Northcentral university dissertation proposal template

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The SBTM Prospectus Template

The SBTM Prospectus is a stepping stone into the final process that students have been preparing for throughout their programs – the dissertation. Using this template, you will lay out the framework for the structure and content of your Dissertation Proposal, which, in turn, provides the framework for the Dissertation Manuscript. While the doctoral program of studies has been training you to be an independent researcher and expert in your field, you are not alone. If you have questions during this process please reach out to your professor. The Academic Success Center and your Advisor are also available to help you.

Your Prospectus will be presented as part of your portfolio in the Portfolio course. A grading rubric can be found within the Portfolio Handbook.

How to Use this Template

Milestone document templates are pre-formatted to conform to Northcentral University dissertation requirements. Templates include the required section headings for each milestone document. Refer to the corresponding Degree Guidebook for supplemental information for each chapter and section.

Northcentral Milestone Document Templates represent the standards of the research and academic communities for research writing. Because this Prospectus Paper Template (PPT) provides the framework for the structure and content of the Dissertation Proposal, it is important for students’ Prospectus Papers to adhere to the template in terms of content, organization, and format. In addition, the template serves as a valuable guide to the logical flow of the document, ensuring alignment among the problem, purpose, and methodological design and analysis, allowing the reason for, and the nature of, the study to be fully clarified. Adherence to the milestone template in terms of content, organization, and format will greatly facilitate the development of acceptable milestone documents throughout the dissertation process.

Enter text directly into the template. Eliminate template instructions and example text. Do not change the format, section headings, margins, page numbering, or font. Exceptions to APA 6th edition (e.g., 1.5 inch margin on the left, single-spaced references) unique to dissertations are reflected in the templates and take precedence over APA format. Refer to the Dissertation Center for current resources. Milestone documents submitted to the SBTM that are not formatted using the template will be returned without review.

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Submission of a milestone document for SBTM Review indicates that the dissertation chair, student, and committee have read the Dissertation requirements described in the Doctoral Candidacy Resource Guide, guidebooks, and templates. Additionally, submission for SBTM Review indicates that the dissertation chair and committee have carefully read the student’s milestone document and attest that it meets all of the requirements set forth.

[Title]

Choose an item.

Submitted to Northcentral University

Graduate Faculty of the School of Business and Technology Management in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Choose an item.

by [Author]

San Diego, CA

December 2016

Table of Contents

Introduction 2

Statement of the Problem 2

Purpose of the Study 2

Research Questions 2

Hypotheses 2

Brief Review of the Literature 2

Theme/Sub-Topic 1 2

Theme/Sub-Topic 2 2

Summary 2

Research Method 2

Operational Definition of Variables 2

Measurement 2

Summary 2

References 2

Appendix A Using the Microsoft Word References and Bibliography Tools 2

Appendix B Working with Lists of Document Contents 2

Appendix C Working with Figures and Tables 2

List of Tables

Table 1. This is a Sample Table 2

Delete this page if your document contains no tables. See Appendix B and Appendix C for information on working with tables, figures, and lists of tables/figures.

List of Figures

Figure 1. Northcentral University's Logo 2

Delete this page if your document contains no figures. See Appendix B and Appendix C for information on working with tables, figures, and lists of tables/figures.

Introduction

[Text…Introduce the dissertation topic in one or more paragraphs (2 pages maximum). The study topic should be briefly described to establish the main ideas and context. Include recent, scholarly, peer-reviewed sources to support each assertion. The Introduction should orient the reader to all of the concepts presented in the sections that follow. Key words related to the research topic should be defined clearly and precisely upon first use and used consistently throughout the paper. This will help to establish and maintain the central focus of the paper. Review the Candidacy Resource Guide for your degree program for more information about degree expectations with regard to the study topic and design requirements.]

Note: Do not describe the study purpose or method in the introduction as these belong in later sections.

Statement of the Problem

(Approximately 250 to 300 words) Articulation of a concise problem statement is the key to a successful proposal/dissertation manuscript and typically requires many revisions before the proposal is approved; this prospectus is the first step in refining your problem. The problem statement is a brief discussion of a problem or observation succinctly identifying and documenting the need for and importance of the study. Throughout your coursework, your research has become increasingly focused and you have begun to identify gaps or holes in the research that you are interested in researching; this is the time to identify that gap or problem. Include appropriate published or relevant primary sources to document the existence of a problem worthy of doctoral level research. A lack of research alone is not a compelling problem (many things are not studied but do not necessarily warrant research). Stay focused and do not include all of your research – you will expand on the literature that you reviewed in the following section titled “Brief Review of the Literature”.

The documented problem that is identified may be a gap in academic research or a practical problem or issue in the profession of study for which there is not already an acceptable solution. In defining the problem a clear discrepancy must be drawn between that which exists currently and that which is desired. To identify and articulate a problem, consider the potential negative consequences to the field or stakeholders if the proposed research is never conducted. What is not known that should be known and what are the potential negative consequences to the field of study if the proposed research is never conducted? These questions can help to identify the problem that needs to be addressed and the theories relevant to predict, explain and understand the problem.

Ph.D. dissertation-worthy problems must be relevant and documented beyond any particular study site and have clear theoretical implications in order to make a realistic, but substantive contribution to the field of study. Applied study problems must be relevant and documented beyond any particular study site and worthy of investigation, although your research design does not necessarily require generalizability beyond the study site.

[Text… Present a general issue/observation that is grounded in the research literature and leads to the need for the study (in most cases scholarly citations within the last 5 years are required to document the general and specific problem). Follow with a focused, documented problem that directly reflects and leads to the need for a research response.]

Note: Ensure that the concepts presented in the problem statement lead to and align directly with the Purpose Statement. Use of a “logic” map is highly recommended in order to ensure direct alignment and avoid “surprises” among the key elements: problem purpose research questions proposed method and design.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose statement should be one concise paragraph that describes the intent of the study and it should flow directly from the problem statement. Specifically address the reason for conducting the study and reflect the research questions. Begin the purpose statement with a succinct sentence that indicates the study method and overarching goal.

[Text…“The purpose of this [quantitative, qualitative, or constructive] study is to... (describe the study goal that directly reflects and encompasses the research questions).” Follow with a brief, but clear overview of how, with what instruments/data, with whom and where (as applicable).]

Within the Purpose Statement:

· The research method is identified as qualitative, quantitative, or constructive.

· The stated purpose reflects the research questions: variables/constructs and/or phenomenon/concept/idea are identified (See the Degree Guidebook for your degree for additional information).

· The research design is clearly stated and is aligned with the problem statement.

· The participants and/or data sources are identified (See the Applied Degree Guidebook for additional information).

· The geographic location of study is identified (as appropriate).

Before moving forward, ensure that the purpose is a logical, explicit research response to the stated problem. The study results should make a contribution to theory, or the field or practice and have implications that are relevant beyond your study.

Research Questions

Before listing the research questions, introductory information should be presented in a discussion context. The research questions are to be distinct and answerable, given the identified constructs/phenomenon and population.

Note: Do not include specific interview or survey question/items here.

Quantitative: Research questions are included and the question list is followed by corresponding list of proposed hypothesis(es). Ensure the research questions and hypothesis(es) are aligned with the purpose statement. The research questions and hypotheses must be directly answerable, specific and testable based on the data collected.

Qualitative: Proposed research questions that are related to the phenomenon are stated. The proposed research questions must be aligned with purpose statement. Qualitative research questions should be open-ended and reflect the nature of the qualitative design (avoid yes/no and closed ended questions).

Constructive: Proposed research questions should be related to designing, creating, extending, applying, etc. your proposed artifact; quality and success criteria related to your research or achieving your goal; and any questions the answers to which would inform other practitioners or scholars and which your research will answer. After completing your study, your data or other evidence should support your research questions. Constructive research questions are also usually open-ended.

[Text…Brief introductory text. Note: Avoid redundant text]

Q1.

[Research question 1]

Q2.

[Research question 2]

[Additional questions as needed.]

Hypotheses

(Quantitative Only. Delete this section if the proposed study is qualitative or constructive.)

Both null hypotheses and alternative hypotheses must be stated. Each must directly correspond with a research question. Hypotheses must be stated in testable, potentially negatable, form with each variable operationalized. Note: Each hypothesis represents one distinct testable prediction. Upon testing, each hypothesis must be entirely supported or entirely negated.

H10.

[Null Hypothesis Text…]

H1a.

[Alternative Hypothesis Text…]

Brief Review of the Literature

Note: This is not meant to be an exhaustive review of the literature. However, when the proposal is eventually developed, this section of the Prospectus Paper should be incorporated into the more exhaustive Background section in Chapter 1 and/or the Literature Review of Chapter 2 as appropriate.

[Text… The discussion should have depth and present an integrated critical analysis and synthesis of the scholarly, peer-reviewed literature that provides a foundation and context for the dissertation study. The discussion should be comprehensive, organized, and flow logically. The brief review of literature should not be a list of one article summary after another or an annotated bibliography. Use themes and/or subtopics as headings. Identify the themes or sub-topics around which the literature review has been organized into a coherent narrative discussion. In the review, at least 7 to 10 of the most important works or studies that touch upon the dissertation topic or problem should be discussed. Be sure to include works that provide alternate or opposing perspectives on the proposed topic area to demonstrate unbiased research. Focus particularly on those works that address main ideas in the field, describe areas of controversy, and indicate areas of incomplete knowledge and relate them to the envisioned study problem, purpose, and research questions. Include historical and germinal works as well as current works (within the last 5 years). Note that you will continue to expand and update the literature review until the final dissertation is submitted.

Note: Emphasize key findings and interpretations to build a coherent narrative of the current state of the literature rather than focus on researchers/authors (other than seminal authors in the field) and specific study designs (i.e., unless the author, specific design, analytics, sample size or geographic location are directly relevant, it is usually not necessary to describe them). Review the Background and Literature Review sections of published, peer-reviewed journal articles for examples of academic writing.

Please note the literature review will contain several headings specific to the topic. With the exception of key, seminal authors, the majority of references should be scholarly, peer-reviewed and published within the last 5 years.