Please Separate Paper According to Assignment Number
Dissertation Idea Paper Draft
Students will be asked to outline a research idea that could later be turned into the Idea Paper and, eventually, into a dissertation research proposal. In the dissertation Idea Paper your task is to present a research idea along with a preliminary plan for your research and ultimately persuade your dissertation committee that the proposed research is worthy of a dissertation. The paper should be written in the future tense and must include the following elements:
Assignment #1
—Introduction
5 to 7 pages
APA Style & Format required
Nature of the Research Problem
In this section, present a concise statement of a research-worthy problem to be addressed (i.e., why the work should be undertaken). Follow the statement of the problem with a well-supported discussion of its scope and nature. The discussion of the problem should include: what the problem is, why it is a problem, a short discussion of the impact of the problem, and a brief purpose statement indicating the overall purpose of the study.
Background & Significance
In this section, present enough information about the proposed work so that the reader understands the general context or setting of the study. After a brief synthesis of the literature decide what the existent literature/research lacks as it is this gap that you will fill with your research. Discuss the significance of the problem and the importance of conducting research on it.
Overall, this section should provide the necessary support for both the problem statement and overall purpose of your study. Consider the following questions and support your discussion by citing the research literature: Why is there a problem? What groups or individuals are affected? How far ranging is the problem and how great is its impact? What is the benefit of solving the problem? What has been tried without success to correct the situation? Why weren’t those attempts successful? What are the consequences of not solving the problem? How does the goal of your study address the research problem and how will your proposed study offer promise as a resolution to the problem? How will your research add to the knowledge base?
Barriers & Issues
In this section, you should identify factors that may hinder progress in your dissertation or in one of its phases. Some of these factors may be related to cost, lack of cooperation in the organization where the research takes place, poor recruitment, lack of participant assistance or data collection/availability matters among others. Briefly describe some of the ones you anticipate may affect your study along with potential solutions to overcome the barrier(s).
Purpose Statement
Next, include a concise statement of the purpose of the study (i.e., “the purpose of this study is to….”). Aim to define a goal that is measurable.
Definition of Terms
This section, if needed, will include definitions that the reader might need to understand in order to better interpret the ideas presented by the researcher. Terms that are jargon- specific or sometimes may adopt more than one meaning should be included in this section to clarify their meaning in the context of the proposed study.
Assignment #2 —Annotated Bibliography & Research Questions APA Style & Format required
Annotated Bibliography
One of the most important skills you must develop in a graduate program is writing clear and concise literature reviews. To do this well, you must be able to select appropriate and relevant articles, books, and other resources, and to extract essential information from these. You must also be able to summarize and synthesize that information in a cogent and coherent manner and abide by APA requirements for form and style. Finally, you must be able to put all of this material together in a logical and organized fashion.
1. The primary focus of this Annotated Bibliography will be the topic selected for your idea paper. An annotated bibliography is a detailed summary and evaluation that provides some insight into the articles selected for the research paper.
2. To prepare an annotated bibliography, you must:
• Search for research articles related to the topic you selected.
• Read, analyze, and take notes from these resources.
• Synthesize each article, that is, provide a brief summary of what the article
is about in a one-page “Structured Abstract”.
3. Using NSU’s Distance Library Services, and/or any search tool available, locate 20 to 25 recent journal articles (published in the last 5 to 8 years) from refereed journals that focus on the topic you have chosen. If you’re not sure of whether a given article meets the required criteria, please consult with your professor.
4. For each article selected and in no more than one page, the following information must be presented (use the headings below)
• Reference: must be in APA
• Purpose of the study/Background: general information about the topic of the study
• Method: sample; instruments; research design
• Results
• Conclusions
5. Students are expected to use full-text articles (not summaries found on the web), obtained from academic peer reviewed journals. Also, students must exercise caution when using the Internet to conduct research. Much of what is available on the web is not subject to evaluation or review of any sort. Wikipedia is NOT allowed as a resource.
6. Keep in mind that this Annotated Bibliography will be the precursor of your review of the literature. In order to present your completed idea paper to your dissertation committee Chair, you will use some of the literature explored in this bibliography and then compose a short review to support your research interest.
Research Questions
Research questions are developed to help guide you through the literature for a given problem area. Three to five research questions are usually adequate (using Creswell classification scheme, identify your questions as QUAL or QUAN and as descriptive, relational or comparative). As your research evolves, it is likely your research questions will too. Depending on the design of your study, you may also develop a hypothesis to match each question although this is not a requirement.
Assignment #3—Methodology
3 to 5 pages
APA Style & Format required
Participants
This section should outline 2 distinct elements: sampling procedures and description of intended sample. How do you intend to recruit your subjects? Who are these subjects? How many subjects will you need in your study?
Instruments
This section should present information on what particular instruments the researcher intends to use to collect the data. Instruments comprise from standardized tests to interview protocols or observations. Forms, existing or developed by the researcher in the context of a study also count as data collection instruments and should be listed. If available, psychometric information on the instruments (i.e., validity and reliability) should also be stated.
Proposed Research Design & Methodology
This section will open with the research design that the researcher intends to use in the study. A brief discussion on the design, a step-wise description of some of the steps of the study will follow (consent, data collection, etc.).
Data Analysis
Based on the research questions, the student-researcher will propose a sound data analysis plan, indicating not only the software to be used, but the specific statistical tests that will address each unique question.
Limitations
In this section, identify the potential threats to the internal and external validity of the study. Discuss how these may impact your study’s findings and how the researcher plans to control for some of these factors.
Students will NOT collect data for this assignment. This is a proposal of a study; thus every section must be written in future tense. Students are STRONGLY encouraged to take drafts of their reports to a writing resource center when needed. Incorrect grammar, spelling, and formatting errors are not acceptable at the graduate level. Note: Papers are to be submitted prior to or on the DUE date. Papers submitted late will be subject to a penalty of 5 points per day. No paper will be accepted after the last day of the semester.