ABBREVIATED TITLE HERE
The entire
document should
be double spaced
with Times 12
Font.
For the header, Type: your abbreviated title in
all capital letters. (No more than 50 characters,
including spaces). The page number is also in the
header, flush right starting with 1.
1
Be sure your font in the header is size 12 Times
New Roman Font.
Your Approved Dissertation Title Here in Upper and Lowercase Letters
First and Last Name
Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
[insert degree]
University of the Cumberlands
Month and Year of Graduation
Type your dissertation
approved title on line 5.
Type University of the
Cumberlands on line 7.
Month and Year only should
be typed on line 8.
No comma is used between
the two.
Type only your first and last
name on line 6. Do not list
other degrees.
Degrees:
Doctor of Business Administration
Doctor of Education
Doctor of Philosophy Information Technology
Doctor of Philosophy Business
Doctor of Philosophy Leadership
Type only your first and last
name on line 6. Do not list
other degrees.
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2
Approval for Recommendation
This dissertation is approved for recommendation to the faculty and administration of the
University of the Cumberlands.
Dissertation Chair:
Include this page as you submit
the various chapters in each
course.
You will not have the actual
names of committee members two
and three until you select your
committee in DSRT 930.
Include a copy of the signed form
in the final dissertation.
__________________________
Dr. First Name Last Name, PhD, EdD, DBA, or other faculty degree credentials.
Dissertation Evaluators:
__________________________
Dr. First Name Last Name, PhD, EdD, DBA, or other faculty degree credentials.
__________________________
Dr. First Name Last Name, PhD, EdD, DBA, or other faculty degree credentials.
Two double spaces
should be included
after this heading.
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3
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments is where you thank those who have helped you achieve this goal.
There are many to whom a debt of gratitude is owed for their assistance in conducting this
research…. (It is appropriate to thank key faculty, friends, and family members, as well as
ministers and God. It is advisable to limit the comments to one page)
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The abstract should
not include keywords.
Abstract
The word “Abstract”
should be centered
and typed in 12-point
Times New Roman.
4
The abstract begins with a restatement of the study purpose sentence from Chapter One. The
abstract is one paragraph without indentation that contains a comprehensive summary of the
paper's contents. The abstract should be no longer than 250 words and include one or two
sentences covering the critical areas of the literature review, problem, research questions,
methods used, study results, and implications of the research. It is helpful to think of writing the
abstract in six parts, although it is one paragraph. The six parts of a quality abstract should
include a discussion on the methodology, background, purpose, a description of the participants,
the results, and any implications of the study. For example, identify whether you used a
qualitative, quantitative, or mixed design. Also, include the research design stated in Chapter
Three's research design section. For example, “This quantitative data analytics study….” The
background portion should concisely and precisely describe your research background in
Chapter One. When providing details about the purpose of the study, begin by identifying the
problem. For example, it would be best to begin by stating the question you sought to investigate
and your hypothesis in many cases. Then, describe the participants by stating how many
participants took part and how they were selected. For example: "In this study, 215
undergraduate student participants were randomly assigned to (the experimental condition) or
(the control condition)." For the results, this portion of the abstract is essentially a brief preview
of the results of your paper. Although APA does allow statistical results in the abstract now, for
brevity, do not include actual statistics from your analysis in Chapter Four, only the narrative.
Finally, provide any conclusions or implications of the study. For example, what might your
results indicate, and what direction does it point to for future research?
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5
Table of Contents
Approval for Recommendation....................................................................................................... 2
Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................... 3
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 4
Chapter One .................................................................................................................................. 10
Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 10
Overview ................................................................................................................................... 10
Background and Problem Statement......................................................................................... 10
Purpose of the Project ............................................................................................................... 11
Significance of the Project ........................................................................................................ 11
Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 12
Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................................. 14
Limitations of the Project ......................................................................................................... 15
Assumptions.............................................................................................................................. 16
Definitions ................................................................................................................................ 16
Summary ................................................................................................................................... 17
Chapter Two.................................................................................................................................. 18
Review of Literature ..................................................................................................................... 18
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 18
Main Heading (Level 2 heading) .............................................................................................. 18
Subheading (Level 3 Heading) ............................................................................................. 18
Level 4 Subheading........................................................................................................... 19
Level 5 Subheading ...................................................................................................... 19
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6
Summary ................................................................................................................................... 19
Chapter Three................................................................................................................................ 20
Procedures and Methodology ....................................................................................................... 20
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 20
Research Paradigm ................................................................................................................... 20
Research Project Design ........................................................................................................... 20
Sampling Procedures and Data Collection Sources .................................................................. 20
Statistical Tests ......................................................................................................................... 23
Summary ................................................................................................................................... 25
Chapter Four ................................................................................................................................. 26
Research Findings ......................................................................................................................... 26
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 26
Participants and Research Setting ............................................................................................. 26
Project Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 26
Analyses of Research Questions ............................................................................................... 26
Supplementary Findings ........................................................................................................... 27
Summary ................................................................................................................................... 27
Chapter Five .................................................................................................................................. 27
Summary, Discussion, and Implications ....................................................................................... 28
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 28
Practical Assessment of Project Analysis ................................................................................. 28
Supplementary Findings ....................................................................................................... 29
Limitations of the Study ........................................................................................................... 29
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7
Implications for Future Study ................................................................................................... 30
Summary ................................................................................................................................... 30
References ..................................................................................................................................... 31
Appendix A ................................................................................................................................... 32
Appendix B ................................................................................................................................... 33
Appendix C ................................................................................................................................... 34
Appendix D ................................................................................................................................... 35
Appendix E ................................................................................................................................... 36
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8
List of Tables
Table 1: Name of the Table…………………………………………………………………1
If applicable. See APA guidelines regarding if tables and figures are
necessary. Tables and figures should not be used to increase page count.
Tables must be APA formatted, and not copied from Excel, or other non-APA
sources. Only Tables within the chapters should be included here. Tables in
the Appendix are not listed here. See APA manual 12.14 through 12.18 for
copyright citation guidelines.
7.10 Table Numbers
Number all tables that are part of the main text (i.e., not part of an appendix or
supplemental materials) using Arabic numerals—for example, Table 1, Table
2, and Table 3. Assign the numbers in the order in which each table is first
mentioned in the text, regardless of whether a more detailed discussion of the
table occurs elsewhere in the paper. Write the word “Table” and the number in
bold and flush left (i.e., not indented or centered). Tables that appear in
appendices follow a different numbering scheme (see Section 2.14).
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9
List of Figures
Figure 1: Name of the Figure …………………………………………………………………1
If applicable. See APA guidelines regarding if tables and
figures are necessary. Tables and figures should not be
used to increase page count. Only Figures within the
chapters should be included here. Figures in the
Appendix are not listed here. See APA manual 12.14
through 12.18 for copyright citation guidelines.
Figures should be in grayscale only.


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Chapter One


Introduction

Overview
Introduction is the title of the Chapter and no
additional information is needed under
Introduction.
10 literature
Keep your tenses the same. Your
review already occurred, so it should be past
tense.
Do not use I, we, or our.
Use statements such as “the current research
will…” or “the research seeks…” etc. (Avoid
“the researcher”)
Cite sources for data and other information
used. Some people think that references only
pertain to Chapter Two.
Indent each new paragraph. Write an overview of your study here. You should provide
the reader with an overview of what will be detailed in the study and Chapter One (thesis
statement and thesis map). This statement will let the reader know what "universe" you are
exploring. For example, “What is your topic?”…“How is your approach different from other
scholars?”…” What are the significance and implications of your topic?”
As you write Chapters One and Three, remember that Verb tense is an important
consideration. For the proposal (IRB), the researcher uses future tense (e.g., “The purpose of
this study is to…”), whereas, in the dissertation, the chapters are revised to reflect past tense
(e.g., “The purpose of this study was to…”). Making mistakes in the tense early on in your
writing is a nightmare to correct later in preparation for committee review and Quality Control
(QC), so take your time to ensure a high-quality scholarly voice is utilized and your tense is
correct the first time.
Background and Problem Statement
Indent each new paragraph. Write your background and problem statement here. The
background section should lead naturally and logically from the overview section. It should tell
the reader what precipitated your interest in the study. A historical description of the problem or
situation led to the issue at hand. For example, if you are studying the subject of teen
pregnancies, it would be good to cite some specific locations (towns, counties, states) and
numbers of cases, especially depicted in trends, that caused you to "sense" a need for further
study.
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For the Problem Statement, spell out the issues that will continue to befall someone, a
particular community, or society if research is not conducted. It is similar to the background. A
well-written problem statement begins with the big picture of the issue (macro) and works to the
small, narrower, and more specific problem (micro). It communicates the significance,
magnitude and importance of the problem and transitions into the Purpose of the Study
with a declarative statement such as “It is not known if and to what degree/extent...” or “It is not
known how/why and…”
Remember that a quality problem statement states the specific problem proposed for
research by presenting a clear declarative statement that begins with “It is not known if and to
what degree/extent...”
Purpose of the Project
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. The Purpose of the Project
should start with a clear declarative sentence that specifies the problem presented for research.
As with any research, the results are hoped to edify a particular community, state, institution, or
society. Include the type of study in this section (quantitative) and the research design selected
from Appendix G of the Doctoral Research Handbook. The Purpose of the Project is not a long
section. Most of the sections in this chapter are relatively short compared to Chapters Two and
Three. Discuss the link to the degree discipline in the purpose and significance of the study.
Significance of the Project
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. In this section, you will connect
the study's significance to organizations interested in this study, and you must connect to
leadership or policy and how the study could impact decision-making or improvement of current
practices.
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12
Research Questions
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. This section should start with a
brief overview of the focus of the study and the rationale that led to the research questions. The
research questions should be numbered and listed. This paragraph should end with a transitioning
statement linking to the research questions. For example, Three research questions guided this
particular research, or The research addressed the following questions:
1. To what extent did the ……..
2. What differences exist between…….
3. What is the relationship between….
Also, include a numbered list with the null and alternate hypotheses. Here is an example…
The following null and alternate hypotheses represent the correlating research questions for the
study.
H01.
Ha1.
H02.
Ha2.
H03.
Ha3.
Note that the symbol for null hypotheses is the number zero, not the letter O. Also, use the
subscript function in Microsoft Word for the null and alternate hypotheses symbols. See Table
6.5 in the APA Manual for further examples of statistical symbols.
When putting this section together, it should appear similar to the following example.
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13
This research includes two main objectives: determining whether term length impacted
student outcomes and identifying whether particular demographic or subject matter factors
influenced success rates. To accomplish these goals, the study will address the following
questions. Furthermore, the null and alternate hypotheses are provided for each research
question.
1. Is there a statistically significant difference in course completion rates between
students in 8-week and 16-week terms?
H01. There will be no difference in successful course completion between students in
8-week and 16-week terms.
Ha1. There is a difference in successful course completion between students in 8-week
and 16-week terms.
2. Is there a statistically significant difference in course grades between students in 8week and 16-week terms?
H02. There will be no difference in course grades between students in 8-week and 16week terms.
Ha2. There is a difference in course grades between students in 8-week and 16-week
terms.
3. Is there a statistically significant difference in course completion rates between
students in 8-week technical and non-technical courses?
H03. There will be no difference in completion rates between students in 8-week
technical and non-technical courses.
Ha3. There is a difference in completion rates between students in 8-week technical
and non-technical courses.
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14
4. Is there a statistically significant difference in course completion rates for students in
8-week classes based on select demographic variables (sex, age, prior academic
experience, race/ethnicity, first-generation status, low-income status, full- or part-time
status)?
H04. There will be no difference in completion rates between students in 8-week
courses based on demographic factors (sex, age, prior academic experience,
race/ethnicity, first-generation status, low-income status, full- or part-time
status).
Ha4. There is a difference in completion rates between students in 8-week courses
based on demographic factors (sex, age, prior academic experience,
race/ethnicity, first-generation status, low-income status, full- or part-time
status).
Provide a closing paragraph summarizing your research questions section and introduce
the reader to the next section of this chapter.
Theoretical Framework
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. The theoretical framework is
presented in the early section of a dissertation and provides the rationale for conducting your
research to investigate a particular research problem. Please note that using a conceptual
framework over a theoretical framework requires the program director's approval per the UC
Doctoral Research Handbook.
Consider the theoretical framework as a conceptual model that establishes a sense
of structure that guides your research. It provides the background that supports your investigation
and offers the reader a justification for your study of a particular research problem. It includes
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15
the variables you intend to measure and the relationships you seek to understand. Essentially, this
is where you describe a "theory" and build your case for investigating that theory. The theoretical
framework is your presentation of a theory that explains a particular problem.
The theoretical framework is developed from and connected to your review of the
knowledge on the topic (the literature review). This knowledge is likely how you initially
formulated your research problem. You reviewed the literature and found gaps in the explanation
of some phenomena. The theoretical framework allows you to present the research problem in
light of a literature summary.
Your description of the variables of interest in the context of the literature review allows
the reader to understand the theorized relationships. Begin by describing what is known about
your variables, what is known about their relationship, and what can be explained thus far. You
will investigate other researchers' theories behind these relationships and identify a theory (or
combination of theories) that explains your major research problem. Essentially, the goal is to
convey to the reader why you believe the variables are related. Therefore, including previous
research and theories supporting your belief is essential in defending your rationale. You apply
the theory to your problem and state your hypotheses or predictions regarding potential
relationships. You tell the reader what you expect to find in your research.
Limitations of the Project
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. Regardless of the diligent
efforts, the study results were influenced by the following limitations. Inherent limitations due to
extraneous variables not addressed in the study are listed here. Identifying and discussing 5-10
limitations of the study is recommended.
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16
Provide a closing paragraph summarizing your limitations section and introducing the
reader to the next section.
Assumptions
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. The study was constructed with
the following assumptions: Provide a list of assumptions related to your study here. Again, 5-10
assumptions are recommended for your study.
Provide a closing paragraph summarizing your limitations section and introducing the
reader to the next section.
Definitions
For definitions, state the term in italics
followed by a colon (the colon should not be in
italics). The actual definition should be
without italics.
All definitions should include an in-text
citation for the reference source.
Begin this section with an introductory sentence….for example, the following terms and
definitions are essential to understanding and following the research in this study.
Transformational leadership: The………(in-text citation)
Definitions should be listed in alphabetical order. The scholarship of peer-reviewed
literature must cite all definitions. Including at least 15 to 20 definitions specific to your research
is recommended to assist the reader in understanding the intent of your study. Look for keywords
in your research questions and your title to develop ideas for definitions. Do not cite dictionaries
or encyclopedias for your terms.
Remember, When quoting directly, always provide the quotation's author, year, and page
number (in both parenthetical and narrative in-text citations). Follow these guidelines when
providing a page number:

Use the abbreviation “p.” (e.g., p. 25, p. 41, p. 221) for a single page.

Use the abbreviation “pp.” for multiple pages and separate the page range with an end
dash (e.g., pp. 34–36).
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
17
If pages are discontinuous, use a comma between the page numbers (e.g., pp. 67, 72).
If the work does not have page numbers, provide another way for the reader to locate the
quotation.
Summary
Indent each new paragraph. Write your summary of chapter one here. This section
summarizes the chapter contents and closes with a transition sentence to Chapter Two. Do not
write in future tense. Also, provide an overview of the upcoming chapters to foreshadow for the
reader how the research is organized and presented.
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18
Chapter Two
Review of Literature
Introduction
Indent your introduction. Introduce your thesis map for your dissertation topic and the
literature review you will cover. Start writing with a summary of the purpose statement that leads
to a brief explanation of the organization of the literature review. Do not cut and paste the
Purpose Statement section from Chapter One.
Present historical research and recent research related to the topic of study primarily
within the last 5 years. Some seminal research studies may be included. Each assertion should
include appropriate scholarly source citations. Use multiple citations from diverse literature to
weave concepts persuasively and coherently together. Ensure the discussion has depth and
presents a critical analysis and synthesis of the literature, providing context for the dissertation
study. Ensure the discussion is comprehensive, organized, and flows logically. Organize theory
around major themes on your topic and discuss how they relate to your theory. The theoretical
basis should be referenced in each topic area of the article discussed. The literature review
should synthesize the findings related to the doctoral research topic. Please review Table 4.1 of
the APA handbook concerning the recommended verb tenses in APA-style papers. In almost all
instances, you should write in past tense and avoid future tense (i.e., the research will…).
Main Heading (Level 2 heading)
Your literature review will likely have many level 2 headings. If you need to add
subheadings within a main heading, follow the level 3 heading.
Subheading (Level 3 Heading)
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19
The subheading should be flush left, Bold italic, Title Case Heading (level 3 heading).
You should not have one subheading within a main heading. There should be a minimum of two
if subheadings are needed.
Level 4 Subheading. The Level 4 Subheading should be indented, boldfaced, Title Case
Heading, ending with a period. You should not have one level 4 subheading within a level 3
subheading. There should be a minimum of two.
Level 5 Subheading. The Level 5 Subheading should be indented, italics, boldfaced, Title
Case Heading, ending with a period. You should not have one level 5 subheading within a level
4 heading subheading. There should be a minimum of two.
Summary
The summary is a level 2 heading. Indent the paragraph and make sure you write one to
two paragraphs. Your literature should support your study and logically lead the reader to this
summary, where you provide a gap in the literature and a need for your research.
Your final summary paragraph provides how you will address the gap in the literature.
You will end the paragraph by transitioning to Chapter Three. Refrain from writing in future
tense per APA.
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20
Chapter Three
Procedures and Methodology
Introduction
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here.
Research Paradigm
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. In the Research Paradigm
section, you must state if your research is qualitative or quantitative. The quantitative method is
based on deductive scientific realism (a big assumption that looks for pieces of evidence to test it
while the qualitative approach lends itself to social constructivism.
Research Project Design
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. Please review the quantitative
designs for UC in Appendix G of the Doctoral Research Handbook. In the Research Design
section, you must state the dependent and independent variables you are studying. This section
should flow from the statements in the previous section (paradigm). Identify the study as action
research, data analytics, design science, or program evaluation, depending on the variables and
the research questions, after stating the study design as a clear declarative sentence. Proceed to
cite a source that explains your research design and then explain how this was more appropriate
than the other possible design options listed in Appendix G of the Doctoral Research Handbook.
Find sources for each design option, state what they are, and explain why your design choice was
more appropriate.
Sampling Procedures and Data Collection Sources
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. Describe the target population
from which the sample will be drawn, the sampling method for the study, and the minimum
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21
sample size. If utilizing an Action Research design, you must conduct an a priori power analysis
to determine the minimum sample size (medium effect).
Also, this section should reference your Informed Consent and IRB approval placed in
the Appendices. Furthermore, describe the data to be gathered. Reference any permission for
data or survey usage. Additionally, include the instrument's validity and reliability if using a data
collection instrument. Also, expand this section to include details on the sampling procedures
and data collection so that the reader can replicate these procedures if they want to replicate the
study.
Moreover, use the phrase “target population” and discuss the actual population. Most of
the time, “target population” and “population” are synonymous. However, adding the
word target emphasizes that sometimes we miss the mark in sampling and do not always hit the
mark: samples can be unrepresentative of the population you originally intended to sample. For
example, you might want to survey all the hospitalized adults in the United States (the target
population), but budget constraints limit your survey to hospital patients in just four cities in the
U.S. The sampled and targeted populations in this scenario are likely quite different.
Using sub-groups in your sample population is also known as stratified random sampling.
Stratified random sampling is a method of sampling that involves the division of a population
into smaller sub-groups known as strata. In stratified random sampling or stratification, the
strata are formed based on members' shared attributes or characteristics, such as income or
educational attainment. If this is the case, you will also want to include a citation for stratified
random sampling and how it relates to your research.
A G*Power statistical analysis is required for the minimum sample size per the Doctoral
Research Handbook Appendix F (see link for G*Power
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22
https://www.psychologie.hhu.de/arbeitsgruppen/allgemeine-psychologie-undarbeitspsychologie/gpower). A power analysis is a calculation used to estimate the smallest
sample size needed for an experiment, given a required significance level, statistical power, and
effect size. It helps to determine if a result from an experiment or survey is due to chance or if it
is genuine and significant. Also, when you use G*Power for your research, include the
appropriate references in the narrative and the reference section of your dissertation (see the
example of references in the link provided). Here is an example of a narrative for a G*Power
analysis.
“An a priori power analysis was conducted using G*Power version 3.1.9.7 (Faul et al.,
2007) to determine the minimum sample size required to test the study hypothesis. Results
indicated the required sample size to achieve 80% power for detecting a medium effect, at a
significance criterion of α = .05, was N = # for [insert statistical test you are using to test your
hypothesis]. Thus, the obtained sample size of N = # is adequate to test the study hypothesis."
Additional G*Power Analysis Tips to Consider.

If you have multiple hypotheses requiring different data analysis strategies (e.g.,
Hypothesis 1 is to be tested using correlation; Hypothesis 2 is to be tested using a
multiple regression), you may need to perform a separate power analysis for each
hypothesis. It is recommended to report the results of each power analysis and select
the larger sample size needed from among them as a basis for recruitment.

For analysis that compares groups, be sure to include the number of participants
required per group (e.g., "G*Power suggests we would need # participants per group
(N = #) in an independent sample t-test").
In your research proposal/ethics application, you may want to increase your proposed
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23
sample size to account for potential attrition. Try to include a reference to justify this increased
sample size. E.g., "Accounting for a potential attrition rate of 20% based on previous research
[e.g., previous research that has used this intervention / investigated this topic] (see reference),
additional # participants will be recruited"].
Statistical Tests
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. This section is only used if
applicable to your research. Align data analysis/statistical choices for each research question. If
your study is quantitative, ensure the statistical tests match Chapter Four. State the statistical
tests used and cite a reference related to the tests, such as the statistical textbook by Spatz.
Discuss why the test is appropriate for the data being analyzed.
Discuss the validity of your data. External validity can include 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. As appropriate, internal validity can include history, maturation, testing, instrumentation,
statistical regression, experimental mortality, and selection-maturation interaction. Discuss how
and why results will be interpreted, including essential parameter estimations, confidence
intervals and/or probability values, odds ratios, test(s) power, effect size, etc.
Overall, the statistical tests section of a dissertation should discuss the specific statistical
analyses performed to answer the research questions or test the hypotheses. Here are some key
elements that should be included:
1. Purpose and rationale- Start with a brief explanation of the purpose of the statistical
tests, including why they were chosen and how they relate to the research questions or
hypotheses.
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24
2. Assumptions- To correctly interpret the results of statistical tests, it is necessary to
consider the underlying assumptions, including normality, homogeneity of variance,
independence, and linearity. Explain how you assessed these assumptions and what
steps you took to address violations, if any.
3. Data preparation- Describe how you prepared your data for analysis, including any
transformations or recoding that was done. Discuss any missing data and how it was
handled.
4. Analysis methods- Explain the statistical tests and why they were appropriate for your
research questions or hypotheses. This explanation may include descriptive or
inferential statistics (such as t-tests, ANOVA, regression analysis, or chi-square tests).
5. Results- Present your results clearly and organized, using tables and graphs as
appropriate. Include descriptive statistics (such as means, standard deviations, and
frequencies) and inferential statistics (such as p-values, effect sizes, and confidence
intervals) to support your conclusions.
6. Interpretation: Discuss the meaning and implications of your results in the context of
your research questions or hypotheses. Describe any patterns or trends that emerged,
and consider alternative explanations or limitations of your findings.
7. Conclusion: Summarize your main findings and their significance, highlighting any
contributions to the literature or practical implications of your research. Also, discuss
any future research directions that could build on your work.
Overall, the statistical tests section should demonstrate that you have chosen appropriate
methods for your research questions, followed the best data preparation and analysis practices,
and drawn sound conclusions from your results. It should also be written clearly and concisely,
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25
with appropriate references to the relevant literature and statistical software used (JASP, Exel, or
SPSS).
Summary
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. Summarize your methodology
and provide a transition to Chapter Four. Do not write in future tense.
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26
Chapter Four
Research Findings
Introduction
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here.
Participants and Research Setting
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. This section is only required if
applicable. Include the number of participants (N =) and provide specifics about the sample
population. Please note that if you include subpopulations, those are signified with a lowercase
(n =), whereas capital (N =) is for the total number of participants.
Do not include the names of any schools, businesses, or institutions for confidentiality
reasons. The use of an alternative format to identify the organization. Options such as the general
geographical location (Industry in the Southeast, Organization A, Organization B, or other
appropriate alternative formats should be used.
Project Analysis
Indent each new paragraph. Write your following sentence here.
Analyses of Research Questions
Indent each new paragraph. Write your following sentence here. You should provide your
reader with at least a three-sentence paragraph that introduces the reader to this section and the
following subsections.
Research Question One
Indent each new paragraph. Write your following sentence here. List and number
research questions one at a time. You should address each question with its own level three
heading. The results must be presented without implication, speculation, assessment, evaluation,
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27
or interpretation. Use italics for letters used as statistical symbols or algebraic variables (e.g.,
contained 587 t-test p values; R2 = .12). Report exact p values to two or three decimals (e.g., p =
.006, p = .03). However, report p values less than .001 as “p < .001.”
Also, be sure to state whether the null hypotheses were rejected or failed to be rejected.
An example of a null that failed to be rejected could be worded like the following: the results of
the data analysis failed to reject the null hypothesis in determining if there was a relationship
between age and purchase intentions. An example of a rejected null could be worded like the
following: as a result of the data analysis, the null hypothesis was rejected for research question
one in determining if there was a relationship between perceived value and purchase intentions.
Research Question Two
Indent each new paragraph. Write your following sentence here. The following
information is considered helpful to ensure you follow APA formatting for numbers, tables, and
figures. Consult the Numbers and Statistics Guide from the American Psychological Association
for additional guidance. Consult the Tables and Figures section from APA Style for guidelines
and examples of tables and figures.
Supplementary Findings
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. Again, the results must be
presented without implication, speculation, assessment, evaluation, or interpretation; if you do not
have supplementary findings, delete this section.
Summary
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. Summarize your results and
provide a transition to Chapter Five.
Chapter Five
In the Practical
Assessment of Research
Question section, focus in
this section on how your
research question
findings align or differ
from scholarly published
literature on the topic.
Discuss the link to
ABBREVIATED TITLE HERE
28
Summary, Discussion, and Implications
Introduction
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here.
Practical Assessment of Project Analysis
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. The Practical Assessment of
Research Question section focuses on how your research question findings align or differ from
scholarly published literature on the topic. Make sure to include any unusual findings as well
(i.e., results that you did not expect to be significant but were, or findings that may have
surprised you based on previous research findings). Introduce the reader to this section, then
address each research question separately (see below). You will have as many level three
headings as you do research questions (i.e., if you have two research questions, you will have
two level 3 headings. If you have four research questions, you will have 4 level 3 headings, etc.).
Finally, do not repeat any statistical findings in the level 3 headings below; only report
their significance. No statistical narratives should be entered into the Practical Assessment
of Research Questions.
Research Question One
Indent each new paragraph. Write your following sentence here. You should address each
research question with its own level three heading (i.e., Research Question One) and let the
reader know how your results were different or similar to the results you found in the lit review
studies in Chapter Two. You should have many citations in this section as you discuss each of
your research questions. For example, the best practice is to have at least three or more recent
citations from Chapter Two (5 years old or less) per research question needed to close the
ABBREVIATED TITLE HERE
29
literature gap from Chapter Two. Please review Chapter Two to ensure that you have a minimum
of 3 citations from Chapter Two that assist in closing the literature gap.
Research Question Two
Indent each new paragraph. Write your following sentence here. Avoid restating the
statistical findings and reporting in Chapter Four here. You should not repeat the statistical
results but note the significance and how those were similar or different from the studies you
cited in Chapter Two.
Supplementary Findings
If you had supplementary findings in Chapter Four, you would also need to provide a
practical assessment of the findings here as you have for all the other individual research
questions. Be sure to state your findings by significance (do not use statistical reporting) and how
your findings are similar or different from those noted in Chapter Two's lit review. This practical
assessment of the research findings will assist you in closing the research loop for your
supplementary findings as you have for the other individual research questions.
Limitations of the Study
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. Do not copy and paste the
limitations stated in Chapter One. Think of this subsection as the "humble pie” subsection. In
your Limitations section in Chapter One, you addressed the study's potential limitations. Begin
by looking at potential limitations as you initially proposed, and then discuss those that may have
affected your findings one way or another. In many cases, the potential limitations referenced in
Chapter One do not come into play here.
However, limitations can typically originate in one of two sources: the study's design and
the study's problems during implementation. Design issues involve sampling, assessment,
ABBREVIATED TITLE HERE
30
procedures, and choice of research design (i.e., poor match). Furthermore, issues of
implementation must be addressed (i.e., low sample, measurement issues, heterogeneous
groups).
When developing this section, consider limitations in four significant areas: internal
validity, external validity, measurement, and statistical analysis. Concerning internal validity,
unless the study is a "true experiment," one cannot claim that the IV "caused" changes in the DV.
Likewise, the extent to which findings can be generalized must be discussed for external validity.
Concerning measurement limitations, discuss issues of reliability and validity of assessment
instruments. Finally, regarding statistical analysis limitations, discuss issues of effect size and
statistical test chosen.
Implications for Future Study
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. The recommendations may be
directed at the participants, community, state, nation, or internationally. Furthermore, discuss
findings in light of questions or issues that suggest future research directions. Extend the study to
other populations. For example, think of other IVs and DVs that should be explored in the field
and how to assess those additional variables. The Implications for Future Study is the portion of
the paper where researchers are allowed to dream and set the stage for similar studies in the
future by thinking of ways to extend your study to other questions that may add to the
understanding of the issues.
Summary
Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here.
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31
References
Consult the References section on APA Style for more information about citing references.
All citations and
references must match
throughout the
dissertation. Follow
APA guidelines on
formatting.
Only include sources
that you cited in your
text in your reference
list.
All live links should be in
black font rather than
blue.
References are
double spaced
with appropriate
indent for second
and subsequent
lines.
References with
hyperlinks such
as to retrieval
sources or DOIs,
should include
the “live” link to
the source.
ABBREVIATED TITLE HERE
Appendix A
Tables
32
Appendices: This section contains any tables,
figures and possible data sources that were not
appropriate in the chapters of your dissertation, as
well as copies of consent forms and IRB
2.14 Appendices: If an
appendix consists of a
table or figure only, then
the appendix label takes
the place of the table or
figure number, and the
appendix title takes the
place of the table or figure
title. Thus, if Appendix B
is a table-only appendix,
the table is referred to as
Appendix B rather than as
Table B1. Likewise, if
Appendix C is a figureonly appendix, the figure
is referred to as Appendix
C rather than as Figure C1.
If multiple tables and/or
figures (but no text) are
combined into one
appendix, label and title
the appendix and also
number and title the tables
and/or figures within the
appendix (e.g., Tables D1
and D2 are two tables in
Appendix D).
ABBREVIATED TITLE HERE
33
Appendix B
Figures
ABBREVIATED TITLE HERE
34
Appendix C
Consent Forms
Include a copy of the letter/form used
to obtain consent from participants in
the study.
Do not include consent forms from
organizations that provided permission
to gather data.
ABBREVIATED TITLE HERE
35
Appendix D
IRB Approval
ABBREVIATED TITLE HERE
36
Appendix E
G*Power Analysis
G*Power Analysis for t-test