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Assumptions, Limitations, Delimitations, and Scope of the StudyBy Marilyn K. Simon, PhD and Jim Goes PhDIncludes excerpts from Simon & Goes (2013), Dissertation and Scholarly Research: Recipes for Success. Seattle, WA: Dissertation Success LLCFind this and many other dissertation guides and resources at www.dissertationrecipes.comOf all the elements in a standard doctoral dissertation, few are more confusing to doctoral learners than assumptions, limitations, and delimitations. Many doctoral students have difficulty understanding and differentiating between these elements. However, these elements of the proposal are essential elements in explaining and framing the study the proposed study.Assumptions are a necessary element in proposals, because they are required to enable andconduct the study. Often there are beliefs in the proposed research that are necessary to conduct the research, but cannot be proven. A classic example is the assumption that participants in a study will answer survey or interview questions honestly and factually. Since it would take considerable time and effort to validate answers of each participant, we assume honest responses. Similarly, we might have a common belief about a phenomenon within the study population, yet be unable to prove it. If there is evidence that supports the assumption, we usually defer to refer to that evidence with a source citation, rather than assume it. Otherwise, we only assume what we cannot prove but must assume to conduct the research. However, it is not sufficient just to assume what cannot be proven. You need to justify that each assumption will likely be met (in the proposal) and was probably true (in the dissertation); otherwise, the study is of no value. To assume, for example, that participants will respond honestly, you can explain how identities of participants will be (or were) concealed and their confidentiality preserved. Assuring study participants that their responses are confidential and kept secure makes it much more likely that they will respond honestly.The scope of the study refers to the parameters under which the study will be operating -- what the study covers -- and is closely connected to the framing of the problem. The problem you seek to resolve will fit within certain parameters. Think of the scope as the domain of your research—what’s in the study domain, and what is not. You need to make it as clear as possible what you will be studying and which factors are within the accepted range of your study. For example, if you are studying the negative effects of bullying on middle school children, the
scope of the study could include both face-to-face bullying and cyber-bullying in grades 6 through 8, but exclude other grades.Limitations are constraints that are largely beyond your control but could affect the study outcome. Limitations often flow from methodology and study design choices. Each different option in methodology and study design has particular limitations. These limit the extensityto which a study can go, and sometimes affect the end result and conclusions that can bedrawn. Every study, no matter howwell it is conducted and constructed, has limitations. These limitations relate to the specifics of each methodology and design, and force the researcher into tradeoffs. This is one of the reasons why wedo not use the words "prove" and "disprove" with respect to research findings. It is always possible that future research maycast doubt on the validity of any hypothesis orconclusion from a study, particularly if conducted using a different methodology or design. Your study might have access to onlycertain people in an organization, certain documents, and certain data. These are limitations.Subsequentstudies may overcome these limitations. Limitations of Qualitative StudiesA limitation associated with qualitative study is related to validity and reliability. “Because qualitative research occurs in the natural setting it is extremely difficult to replicate studies” (Wiersma, 2000, p. 211). When you select certain methodologies and designs, forexample phenomenology, you accept inherent limitations over which you mayhave littlecontrol.Limitations of Case Studies We cannot make causal inferences from case studies, because we cannot rule outalternativeexplanations. It is always unclear about the generality of the findings of a case study. A casestudy involves the behavior of one person, group, or organization. The behavior of this one unit of analysis may or may not reflect the behavior of similar entities. Case studies may be suggestive of what may be found in similar organizations,but additional research would beneeded to verify whether findings from one studywould generalize elsewhere. This is one reason why case studies tend to be used for poorly understood problems – there is a need for qualitative, inductive research to understand the problem, which may inform subsequent quantitative, deductive research and potentially generalizable results.Limitations of Correlational StudiesCorrelational research merely demonstrates that we can predict the behavior of onevariable from the behavior of another variable. If a relationship exists then there is an association between variables. However, two variables can be associated without therebeing a causalrelationship between the variables. If we find that X is associated with Y,it could mean that X caused Y, or Y caused X, or some “third” (confounding) variable caused both X and Y without there being any causal relationship between X and Y. Correlational research may also have