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Edgewood College Doctoral Program
Dissertation Template
The purpose of this document is to guide students as they write their five-chapter dissertation. The template includes the components of a traditional five-chapter dissertation, provides a description of each component, and is formatted using APA guidelines. We recommend that students write their drafts of each chapter within this template. The font, margins, headings, pagination, and references are in alignment with the format requirements established by our program. If you are using this template and you are not an Edgewood College doctoral student, we recommend that you determine the formatting and style guidelines required by your home institution.
As you use this template, be aware that there are comments embedded in each of the sections. The comments can be found under the corresponding section in this format: [Note:…] If you have questions about this template, or would like a copy of the template sent to you, please send your request to Dr. Sara Jimenez Soffa at .
TITLE IN ALL CAPS
ONE THIRDOF THE WAY DOWN FROM THE TOP OF PAGE
CENTERED AND DOUBLE SPACED
[Note: Double check the spelling of your title. Spell check does not work when using all capital letters.]
By Your W. Name (Centered both vertically and horizontally, upper and lower case)
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment
Of the requirements for the degree of
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
at
EDGEWOOD COLLEGE
20XX
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© Copyrighted by Your Name, 20XX
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Abstract
An abstract isbetween 150 and 250 words, with no indents, double-spaced. It must be accurate, non-evaluative, coherent and readable, and concise (APA, 2010, pp.25-27). Please do not complete this section until you have completed Chapter 5.
Elements of the abstract should include the following:
- State the problem under investigation (one sentence).
- Describe the purpose of the research and the research question (one sentence).
- Describe the participants and include demographic information and the research site if applicable.
- Describe the essential and interesting features of the method giving careful consideration to key terms.
- State the key findings (two sentences).
- Include the implications and recommendations in one to two sentences. (APA, 2010, p. 26)
Acknowledgements
The acknowledgements are optional. If you choose to write an acknowledgements page, it should be double-spaced with ½ inch indents. Acknowledgements give credit to people or institutions that provided significant help in the writing or research of your dissertation. This section is academic in nature as opposed to personal.
Dedication
The dedication is also optional. If you choose to write a dedication page, the format is similar to the acknowledgements page. Some authors choose to dedicate the work to a person or persons who were deeply important in helping them in their personal or professional life. The dedication page is more personal in nature although the writing style is still formal and academic.
CONTENTS
Abstract
Acknowledgements
Dedication
List of Tables
List of Figures
Chapter 1. Introduction to the Study
Problem Statement
Purpose Statement
Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
Significance of the Study
Summary
Chapter 2. Literature Review
Summary
Chapter 3. Method
Participants
Measure(s)/Protocol(s)
Procedure
Data Analysis (Plan)
Summary
Chapter 4. Results
Preliminary Results
Results
Summary
Chapter 5. Conclusions and Recommendations
Key Conclusions
Implications
Recommendations
Limitations
Summary
References
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
List of Tables
Table 1. Sample Table
[Note: Make sure the table number and its title appear without italics on the same line in the List of Tables and List of Figures. You treat the List of Tables and the List of Figures the same way as the Table of Contents. That is, you will right click on the List of Tables or the List of Figures, select update field, and then update entire table to update your lists.]
List of Figures
Figure 1. Comparison of Mean Results on AMRP
Chapter 1. Introduction to the Study
Chapter 1 should give the reader a clear indication of the purpose and the scope of the study. Throughout the chapter you will describe the question, problem, or issue, as well as the context in which the study will take place, and why it is important to address (American Educational Research Association [AERA], 2006). In the introduction to Chapter 1, give a detailed overview of what is known about the problem within the literature: describe the problem, moving from general to specific ideas and evidence. Also, identify the gap in literature that needs to be addressed by the research.
Problem Statement
Following an introductory discussion of the major issues contained in the problem, write a clear, succinct articulation of the problem. All of the key components of the problem statement should be addressed prior to this section. The problem statement section is a way for readers to quickly understand the focus of your studyand the question, problem, or issue being addressed. Generally, it will contain information summarizing the main components of the problem, issue, or question, discuss the context of the study including population and region you will study, and describe the approach to finding a solution. See Appendix A for an example of a problem statement.
[Note: Your appendix will contain information that will be of interest to the reader, but does not need to go in the body of your dissertation. Begin the text of the appendix flush left, with no indent. Follow the description by indented paragraphs.]
Purpose Statement
The next section should contain the purpose statement. The purpose statement should begin withtwo to three sentences describingthe purpose of the studyandthe chosen method. This statement is followed by three to fivesentences that stateyour research question(s)in a specific and clear way. Any terms that need to be defined should follow your research question(s). Restate the chosen method in slightly more detailand provide a rationale for using the particular method for your research question(s) at the end of the purpose statement.
Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
Briefly describe your theoretical or conceptual framework or perspectives here. Start with the general principles of the theory or conceptual framework you are using, and explainhow your theoretical framework is appropriate for your study. You will be going into more detail in Chapter 2.
Significance of the Study
The significance of the study describes both the scope of the study and the relevance. It should indicate how your study will revise or extend existing knowledge, and what use might be made of the knowledge you produce.
Summary
A summary should include the main points included in each of the headings. Consider creating a sentence from each of your headings, summarizing the main content of that section. Place the sentences in the same order and then revise for coherence. It should not include citations, and it should be one to two paragraphs.
Chapter 2. Literature Review
The purpose of the literature review is to critically evaluate the research that has already been published, germane to your research topic. A good literature review defines and clarifies the problem; summarizes previous investigations to inform the reader of the state of research; identifies relations, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies in the literature; and suggests the next step or steps in solving the problem (APA, 2010, p. 10). Start with the general context of a topic, then move to specific domains in the literature for each subtopic in the study, then briefly discuss the literature gap at the end of literature review, and suggest the next step in solving the problem. You may refer to the Program Handbook(pp. 58-59) for additional ideas.
[Note: It’s important to describe specific domains in the literature, and to apply the correct heading to them. Subheadings (like Summary) should have a heading 2 style attached to them. Sub-subheadings should have a heading 3 style attached to them and be followed on the same line with your content. See page 62 in your APA manual for heading levels and the correct formatting of them.]
Within your document, you will most likely use both tables and figures. The following figure is an illustration that is correctly captioned. Use the Burke convention as you write. This convention means that you introduce your table, figure, or quote. You then present the table, figure, or quote. Then you discuss the salientpoints of that table, figure, or quote. Please see the APA Manual(APA, 2010, pp. 150-167) for more information.
Figure 1. Comparison of Mean Results on AMRP
According to the APA Manual (APA, 2010, p. 152), figures include graphs, charts, maps, drawings, and photographs whose type, lines, labels, and symbols, etc. are large enough to be read with ease.
[Note: There are two steps to complete when adding a table or figure. First, save your table or figure as a jpeg file. Insert this image into your dissertation. Second, “caption” your table or figure. You do this step by right clicking on the entire figure or the entire table (not just one cell). Then, under the References tab, select “Insert Caption.” In the top box you will title your table or figure. Do not use italics. Under Options and Label choose whether your item is a Table or Figure. If necessary, choose Position as Above Table/Figure. Then click OK. If you do not follow these steps your table or figure will not appear in the List of Tables or the List of Figures. The steps are as follows:
Select table or figure
References
Insert Caption
Type in title of table/figure
Options
Label
Table or Figure
Position Above]
Summary
A summary should include the main points included in each of the headings. It should not include citations, and it should be one to two paragraphs.
Chapter 3. Method
Your introduction should briefly state the purpose of the study. This introduction should be approximately three sentences and describethe method along with type of data collection.
Participants
Elements of this section include a description of the participants, description of the research setting, and sampling strategies.If you are not using human subjects, then you will not have a participants heading.
Measure(s)/Protocol(s)
[Note: Choose either Measure(s) for a quantitative study; use Protocols for a qualitative study.]
For a quantitative study, start with the source of your measure(s). Use the variable name as a subheading in this Measure(s) section. Describe your outcome measurement (dependent variable) first, followed by your predictor measure (independent variable), and then include any covariate measurement(s). If you are developing your own measure, include the reference to the theoretical framework upon which it is based, and include the process you followed for validating the instrument (e.g. mapping survey items to constructs and piloting). If you are using a measure that has been already developed and validated, include a reference to source of the measure and your rationale for using this preexisting tool. Next,describe each subscale and provide one sample item per subscale. Include the range of possible scores.Finally, you should include reliability here.
For a qualitative study, describe your interview, observation, or focus group structure and questions. If you have developed your own interview questions, observation rubrics, or focus group structure and questions, describe the process you used to create them and refer to the theoretical framework. If you are using pre-existing interview questions, observation rubrics, or focus group questions, include a reference to that source. In all cases, state the rationale for your choice. (e.g., explain why you chose interviews over focus groups).
For a mixed method study, describe both Measure and Protocol sections.
[Note: For both qualitative and quantitative studies, include the source of your measurement in this section. Describe where you got the measurement from or how you developed it. If you did not develop the tool yourself, you will need to get permission from the author to use the measurement, and you will also need copyright permission to publish it in your dissertation.]
Procedure
State your participant recruitment and data collection procedurestep by step.This section should answer the following questions: What document(s) did you disseminate before the formal data collection to inform potential participants about your study? What is the timeline for data collection? Communicate IRB approval status, and if applicable, the approval from data collection site. Did you obtain the IRB approval? If not, what is the timeline for getting IRB approval? In what way will the consent form be obtained?Are you offering an incentive? If so, what is it? How are the data collected? What is the response rate of your survey?
Data Analysis (Plan)
[Note: For your proposal, you will include the word plan (without the parentheses). Prior to your defense, you will use Data Analysis as your heading.]
Consider arranging this section using your research question(s) as headings. The analysis should be driven by the research question. For both quantitative and qualitativestudies followeach research question with the analysis method (e.g., ttest, correlation, regression, grounded theory, constant comparative analysis, or content analysis), the rationale for using this analysis method, and the procedure of analysis. Indicate what software package (e.g., SPSS, NVivo) you will use for each research question.For quantitative studies, state the research hypothesis for each research question, explain your research hypothesis, and include any necessary references.
Summary
A summary should include the main points included in each of the headings. It should not include citations, and it should be one to two paragraphs.
Chapter 4. Results
Start with a brief(one pagemaximum) summary of Chapters 1-3 as your introduction. Refer to the Program Handbook for more information on Chapter 4.
Preliminary Results
Provide an overview of the data.For quantitative studies, these preliminary results may include missingness of the data, and an identification of the appropriate statistical analysis method to address missingness. Another element that may need to be addressed is the normality of the data (i.e., skewness and kurtosis). Explain how these characteristics determined the appropriate method to analyze your data. You may need to describe the correlations among key variables.
For qualitative studies, an overview of the data may include a description of the interviewees, the research site(s), characteristics of thedata including any unusual or problematic features that you needed to address to adequately analyze your data.
For mixed methods studies, include preliminary results for each component of your method.
Results
Organize this section according to yourresearch question(s).Be sure to describe your results without restating the research design. But, if you uncover unanticipated results, it is important to describe and detail those results as well.
The following is an example of a table. For details on formatting table, a helpful checklist is provided in the APA Manual (APA, 2010, p. 150).
Table 1. Sample Table
Variables / 1 / 2 / 3 / 41. Decision LVS / ̶̶̶
2. Reflection LVS / 0.26 / ̶̶̶
3. Transparency AL / 0.34 / 0.22 / ̶̶̶
4. Internalized Moral Perspective AL / 0.50 / 0.46 / 0.37 / ̶̶̶
Note. If you need to make a notation, make it here.
[Note: Table 1 is an example of a table, correctly captioned. Please note that the number and titles of both tables and figures are not in italics and are on the same line. This convention differs slightly from APA style. When you insert and/or update your Table of Tables and Table of Figures, not having italics and having the title and the table number on the same line eliminates problems you would otherwise encounter.]
Another helpful hint—if you look under the Home tab, Paragraph section, you will see a paragraph icon. If you click on it, you will see all of the editors’ marks: spaces, tabs, section breaks, etc. This feature can be very helpful when you are trying to format something or make it look a certain way.
Summary
A summary should include the main points included in each of the headings. It should not include citations, and it should be one to two paragraphs.
Chapter 5. Conclusions and Recommendations
Provide an introduction by briefly summarizing your results section.
Key Conclusions
Based on your results from Chapter 4, describe the conclusions you derived. Please remember that conclusions are derived from the data.
Implications
Describe the implications of your conclusions. You may include the theoretical implications as well as the empirical implications.
Recommendations
Describe the recommendations for stakeholders, recommendations for policy, and/orrecommendations for future research
Limitations
Summary
A summary should include the main points included in each of the headings. It should not include citations, and it should be one to two paragraphs
References
American Educational Research Association. (2006). Standards for reporting on empirical social science research in AERA Publications. Educational Researcher,6, 33-40.
American Psychological Association. (2010). In VandenBos, G.R. (Ed.). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Burke, P. (2009). The elements of inquiry: A guide for consumers and producers of research. Glendale, CA: Pyrczak.
Edgewood College. (2012). Education leadership doctoral program handbook. Madison, WI:Author.
Use your RefWorks and Write-n-Cite to complete this section. All references included in the body of your dissertation need to be included here. Be sure you do not add a reference that is not in the body, or a citation in the body and not in the reference list. You should remember to place all your references in alphabetical order. Set the first line margin flush left, all other lines indented one-half inch. Follow the detailed instructions on creating references in your APA Manual (APA, 2010, p.193-215).