TITLE OF DOCTORAL RESEARCH STUDY CENTERED IN UPPERCASE
BOLDFACE LETTERS APPEARING AS AN
INVERTED PYRAMID
Doctoral Research Prospectus
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of
Argosy University, Your Campus
Your College Name Here
In Partial Fulfillment of DR8802-A
and the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Education <or> Doctor of Business Administration
List your Degree Program or Concentration
By
Your Full Name
Doctoral Research Mentor Approval:
Joe Smith, Ed.D., Subject Mentor
Jan Nix, Ph.D., Analysis Mentor
Date
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
The Problem ........................................................................................................................ 1
Significance of the Study .................................................................................................... 1
Purpose of the Study ........................................................................................................... 1
Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Problem Statements ............................................... 2
Problem Statements .................................................................................................... 2
Research Questions ..................................................................................................... 2
Null Hypotheses .......................................................................................................... 3
Alternative or Directional Hypotheses ........................................................................ 3
Review of the Literature or Information Sources ............................................................... 4
Anticipated Research Design and Methods ........................................................................ 5
Proposed Sample or Setting ........................................................................................ 5
Proposed Instruments or Intervention ......................................................................... 5
Data Collection and Analysis.............................................................................................. 6
REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................7
.
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DOCTORAL RESEARCH PROSPECTUS
A prospectus helps the doctoral research mentors evaluate the viability of a study
before a student invests months in planning it in great detail. The research ideas for the
prospectus begin in W7000 and are further developed in residency, the research classes,
and then finalized in DR8802-A. The prospectus is an expansion of the preliminary
plan, outlining the proposed investigation in a paper no longer than 15 pages. It should
clearly describe the student’s proposed research to other students, doctoral research
mentors, and the campus and/or program administrators. It is evaluated on the merits of
whether the student is presenting a viable topic, worthy of doctoral research.
The Problem
All research is based on a problem, and the prospectus serves as an introduction to
the problem the student wishes to study. Include a description of the problem and how it
impacts your field, area, organization, or department.
Significance of the Study
Describe why this this study is important, identifying its potential for bringing
about change in existing practice. Explain the study’s potential for contributing to the
existing theory (dissertation research) or the organization (applied research).
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study should briefly and succinctly describe the focus and
intentions of the research. All previous writing funnels to this specific statement of the
purpose, and all subsequent writing supports it. The purpose statement drives the study
and should clearly illuminate the goals and intent of the research. Do not include
extraneous information in this section.
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Research Questions, Hypotheses, and Problem Statements
Each study is bound by certain questions or hypotheses that guide the direction of
the research. These should explain what is being asked or explored by the researcher and
should reveal the link with the statement of the purpose. Research questions are
appropriate for all studies (dissertation and applied research) and all methods (qualitative,
quantitative, or mixed methods). Hypotheses are appropriate for quantitative studies.
Problem statements are appropriate for Applied Research studies. Examples follow.
Problem Statements
Some applied research studies may choose to deliver “problem statements” to
support research questions and in lieu of hypotheses. Problem statements in applied
research are explicit, declarative statements specific to the organization and the
problem(s) that warrant(s) evaluation, intervention, or seek an applied solution. Research
questions are based on these problem statements. Examples of problem statements
include:
PS 1: Entry level linemen of JT Aviation take 35% longer, on average, to fuel
planes than their counterparts who have worked at the field base office for a year or
more.
PS 2: Entry level linemen of JT Aviation make nearly twice as many errors on
service receipt details than their counterparts who have worked at the field base office for
a year or longer.
Research Questions
The research questions address the purpose of the study by identifying the specific
variables to be investigated. They are the smaller questions that guide your study. If you
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have only one research question, then you are likely restating your research objective
rather that determining the smaller questions (based on the variables) that need to be
examined. The wording of the research questions determines the type of data to collect
and analyze in order to find “answers” to the questions posed. For example:
RQ 1: What is the relationship between peer mentoring as part of the onboarding
process and the productivity of entry-level linemen in the JT Aviation field base office?
RQ 2: Is there a significant difference in the error rate on service receipt details of
entry-level linemen who are assigned a peer mentor during their first year at the JT
Aviation field base office, as compared to entry-level linemen without a peer mentor?
Null Hypotheses
If there are research hypotheses, they will follow the research questions.
Hypotheses are typically written in null format. For example:
H0 1: There is no relationship between peer mentoring as part of the onboarding
process and the productivity of entry-level linemen in the JT Aviation field base office.
H0 2: There is no significant difference in the error rate on service receipt details
of entry level linemen who are assigned a peer mentor during their first year at the JT
Aviation field base office as compared to those without a peer mentor.
Alternative or Directional Hypotheses
In some studies, students may choose to include alternative or directional
hypotheses. Alternative hypotheses are written to reject the null, but may still be nondirectional. For example:
HA 1: There is a relationship between peer mentoring as part of the onboarding
process and the productivity of entry-level linemen at the JT Aviation field base office.
4
HA 2: There is a significant difference in the error rate on service receipt details of
entry level linemen who are assigned a peer mentor during their first year at the JT
Aviation field base office as compared to entry level linemen without a peer mentor.
While stated in a way that seeks to reject the null, the above examples do not
specify the predicted outcome in any direction, positive or negative. On the other hand, a
directional hypothesis reflects the predicted outcome of your study. In other words, it
predicts that the independent variable will impact the dependent variable in a certain way
or direction.
H1 1: There is a positive relationship between peer mentoring as part of the
onboarding process and increased productivity of entry level linemen in the JT Aviation
field base office.
H1 2: The error rate on service receipt details of entry level linemen who are
assigned a peer mentor during their first year at the JT Aviation field base office is
significantly lower than entry level linemen without a peer mentor.
Review of the Literature or Information Sources
The foundation of the dissertation begins with a review of the relevant literature.
The relevant theories and the methodological and measurement considerations will be
found in the literature. The literature review is extensive but not necessarily exhaustive
and should provide the foundation to frame the argument explaining why the study is
necessary and relevant.
Example of a Level One Heading
Current Research or Relevant Documents in the Literature
The sources for the literature review include government documents, appropriate
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databases, books, professional journals, previous research on the topic, dissertations, and
other information about previous investigations and existing theories that form the
rationale for the current undertaking. Applied research studies may also use appropriate
information sources relevant to the investigation that are not from peer-reviewed journals
nor what would normally be considered as a scholarly source; yet, the source may still be
appropriate and relevant for the research. For example, if an applied research study is
investigating problems with an organization’s onboarding process, it may be appropriate
to evaluate current and prior training manuals, employee handbooks, and other relevant
documents of the company as well those of similar organizations or competitors.
Anticipated Research Design and Methods
The proposed design, procedures, and analysis plan for carrying out the purpose
of the study are presented. Describe whether you will be conducting applied research or
dissertation research. Also describe your anticipated design for your applied research
(i.e., evaluation, action) or dissertation research (i.e., correlational, quasi-experimental,
grounded theory, phenomenological, etc.) study. Indicate whether your methods will be
quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods.
Proposed Sample or Setting
The nature of the study determines the setting (applied research) or the population
and sampling procedures (dissertation research). A description of the setting or the
sample and the selection procedures or criteria should be presented.
Proposed Instruments or Intervention
The student describes the interventions to be employed at the setting and/or any
instruments used to collect data (i.e., tests, surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and
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observational protocols to be used).
Data Collection and Analysis
The type of data to be collected and the method of analyzing the data should be
explained for each research question or hypothesis. If the study is quantitative, the
statistical measures (i.e., t-test, ANOVA, chi square, etc.) should be specified for each
hypothesis. If the study is qualitative, the data analysis (i.e., content analysis, coding)
process should be described. Analysis of the data depends on the research design and the
data to be collected (e.g., use of SPSS, NVivo, coding manuals, statistical treatments for
quantitative data).
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REFERENCES
Addington, J., Piskulic, D., & Marshall, C. (2010). Psychosocial treatments for
schizophrenia. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19(4), 260-263.
doi:10.1177/0963721410377743
Adebimpe, V. R. (1981). Overview: White norms and psychiatric diagnosis of black
patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 279-285.
Aguilera, A., Lopez, S. R., Breitborde, N. J. K., Kopelowicz, A., & Zarate, R. (2010).
Expressed emotion and sociocultural moderation in the course of schizophrenia.
Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 119(4), 875-885. doi: 10.1037/a0020908
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: Author.
American Psychiatric Association. (2010). DSM-5 development. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.dsm5.org/Pages/Default.aspx
American Psychological Association. (2002). Ethical principles of psychologists and
code of conduct. American Psychologist, 57(12), 1060-1073. doi: 10.1037//0003066X.57.12.1060
American Psychological Association. (2003). Guidelines on multicultural education,
training, research, practice, and organizational change for psychologists.
American Psychologist, 58(5), 377-402. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.58.5.377
Anglin, D. M., Alberti, P. M., Link, B. G., & Phelan, J. C. (2008). Racial differences in
beliefs about the effectiveness and necessity of mental health treatment. American
Journal of Community Psychology, 42, 17-24. doi: 10.1007/s10464-008-9189-5
Anglin, D. M., & Malaspina, D. (2008a). Ethnicity effects on clinical diagnoses
compared to best estimate research diagnoses in patients with psychosis: A
retrospective medical chart review. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 69(6), 941945.
Argosy University. (2011). Guide to the doctoral dissertation research process. [A manual
for planning and writing a doctoral dissertation at Argosy University]. Retrieved
from www.myeclass.com