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Proposal Development
Proposal Development
The Dissertation Proposal is formally presented to the faculty through the Preliminary Oral. This marks the key milestone for attaining Doctoral Candidate status, signifying that your proposed research has gained approval from the faculty. You will work on your proposal over several terms, with guidance from your dissertation chairperson, who typically provides feedback chapter by chapter as your research develops. Once your chairperson deems the proposal thorough enough, you will share it with your other committee members. Feedback from the committee is given during your Preliminary Oral, where any required revisions are discussed and incorporated before submitting your IRB application.
While you have the freedom to choose your research topic, it is often aligned with the focus of your degree, such as leadership, change, or learning technologies. As you review the literature, specific issues and unanswered questions will become clearer. You need to make a compelling case for the relevance of your study and find a faculty member who is not only qualified to serve as your chairperson but also willing to guide and support your research. Although it’s beneficial to start considering your research interests early in the doctoral program and discuss them with your course faculty, formally selecting a chairperson typically happens by the end of your second year.
The Dissertation Proposal is composed of three chapters:
Chapter One: The Issue/Problem and Purpose of the Study
Chapter Two: Literature Review for your selected Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
Chapter Three: Methods
Reviewing existing literature is a gradual process that requires time and effort to find sources relevant to your dissertation. Textbooks used in your courses can help you understand the scope of a field or subject, but they are generally secondary sources, as they summarize the research of others. For your dissertation, you'll need to rely on primary scholarly sources, directly citing original researchers. In the scholar-practitioner model, some primary sources from trade literature may also be acceptable.
Proposal Outline
Proposal Outline
Chapter One: The Issue/Problem
Introduction with the explanation of the issue
Statement of the problem
Purpose statement
Research Questions
Methodological approach
Researcher assumptions
Delimitations of study
Theoretical Framework
brief introduction with key definitions
Significance of proposed research
Chapter Summary (brief; serves as transition to next chapter presenting the review of literature of the theoretical/conceptual framework
Chapter Two: Literature Review of Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
Historical background and/or context of issue being studied
In-depth discussion of literature of theoretical framework of study
Sections organized by theoretical constructs
Chapter Three: Methods
Brief introduction to study purpose
Restatement of research questions
Research methodological approach and Study Design
Data sources
Population and Sampling Processes
Data gathering instruments/tools
Validity and Reliability of instruments/tools
Data gathering procedures
Human subjects considerations
IRB category of research
Proposed data analysis processes
Sample tables if appropriate
Means to ensure internal study validity
Literature Review Process
Literature Review Process
The review of existing literature is a process that takes time and deliberate efforts to explore and locate relevant sources for your dissertation topic. Textbooks used in courses are helpful in understanding the breadth of a field or subject however textbooks are most often considered secondary sources as the authors’ are reporting on the research of others. For your dissertation manuscript, you rely on the scholarly literature and locate the primary sources, citing the researchers directly. For the scholar-practitioner model, some primary sources from the trade literature are also acceptable.
Required Page Count and Literature Citation Requirements
The student's chair works individually with the student throughout the proposal development process. Numerous drafts of each chapter are reviewed by the chair over a 3 to 6 month process. Each faculty chair has different strategies and practices for supporting student progress and for when committee members are asked to provide guidance during proposal preparation. The chair, in collaboration with the other committee members, decides when the student's proposal is ready for the Preliminary Oral.
Required Page Count and Literature Citation Requirements
The student's chair works individually with the student throughout the proposal development process. Numerous drafts of each chapter are reviewed by the chair over a 3 to 6 month process. Each faculty chair has different strategies and practices for supporting student progress and for when committee members are asked to provide guidance during proposal preparation. The chair, in collaboration with the other committee members, decides when the student's proposal is ready for the Preliminary Oral.
Prior to scheduling the Preliminary Oral, the student submits the dissertation proposal (the first three chapters of their dissertation) through Turnitin via the "GSEP Writing Support" course in Courses. The student forwards the report to their chair, who reviews the Turnitin report, ensuring that the bibliographic and quoted material are excluded from the results, and works with the student to resolve any issues related to originality, extensive and/or improper quotation, etc. In cases of matching text, students have the opportunity to correct and resubmit their proposals through Turnitin as needed. The dissertation chair is responsible for ensuring that the proposal is free of plagiarism.
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