Topic (The Topic Should Centered and use Title Case)
Student Name (Names should not include any titles)
(A spacing of 2” to 2.5” should be maintained)
A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of (mention Field/ Course)
(A spacing of 2” to 2.5” should be maintained)
Name of the University
(Including current dates and signature)
© by Your Full Legal Name (No Titles, Degrees, or Academic Credentials), (years)
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Title of the Dissertation (Tilted Case and Centered)
By
Student Full Legal Names (No Academic Credentials, Titles, or Degrees)
Successfully Defended and Approved by All Dissertation Committee Members
(Dates)
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE APPROVAL:
The following committee members certify they have read and approve this dissertation and deem it fully adequate in scope and quality as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of XXX.
Full Legal Name, EdD, DBA, or PhD, Dissertation Chair
Full Legal Name, EdD, DBA, or PhD, Committee Member
(List the Committed Member Based On the Above Criteria)
ACCEPTED AND SIGNED:
________________________________________ ____________________
Name, Department Date
Dean, University/College of Doctoral Studies
NAME OF UNIVERSITY (CAPITAL)
Repeat Title of the Dissertation (use Title Case and Centred)
I verify that my dissertation represents original research, is not falsified or plagiarized, and that I accurately reported, cited, and referenced all sources within this manuscript in strict compliance with APA (currently 7th Edition is the most recommended) and (name of) University guidelines. I also verify my dissertation complies with the approval(s) granted for this research investigation by (name of the university) Review Board.
[Wet Signature Required]
_____________________________________________ ______________________
[Type Doctoral Learner Name Beneath Signature line] Date
Abstract
The abstract summarises the key areas of the study. By harmonizing key processes used to draw sound conclusion on the identified research problem. The key items that the student need to summarise includes background of the study, statement problem, methodology, data analysis results, and conclusive explanation. This section should be written using the latest APA (7th Edition) with no indentation. Additionally, the words should be doubled spaces using the Times New Roman.
Keywords; highlights key words in the topic, should be one page, and italic
Dedication
This is an optional section in a Dissertation. However, if required to include it. The students should acknowledge various individuals who have been significant in enabling him or her to accomplish academic conquest. Often individuals mentioned I this section are typically unrelated to the topic being discussed. The dedication can include names of family members, friend, colleagues or faculty members. More so, it is written in first person. This section is only included in the final dissertation (not proposal). Additionally, the dedication section is numbered in romans and does not appear in the table of content.
Acknowledgement
Similarly, to dedication, the acknowledgement section is dedicated to mention individuals who have enabled the student to complete the dissertation such as colleagues or faculty members. This section is only included in the final dissertation (not proposal). Additionally, the acknowledgment section is numbered in romans and does not appear in the table of content.
Table Of Content
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study. 1
Chapter Two: Literature Review.. 3
Identification of the Problem Space. 3
Rationale for a Qualitative Methodology. 5
Rationale for Research Design. 5
Population and Sample Selection. 6
Data Collection and Management. 8
Assumptions, and Delimitations. 9
List of Tables
This section outlines all of the tables indicated in the study.
List of Figures
This section outlines all of the figures indicated in the study.
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study
Introduction
It is recommended that chapter one should be written after completion of the second and third chapter based on new dissertation guidelines. The leaner is required to specify the importance of the proposed topic and how it is different or new from existing studies within similar area of interest. Moreover, the leaner is caution from changing or adjusting the headings as provided in the latest dissertation guidelines. The points have to be arranged in paragraphs that are clear, short and with no grammatical errors. Coherently, future or present tense should be used when writing each chapter using the APA (7th Edition) formatting guidelines.
Background of the study
Writing the background of the study requires the student to provide detailed background information that relates to the area of the problem being examined in the paper. Essentially, the students “brings o attention” the areas, which require further understands on the problem identified. This means providing justification on why the problem needs to be investigated. The student need to provide in text citations where necessary in accordance with the APA requirement.
Definition of terms
Under this section the student need to provide proper definition of each key word that is critical to the study. The definitions have to be conceptually defined to facilitate understanding of the study.
Anticipated Limitation
This section the student is required to highlight the various challenges he or she expect to experience when undertaking the study. Each challenges should be properly justified and explained to facilitate understand and correlation to the research. The common limitation tend to occur in areas relating to how the data is sourced and in sampling strategy.
Organization of the Study
The student is required to highlight how the study has been organised starting from the first (one) chapter to the last chapter (five). It is worth noting that all of the chapters have to be written in the APA format, especially, in respect to font (Time New Roman, size (12), with double spacing.
Project timeline
The leaner should design a gnat chart, which details the timeline of the project from start to finish. The timeline is critical in outlining how the paper will be complete chapter by chapter in accordance with the stipulated timeframe.
NB: the student provide a conclusive summary of chapter one and a descriptive discussion on what to expect in chapter two. Additionally, the leaner should ensure each chapter is written in coherent and logical manner free from any structural, sentence, and grammatical errors. Additionally, each chapter should start on a separate page.
Chapter Two: Literature Review
Introduction
The introduction provide detailed information on what is to be discussed in chapter two. Specifically, the student is required to describe the specific tops and sub-topics to be discussed under the literature review sections. Furthermore, the “introduction” part of the “literature review” is considered to be the extension of the “background of the study” in chapter one. Therefore a detailed description of the “what needs to be understood” about the problem being investigated.
Identification of the Problem Space
In this section, the student provide a detailed account of how the problem being examined has changes over a period of time, and its corresponding implication of the study. Next, summarising the problem space using scholarly research materials that are not more than 5 years. From this, the leaner can provide the necessary parameters for outlining the problem statement.
Theoretical foundation
The leaner is required to identify and discuss key theories, concepts and models that underpin the arguments being discussed. Once identified, the theories, concepts, and models have to be linked to the research problem to facilitate theoretical explanations. Furthermore, the proposed theories have to be instrumental in enabling the leaner to develop or propose research hypothesis, which can be used to accept or reject relationships or correlations between independent and dependent variables or (moderating or mediating variables where applicable). Proper in-text citation have to be used in accordance with the APA format. It is recommended that the student can use 1 to 3 theories, concepts or models in the study.
Review of the Literature
Essentially, the literature review should constitute about 30 pages unless other changes are made based on the recommendation of the supervisory committee. The literature review section should demonstrate synthesis of the dissertation topics and related studies. This is achieved through; first, review of research studies that focuses on the main problem being investigates. Secondly. Studies that relate or describe the qualitative phenomena being examined. Thirdly, reviewing studies that examine key constructs and variables that are critical in explaining the problem being investigated. Lastly, reviewing studies conducted in similar area of interest, which can be used to benchmark the outcomes/ findings of the study. All of the discussion should be backed using scholarly references. It is imperative to note that publications, dictionaries, and websites with no dates are not considered as scholarly references.
Problem Statement
The student provide a direct and specific problem that is under investigation. The leaner discuses on the significance and scope of why the problem is being addressed by focusing on the interest of the population or phenomena being investigated.
Summary
The summary is the summation of all the information (topics and sub-topics) discussed in this chapter. Therefore, the leaner is required to summarise all of the information pertaining to problem space, problem statement, theoretical foundation, and past literature view in a synthetic manner.
Chapter 3: Methodology
Introduction
The introduction section re-states the purpose of the study by providing an overview of the research focus discussed in the previous chapter. The leaner is required to change the verb tenses from present or future tense (proposal) to past tense when writing methodology.
Purpose of the study
The leaner is required to reinstate the main objective or goal of the study, and how it will be achieved. A declarative statement should introduce the section using the phrase, “The purpose of this ….” Included in this statement are geographical location, research design and methodology. The content should be a minim of two pages.
Research questions
Under this section, the leaner proposes the research questions based on the needs of the problem statement. Additionally, the leaner is required to provide information pertaining to source of data and nature of data necessary to answer the research question(s). The content should be a minim of two pages.
Rationale for a Qualitative Methodology
The learner should justify the epistemological foundation for the choice of a qualitative methodology. The learner should include an argument for why the selected methodology is better than the alternative methodologies (quantitative or mixed methods) based on what still needs to be understood from the problem space, problem statement, and research questions. The content should be a minim of two pages. The content should be a minim of two pages.
Rationale for Research Design
There are various types of research methods adopted in research studies based on the needs or objectives of the research. Queirós, Faria & Almeida (2017) point out that a research study that seeks to collect empirical evidence from a predefined sampled population to understand the participants’ point of view. There are a variety of research designs. The choice for selecting a given design will require the leaner to provide justification thereof. The content should be a minim of one to two pages.
Population and Sample Selection
In research, a population constitutes an absolute number of objects or people who share similar characteristics that form the main focus of the research query. However, in most studies, the population of people or things being studied often runs into thousands or million, which can be challenging to include in a single research. Therefore, sampling techniques can be adopted to aid the leaner acquire the desired number of participants. However, the choice of the sampling technique to be adopted has to be discussed, and justification provided for why a given technique was used to selected participants. Part of the recruiting approach is the discussion of obtaining site authorization in order to access the target population. Include relevant information, such as confidentiality measures, geographic specifics, and participant requirements.
Source of data
In this section the learner fully the nature or type of data to be collected and the research instrument to be used to facilitate the data collection process. Based on the needs of the study various research instruments and methods can be used. The nature of the study will dictate the type of data to be used and the tools for collecting the said information. A minimum of 1 to 3 pages is required.
Research Data
In quantitative studies data can be sourced directly from a group of participants. This is distinct from a qualitative studies study- commonly used in case studies- where data is collected through interviews. Student are advised to consult with their supervisors if unsure of the data of research data to use or which methods to apply.
Trustworthiness
This section describes the four key elements that together serve to produce confidence in the research procedures and results of a qualitative study. These elements constitute the overarching concept of “trustworthiness.” The four elements are credibility, transferability, dependability, and conformability.
Credibility
Credibility is measured by examining the validity of the information presented in the study. By definition credibility refers to how well the study’s findings accurately represent the experiences of participants for the sample under study. In other words, credibility describes the internal validity of the study. There various way, which the leaner can examining the credibility or validity of the study. Assessing the content validity, which is aimed towards assessing the extent to which the data to be collected by the use of a research tool characterizes a specific domain or a concept content. Professionals will obtain opinions to comment on the representation and suitability and give corrective suggestions for amendments on the study tools. In determining the research instrument’s validity, the researcher will seek expert opinion, especially the finance department lecturers and supervisors. This will ensure that the collected data will be improved in the process.
Dependability
Dependability refers to the degree to which research procedures are documented and are reliable. Techniques used to demonstrate dependability include checking for reliability. Reliability is obtained when the repetition of a similar research process and replicates the research outcome within the limits of confidence stated. The leaner needs to note that the study reliability is sustaining if a different researcher might get the same conclusion by conducting a similar study. The reliability test whether the result of the study is repeatable. For example, to make sure that the content of the research is reliable in the questionnaire (research instrument), the leaner will use Cronbach Alpha. The value is in the bracket of 0 and 1. High values are desirable since they prove higher reliability. The value of 0.7 is generally accepted as a rule of thumb (Hair et al., 2013).
Data Collection and Management
Data is empirical evidence collected from a group of participants, and it is the fundamental element that determines how a research study is concluded. In research settings, data is generally collected using two distinct approaches through primary or secondary means. In this section the leaner is required to provide the actual processes that will be used to facilitate data collection. This means detailing step-by-stem process of how data will be collected from the sources, measured, and placed in the research instruments. The process of data collection can differ from study to a number hence the leaner should outline the required data collection processes suitable to the need of his or her study.
Data Analysis Procedures
The learner uses this section to identify and provide a rationale for the data analysis approach for the study, and to provide a step-by-step description of the procedures to be used to conduct the analysis. The key information to be included in this section include statistical tools for analysing data, providing rational for selecting a given or multiple analysis tools or techniques. Providing evidence that the quality and quantity of data is enough to address the research questions. Additionally, the leaner is required to provide the reporting techniques for the data collected. A minimum of one to three pages is required.
Ethical Considerations
In this section the learner demonstrates adherence to the key principles of the Belmont Report (respect, justice, and beneficence) in the study design, sampling procedures, the research problem, and the research questions. The learners is required to elaborate, which issues or principles are relevant to the research. Furthermore, examining the potential risks for individuals willing to participate in the study.
Moreover, the leaner, under this section should providing information on how he or she will attain consent to protect the interest and privacy of the participants. The leaner is required to explain how the information collected from the participant will be secured, stored or destroyed after the completion of the dissertation. A minimum of three to four paragraphs are required.
Assumptions, and Delimitations
The learner is required to outline separate section to highlight on the assumption and delimitations of the study. The leaner states the acceptable assumption and provide explanation to support the rational for each. The learner should define the terms using citations from the literature, and then list the assumptions and delimitations. Under this section the applicability and transferability of this study are discussed.
Summary
The learner summarises all of the key point in this chapter. The summary should outline Cleary how the researcher intend to conduct the study in order to collect and analyse data.
Reference
The reference have to be arranged in an alphabetical order. More so, the references have to be consistent with the APA requirements. The references can be sourced from different online sites such as Google Scholar.
Hair, J. F., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2013). Partial least squares structural equation modeling: Rigorous applications, better results and higher acceptance. Long range planning, 46(1-2), 1-12.
Queirós, A., Faria, D., & Almeida, F. (2017). Strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research methods. European Journal of Education Studies.
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