Not every dissertation will need every heading. Some dissertations, on the other hand, may need  to add headings not mentioned here or subdivide some of these. Keep in mind there is no standard outline all dissertations are required to follow, however, this is a suggested guideline. It must be understood that this outline may not be suffi- ciently comprehensive to fit all studies and that modifications, deletions, or additions may be made  as needed. Quantitative Dissertation The following items are normally in a quantita- tive dissertation. The items to include and the location of the items within sections may vary. For more detailed descriptions regarding each section, refer to published guide books to a doctoral dissertation. Front Matter Title page Abstract Acknowledgments (optional) Dedication (optional) Table of contents List of tables, figures and illustration Chapter 1 Purpose and Organization Introduction and background of the study Statement of the problem Purpose of the study/significance of study Theoretical foundation Research questions and null hypotheses Limitations and delimitations Assumptions and definition of terms Organization of the document Chapter 2 Review of Related Material Introduction Summaries and critiques of previous studies Analysis of theories which bear on the studies Unresolved issues, significant problems and  unanswered questions requiring study Evidence that the specific study proposed arises out of needs demonstrated in this chapter and that the proposed study could fill in gaps or add to substantive or theoreti- cal understanding Summary Chapter 3 Research Methodology Introduction Population and sample Description of instrument(s) Research procedures and time period of the study How the data are to be analyzed to attain the objectives, test the hypotheses, or respond to the research questions of the study Chapter 4 Results (or Findings) of the Analysis of Data Introduction Results (of findings) regarding the first hy- pothesis, or question being investigated   Results of findings regarding the second (and others in sequence) Results regarding interactions, if any, among the hypotheses or research questions  Results and findings on matters not planned as  part of the study but which were uncovered in the investigation course and which are relevant Summary Chapter 5 Conclusions, Implications and Recommendations Introduction Conclusions drawn regarding the hypotheses, or research questions as stated in Chapter 1 (Each is dealt with as a topic separately. If  there are interactions among some or all of the objectives, hypotheses, or research questions, those interactions are treated as separate topics.) Summary Recommendations for further studies and programmatic recommendations End Matter Reference and notes Appendices Qualitative Dissertation Qualitative dissertations are field focused and therefore allow the researcher to approach writing the dissertation with flexibility in format. For more detailed descriptions regarding each section, refer to published guidebooks to a doctoral dissertation. Front Matter Title page Abstract Acknowledgments (optional) Dedication (optional) Table of contents List of tables, figures and illustration Chapter 1 Introduction Background, history and/or theoretical orientation of the study Purpose of the study Description of the site Questions in the study Importance of the study Chapter 2 Review of the Literature Analysis of previous related studies Analysis of related theoretical literature Relationship of the literature to the current  study Chapter 3 Methodology Description of the study Research design (The research design will be planned in cooperation with the doctoral committee.) Analysis Chapters 4+ Presentation of the Findings These chapters will present the findings in a  manner appropriate to a given study. There may be one or several chapters needed to present the study. Arguments will be well formed, insightful and grounded in the  study. Theoretical arguments will be formed from the data and presented in a coherent  and informative manner. Final Chapter Conclusion This chapter will present the conclusions drawn from the study, relate the findings to broader theoretical issues, critique the precess used, and describe implications which could affect other similar sites. End Matter Reference and notes Appendices Form and Style What are the typing rules for my dissertation? Who is the final authority on form and style? What kind of paper do I use? The School of Education Doctoral  Dissertation Handbook must be used in conjunction with the American Psycho- logical Association Publication  Manual, 5th edition. Where there are  discrepancies between the APA publica- tion manual and The School of Education Handbook, the doctoral disserta- tion handbook is to be followed. Production Dissertations shall be produced by a word processor. All dissertations are to be printed in black ink, using standard 10-12 point fonts, and using only one side of the page. Text must be clean, straight, and dark enough to be read and duplicated easily. Final copies must be laserprinted. Paper All copies shall be produced on standard size 8-1/2 x 11 paper. For draft copies, use white bond of at least 20 pound weight. Final copies shall be run on high quality paper; 20 pound bond with at least 25 percent rag content. To insure longer shelf life, use an acid-free paper with a minimum of 2% alkaline reserve. Margins The left-hand margin must be 1 1/2 inches and all other margins must be a full 1 inch. The initial page of a chapter or a major section (i.e., table of  contents, references, etc.) has a 2-inch margin at the top of the page. Absolutely nothing may be outside of these margins, except for the page  number. Do not use right or full justification. Page Numbering Preliminary pages Preliminary pages that precede the main text are numbered with lower case Roman numerals. The  title page is not numbered but is  considered as the first page. If you  elect to register a copyright, enclose a copyright page, but do not number it or include it in the pagination sequence. Subsequent numerals are centered 3/4 inch from the bottom edge of the paper. Main text All pages are numbered at the top, 1 inch from the right margin, above the  text. The first page of the disserta- tion text is page 1. All pages must be numbered consecutively. To keep their location and size uniform throughout the disserta- tion, page numbers are added after reducing tables or figures.