Example Dissertation Template | Chegg Writing More tips linked here

<TITLE OF DISSERTATION, CENTERED, IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS,

DOUBLE-SPACED AND IN INVERTED PYRAMID FORM

IF MORE THAN ONE LINE >

by

<Student’s full official name>

DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of

< XYZ University or College>

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements

For the Degree

DOCTOR OF <Name of Degree>

in the <Name of Program>

<Month of graduation, day, and year>

< Name,> Dissertation Chair

Example Dissertation Template | Chegg Writing More tips linked here

©Copyright by <Name>, <Year of Graduation>

All Rights Reserved

<TITLE OF DISSERTATION, CENTERED, IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS,

DOUBLE-SPACED AND IN INVERTED PYRAMID FORM

IF MORE THAN ONE LINE >

by

<Student’s full official name>

APPROVED BY __________________________________________

<Chair’s Name, Degree>, Chair

__________________________________________ <Member’s Name, Degree >, Committee Member

__________________________________________ <Member’s Name, Degree >, Committee Member __________________________________________ <Member’s Name, Degree >, Committee Member RECEIVED/APPROVED BY THE COLLEGE/SCHOOL OF <COLLEGE OR SCHOOL NAME>: <Associate Dean’s Name, Degree >, Associate Dean <Dean’s Name, Degree >, Dean

Dedication

This page is optional. If you do not include a dedication, delete this page. If you

do include a dedication, it must be double-spaced, one paragraph on one page, and

not more than 250 words.

Acknowledgments

This page is optional. If you do not include an acknowledgment, delete this page.

If you do include a dedication, it must be double-spaced, one paragraph on one

page, and not more than 250 words.

TITLE OF DISSERTATION, CENTERED, IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS,

DOUBLE-SPACED AND IN INVERTED PYRAMID FORM

IF MORE THAN ONE LINE >

by

<Student’s full official name>

Abstract

Abstract text must not exceed 250 words. It must be double-spaced, left-justified,

and presented in one paragraph, and must provide a complete, succinct picture of

the research, including the problem, methods, results, conclusions, and discussion

in one paragraph. The abstract should stand alone, with no formal citations or

references to chapters or sections of the work.

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright ii

Approval Page iii

Dedication iv

Acknowledgments v

Abstract vi

Table of Contents vii

List of Tables xii

List of Figures xiii

Chapter 1: Introduction 1

Background

Problem Statement

Purpose of the Study

Research Question(s) and Hypotheses

Theoretical Foundation and/or Conceptual Framework

Nature of the Study

Definitions

Assumptions

Scope and Delimitations

Limitations

Significance of the Study

Summary

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Literature Search Strategy

Theoretical Foundation

Literature Review

Summary

Chapter 3: Research Methods

Research Design and Rationale

Methodology

Population

Sampling and Sampling Procedures

Recruitment Procedures

Data Collection Procedures

Secondary Data

Intervention

Instrumentation and Operationalization of Constructs

Intervention Studies Involving Manipulation of an Independent Variable

Data Analysis Plan

Threats to Validity

External Validity

Internal Validity

Construct Validity

Ethical Considerations

Summary

Chapter 4: Results

Study Results

Summary

Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations

Interpretation of Findings

Limitations of the Study

Recommendations

Conclusions

References

Appendix A: Title of Appendix A

The above is a working table of contents. Not all headings will be the same or

necessary for every dissertation.

Chapter 1: Introduction

The introduction is a short description of the study. It should explain the need for

this research and why it should be done at this time and briefly describe the contents of

chapters 2 through 5.

It is a preview of the study and should list the five chapters with a brief

description of their contents.

Background

For background, explain how you came to select the topic for this research and

briefly summarize the recent research on the topic. Describe the gap in the literature that

you intend to address. Use this review to trace the development of the problem you

studied as a transition to the next section.

Problem Statement

Start with a strong, concise statement of the problem you studied. Include

statistics that serve as evidence of the nature, scope, and severity of the problem. Frame

the problem in such a way that it builds upon, or counters, previous research findings

from the last five years. Identify the problem as a gap between the current state of a

situation and the desired state of a situation.

Purpose of the Study

Provide a concise statement that serves as the connection between the problem

you have identified and the focus of your research. The purpose statement should indicate

who will benefit from the study and how the findings may be used to solve or mitigate

the problem.

Research Question(s) and Hypotheses

State the research question(s) and explain how they are intended to advance the

current state of knowledge concerning the problem. State the null and alternative

hypotheses (if applicable) that identify the independent and dependent variables being

studied and the associations being tested.

Theoretical Foundation and/or Conceptual Framework

Introduce the theoretical foundation, conceptual framework, or both, that

undergrids your study. Provide the original source(s) as well as a brief discussion of

current applications. Briefly state the major theoretical propositions and/or major

hypotheses you used and state that a more detailed explanation follows in Chapter 2.

Explain how the theory shaped the study approach and research questions.

Nature of the Study

In a brief and concise paragraph, provide (1) a rationale for selection of your

study design and/or tradition, (2) the key study variables (independent, dependent, and

covariates), and (3) a summary of the methodology including how data were collected

and how they were analyzed.

Definitions

Define the terms (with citations) you used that have specific meaning within the

context of your study and explain why these terms are necessary. Do not include common

terms that can easily be looked up in a dictionary.

Assumptions

If you are making claims that cannot be proven but which you believe to be true,

you must list them as assumptions. Only include those that are critical to an

understanding of the study. State why they are necessary to the study.

Scope and Delimitations

State the specific boundaries of your study in terms of what is and what is not

included. Define the boundaries such as geography, populations, race, ethnicity, gender,

and socioeconomic status as appropriate. Explain your inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Limitations

Describe limitations of the study that have to do with the design and/or

methodological weaknesses including issues with internal and external validity, construct

validity, and confounding variables. Describe biases that could influence your study

outcomes and the actions you used to address the limitations.

Significance of the Study

The significance of your study can be described in terms of your intentions to

advance theory, advance practice, fill a gap in the literature, and/or create positive social

change.

Summary and Transition

Summarize all of the main points in each section of this chapter and provide a

transition to Chapter 2.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Provide an introductory summary of the current literature that establishes the

relevance of the problem. Give the reader a brief overview of the following sections of

this chapter including the main points that are covered.

Literature Search Strategy

Describe the strategy you used to locate the literature you used in developing your

research study. This description should include library databases, search engines, and key

search terms and combinations of terms (in italics) employed in your search. Be clear that

you searched for the most recent literature (past five years) as well as the seminal

literature. If you were unable to find current useful research, explain how you handled

that situation.

Theoretical Foundation/Conceptual Framework

Discuss the background theory or conceptual framework you used by covering the

following: (1) the historical background or source of the theory, (2) its major theoretical

propositions and/or major hypotheses, (3) a literature- and research-based analysis of how

the theory has been applied in a minimum of three or four previous studies (if possible),

(4) the rationale for why you chose this theory for your study, and (5) how your research

questions relate to, challenge, or build upon existing theory.

Literature Review

Provide a review of the current literature that provided background for your study.

Identify each (text citation with author and year and then enter full citation in your list of

references) and then briefly describe the study and how it contributes to your own study.

(Your department will determine how many references you should include in your

review.) Explore the ways in which the previous researchers approached the problem and

discuss the strengths and weakness inherent in each of their approaches. Finally, and

most importantly, synthesize their studies into a description of what is known about your

topic and where gaps remain. One way to synthesize this vast content is to identify and

then describe common themes found in this literature.

Summary and Conclusions

Describe how your study fills the gap in the literature and how it extends present

knowledge. End with a transitional narrative that connects the gap in the literature to the

research method you describe in Chapter 3.

Chapter 3: Research Method

Restate the study purpose as described in Chapter 1. Provide the reader with an

outline of the sections of this chapter.

Research Design and Rationale

Identify the research design and why you chose it to answer your research

questions. Explain any time and/or resource constraints you encountered. Describe how

the design choice is consistent with research designs needed to advance knowledge in

your area. State the study variables (independent, dependent, covariate, mediating, and/or

moderating) as appropriate.

Methodology

This narrative should be of sufficient length and depth so that your study can be

replicated by other researchers. Include IRB approval number.

Population

Define the target population. State target population size (if known) or

approximate/estimated size.

Sampling and Sampling Procedures

Identify and justify the type of sampling strategy. Explain specific procedures for

how the sample was drawn. Describe the sampling frame including inclusion and

exclusion criteria. Use a power analysis to determine sample size, and (1) justify the

effect size, alpha level, and power level chosen; and (2) cite the source or tool used to

calculate the sample size.

Recruitment Procedures

Describe recruiting procedures, how participants were provided informed consent,

and how participants exited the study (debriefing procedures, etc.). Describe any follow-

up procedures such as requirements to return for follow-up interviews and/or treatments.

Data Collection Procedures

Describe data collection procedures including all the demographic data items that

were collected. Detail methods of insuring participants’ privacy and how data were safely

stored.

Secondary Data

Include this section only if secondary data were used in the study. Include all

procedures that were necessary to gain access to the dataset, including necessary

permissions (with permission letters located in an appendix). If historical or legal

documents were used as sources of data, demonstrate the reputability of the sources and

justify why they represent the best sources of data.

Intervention

If an intervention was conducted, describe clearly and thoroughly the nature of

the treatment, intervention, or experimental manipulation, and how it was administered,

by whom, and to whom.

Instrumentation and Operationalization of Constructs

For published instruments, include in appendix and provide:

• Name of developer(s) and year of publication.

• Appropriateness to the current study.

• Permission from developer to use the instrument if necessary (permission

letter should be included in an appendix).

• Published reliability and validity values relevant to their use in the study.

• Where and/or with what populations the instrument was previously used and

how validity/reliability values were established in the study sample.

For all researcher instruments, include in appendix and provide:

• Basis for development (literature sources or other bases for development such

as a pilot study).

• How reliability was assessed (internal consistency, test/retest, etc.).

• Evidence of validity (predictive, construct validity, etc.).

• Establish sufficiency of instrumentation to answer research questions.

Operationalization. For each variable describe:

• Its operational definition.

• How it was measured or manipulated.

• How the variable/scale score was calculated, what the scores represent, and an

example item.

Intervention Studies or Those Involving Manipulation of an Independent Variable

If there were no materials/programs required for the study, then delete this

subsection, but provide a discussion of the operationalization of variables. Otherwise,

provide the following regarding materials/programs:

• Identify materials/programs applied as treatment or manipulation.

• Provide information on the developer of the materials and/or programs.

• If published, state where, how, and with what populations the instrument was

previously used.

• If you developed materials, state the basis for development and how the

materials were developed.

Data Analysis Plan

Identify software used for analyses. Provide an explanation of data cleaning and

screening procedures as appropriate to the study. Restate the research questions and

hypotheses here as written in Chapter 1.

Describe in detail the analysis plan including the elements below:

• Statistical tests used to test the research question(s)/hypothesis(es).

• Rationale for inclusion of potential covariates and/or confounding variables.

• How results were interpreted (key parameter estimates, confidence intervals

and/or probability values, odds ratios, etc.).

• Assumptions related to the selected hypotheses

Threats to Validity

External Validity

Describe threats to external validity (testing reactivity, interaction effects of

selection and experimental variables, specificity of variables, reactive effects of

experimental arrangements, and multiple-treatment interference, as appropriate to the

study) and how they were addressed.

Internal Validity

Describe threats to internal validity (history, maturation, statistical regression,

experimental mortality, and selection-maturation interaction as appropriate to the study)

and how they were addressed.

Construct Validity

Describe any threats to construct or statistical conclusion validity.

Ethical Procedures

Describe any agreements that were developed to gain access to participants and

their treatment and include the actual IRB application and approval documents in the

appendix. Discuss ethical concerns and how you addressed them, including as

appropriate (1) recruitment materials and processes, (2) data collection/intervention

activities including participants refusal to participate or early withdrawal from the study,

(3) treatment of data (including archival data), including issues of whether data were

anonymous or confidential and protection of anonymous data, and (4) other ethical issues

as applicable.

Summary

Summary of design and methodology of the method of inquiry. Provide a

transition statement to Chapter 4.

Chapter 4: Results

Study Results

Report statistical analysis organized by research questions and/or hypotheses: first

descriptive, then correlation, and then predictive statistics. Include exact statistics and

associated probability values, confidence intervals, effect sizes, and post-hoc analysis if

applicable. Include tables and figures to illustrate results, as appropriate, as described in

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition.

Summary

Summarize answers to research questions. Provide transitional narrative to the

research conclusions in Chapter 5.

Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations

Think of this chapter as a bookend to Chapter 1. Summarize the problem and

purpose with language similar to that which you used in the introduction of Chapter 1.

Interpretation of Findings

This is where you are to summarize the findings in your own words. Think of how

you would describe your study findings to an interested colleague or family member.

Keep the writing scholarly, but not overly technical or statistically heavy. Cover these

points: (1) how your findings confirm, refute, or extend the knowledge in your area by

comparing them to the literature cited in Chapter 2, and (2) how, in hindsight, you might

have approached the study differently to obtain different results.

Limitations of the Study

Briefly describe the limitations regarding generalizability, trustworthiness,

validity, and reliability that arose from execution of the study.

Recommendations

Describe your recommendations for expanding on your work and how the

findings can and should be used to solve or mitigate the problem you cited in Chapter 1.

You may bring a bit of yourself into the dissertation. Ensure recommendations do not

exceed the study or ethical boundaries.

Conclusions

Close with a brief but strong message that your readers will remember with

clarity.