Joy Hofmeister, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, spoke to an elementary group of students and she described a new way for teachers and adults to ask children the outdated question of, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" She explained that this question needs to be transformed into, "What problem do you want to solve when you grow up?" This allows for children to explore a problem within our society and find a way to contribute towards, or providing new insight into, solving that problem.

Writing a dissertation is very similar to this scenario. A dissertation study is conducted by and expected of doctoral students because they should find a problem that exists within their field of study and find a way, through exploration/investigation, to contribute additional research and knowledge towards solving that problem. This allows for a growing body of research to accumulate so that educators and business leaders can collectively work towards improving their organizations. Butin (2010) described the dissertation as "an in-depth and rigorous examination of a particular issue that provides new knowledge and/or perspectives and, as such, contributes to ongoing scholarship and discussion around that issue" (p. 10).

Phase 1: Dissertation Proposal

Phase 2: IRB Process & Data Collection

Phase 3: Dissertation Defense

Your topic MUST be well-established in research! Even though the "problem" you identify may exist in your current context, it still must be recognized and written about in the research field. Sometimes it is difficult to think outside of your current context and experiences, however, as described in the previous section, Chapter 2 is a review of the literature that situates your topic in the context of the work that has already been done. If you are not able to find much research on your topic, then you will not be able to write 25-30 pages for the review of the literature, or justify the importance of your research to the larger body of knowledge.

Due to the importance of your topic being well-grounded in research, the initial two courses are designed to allow you to become more acquainted with the research that exists on your topic. In addition, you will begin your dissertation by writing Chapter 2, instead of Chapter 1, when you take your first research course, The Literature Review. When setting up your study, it is important to know that it is possible to find research to support your problem statements.

The following resources, Mendeley and a Google Spreadsheet, will assist you in organizing and annotating your sources.

Time Frame: An important consideration and component of your study is the time frame required to complete your study. If your interest is in determining high school graduation rates for students entering a freshman academy, then you will be waiting at least four years to determine the results of that study. So, before getting too far into the research, take a moment to envision your proposed study and the type of data available to collect and analyze. While it is worthwhile to know the results of longer studies, it is not feasible for a dissertation study, especially with an embedded dissertation during a 32-month time frame.

Envision Your Study: In consideration of the time frame for the program, it is helpful to envision your study to determine if it is possible to complete. The following questions can help you further define your study. Who are the participants in your study? Who will you interview? What data will you collect? What kinds of questions can you ask to gather additional information and insight into the problem? Where is the location? Do you have access to this location and are the participants likely to participate in the study? Considering all of these questions will help you begin to narrow the focus and intent of your study and also ensure that your study is feasible within the context of this program.

Non-Existent Program: Also, you cannot study something that does not exist. For example, it is a problem that the state does not provide a necessary training program to beginning teachers. The tricky part about this problem is that a lot of research exists that says providing support to beginning teachers helps them to be successful in their teaching careers, however, there is nothing to collect data on in this scenario. You cannot collect data on a program that does not exist.

Not a Persuasive Essay: In the beginning of developing a dissertation topic, the goal is to identify a problem that exists in your field of study. Along with the identification of a problem is likely your inherent assumptions as to how that problem should be solved. However, dissertations are not persuasive essays or written to prove a point. The goal of a dissertation is to explore the problem and provide additional insight and knowledge into that body of research. If you already "know" the outcome of the study, then it would not be necessary to conduct the study.