Web posted 3/5/04
APPLIED RESEARCH OFFICE
FISCHLER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN SERVICES
NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION IN
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
APPLIED DISSERTATION GUIDE
November 2003
Table of Contents
Page
The Applied Dissertation................................................................................................................. 1
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1
Definition of an Applied Dissertation ................................................................................. 2
Goals of the Applied Dissertation ....................................................................................... 2
Applied Dissertation Requirements..................................................................................... 3
Expectations ........................................................................................................................ 4
Applied Dissertation Course Sequence and Credits ............................................................ 6
Applied Dissertation Timelines ........................................................................................... 7
Concept Paper.................................................................................................................................. 9
Applied Dissertation Committee Process for the Concept Paper ...................................... 10
Concept Paper Components .............................................................................................. 11
Applied Dissertation Seminar 1: Concept Paper ............................................................... 13
Applied Dissertation Proposal ....................................................................................................... 13
Overview ........................................................................................................................... 13
Proposal Approval Process ................................................................................................ 14
Institutional Review Board Process................................................................................... 14
Applied Dissertation Proposal Components ..................................................................... 15
Applied Dissertation Seminar 2: Proposal ........................................................................ 18
Applied Dissertation Report .......................................................................................................... 18
Implementation Phase of the Applied Dissertation ........................................................... 18
Overview ........................................................................................................................... 21
Applied Dissertation Components .................................................................................... 22
Applied Dissertation Seminar 3: Report ........................................................................... 25
New-Position Applied Dissertation ................................................................................... 26
Applied Dissertation Approval Process ............................................................................ 26
Steps in the Final-Approval Process ................................................................................. 27
Review of Content of Dissertation Chapters ................................................................................. 28
Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................. 29
Nature of the Problem ....................................................................................................... 29
Purpose of the Project........................................................................................................ 31
Background and Significance of the Problem ................................................................... 31
Research Questions ........................................................................................................... 33
Definition of Terms ........................................................................................................... 33
Chapter 2: Review of the Related Literature ................................................................................. 34
Chapter 3: Methodology ................................................................................................................ 40
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Participants ........................................................................................................................ 41
Procedures ......................................................................................................................... 41
Instruments ........................................................................................................................ 46
Limitations......................................................................................................................... 47
Delimitations ..................................................................................................................... 47
Chapter 4: Results ......................................................................................................................... 48
Chapter 5: Discussion.................................................................................................................... 50
Introduction of Dissertation............................................................................................... 50
Implications of Findings .................................................................................................... 50
Limitations......................................................................................................................... 52
Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 52
Important Issues Pertaining to the Applied Dissertation ............................................................... 53
The Most Common Problems With Applied Dissertation Proposals and Applied
Dissertation Reports .......................................................................................................... 53
Using Copyrighted Material .............................................................................................. 55
Protecting Your Work ....................................................................................................... 56
Publication in UMI’s ProQuest Digital Dissertations Database........................................ 56
References ..................................................................................................................................... 57
Appendixes
A Overview of the Applied Dissertation–Logic and Flow ............................................ 59
B Applied Dissertation Proposal Rubric ....................................................................... 61
C Applied Dissertation Report Rubric .......................................................................... 69
D Guidelines for Writing Abstracts............................................................................... 78
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1
The Applied Dissertation
Introduction
The applied dissertation of the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (DEDL)
program is an important component of your graduate experience at Nova Southeastern University
(NSU). This aspect of the program affords you with the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge,
skills, and dispositions gained in the various courses to become a skilled problem solver and to
demonstrate leadership in the improvement of a situation. This programmatic dimension will also
permit you to address research questions in your work setting. During your applied dissertation
experience in the program, you will move from a guided learning experience to a self-directed
experience. The requirements associated with the applied dissertation and its firm timelines have
been planned to assist in your success.
The Applied Research Office (ARO) at Fischler School of Education and Human Services
(FSEHS) manages all aspects of the applied dissertation process. A wealth of information
pertaining to the ARO, including faculty and staff information, policies and procedures, and salient
documents are available at the ARO Web site: http://www.schoolofed.nova.edu/aro. It is important
that doctoral students visit this site on a regular basis to insure that they have current information.
Questions pertaining to the applied dissertation should be directed to your committee chair.
If you have any difficulties with your committee or questions that you feel have not been
adequately addressed by your committee chair you should contact the team leader for your region.
For the applied dissertation, DEDL clusters are divided into regions, each of which has a regional
team leader. The composition of the regional teams is noted at http://www.schoolofed.nova.edu/
aro/EDL_advisers/index.html. In addition, you may contact the program professor of applied
research for DEDL, James Pann, PhD (pann@nova.edu), with any questions or concerns.
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Definition of an Applied Dissertation
The applied dissertation is a process and a product. The applied dissertation process will
require you to (a) identify a problem or opportunity (i.e., the difference between what is and what
should be) that exists in your work setting, propose a research-based plan to address the problem,
implement intervention strategies that you develop, and evaluate the effectiveness of your
interventions; or (b) identify a research question or questions in your work setting, develop a
research hypothesis, design a research study to answer the hypothesis, and evaluate the
effectiveness of your study. Both approaches will provide practical experiences in systematic
problem solving and should ultimately be designed to improve student learning (see Appendix A
for a model of the applied dissertation process).
Goals of the Applied Dissertation
The major goals of the applied dissertation are the mastery of the problem-solving process
and the improvement in your work setting. In addition, your applied dissertation should reflect the
knowledge, skills, and dispositions gained from the various DEDL courses. It is meant to be a
“practical” experience, one that you make pertinent to your particular setting and meaningful in
your professional development. The problem or opportunity that you select for your applied
dissertation should relate directly to your work setting and must be within your sphere of
influence.
The applied dissertation is a process negotiated between you and your committee that, at a
minimum, meets the following requirements:
1. It specifies a clear, mutable problem or opportunity to be solved.
2. It must identify the possible or probable causes of the problem.
3. It must provide a brief, but critically analyzed, review of the research and literature
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relevant to that problem and your proposed intervention.
4. It must offer an explicit, careful rationale in support of the intervention you propose.
5. It must delineate specific research or evaluation procedures for assessing the
effectiveness of that intervention.
Your committee chair, in conjunction with your applied dissertation committee member,
may ask that the proposal for the applied dissertation addresses additional topics (e.g., a budget of
the start-up, total, and long-term operating costs of your intervention to insure that it is feasible to
implement in the district).
Applied Dissertation Requirements
You must complete one applied dissertation during your program. The applied dissertation
is developed and implemented concurrently with the DEDL course work. Specific timelines and
corresponding responsibilities are described later in this guide. Twelve credits are associated with
the applied dissertation component of the DEDL program. Two credits are earned upon the
successful completion of the concept paper. Five credits are earned upon approval of the applied
dissertation proposal. Five credits are awarded upon final approval of the applied dissertation
report.
At about the 3rd month of your program you will be assigned an applied dissertation
committee by the ARO. That committee will consist of a committee chair and a committee
member (their roles are discussed in detail later in this document). The committee chair will be the
primary person who will assist you with your applied dissertation concept paper, proposal, and
report. When your committee is assigned, the ARO will send an e-mail to your NSU e-mail
address providing you with your committee chair and committee member contact information.
Together, the committee chair and the committee member will guide you through the
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applied dissertation process. Attempts will be made to match your interests with the expertise of
the applied dissertation committee chair and member, who may or may not be from your regional
advising team.
Expectations
Because the interaction between you and your committee chair is of such importance, the
relationship between the two of you should be based upon a set of expectations and
responsibilities. The basic expectations for you and your committee chair are detailed below.
Student expectations. You should expect your committee chair to
1. contact you at least monthly via e-mail or telephone.
2. respond to your telephone calls and e-mail messages within 48 hours, excluding
weekends, and to written work within 14 days, absent extenuating circumstances.
3. provide written and verbal formative feedback to you, as appropriate, during the
development of your applied dissertation proposal and report.
4. provide clear, written, and verbal feedback to you, as appropriate, regarding the
development and implementation of the applied dissertation.
5. work with you to make adjustments in the implementation of your applied dissertation
based upon your professional or personal life, where applicable and to the extent feasible.
6. ensure that approved copies of formal feedback sheets and grade recommendation forms
regarding your applied dissertation are sent to the ARO.
Committee chair expectations. Your committee chair will expect you to
1. abide by the FSEHS student code of conduct.
2. abide by the policies and procedures established by NSU’s Institutional Review Board
(IRB) for Research with Human Subjects and the regulations of your own district and school
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concerning the protection of human subjects in research.
3. contact your committee chair via telephone or e-mail at least once each month. Effective
communication is a two-way street; you will need to reach out to your committee chair.
4. conform to the guidelines of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association (APA, 5th ed.) and the Style Guide for the Applied Dissertation (SGAD, available at
http://www.schoolofed.nova.edu/aro/academic_resources/index.htm) for the submission of all
applied dissertation documents. Aspects of form and style not covered in the SGAD are to be
found in the APA manual.
5. submit only original scholarly work that conforms to DEDL policies (e.g., plagiarism,
original work) and applicable laws and regulations (e.g., copyright laws); established timelines for
your applied dissertation; and, meet organizational, developmental, and mechanical expectations
for doctoral work.
6. follow the highest standards of scholarly and intellectual integrity and honesty
throughout the program, including the entire dissertation process. Plagiarism is defined as taking
or appropriating the ideas or writings of others and using them as one’s own. This is a serious
academic offense, particularly in a doctoral program. If, after an investigation, it is determined that
a student has committed plagiarism, he or she may be dismissed from the program.
7. make all organizational, developmental, form, and style changes recommended by your
committee chair.
8. keep in mind that the working relationship between you and your committee chair is
unique and personal and is based upon the trusting interaction between professionals. Therefore,
contact your committee chair for clarification on any points in question or for advice, information,
and procedures, rather than obtaining information from colleagues, participants in other clusters, or
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other committee chairs.
9. inform your committee chair of any major changes in your professional and personal life
that might affect your applied dissertation progress.
10. inform your committee chair and the ARO in reference to any changes in position,
addresses, telephone numbers, and so forth as soon as possible to maintain open lines of
communication.
11. utilize only your NSU e-mail address when e-mailing with your committee chair and
all other NSU faculty and staff. The use of your NSU e-mail account is the only official e-mail
communication with NSU faculty and staff.
Again, it is essential that you establish a good working relationship with your committee
chair. You should also keep in mind that your failure to plan will not constitute an emergency on
the part of your committee chair. The frequency of substantive contact between you and your
committee chair will serve to establish the professional relationship that will be necessary for the
successful completion of the applied dissertation of the DEDL.
Applied Dissertation Course Sequence and Credits
Three seminars have been developed to facilitate your completion of the applied
dissertation. Each seminar is associated with one of the applied dissertation benchmarks (i.e.,
concept paper, proposal, and report). The seminars are delivered in an online and face-to-face
format by the ARO; committee chairs and members will not be directly involved in conducting
these seminars.
The applied dissertation component of your graduate program consists of three courses that
follow in sequence: Seminar 1 and the Concept Paper—ARO 8466 (2 credits); Seminar 2 and
Applied Dissertation Proposal—ARO 8467 (5 credits); and Seminar 3 and the Applied
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Dissertation—ARO 8468 (5 credits). You will receive a grade of pass or fail for each of these
courses.
It is important to note that all FSEHS doctoral students are subject to a continuing services
fee if they have not achieved final approval for their applied dissertation by the time they have
completed their regular academic schedule. Final approval includes approval by the committee
chair, approval by the committee member, meeting all requirements of the final format review, and
ARO approval by the program professor and the executive dean for research and planning.
Additionally, the final-approval process continues after the final approval of the executive dean for
research and planning until you obtain the necessary signatures on the applied dissertation
approval page and submit the required copies of your applied dissertation along with the required
disk and submission form to the ARO. Refer to the ARO Web site for specific information.
An overview of the three benchmarks (concept paper, proposal, and report) and the content
of the three respective seminars is provided below. The content of the chapters that comprise the
applied dissertation proposal and applied dissertation are elaborated upon later in this document.
The applied dissertation numbers and their respective credits are indicated in the table that follows.
Applied Dissertation Timelines
To successfully complete these components of the doctoral program, students must set
goals and follow a timeline. The timelines presented below allow for completion of the program in
2 or 3 years. There may be some minor variations due to the month in which you begin. To take
these variations into account, and to stay within the timeline, develop (with the guidance of your
committee chair) an individual timeline plan with your own submission targets. Remember that
these target dates are for planning—they are not the official deadlines. Use the worksheet to help
plan and balance aspects of your life to ensure progress through the applied dissertation process.
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Regularly communicate with your committee chair to help focus on your submission targets.
Table
Applied Dissertation Credits and Courses
Product
Concept Paper
ARO 8466
ARO 8467
ARO 8468
ARO 8469
2 credits
Proposal
5 credits
Applied Dissertation
5 credits
Continuing Services
Two-year plan. This guide assumes a 2-year graduation plan for students when referring to
time-line issues:
1. The expected date of completion of the concept paper is the 6th month of the program
counting from the cluster start date.
2. The expected date of committee and IRB approval of the applied dissertation proposal
is the 12th month of the program.
3. The expected date for final approval of the applied dissertation is the 23rd month of the
program, counting from the cluster start date.
Three-year plan. These guidelines assume a 3-year graduation plan:
1. The expected date of completion of the concept paper is the 12th month of the program
counting from the cluster start date.
2. The expected date of committee and IRB approval of the applied dissertation proposal
is the 24th month of the program.
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3. The expected date for final approval of the applied dissertation is the 35th month of the
program, counting from the cluster start date.
Concept Paper
The first phase of the applied dissertation process is the concept paper, which will lay the
foundation for the applied dissertation. This critical step will provide the cornerstone for the
research that will follow. The concept paper (approximately 10 pages in length) should represent a
significant attempt to define the research agenda for completion of the doctoral degree. It provides
a foundation for the next step, the development of the proposal. The approved concept paper
allows you to move forward with confidence and in a credible direction.
You should consider that your work at a doctoral level will require you to meet certain
criteria of quality. As an intelligent and competent professional, your applied dissertation efforts
will need to produce quality applied dissertation documents that reflect (a) an individual who has a
reasonably high level of personal competence, (b) excellent writing skills, (c) methodologically
sound research and evaluation, and (d) an intense personal engagement in the purposes and
processes of the applied dissertation as distinct from the mechanical execution of prescribed
procedures. You will need to draw upon the knowledge, skills, and competencies that were
developed in the various research courses that you completed.
As you begin to think about your applied dissertation concept paper, the primary focus of
your efforts should be upon improving student learning. The following questions may serve as
focal points in your applied dissertation work:
1. What precisely are you attempting to accomplish in your school or work setting, and
why are you doing it? Forcing you to answer these first two questions will help avoid the common
practice of moving directly to a canned solution (i.e., a solution in search of a problem).
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2. What data do you have to support the need for intervention?
3. What are the possible causes of your problem or opportunity?
4. What research questions will guide your review of the literature?
5. What does the literature reveal regarding your situation?
6. How do you plan to intervene?
7. What resources are you going to use? (Literature, professional consultation, local
intervention, other groups and individuals, etc.)
8. What do you hope to achieve?
9. Who will be directly and indirectly impacted by your applied dissertation, and how will
they be impacted?
10. Why did you select a particular intervention rather than some other intervention?
11. How will you know what is achieved?
Applied Dissertation Committee Process for the Concept Paper
Work on the concept paper is initiated by you with the guidance of the committee chair
soon after you are assigned an applied dissertation committee. Once the committee chair is
satisfied that your concept paper meets content and format standards, the committee chair
“releases” the document to the committee member. Comments from the committee member will
be shared with you through the committee chair. If revisions are required, these will be
communicated to the student by the committee chair who will receive the revised work and assess
the changes. If there is a disagreement at any part of this process, the committee chair will arrange
an online chat or telephone conference between the student, the chair, and the committee member.
Once the committee is in agreement that the student can move forward, both the committee chair
and the committee member will document the agreement in accordance with ARO procedures.
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Concept Paper Components
This document is subject to modification based on the guidance of the committee chair.
The initial concept paper is the first in a series of concept papers that reflect, as guided by the
committee chair, your exploration of possible research topics. As mentioned previously, because
this is considered a preliminary document, its length, excluding title page and references, should
be about 10 pages. The various components are listed below in sequence.
Title page. The first page of the concept paper should consist of a title page consistent with
APA style bearing the tentative title of the applied dissertation.
Statement of the problem, purpose, and rationale. This section of the concept paper should
contain appropriate information to familiarize the committee with your work setting and to
introduce the statement of the problem or the research question to be addressed in the
investigation. The statement of the problem (i.e., the difference between what is and what should
be) should be supported by trend data to support why the research is being undertaken and how it
will help the work setting. You should provide supporting evidence indicating the possible or
probable causes of the problem or why the research question should be addressed.
Outcomes. The desired outcomes (also referred to in this document as “objectives”) of the
research provide concise definitions of the desired results to be accomplished through the research
(i.e., what are the expected results and how it will be known if they were achieved). Every effort
should be made to define objectives that are measurable (i.e., you and the committee must be able
to use the objectives to evaluate the degree to which the intervention or research question was
answered). This section should also include expected benefits for participants, for the work setting,
and for you as well.
Review of the research and literature (brief). The review of the research literature is an
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essential element of any dissertation. The concept paper should identify the major literature that
assisted in validating and supporting the proposed dissertation topic. This initial review of the
research and literature for the concept paper is a preliminary step to the completion of a more
comprehensive review required for the dissertation. In the preliminary review, you should focus on
a few “major” pieces of literature that offer general support for the proposed research. All
available library resources should be considered when completing the brief literature review. A
wide variety of scholarly writings should be reviewed including books, journal articles,
dissertations, Internet resources, and conference proceedings. Though no minimum or maximum
number of sources to be reviewed is applicable to all research projects, the review should reflect a
significant effort to analyze and synthesize the scholarly writing related to the research question.
The review should sustain the connection between the research and literature and the problem or
research question.
Statement of method (brief). This section describes the primary elements of the proposed
method for conducting the investigation as well as an overview of data analytic strategies. The
purpose of the methods statement is to define how you are going to answer the research question
and achieve the stated objectives. While this section will likely require several reviews and
conceptualizations, the initial concept paper should include your “best” thoughts as to how the
research will proceed.
Time line. The concept paper includes a proposed timeline of events leading to the
completion of the research. The timeline should demonstrate that the scope of the proposed
research is reasonable for completion within the doctoral program (i.e., significant enough to be
considered doctoral-level work, yet manageable enough to be completed within the program time
frame). The expectation is that the length of time for implementation will be suited to the nature of
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the problem. Your applied dissertation committee will provide you with guidance as to the
appropriate duration of implementation period. Please keep these time-line issues in mind when
you plan your applied dissertation calendar. For example, if you are planning to look at issues
involving state testing, keep in mind that you will need to plan time for the state testing results to
be returned for your analysis.
References. The last section of the concept paper is the References section. All reference
citations in the concept paper should be formatted according to APA style guidelines.
Applied Dissertation Seminar 1: Concept Paper
The content of Applied Dissertation Seminar 1 focuses on formulating research questions
and writing the concept paper. The committee chair and member roles are discussed as well as the
roles and responsibilities of the ARO faculty and staff. This seminar will culminate in the
completion of the first corresponding benchmark, the concept paper. This seminar has two credits;
credit for this seminar will be assigned following committee approval of the concept paper.
Applied Dissertation Proposal
Overview
The concept paper serves as a foundation for the applied dissertation proposal, which you
should initiate by the 7th to 10th month in your program. In addition, you should be ready to begin
the development of an applied dissertation proposal based upon the knowledge, skills, and
dispositions you attained from your experiences in the various research courses. Elements from the
research courses may include the identified problem, the use of quantitative and qualitative data
from the site to support the existence of the problem, the potential solution or solutions, and a
review of the research and literature to support your efforts. Generally speaking, an applied
dissertation proposal should provide all the details necessary for any reader to understand exactly
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the applied dissertation project you intend to implement.
The approved proposal (including approval from the IRB) becomes a “contract” between
you and the university regarding the exact nature of the project. Once agreed upon, the proposal
cannot be altered without the agreement of all parties, including the IRB. The proposal serves as a
concrete plan for action and a comprehensive description of what the applied dissertation involves.
Proposal Approval Process
When the committee chair has assessed the quality of the proposal and deems it ready, the
“next to final” submission is released for review by the committee member. The committee
member may or may not request changes. The need for changes, if any, is communicated through
the committee chair; these changes are typically the last revisions of the document before the
proposal is approved. The committee chair dialogues with the student to bring about a final
submission that is satisfactory to all. Once the committee chair has indicated that all members of
the committee agree to approve the proposal, the chair will notify the student of the approval.
When notice is received, the student can prepare the documentation for the IRB process. Once the
proposal has been approved for implementation by your committee and your IRB forms have been
approved by the ARO, your committee chair may still require additional editing and refinement of
the proposal.
Institutional Review Board Process
Once the proposal is approved by your committee chair, he or she will request that you submit a
copy of the approved proposal with all necessary IRB materials to the ARO. Personnel in the ARO
have created a manual to assist students in the IRB process. This guide, entitled Navigating the
IRB Process, may be found on the ARO Web site (http://www.schoolofed.nova.edu/aro/
academic_resources/ index.htm). This document will provide you with a complete description of
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all the required components to successfully submit and receive approval from the ARO personnel
to implement your project. Understand that you are not to implement your applied dissertation
until you have received approval, in writing, from the ARO regarding the IRB. Once you have
received IRB approval, you are ready to enter the implementation phase of the applied dissertation
process (see Appendix A). In addition, Appendix B provides a useful rubric for evaluating the
quality of the applied dissertation proposal.
Applied Dissertation Proposal Components
The applied dissertation proposal will build upon the ideas and direction indicated in the
approved concept paper. It contains the elements detailed below.
Title page and title. Titles should be brief yet informative, and should reflect the problem,
the solution strategies, and the age range of those involved (if appropriate). The title should begin
with a noun signifying some form of action such as “Development of …,” “Evaluation of …,” and
“Formation of …” Appropriate title words can include: "solving,” "increasing," "reducing," and
"improving." A sample title page appears in the SGAD.
Table of contents. The table of contents should identify key headings of the proposal,
including the Introduction, Review of the Related Literature, and Methodology. In addition, the
titles of all tables and figures that are included in the proposal should also appear in the Table of
Contents page. Guidelines for formatting the Table of Contents page are contained in the SGAD.
Abstract. An abstract may be included with the applied dissertation proposal. It should be a
single-spaced, single-page summary of your proposal that permits the reader to discover quickly
what is in your proposal. It is very important that it be clear, accurate, and specific. The abstract
should include three paragraphs. The first should explain the problem or research questions
addressed and the major goals. The second should describe the solution strategies or procedures
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applied to the problem or research questions. The third should summarize the results you hope to
get. This paragraph will change when you write your applied dissertation to highlight what you
actually accomplished.
Tables and figures. A proposal rarely contains tables or figures, because these are usually
used to display findings or results in the final dissertation. It may sometimes be useful, however, to
display a table or figure in the introduction (expanding upon the background or significance of the
problem) or to include a plan for data analysis or statistical summary. See the APA manual and the
SGAD for the formatting of tables and figures.
Chapter 1: Introduction. This section provides a rationale for the applied dissertation by
explaining the nature of the problem as well as its background and significance. It also elucidates
the research questions and defines terms. An understanding of the history, background, details,
limitations, resources, and context of your applied dissertation within the cultural setting should be
included. The specific contents of this chapter are outlined in detail later in this document.
Chapter 2: Review of the Related Literature. A critical analysis of the research and
literature regarding the problem, probable causes, and potential solutions will be required in this
section. Research and literature reviews will help you focus your actions, sharpen your questions
and approaches, and lead to a defensible thesis. Your research and literature review will be most
effective if you have developed a clear indication of the problem or questions that you will
explore. In this section, describe the possible causes and contributors of the problem and provide
details of the investigation carried out to pinpoint the specific causes in your setting. The contents
of this chapter are detailed later in this guide.
Chapter 3: Methodology. The purpose of this chapter is to explain in detail the
methodology or combination of methodologies that will be utilized in your applied dissertation.
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Furthermore, in this section you will attempt to justify the appropriateness of the chosen
methodologies to address the problems and answer the research questions. You will include a
detailed presentation of the overall intervention design, planned activities, intended outcomes,
process objective, and the evaluation design for your applied dissertation project. You must also
include a timeline and intended data collection and analysis methods. A thorough discussion of the
exact focus and expected outcomes of your applied dissertation project is required. It is also
important to discuss in detail your leadership role in your project. Although a distinction was made
between quantitative and qualitative methods in your research courses, most applied dissertations
are action research projects that involve both quantitative and qualitative methods. Hence, you will
need to be familiar with both methodological approaches and to apply the method or methods that
best meet the needs of your applied dissertation. This chapter is written in the future tense as the
implementation of the applied dissertation is being proposed and has not yet occurred. The specific
contents of this chapter are reviewed later in this document.
References. A reference list should be included in the concept paper, the applied
dissertation proposal, and the applied dissertation. The list should include only references actually
cited in the body of the paper. Follow the instructions for preparing a reference list described in the
APA manual.
Appendixes. Forms, questionnaires, test instruments, and documents that you plan to use
should be included as appendixes. In this way, pertinent documentation will be available, without
impeding your presentation, if someone else wishes to replicate your work. Every appendix must
be referred to in the body of the text of the applied dissertation proposal so that its relevance to the
project is clear. Title each appendix, assign it a letter, and continue sequential pagination. No
copyrighted material may be included in the appendixes without permission. Refer to the APA
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manual for information on referring to appendices in the text of the applied dissertation. The
sequence of appendixes should match the order in which they are discussed in your document.
Refer to the SGAD for additional guidelines.
Applied Dissertation Seminar 2: Proposal
The content of Applied Dissertation Seminar 2 emphasizes the formulation and writing of
the dissertation proposal and the process for IRB approval. Methodology and content for each of
the proposal chapters are defined, including a thorough discussion of the role of the literature
review to support or refute the dissertation topic. This seminar, focusing on scientific inquiry, will
culminate in the completion of the second corresponding benchmark, the applied dissertation
proposal. This seminar’s five credits will be awarded following committee approval of the
proposal and completion of this seminar.
Applied Dissertation Report
The final phase of the dissertation process is the applied dissertation report. The applied
dissertation report will represent the results of your efforts and will provide data regarding the
relative effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the intervention in question. An analysis of what
worked and what did not work, together with suggestions for the next steps in further improvement
of the intervention, is included in the document. The writing of the applied dissertation takes place
after the implementation phase is complete.
Implementation Phase of the Applied Dissertation
Implementation will require that you take action. It is this phase in which you put your
approved proposal into effect. Implementation of your intervention strategies must follow the plan
described in your proposal and should result in meeting the outcomes specified. In this phase you
will typically take a leadership role in the interventions that will address your problem or
19
opportunity. As part of the implementation, you will collect data that you will analyze to indicate
the degree of success your intervention experienced.
During the implementation period of your applied dissertation, events will occur and ideas
will germinate that were not in your original plan. Hence, you should consider keeping a log or a
journal. The occurrences or situations could affect the achievement of your objectives in ways you
had not anticipated. It is wise to be organized and prepared with a recording technique to capture
data. Gathering data during events yields clues when reporting the initiation, implementation, and
results of the applied dissertation experience. Such notions might be springboards for writing in
publications for other practitioners.
The proposal will include the intervention, methodology, and evaluation designs related to
conducting a successful education improvement project. After the proposal has been completed,
the student will conduct the education improvement effort and develop a final report describing the
results of the work (i.e., the applied dissertation). By starting the applied dissertation process in the
first year, the student should have time to develop key personal and professional resources and
skills for a successful applied dissertation effort: personal vision, an identified need or opportunity,
sufficient resources, political timing, and self-awareness of leadership capabilities.
Organizing for reflection. How you organize the recording of unexpected events for future
reflection is an important decision. It will take only a few moments in your daily schedule to fit the
time for recording pertinent notes if you think through your approach to keeping a journal.
What you choose to record (i.e., the content) is determined by individual style. If you are
reflective already, it is likely you will not need a structure to record pertinent events or ideas. All
thoughts are worthwhile and provide a perspective for any further elaboration in your written
work. Even one’s ordinary thoughts can be developed to a level of consciousness that can be
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significant enough to share with others.
If you are not typically a reflective person, you will want to design a system for recording
interrelationships with people or materials. Data gathering may take the form of collecting
notations related to actions, ideas, or concepts. To you, this means developing an organized
scheme or design that allows you to record details describing not only what happened (i.e., the
actions and behaviors), or the idea or concept, but also how you feel about the experience and what
you are going to do about it. For some individuals, using a pad of predetermined formatted sheets
or cards makes it easy and convenient to record the unexpected events. For others, using a small
hand-held recorder and later transcribing the pertinent aspects of an incident may be preferable.
Deciding when to make entries. The timing of your recording should be considered when
thinking through your approach to journal writing. Your decision will involve doing “on the spot”
recording or “at the end of the day” writing. Systematic entries result in a greater chance to catch
one’s thoughts. Complete documentation saves time and energy. Sometimes the key to
significance is the location of an entry in a particular time span. Complete chronological
documentation is critical and should become habit forming. Remember to date all entries during
your journal writing. In some instances, the time of day may be significant to record. Over a period
of a number of months, patterns may emerge that were not immediately evident to you. Such
prevailing behaviors or ideas might not be revealed until many and varied entries are reviewed.
Using higher level thinking skills. As you prepare for recording unexpected events,
consider the characteristics of a good journal. Good journals will have liberal amounts of the
following features that serve an especially useful function to critical thinkers: (a) observations (i.e.,
something of interest), (b) questions (i.e., academic queries), (c) speculation (i.e., wonder on
paper), (d) synthesis (i.e., finding relationships), (e) revision (i.e., looking back at prior entries),
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and (f) information (i.e., concepts understood).
Overview
The report should be concise and focused, although its exact length will vary from
dissertation to dissertation. The report must be written so that it provides the reader with a full
account of the applied dissertation from beginning to end. The report provides the applied
dissertation committee with a means of assessing your problem-solving ability. However, one of
the primary purposes of the applied dissertation is to serve as a vehicle for sharing information of
value with your professional community.
It is important to note that a successful applied dissertation does not necessarily solve the
problem or opportunity you set out to address. Indeed, a successful applied dissertation might be
an utter failure in that regard. Instead, a successful applied dissertation is one that, on the basis of
the best available evidence and reasoning, should have worked. If it did not, it is incumbent on you
to provide a careful analysis of the failure and to offer (a) suggestions of how others might
improve upon the intervention in the future or (b) reasons to avoid the strategy entirely.
The applied dissertation is written after the completion of the implementation of the
proposal’s procedures. The applied dissertation is based on the proposal and the findings or results
that emerged from the implementation. Indeed, the first three sections of the proposal become the
structure for chapters 1, 2, and 3 of the report. Chapter 4 presents the results and chapter 5 contains
the analysis, discussion, and recommendations. Thus, the applied dissertation includes the entire
proposal, with the verb tenses changed where necessary to the past. It is important to note that as
part of your applied dissertation you will
1. report on the implementation of the solution strategies over a period of the
implementation.
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2. evaluate the effectiveness of the solution strategies.
3. make recommendations to the organization and to others who may try similar projects.
4. present the full applied dissertation as a formal document using the APA manual and the
SGAD.
5. submit the document for the Final Format Review and subsequent final approval to the
ARO after the committee approves the applied dissertation. Refer to the relevant notice at the
ARO Web site concerning the process for submission.
Applied Dissertation Components
Each of the components that follow should be included in your applied dissertation report.
Furthermore, these general guidelines for a applied dissertation should be observed: (a) each
chapter should stand alone (i.e., a person should be able to understand each chapter without having
to read the entire body of the final report); (b) tables and figures must be labeled well enough to
have meaning, without text, and must be discussed in the text; (c) by reading the applied
dissertation (and particularly the methods section), a person should be able to replicate the study or
the project; and (d) appropriate standards of inquiry (quantitative or qualitative) must be observed
for the study or the discipline (i.e., there should be some discussion of validity, bias, reliability,
limitations; and a reader should know the “power” of the study). See Appendix C for the rubric to
evaluate the effectiveness of the applied dissertation.
The applied dissertation should be assembled in the order discussed below.
Title page. The title page displays the title of the project and other information in the
format shown in the SGAD.
Approval page. The format of the approval page is shown in the SGAD. The page contains
the names and degrees of the committee chair and committee member as well as the executive
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dean for research and planning and spaces for their signatures and date signed (see “Guidelines for
the Approval Page” at the ARO Web site). Refer also to the steps in the Final-Approval Process
section of this guide for an explanation of when signatures are obtained.
Abstract. The abstract in the applied dissertation is similar to the one in the proposal except
that it shows not only the problem and methodology, but also presents the outcomes or results, the
conclusions drawn, recommendations for action and further research, and plans for dissemination.
It should also be written in the past tense. The abstract is limited to one page of 220 to 270 words
and should capture the very essence of the project (see Appendix D for writing guidelines and the
SGAD for formatting guidelines).
Acknowledgments. This section provides an opportunity for you to express appreciation for
the guidance and assistance received from others during the dissertation process and the doctoral
program. Mention may be made about contributions from the committee, colleagues who offered
help and family and friends who provided encouragement and support.
Table of Contents. The format guidelines for a table of contents for the applied dissertation
can be found in the SGAD. Most dissertation reports will have tables presenting quantitative data.
Not every dissertation report will contain figures. Figures are graphs, pictures, or drawings used to
illustrate findings or processes. Include figures only if appropriate. The APA manual provides
examples of different types of tables and figures. Tables and figures are listed by number and title
after the appendixes in the Table of Contents.
Chapter 1: Introduction. This chapter will be almost identical to chapter 1 in the proposal.
The verb tense must be altered to the past tense. You may expand and work on improving the
writing of the chapter, if needed, and should consult with your committee for guidance in this
regard. This section is detailed later in this document.
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Chapter 2: Review of the Related Literature. This chapter will be nearly identical to
chapter 2 in the proposal. Refer to the research problem and its causes in the past tense. After
writing the proposal, you may become aware of other causes of the problem. Incorporate this new
information into the applied dissertation. In addition, continue your literature review during the
implementation phase, and include any relevant new information in the applied dissertation. The
use of subheadings and other organizational devices are suggested in order to present the research
in a meaningful manner. Potential subheadings might include major concepts related to the
problem, present status of the topic, history of the problem, and the like. The student must present
a coherent and complete picture of the problem and related issues as documented by the relevant
literature. This section is expanded upon later in this document.
Chapter 3: Methodology. This chapter is also nearly identical to the proposal. The one or
more methodologies used to address the problem and accomplish the purpose of the project are
explained. Expand this section if necessary, depending on the amount of information available at
the time of proposal writing. Make certain that the tense is changed to past tense. This section is
expanded upon later in this guide.
Chapter 4: Results. This chapter is about process and presentation of results, but it should
not include any discussion or interpretation of the findings–that will come in the following
chapter. The findings from the data analysis should be presented by outcome. The content of this
chapter is expanded upon later in this guide.
Chapter 5: Discussion. Chapter 5 can be conceptualized as a reflection on the total applied
dissertation implementation. In this chapter, it is appropriate (and necessary) to provide some
context to the findings presented in chapter 4. The degree to which your interventions led to the
achievement of the objectives of the applied dissertation are discussed in this section. Implications
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and limitations as well as recommendations are presented. This section is elaborated upon in detail
later in this guide.
References. As mentioned previously, a reference section should be included in the concept
paper, the applied dissertation proposal, and the applied dissertation. The list should include only
references cited in the body of the paper. Follow the guidelines for preparing a reference list
described in the APA manual.
Appendixes. Forms, questionnaires, test instruments, and documents you designed and have
used in your applied dissertation should be included in appendixes. In this way, pertinent
documentation will be available, without impeding your presentation, if someone else wishes to
replicate your work. Every appendix must be referred to in the body of the text of the applied
dissertation so that its relevance to the project is clear. Title each appendix, assign it a letter, and
continue sequential pagination. No copyrighted material may be included in the appendixes
without permission. Refer to the APA manual for information on referring to appendixes in the
text of the applied dissertation. The sequence of appendixes should match the order in which they
are discussed in your document.
Applied Dissertation Seminar 3: Report
Applied Dissertation Seminar 3 involves data collection and implementation, the applied
dissertation, and the final-approval process. Content and format issues as well as recommendations
for further research are highlighted. Dissemination of the dissertation and possible outlets for
publication are covered. This seminar will culminate in the completion of the third benchmark, the
applied dissertation (final report). This seminar’s five credits will be assigned following committee
approval of the applied dissertation.
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New-Position Applied Dissertation
If you should change job responsibilities and cannot complete the applied dissertation as
planned, accommodations are made to ensure successful completion of your work, provided that
you had an approved applied dissertation proposal. This will help to keep your time in the program
relatively stable. You should notify your committee chair as soon as possible prior to any job
change to discuss the implications for your applied dissertation. The length of time required to
complete the new applied dissertation will be determined by the extent and type of the work to be
completed in a new-position applied dissertation and should be worked out between you and your
committee chair.
Any accommodations made depend on your situation and timeline. If the applied
dissertation is almost completed and you remain in the same school district, enlisting the support
of personnel at the original site can usually help you complete the project. If you move to another
district or a very different site, this may not be feasible. In such a case, you may find yourself
engaging in a different type of applied dissertation. For example, you might be required to conduct
a needs assessment in your new work setting. Then, based upon the results of your needs
assessment, you might be required to develop a research-based strategic plan for your work setting
to include action plans, timelines for implementing the plans, resources that will be necessary, and
so forth. Finally, you might be required to submit or present your strategic plan to your supervisor
or a group of stakeholders within your work setting and respond to the outcomes of the feedback.
Applied Dissertation Approval Process
After approving your applied dissertation, your committee chair will recommend that you
submit it for the Final Format Review as the initial step in the final-approval process. Applied
dissertations must be prepared according to the format described in the SGAD. Refer to “Notice to
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Students Concerning the Process for Submission of Applied Dissertation for the Final Format
Review” at the ARO Web site.
Steps in the Final-Approval Process
The following description of the final-approval process is from the ARO Web site:
1. After the dissertation committee approves the applied dissertation, the student must send
a complete copy of the dissertation by regular mail to the attention of “Final Format Review” at
the ARO. The receipt of the document initiates the final-approval process.
2. The ARO staff verifies that committee approval has been officially granted and that a
completed and signed Format Checklist is attached to the dissertation. After the committee
approval is verified, the document is given to the format review coordinator.
3. The dissertation is reviewed for format in the order in which it is received. Most
documents are reviewed within 10 working days of receipt; however, students should expect a
longer turn-around time in the month preceding the deadline for commencement participation. If
revisions are required, the format review will be sent to the student's NSU e-mail account. The
format-review phase continues until all format issues have been resolved.
4. Upon the resolution of all format issues (whether by the first submission or by a
subsequent revision), the student will receive notification that the format-review phase has been
completed. The notification is sent to the student’s NSU e-mail address. After completion of the
format review, the document is referred to the academic program’s professor of applied research.
5. The professor’s review may take up to 10 working days. In some cases, the professor
may communicate with the student’s committee chair to suggest changes or revisions. The
professor’s review process will continue until all specified issues have been resolved.
6. After the professor’s review has been completed, the executive dean for research and
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planning will notify the student (by e-mail and regular mail) of the final approval of the applied
dissertation. The notification will include directions to send final copies, a disk, and required
paperwork. Upon receipt of the notification, the student should secure the signatures of the
committee chair and committee member (if applicable) for the approval page.
7. When all required documents are received by the ARO, notification of the fulfillment of
requirements will be sent to the Fischler school’s degree conferral office and to the appropriate
academic program office. The official completion date of applied research requirements is the date
that all completed and required documents are received by the ARO.
8. The university registrar will post a grade for the applied dissertation within
approximately 2 weeks of receipt by the ARO of the required documents.
Review of Content of Dissertation Chapters
The content of the five chapters that comprise the applied dissertation is reviewed below. It
is important to emphasize that the three chapters of the applied dissertation proposal in essence
become the first three chapters of the applied dissertation report. The headings and subheadings of
the sections below are similar to the actual suggested layout of the five applied dissertation
chapters.
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Chapter 1: Introduction
This chapter should help the reader understand the purpose of the applied dissertation. This
chapter may be divided into four parts, the problem statement or research question, the
development of background data, the definition of terms, and a summary of data. The following
questions should be answered in this chapter:
1. What is the problem statement or research question?
2. What data support the discrepancy between what is and what should be?
3. Is the discrepancy significant enough to warrant this applied dissertation?
4. Are the research questions that you will address clearly stated?
5. Is the applied dissertation within your sphere of influence?
6. Can your applied dissertation make a practical difference in student learning?
7. Does the summary of this chapter begin to form the basis of your argument for
conducting the applied dissertation?
The introduction is composed of several requisite sections that should flow as presented
below.
Nature of the Problem
This section lays the foundation for the issues being explored in the project. These issues
are framed as problems that affect some systemic process within an organization. There are
essentially two types of problems:
1. An actual situation that is hindering the overall effectiveness of the school or
organization.
2. A theoretical or clinical question confronting the researcher.
Regardless of the type of problem, it is essential to provide documented evidence that the
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problem exists. In addition, the impact of the problem should be clearly stated. Be sure that the
problem is framed in a relatively narrow and focused manner. That is, avoid making global
statements that would require numerous strategies to implement.
It is also important to provide background information about the work setting in which the
problem is occurring. For example:
1. What is the mission statement of the organization?
2. What is the vision statement?
3. What social or cultural factors make your work setting unique?
4. What are the norms and beliefs of your organization?
5. What population does the organization serve?
6. Who works in the organization?
Describe your work setting in general terms that make it similar to other programs, then
provide specific factors that make it unique. Present factors about the community that give the
reader an understanding of the setting. Describe geographic references, community size,
socioeconomic factors, and any other relevant information that places the work setting in context.
Describe your role and responsibilities (your power base) in your work setting as they
apply to the applied dissertation problem. Discuss your role as a leader in the process of getting
others involved with your ideas. Outline the leadership skills you will use to accomplish your
dissertation.
The problem statement or opportunity will describe the problem or question in the school
environment to be solved or achieved by your research. If you are addressing a problem statement,
make sure this statement tells what is currently wrong and what you intend to set right. Remember
that a problem exists when there is a gap between the empirical and the normative—between what
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is and what should be. If you elect to pursue a particular opportunity in your work setting, frame
the opportunity in the form of research question (i.e., questions that address potential causes as
well as potential solutions). Develop an introductory statement and then list the research questions
that will be addressed in your applied dissertation. You should be able to state the problem or
opportunity in one or two sentences that clearly establish an empirical and normative reference. If
you have trouble doing this, do not go any farther. There is a strong possibility that you are
confused and have not crystallized the focus of your applied dissertation.
Next, develop a short, descriptive narrative that establishes your problem statement or
research question as a basis for your research. Do not state the problem as a strategy or as a
symptom. For example, low test scores are a symptom of poor skills or a lack of knowledge.
Rather, identify some discrepancy data in your school, school system, state, or region that support
your contention that you have a problem or an opportunity. Now ask yourself: Why is this a
problem or an opportunity? Is it really a serious problem or a good opportunity? Even if it is that
serious or good, are you likely to be able to do anything about it? If your answer to either of the
last two questions is “no,” find another problem.
Purpose of the Project
Once the problem or question is clearly stated, the purpose of the project must be stated
clearly and succinctly, such as, “The purpose of this study is to ….” You should be careful not to
suggest a preconceived solution to the problem in the purpose statement before the project is
undertaken. The intent of a well-written proposal is to design a research process from which
potential solutions or alternatives will emerge.
Background and Significance of the Problem
Present the problem situation as it currently exists in your setting. Explain the situation in
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detail by providing relevant background information and data. You should also describe the
difficulties encountered, the persons affected, and the reasons why the problem has not been
solved or why previous solutions failed.
Provide evidence proving that the problem actually exists in your setting (the evidence
collection instruments should have been approved by your committee chair prior to this). Expand
on the information presented in the concept paper to prove the problem exists. In this section, as in
the solution strategy section, a reader may wish to replicate what you have done; therefore, the
information given must be clear, specific, and complete.
Background data will be quantitative and qualitative in nature. Regardless of the source or
sources, you should focus on data that are related to the problem statement or question being
researched for the applied dissertation. Do not provide research data that are not related to the
situation. To introduce the reader to the applied dissertation setting and place the problem or
research question in perspective, develop a brief narrative of the history, demographics, and
geography of the problem setting or situation leading to the applied dissertation. The following
areas should be considered:
1. Specific discrepancy data from the applied dissertation setting that are related to the
problem (e.g., trend data to show that the situation has been occurring for a period of time). First,
cite data that indicates a measurable difference between the present situation (the empirical) and
the desired state (the normative). Second, cite data that show the impact of the problem on the
entire educational enterprise in the applied dissertation setting.
2. If tables or figures are utilized to present data, there should be a logical purpose to their
inclusion (i.e., the table or figure should be attempting to answer a question). Tables and figures
are efficient means to present a large amount of data in a small amount of space. However, the
33
data in the table must be discussed in the text of the applied dissertation before presentation of the
table. Refer to the APA manual and the SGAD for guidelines in presenting tables and figures.
Research Questions
If you will be conducting a study, this is the section to introduce your research questions.
Research hypotheses, where appropriate, are included after the research questions and under a
separate heading.
Definition of Terms
Terms that are technical, acronyms, jargon, used in a special sense, or that may be assumed
to be new to the reader are defined clearly in this section. This is especially important where the
terms apply to independent and dependent variables, and these should be defined operationally. If
there are no unique terms, this section may be omitted.
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Chapter 2: Review of the Related Literature
Although you have communicated background information about the problem in the
introduction section of the proposal, that section does not present the possible causes of the
problem. In this section, describe the possible causes and contributors of the problem and provide
details of the investigation carried out to pinpoint the specific causes in your setting. Make clear
the ways in which the causes found in your setting relate to those found in the literature. It may
help to conceptualize this portion of your proposal as one in which you are presenting your “case”
for your project. Much like an attorney who draws upon precedent set in past cases to construct a
logical argument to support a case, you want to logically organize a comprehensive and cohesive
literature review to provide support for your research project.
Students are expected to write a thorough literature review, based upon recent empirical
research; the writing of practitioners in the field; credible theory; meta-analysis; and comparing,
contrasting, critiquing, and analyzing the findings of others in the field. Comprehensive literature
reviews cite numerous published works, the majority of which have been peer reviewed and
written within the last 5 to 10 years. Examining theoretical perspective is particularly important at
this stage because these articles can provide an overview of problems in the chosen area of interest
and can also suggest possible causes and solutions for such problems.
A thorough literature review is essential to contextualizing the problem and identifying
strategies others have utilized to address similar problems. Rarely, if ever, does a student find a
problem that is so unique it has not been studied in another context. In fact, in most instances, you
will be working on problems that have been faced and are presently being addressed on a local,
state, regional, or national stage. Hence, you should become familiar with the research and
literature that relate to your problem if the applied dissertation is going to add to the knowledge
35
base (i.e., the research literature). This chapter will typically contain three major sections: an
introduction and purpose; research of literature by subject or topical area identified in chapter 2;
and a summary and conclusions (i.e., a defensible argument) of what the research literature
identified as potential approaches, strategies, or interventions to correct the problem (i.e., the
conclusions of your literature review). However, it should be noted that this section does not have
specific recommended headings. Keep in mind that you will carry out your literature review in
order to (a) narrow the focus of your problem, (b) find streams of research that others have
ignored, (c) avoid approaches to your applied dissertation that have proven fruitless in earlier
studies, (d) provoke ideas about promising research methods, (e) learn what others have
recommended regarding further research, and (f) contribute to the process of building educational
theory and sound educational practice. The following questions should be answered in this
chapter:
1. Why are you conducting the literature review?
2. Does the review of literature relate to the problem setting or the research question?
3. Does your review of the literature include a wide range of sources (i.e., books,
secondary, preliminary, and primary sources)?
4. What is the question being addressed in the piece of literature?
5. What is the argument developed in the piece of literature?
6. What is the nature of any evidence that supports the argument in the piece of literature?
7. What is the conclusion reached on the basis of the argument and evidence offered in the
piece of literature?
8. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the study and their relevance to the thesis of
your applied dissertation?
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9. Does your review of the literature flow together thematically or topically?
10. Does your summary contain your fully developed thesis?
The introduction and purpose will identify the areas of research to be found in the chapter.
Literature reviews are conducted to find out if someone has already answered the problems or
research questions you are interested in and to crystallize your views on the topic. However, at this
point you should not rush out and research the problems or the research questions. Rather, you
should generate a series of questions. These questions should be ones that you think have been
addressed in the literature. Knowing the answers to them should help you with your problem or
opportunity. Narrow this list of questions down to no more than three key questions. It may be
helpful if these questions focus on symptoms, correlates, and potential causes, as well as potential
solutions to your problems or research questions. If the questions have not been answered, you will
need to try to envision a situation that will answer them.
At this point you are ready to begin to review the literature by attempting to find the
answers to the key questions that you have developed. You are not reviewing the literature on the
problem; you are reviewing the literature that will help you answer the questions you have posed.
This is a very important step and one that will require insight and ingenuity. Finally, consider the
characteristics of good research articles. A good research article defines the research problem (i.e.,
it contains a good research hypothesis). It also identifies the research design (i.e., a sampling plan
describing who was involved that addresses population validity [representative sample] and
response rate [loss of subjects]) and measurements (i.e., what was asked that addresses test validity
[intent] and test reliability [consistency]). The article states the research findings (i.e., the data
analysis establishes the meaningful difference [effect size], if one exists, and the interpretation that
responds to the question of whether or not the research hypothesis was verified [theoretical
37
results]).
The subject or topic area will provide relevant research data related to the focus of the
study area being tried as approaches, strategies, or interventions. Literature reviewed in each of the
topical area must be related to the problem setting, the research question or questions or both. The
use of subheading is also helpful in this regard. The purpose of a literature review is not to identify
as many pieces of literature as you can about a particular topic, but rather to develop and support
your thesis. Try to get a sense of the history of the research on the questions you have posed (i.e., a
“line” or “stream” of research). The literature researched should describe what the research is
about, how it was conducted, and how it is applicable to your setting. It should be organized
around themes or major points (i.e., the critical elements should relate to all relevant facets of the
school environment such as school structure and organization, policies, curriculum and instruction,
teacher behavior, and teacher and student interaction). Therefore, as you search for applicable
literature, read with breadth, read from domains other than just education, read books, read
secondary sources, read preliminary sources, read research journals rather than just periodicals
such as PDK, Educational Leadership, and so forth, and do not rely too heavily on ERIC.
Consider beginning with secondary sources such as Review of Educational Research, Review of
Research on Education, Encyclopedia of Educational Research, National Society Study on
Education Yearbook, the various handbooks of research, and so forth. Once you have identified a
stream of research, you should consider reviewing preliminary sources (e.g., Education Index,
Psychological Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, Dissertation Abstracts).
Following your stream of research, you are now ready to review primary references (e.g.,
American Educational Research Journal, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis,
Educational Researcher, Harvard Educational Review, American Journal of Education,
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Educational Administration Quarterly). Please note that if you have not read any primary
references that relate to your thesis, you probably have not adequately reviewed the literature. At
minimum, you will have read and understood a study when you (a) know the question addressed in
the piece of literature, (b) understand the argument developed regarding that question, (c) know the
nature of any evidence adduced in support of that argument, (d) grasp the conclusion reached on
the basis of the argument and evidence, and (e) understand the strengths and weaknesses of the
study and the relevance to your thesis. Remember, you need not confine yourself to just the recent
literature. Furthermore, do not be afraid to question what you read and challenge conventional
wisdom. Look for material that is both “pro” and “con” to your position. Finally, your literature
review should also demonstrate that you are knowledgeable about organizational culture and the
process of organizational change. You should keep in mind that you are attempting to create
change in a work setting that has traditionally resisted change. Therefore, your review of the
literature should also indicate what the literature on change may imply for the key stakeholders in
the applied dissertation setting.
The summary should contain the conclusions of your literature review and your fully
developed thesis (i.e., a defensible argument about the course of action regarding your applied
dissertation). Furthermore, based upon your thesis, your summary should identify the approaches,
strategies, or interventions you will attempt during your applied dissertation. These approaches,
strategies, or interventions should have some relationship to the problem setting and have been
identified in the research literature as possible approaches, strategies, or interventions for solving
the problem or answering the research question. How you will use these approaches, strategies, or
interventions in your study will be explicated in chapter 3.
Occasionally you may feel that there just is not any research or literature available for the
39
topic you are researching. Should you find yourself in such circumstances, you probably are not
using the correct descriptors in your literature searches. You should obtain assistance from your
committee or the reference librarian in such cases.
Finally, the review of the literature should not read like an annotated bibliography (e.g., the
“he said, she said” syndrome). Instead, this section should read like a continuous and integrated
flow of thoughts from one topical point to another, substantiated by literature citations. This may
help to avoid the “Smith stated,” “Jones found,” and so forth at the start of each paragraph. Draw
upon the knowledge, tools, skills, and competencies developed in your applied research courses to
complete this chapter.
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Chapter 3: Methodology
This chapter provides a “road map” so that another researcher could conduct and replicate
your applied dissertation. In general, the Methodology section of the proposal will
1. clearly describe the methodology or combination of methodologies.
2. indicate if the study has qualitative or quantitative designs.
3. explain the rationale for selecting the methodology.
4. justify its appropriateness to address the problem and answer the research questions.
Chapter 3 will typically contain the following sections: Participants, Procedures,
Instruments, Limitations, and Delimitations. As mentioned previously, the terms “objective” and
“outcome” are used interchangeably in this document and should be considered synonymous. The
following questions should be answered in this chapter:
1. Have you established a plan to determine the extent to which each approach, strategy, or
intervention meets its targeted outcome?
2. What are the approaches, strategies, or interventions that you will use during the applied
dissertation?
3. Have you established quantifiable outcomes?
4. Have you established process objectives to measure key activities leading to the
achievement of the outcomes in your applied dissertation?
5. Have you identified the target group in each of your expected outcomes?
6. Will each of your outcomes contain an action verb and statement of what is to take
place?
7. Have you established a measurement indicator in each of your outcomes?
8. Have you established a performance standard in each of your outcomes?
41
9. Have you developed a specific timeline for completion of each of your outcomes?
10. Have you identified the fiscal resources, human capital, social capital, and time that
will be required to fully implement your applied dissertation?
11. Have you assessed the conditions for change within the school and the community at
large?
12. What is chronological time frame for the development and implementation of your
applied dissertation?
Participants
If your applied dissertation project includes working with a group of people, it is very
important to provide as much detail as possible about this group. Participant information should
include
1. how the sample or target group will be obtained or recruited.
2. numbers in the target group or sample.
3. demographic information, including age, gender, race, and ethnicity.
Procedures
Procedures should be outlined in clear, precise, and sequential statements about how the
dissertation will be conducted. Procedural steps should be very specific, and each research
question should be addressed by one or more procedures. One successful way of describing
procedures is to do the following: (a) relate the procedural step to problem, (b) state the procedural
step, (c) explain the rationale or reason for this step, and finally, (d) describe how this step will be
applied.
In this section the approaches, strategies, or interventions that are utilized during the time
frame of your applied dissertation will be described. Furthermore, each approach, strategy, or
42
intervention should be clearly connected to the statement of the problem and the literature review.
It is important that the methodology be replicable if the applied dissertation is going to add to the
educational knowledge base. Put differently, the reader should be convinced that “where you are
going” makes sense. You will need to describe what those involved in your applied dissertation
will be doing. In addition, you will need to delineate data collection and analysis procedures that
will be used and the rationale for using them. You should also describe in detail how you plan to
monitor your project activities and to document that they did indeed occur. You will need
sufficient descriptive data for this documentation. Essentially, you are moving from the conceptual
level to the operational level. In your final report you should describe any deviations from the
planned methodology outlined in your proposal along with the reasons for deviating.
The evaluation design should be established to determine the extent to which each
approach, strategy, or intervention meets its objective. The design, which may be qualitative or
quantitative depending on the nature of the applied dissertation, should provide the means for
determining the pre- to post-applied dissertation impact on the identified problem. The program
design should also indicate what anticipated changes would occur in the absence of the applied
dissertation intervention. A good quantitative evaluation design is objective, replicable,
methodologically strong, and generalizable. To meet these criteria, keep in mind that selfassessments and subjective judgments (i.e., not based upon sound data) by those responsible for
the applied dissertation have low credibility.
When you have completed your applied dissertation, you will want to have confidence in
the evaluation’s findings and be able to resist criticism. If the evaluation design can be replicated
and get the same results, then you will have a good design. Furthermore, if the results can be
applied to the broad range of students, classrooms, schools, and situations to which the applied
43
dissertation is aimed, rather than the just the target population, then your applied dissertation will
have greater credibility. On the other hand, a qualitative study in which you obtain complex
information from a variety of sources using a variety of methods to understand the perceptions and
perspectives of people in the applied dissertation setting can also lead powerful results.
In essence, it is important that your evaluation design be selected to meet the fundamental
purposes of your applied dissertation. Given the nature of most applied dissertations, a
combination of quantitative and qualitative evaluation designs may be appropriate. Regardless of
the format, the design for your applied dissertation should include for each objective (a) the data
that will be required to assess the degree to which the objective was met, (b) the source of the data,
(c) the method of collecting the data, (d) arrangements for collecting the data (i.e., who will collect
the data, under what conditions, and when the data will be collected), and (e) the means of
analyzing the data. Draw upon the knowledge, tools, skills, and abilities developed in the applied
research courses. In addition, refer to texts such as those by Gall, Gall, and Borg (1999), Glesne
(1999), and Worthen, Sanders, and Fitzpatrick (1997; in particular the evaluation plan summary
worksheet, p. 286) to assist you in developing this chapter. Use citations to indicate ideas inspired
by the work of others. Clearly demonstrate that your solution strategies have grown from the
literature review.
The expected outcomes must be measurable and observable, clearly indicating what you
expect following intervention or implementation of the solution. Number each of the outcome
statements and present them as a list. This section will also include the various process objectives
that you have identified. The expected outcomes and process objectives should identify and relate
to what you are attempting to accomplish. Outcomes should be quantitative and measurable
requirements relevant to your applied dissertation. Process objectives, which identify and establish
44
milestones, may also set target dates for accomplishing the various steps in your approach,
strategy, or intervention. Process objectives are the action steps that lead to the completion of each
outcome. Therefore, each outcome should have one or more process objectives.
The objectives you establish must be directly related to the approaches, strategies or
interventions describe above and the problem areas or research questions found in chapter 1. For
example, if you are attempting to improve the critical-thinking skills of students, then your
outcomes need to identify the indicators that the critical-thinking skills of students have improved.
To achieve the desired outcomes, you may have developed a plan to implement a number of
processes (e.g., professional development for teachers, awareness training for parents,
development of new curricula and instructional strategies). Your actual objectives may vary in the
format; however, they should contain the following elements:
1. Target Group–Who is the target of the applied dissertation intervention?
2. Action Verb and Statement–What will change as a result of the successful completion of
your intervention?
3. Measurement Indicator–How will you measure the area you are attempting to change?
4. Performance Standard–How much of a change is necessary to a successful applied
dissertation?
5. Time Frame–How much time will be needed to accomplish the desired degree of
change?
The following are examples of an outcome and a process objective:
Outcome. Students in the fifth grade at the ABC School [target group] will demonstrate an
increase in the successful completion of homework assignments [action verb and statement] from
50% completion to 80% completion [performance standard] as indicated by teacher assessment of
student homework portfolios [measurement indicator]. This will occur as a result of the applied
dissertation intervention during the months of September 2003 and August 2004 [time frame].
45
Once your outcomes have been established, your approaches, strategies, or interventions
need to be broken down into programs or processes that will be used to implement your
approaches, strategies, or interventions. These programs or processes will be the basis for your
timeline and your process objectives. The process objectives will contain the same five elements
outlined above and their focus will be upon the achievement of specific milestones rather than the
comparison of quantifiable data.
Process objective. Fifth-grade teachers at the ABC School [target group] will establish
student homework portfolios [action verb and statement] for all students in their respective classes
[performance standard]. The presence of these portfolios in each fifth-grade classroom
[measurement indicator] will be a result of the applied dissertation intervention during the months
of September 2003 and June 2004 [time frame].
The timeline will describe the specific activities you will conduct each month during your
implementation phase to begin testing your approaches, strategies, or interventions. Activities
should describe what you will attempt to do to correct the situation. The timeline, presented in
narrative form, a word table (i.e., a word table can provide a clear and concise format for the
timeline), or a Gantt Chart (i.e., established as a figure), should be based upon the chronology of
your process objectives. The timeline should briefly outline, month by month, the key activities or
processes you plan to implement and it should indicate milestones (e.g., culminating activities,
interim assessment dates).
Finally, this section will include your plans for analyzing and presenting the results. This
section should address the following questions:
1. What methods will you use to gather the evidence?
2. How will the types of data collected relate to discussing the impact your solution
strategies have on the problem?
46
3. How will you analyze the collected data?
4. How will you make judgments about whether or not the expected outcomes were
achieved?
5. Will the data be presented in figures and tables?
Instruments
Describe how each projected outcome and process objective will be measured. Although
you may have included the technique or instrument in the outcome statement, provide the reader
with more detail in this section. If a survey is used, for example, will it be oral or written? Will the
questions be open-ended? How much time will be allowed for administration of the survey?
If the student intends to design or use any data gathering or measuring instruments as part
of the procedures, the committee (and possibly the IRB) must approve these prior to
implementation. Permission must be obtained if the student intends to use instruments designed
and copyrighted by others. Students also need to remember that permission to use a previously
developed instrument does not constitute permission to publish the instrument in the dissertation.
Students who include instruments in the appendixes of their dissertation should secure specific and
written permission from the author to do so. Refer to the SGAD for guidelines concerning
permission notes. Evaluation instruments designed by you, whether questionnaires, observation
schedules or tests, must be approved by your committee along with the applied dissertation
proposal. Include blank copies of all instruments in the appendixes of the proposal and the applied
dissertation.
Examples of data-gathering instruments include standardized tests, questionnaires,
interview guides, field study logs, or search probes of major databases (e.g., census reports, labor
statistical reports, or U.S. Department of Education databases). Evidence must be provided about
47
the reliability and validity of instruments selected. If an instrument is standardized, report its
reliability and validity. If not, report how the instrument was designed, field tested (or pilot tested),
and then judged to be both reliable and valid. Often the research studies reported in the literature
have utilized instruments that can be adapted to the proposed project. If adaptation is necessary,
report how the revision was done, its probable impact on the original validity and reliability, and
the results of field testing.
Limitations
Limitations are any conditions, restrictions, or constraints that may affect the validity or
reliability of the dissertation’s outcomes. A limitation is a weakness or shortcoming in the
implementation or intervention plan that could not be avoided or corrected and that is
acknowledged in the final report. Common limitations include the lack of reliability of measuring
instruments, the restriction of the project to a particular organization or setting, the skill of the
interviewer, and other confounding variables. If there are too many limitations, the student should
consult with the committee chair about how to proceed.
Delimitations
A delimitation is a planned restriction of the scope of the implementation or intervention or
of the depth of inquiry usually made necessary because of the lack of time or resources to do more
(e.g., the restriction of the intervention or implementation to a particular organization or program).
48
Chapter 4: Results
The purpose of this chapter is to present the results of your study, but not any discussion or
interpretation of the findings; that will come in the following chapter. You will report the
formative and summative evaluation results that occurred in the implementation phase of the
applied dissertation. In this section, you should report the actual data collected and analyzed
relating to your process objectives and outcomes. The emphasis will be on evaluating the success
of the objective by reporting factual data that can be used to draw a conclusion whether or not the
objective was attained. Present each objective and data that were collected, whether quantitative or
qualitative. The quantitative data may be presented in a variety of ways (e.g., tables and figures)
and should be discussed in the narrative text (i.e., do not just present a table and assume it speaks
for itself). Qualitative data may be presented as patterns or trends.
The expected outcomes and process objective section of chapter 3 of your proposal will
guide the presentation and analysis of the results. Organize results so they address the outcomes
and process objectives in the order in which they appeared in chapter 3. Number and restate the
first outcome exactly as it appeared in chapter 3. Then, in a separate paragraph, state the following:
"This outcome was met" or "This outcome was not met" (use only these statements and do not
indicate "almost met" or "nearly met").
Then share the results related to that outcome (e.g., data-analysis results). Findings from
statistical analyses should be listed in this section. Results can be presented in paragraphs, figures,
or tables. This same process of presenting the results is conducted for the research questions and
hypotheses as well. Include an explanation in words for all figures and tables. Do the same for
each outcome. If qualitative data are collected, use quotes or excerpts from the data that support
your pattern or trend. In either case, draw conclusions based only on the data collected during the
49
applied dissertation implementation (i.e., do not draw conclusions based on related literature, your
prior experience, the opinion of experts, or percentages or numbers of subjects who felt one way or
the other). The clear presentation of your data for the reader is the goal. Refer to the APA manual
and SGAD for details related to the presentation of tables and figures.
50
Chapter 5: Discussion
In this chapter, it is appropriate (and necessary) to provide some context to the findings
presented in chapter 4. This chapter will typically contain five sections: Introduction of
Dissertation, Implications of Findings, Limitations, and Recommendations.
The various sections of this chapter should relate directly to all objectives, purposes,
procedures, and the evaluation design. Additional citations from the literature (not cited in the
applied dissertation proposal) may be used throughout this chapter, where appropriate.
Introduction of Dissertation
In this opening section, you should briefly state the overall findings of your study in a
succinct, cogent manner. You should discuss the results in terms of both the implementation of
your applied dissertation and the actual findings. Overall, were your outcomes achieved? Which
ones were not? Was each measurable objective evaluated?
Implications of Findings
After presenting the results (the facts) in chapter 4, discuss their meaning and interpret
them very specifically in terms of what you set out to accomplish. Include references from the
literature when comparing and contrasting your results with the work of others. For example,
1. Were some or all of the outcomes met? Which ones were? Were not? Why?
2. Can any changes you observed be confidently attributed to the intervention?
3. If so, what does that mean to you?
4. If the outcomes were not met, what possible explanations can you offer?
5. What are the implications?
6. What is the overall importance of the formative and summative evaluation of the
applied dissertation?
51
7. In what ways were the outcomes consistent or inconsistent with those found in the
literature?
Discuss the unanticipated events as well, particularly as they may have impacted your
implementation: (a) Did they have meaning? and (b) Why do you think so? This discussion section
should conclude with a summary flowing logically from your results.
The discussion of the outcomes and conclusions should focus on the overall importance of
the formative and summative evaluation of the applied dissertation. When you have completed the
evaluation, discuss the major accomplishments and achievements made during the implementation
and summary assessment of the applied dissertation. If the evaluation evidence shows that a
program works, will you be justified in continuing it or proceeding to full-scale implementation if
it was a pilot program. In other words, solid evaluation evidence that a program is effective tells
you that your educational efforts are working. You can be confident you are making a real
contribution to educating your students. On the other hand, if the evidence shows the program is
not working, that is not a bad result. It may actually be good because it may prevent others from
wasting time and money on something that is ineffective; in addition, it may provide the impetus
and the basis for improving the program or substituting another one in its place. The following
questions may serve as a guide for this section: Was there a definitive and identifiable intervention
or a program? Was it operating as it is supposed to? If not, what changes were needed to make it
operational? You may also report in this section unanticipated results or side effects of your
applied dissertation.
In any event, avoid impressionistic, judgmental, or unwarranted assertions that cannot be
directly related to the expressed methods and procedures employed in the applied dissertation and
supported by data. Furthermore, be sure that any use of inferential or descriptive statistics is
52
appropriate in design and mathematically correct. Remember, the effectiveness of a program
cannot be determined by simple changes in outcome measures without considering other factors
that could have produced those changes. Therefore, you should also discuss any constraints on
your applied dissertation as well as limitations on its generalizability. This means that you should
discuss what you would advise an administrative colleague to do differently.
Limitations
There is no such thing as a perfect research study. Every study in the published literature
has its share of limitations. It is very important for researchers to lay out what the limitations of the
study were and why they were not addressed in their particular study. For example, what are the
limitations on the generalizability of the applied dissertation? Where there threats to the internal
validity of this study? Discussing the limitations of your applied dissertation strengthens, rather
than weakens, your conclusions; the discussion indicates what you might have learned and sets the
stage for further investigation. Finally, two cautions: (a) Do not claim more than your evaluation
will support, and (b) When making statements or claims, err on the conservative side. Stating these
limitations lays the groundwork for future studies and adds to the summative and organic
properties of the research process. Now that your dissertation is a part of this new body of
research, you will clearly state the limitations of your study.
Recommendations
In this subsection, include recommendations that could benefit others in similar situations
and that could further "the solution" in your work setting. These brief recommendations can be
numbered with an introducing section. A rationale for your recommendations should be included.
53
Important Issues Pertaining to the Applied Dissertation
The Most Common Problems With Applied Dissertation Proposals and Applied Dissertation
Reports
Abstract. The abstract should encapsulate all of the factors addressed in the various
chapters of the applied dissertation. Frequently the abstract fails to mention key issues such as (a)
the problem statement, (b) possible causes, (c) the intervention, and (d) the anticipated results.
Problem definition and evidence. A problem statement that is supported by evidence is
often absent or confusing. Furthermore, students frequently ignore or state only impressionistic
problem causes. In many instances, students present a solution in search of a problem (i.e., they
know what they want to do, but do not necessarily know why). Hence, students attempt to simply
write about an intervention that has already been implemented, or an ongoing program, or some
“canned” program with little or no involvement of the individual participant.
Applied dissertation setting. Students frequently use a “chamber of commerce” type
narrative when describing the applied dissertation setting, which often has little to do with the
initial problem. In describing the applied dissertation setting, students frequently fail to
demonstrate well, if at all, the connections between the salient setting aspects and the problem, the
possible causes, or purpose of the applied dissertation. In addition, students frequently use terms
such as “internal influence” and “external influences” without reflecting on the actual meaning of
these terms.
Review of the related literature. This section of the applied dissertation often sounds like
an annotated bibliography rather than a concept driven support for the applied dissertation
intervention (e.g., “Jones stated …,” “Brown observed …”). Frequently the research and literature
review offers little, if any, support for the possible or probable causes of the problem or the
54
methods, the overall intervention design that will be employed, or the anticipated results. Finally,
rather than integrate the research and literature review throughout the paper, many students confine
the literature review to one chapter of the dissertation.
Methodology and evaluation design. Students fail to indicate how the intervention will
relate to narrowing the gap between the empirical (i.e., what is) and the normative (i.e., what
should be). In many instances, if not most instances, there is little connection between the research
questions posed and the related literature. Although a variety of planned activities are generally
discussed, they are frequently difficult or not easily placed within the overall design, objectives,
intended outcomes, and timeline of the applied dissertation project. In addition, students frequently
fail to make the connection between the pre-intervention data, the intervention, the objectives, the
data that will be required to assess the degree to which the objective was met, and the source of the
data. Furthermore, the intended data-collection and data-analysis methods are frequently not
explicitly mentioned.
Results. In many instances, the reported results do not relate to all the objectives, purposes,
procedures, or evaluation designs. If the methodology component of the applied dissertation is
weak, then the results will also be weak. Nonetheless, there are instances where students report
results that are different from those that were established in the methods. The results, whether
quantitative or qualitative, should be directly related to the objectives, purposes, procedures, and
the evaluation designs in a natural flow of events.
Mechanics. This aspect of the applied dissertation is the most easily corrected but one of
the most frustrating to students. At every point in the process, committee chairs and the DEDL
faculty stress the need for students to use the current edition of the APA manual and the SGAD in
the development of scholarly written communication, the need to proofread all written
55
communication carefully, and the need to constantly revise their written communication. However,
to someone who reads an applied dissertation proposal or an applied dissertation report it becomes
readily evident which students have had their manuscripts proofread and have checked the APA
manual and SGAD for the mechanics. Although students are not expected to know all of the
details of the APA manual, they are expected to check the format of their citations, both in the
reference section and in the text of the manuscript, and to check the SGAD for exceptions to APA
guidelines.
Timeline. Be sure to allow for turn-around time in the committee review (i.e., generally 3
weeks from the receipt of the material) when you design your calendar. You must consider the
time needed to gain proposal approval (i.e., from both your committee chair and the ARO approval
of your IRB protocols) when discussing proposed implementation dates in your work setting. Do
not make promises to anyone of specific beginning and ending dates for your applied dissertation.
Using Copyrighted Material
In general, every student is responsible for ensuring that the doctrine of fair use under the
U.S. copyright law is observed. The author of an applied dissertation is responsible for ensuring
that the use of any previously copyrighted material in the manuscript beyond “fair use” has the
written permission of the copyright owner. In general, “fair use” allows an author to quote excerpts
from copyrighted work as long as the excerpts do not constitute a major portion of the original
work, provided that a full reference including page numbers is cited in the text. If you plan to
quote at any length from a copyrighted source, you will have to obtain written permission from the
copyright owner. Purchased tests or measurement instruments should never be included without
permission from the copyright owner. When in doubt, seek permission.
56
Protecting Your Work
Students are advised that the most effective way to protect original work is to place
copyright notice in the applied dissertation report. The APA manual has several sections on
copyright issues. For questions about copyright registration, contact
Copyright Office
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20559
Publication in UMI’s ProQuest Digital Dissertations Database
Students who wish to submit their applied dissertations for publication and inclusion in the
UMI ProQuest Digital Dissertations database should contact UMI’s dissertations publishing staff
(e-mail: disspub@umi.com; phone: 800-521-0600, Ext. 7020; phone, outside the U.S. and Canada:
734-761-4700, Ext. 7020).
57
References
Achilles, C., Reynolds, J., & Achilles, S. (1997). Problem analysis: Responding to school
complexity. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.
Ary, D., Jacobs, L., & Razavieh, A. (1979). Introduction to research in education (2nd ed.). New
York: Holt, Rhinehart, and Winston.
Ellis, N., & Joslin, A. (1996). Instructional materials. Wilmington, NC: Impact Plus.
Evans, J. (1999). How should you evaluate your applied dissertation? Retrieved August 29, 2002,
from Nova Southeastern University, National EdD Program for Educational Leaders Web
site: http://edl.nova.edu/secure/mats/fsseva.pdf
Gall, M., Gall, J., & Borg, W. (2003). Educational research: An introduction (7th ed.). Boston:
Allyn & Bacon.
Gainey, D. (1993). Education for the new century: Views from the principal’s office. Reston, VA:
National Association of Secondary School Principals.
Gainey, D. (1994). The American high school and change: An unsettling process. NASSP Bulletin,
78(560), 26-35.
Gainey, D., & Webb, L. (1998). The education leader’s role in change: How to proceed. Reston,
VA: National Association of Secondary School Principals.
Galvan, J. (1999). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral
sciences. New York: Pyrczak Publishing.
Glesne, C. (1999). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction (2nd ed.). Reading, MA:
Longman.
Haller, E. (1996). Using research in your applied dissertation: An outline of the literature review
process. Retrieved August 29, 2002, from Nova Southeastern University, National EdD
Program for Educational Leaders Web site: http://edl.nova.edu/secure/mats/fsslitrev.pdf
Haller, E., & Kleine, P. (2001). Using educational research: A school administrator’s guide.
Boston: Addison Wesley Longman.
Heifetz, R. (1994). Leadership without easy answers. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of
Harvard University Press.
Snyder, R. (1995). Journey down the yellow brick road to graduation or “how to avoid the Wicked
Witch of the North.” Paper presented at the summer institute of the National EdD Program
for Educational Leaders of Nova Southeastern University, Washington, DC.
58
Worthen, B., Sanders, J., & Fitzpatrick, J. (1997). Program evaluation: Alternative approaches
and practical guidelines (2nd ed.). Reading, MA: Longman.
59
Appendix A
Overview of the Applied Dissertation–Logic and Flow
60
Overview of the applied dissertation process–logic and flow
Problem
 Empirical
 Normative
 Data
Setting
2
 Culture
 Probable Cause Data
1
Initial Hypothesis
No
Setting Mutable?
Yes
No
Questions
 Possible Causes
 Potential Solutions
3
Research
 Pro & Con
Research Thesis
Informed Professional Judgment
Yes
Committee
Approval
No
Implement
Intervention?
STOP
IRB
Protocols
Yes
Results
 Collect Data
 Analyze Data
 Findings
 Conclusions
5
Intervention
 Objective(s)
 Evaluation Design
 Timeline
 Resources
4
Final Applied Dissertation Report
61
Appendix B
Applied Dissertation Proposal Rubric
62
Applied Dissertation Proposal Rubric
Overview
The applied dissertation is a complex undertaking involving a number of key components
that need to be linked to one another to provide meaning to an individual who might read a
proposal. The various components of an applied dissertation are generally grouped together to
create chapters that should stand alone on their own merit. In turn, each chapter needs to be linked
to the preceding and subsequent chapter to form an integrated applied dissertation. The rubric was
developed as a set of anchors to assist you, your committee member, and your committee chair
with uniform, albeit generic, feedback relative to an applied dissertation proposal. The rubric was
not designed to assess whether or not a particular applied dissertation is a worthy endeavor.
Rather, the rubric should provide you with feedback of how well the thought process involved in
developing the applied dissertation proposal was presented in written form. A rating of “3” on any
single component does not indicate that there are no aspects of the proposal or report that could
not be improved, it should serve as an overall gauge of the degree to which a proposal or report
meets a particular set of criteria. Finally, the most important aspects of the feedback that you will
receive are not the scores on a section of a proposal, but rather the specific comments that are
made by your committee chair and committee member throughout the proposal.
Directions
The reader of the document should check a number from 0-3 or N to represent his or her
assessment of a particular section of a proposal that best represents his or her overall rating of the
degree to which a student meets the standards described.
63
Definitions
3 = Above Standard
2 = Meets Standard
1 = Minimally meets Standard
0 = Needs work to meet Standard
N = Not Applicable
1. Clarity of problem(s) or opportunity identification and rationale; good supporting
evidence from the setting and literature.
3 A clear and succinct descriptive narrative is developed that establishes the problem or
opportunity statement as the basis for the applied dissertation. The problem or opportunity
is clearly stated in one or two sentences that establish an empirical and normative
reference, without stating a solution or possible causes. The problem or opportunity is
within the participant’s span of influence and is mutable within the applied dissertation
timeframe. Discrepancy trend data, that may be quantitative or qualitative or both, are
clearly identified that support the contention that a problem or an opportunity exists. Where
appropriate, research and literature support the problem or opportunity statement.
2 A short descriptive narrative is developed that establishes the problem or opportunity
statement as the basis for the applied dissertation. The problem or opportunity is stated in
one or two sentences that establish an empirical and normative reference, without stating a
solution or possible causes. The problem or opportunity is within the participant’s span of
influence and is mutable within the applied dissertation timeframe. Some discrepancy trend
data, that may be quantitative or qualitative or both, are identified that supports the
contention that a problem or an opportunity exists. Where appropriate, research and
literature support the problem or opportunity statement.
1 The descriptive narrative that establishes the problem or opportunity statement as the basis
for the applied dissertation is wordy or disjointed. The problem or opportunity is stated but
does not include an empirical and normative reference. The problem or opportunity may
not be totally within the participant’s span of influence or mutable within the applied
dissertation timeframe. Some quantitative or qualitative discrepancy data are identified, but
the direct linkage to the problem or an opportunity is not clear.
0 The narrative description and the problem statement are wordy or not clearly defined or
missing. Data substantiating the existence of a problem or opportunity are not directly
related to the problem statement or are missing.
N Not applicable
64
2
Clarity of discussion; relevance of elements from the work setting germane to the applied
dissertation; possible or potential causes; and a working hypothesis.
3 The context for the applied dissertation is clearly and succinctly described and any prior
work done in the setting, that will have explicit importance for the applied dissertation, is
stated. Any relevant characteristics of the work setting that will have a direct impact on the
applied dissertation are identified and explained. Possible or probable causes for the
problem or opportunity have been identified, are clearly stated and supported by data or the
research literature. A hypothesis for the applied dissertation is developed.
2 The context for the applied dissertation is described and any prior work done in the setting,
that will have explicit importance for the applied dissertation, is stated. Any relevant
characteristics of the work setting, that will have a direct impact on the applied dissertation,
are identified. Possible or probable causes for the problem or opportunity have been
identified. An hypothesis for the applied dissertation is developed.
1 The context of the work setting is described, often in great detail, but the linkage between
the setting and any prior work done for the applied dissertation is not clearly stated or
missing. Characteristics of the work setting, that will have a direct impact on the applied
dissertation, are not identified. Possible or probable causes for the problem or opportunity
are stated. A hypothesis for the applied dissertation is not clearly stated.
0 The context for the applied dissertation is not clearly stated. Any relevant characteristics of
the work setting that will have a direct impact on the applied dissertation are not identified.
Possible or probable causes for the problem or opportunity are not clearly stated or are
missing. An hypothesis for the applied dissertation is not developed or stated.
N Not applicable
3. Integration of related research and literature throughout; quality, relevance, and recency
of the research and literature review; and conclusions of the literature review to form a
thesis.
3 There is an integration of related research and literature throughout the applied dissertation.
The literature review, which is outlined by subject or topical area(s), is based upon the
most current applicable research and is directly related to the problem or opportunity and
the possible causes of the problem or opportunity. The concise conclusions of research and
literature review are used to develop a thesis that serves as the basis for the potential
approaches, strategies, or interventions to address the problem.
2 There is an integration of related research and literature throughout the applied dissertation.
The literature review, which is outlined by subject or topical area(s), is based upon current
applicable research and is directly related to the problem or opportunity and the possible
causes of the problem or opportunity. The conclusions of research and literature review are
used to develop a thesis that is basis for the potential approaches, strategies, or
interventions to address the problem.
65
1 The literature review is not outlined by subject or topical area(s) and reads like an
annotated bibliography. The research and literature review may be related to the problem or
opportunity or the possible causes of the problem or opportunity, but not both and may not
be the most current research. There are no conclusions to the research and literature review
that lead to the development of a thesis that is basis for the potential approaches, strategies,
or interventions to address the problem.
0 There are no conclusions to the research and literature review that lead to the development
of a thesis that is basis for the potential approaches, strategies, or interventions to address
the problem.
N Not applicable
4. Purpose of the applied dissertation, development of appropriate methodology and
interventions related to the problem, the applied dissertation setting, and the review of
the literature.
3 The purpose of the applied dissertation is clearly and succinctly stated. Each approach,
strategy, or intervention is clearly related to the problem or opportunity, the applied
dissertation setting, the review of the research and literature, and is described conceptually.
The methods clearly address each of the questions regarding who will be doing what,
where, when, how, and why.
2 The purpose of the applied dissertation is clearly stated. Each approach, strategy, or
intervention is clearly related to the problem or opportunity, the applied dissertation
setting, the review of the research and literature, and is described conceptually. The
methods address each of the questions regarding who will be doing what, where, when,
how, and why.
1 The purpose of the applied dissertation is not clearly stated. Each approach, strategy, or
intervention may or may not be related to the problem or opportunity, the applied
dissertation setting, the review of the research and literature, and is not described
conceptually. The methods address most of the questions regarding who will be doing
what, where, when, how, and why.
0 The purpose of the applied dissertation is not stated. The approaches, strategies, or
interventions are not related to the problem or opportunity, the applied dissertation setting,
or the review of the research and literature. The methods do not clearly address the
questions of who will be doing what, where, when, how, and why.
N Not applicable
5. Originality and creativity, or appropriateness of the design and methods of implementing
the intervention; the timetable for implementing the intervention.
3 There is clear evidence of originality and creativity in the design and methods. The means
of implementing the intervention are clearly evident, articulated, and appropriate. How the
participant will monitor the activities and the formative assessment of the applied
dissertation is clearly and directly related to the problem or opportunity and the work
setting. The timetable for implementing and monitoring the implementation is appropriate
given the nature of the problem and the work setting.
66
2 There is some evidence of originality and creativity in the design and methods. The means
of implementing the intervention are evident, articulated, and appropriate. How the
participant will monitor the activities and the formative assessment of the applied
dissertation is directly related to the problem or opportunity and the work setting. The
timetable for implementing and monitoring the implementation is appropriate given the
nature of the problem and the work setting.
1 The appropriateness of the design and methods of implementing the intervention are stated.
However, the means by which the participant will monitor the activities and the formative
assessment of the applied dissertation are not clearly articulated or it is not directly related
to the problem or opportunity and the work setting. The timetable for implementing and
monitoring the implementation is questionable given the nature of the problem and the
work setting.
0 The design and methods of implementing the intervention are inappropriate. How the
participant will monitor the activities and the formative assessment of the applied
dissertation is not articulated. The timetable for implementing and monitoring the
implementation is not appropriate.
N Not applicable
6. Significance of objectives or outcomes; appropriate linkage to the identified problem or
opportunity, research questions, and procedures.
3 Measurable qualitative or quantitative terminal and process objectives are clearly identified
and directly relate to what the participant is attempting to accomplish. Each objective is
clearly and directly linked to each identified problem or opportunity, each of the
established research questions, and each of the procedures described in the methods.
2 Measurable qualitative or quantitative terminal and process objectives are identified and
directly relate to what the participant is attempting to accomplish. Each objective is linked
to the identified problem or opportunity, the established research questions, and the
procedures described in the methods.
1 The terminal objectives and process objectives are identified and relate to what the
participant is attempting to accomplish, but may not be measurable or clearly stated. Some
objectives may not be linked to the identified problem or opportunity, the established
research questions, and the procedures described in the methods.
0 Objectives are not identified that directly relate to what the participant is attempting to
accomplish.
N Not applicable
67
7. Appropriateness of the evaluation design; appropriate linkage to the identified problem
or opportunity, research questions, and data to be collected and analyzed; soundness of
data analysis and findings; clarity and appropriateness of interpretations based on
evaluation results and current literature.
3 The evaluation design, which may be quantitative or qualitative, clearly and succinctly
determines the extent to which each approach, strategy, or intervention meets its
objective(s). The design is directly linked to each of the identified problems or
opportunities, the established research questions, and the procedures described in the
methods. The actual data collected and analyzed are related to both the terminal and
process objectives.
2 The evaluation design, which may be quantitative or qualitative, determines the extent to
which each approach, strategy, or intervention meets its objective(s). The design is linked
to the identified problems or opportunities, the established research questions, and the
procedures described in the methods. The actual data collected and analyzed are related to
both the terminal and process objectives.
1 The evaluation design does not clearly determine the extent to which each approach,
strategy, or intervention meets its objective(s). The design is not directly linked to each of
the identified problems or opportunities, the established research questions, and the
procedures described in the methods. The actual data collected and analyzed are not
directly related to the objectives.
0 The evaluation design is poorly developed or absent. The design is not linked to the
identified problem or opportunity, the established research questions, or the procedures
described in the methods. The is little evidence of data collection or data analysis that is
related to both the objectives.
N Not applicable
8. Overall judgment of this applied dissertation proposal
3 The various components of the applied dissertation are clear, concise, cogent, compelling,
and correct. There are relatively few mechanical issues that need to be addressed (i.e.,
APA, SGAD, or both).
2 Overall, the major components of the applied dissertation are linked together in a clear and
succinct manner. There are some mechanical issues that need to be addressed (i.e., APA,
SGAD, or both).
1 The various components of the applied dissertation are present to one degree or another;
however, the linkage between the various components is weak or non-existent. The text
tends to be wordy and contains a number of redundancies, or the fragmented and lacking
coherency. There are a number of mechanical issues that need to be addressed (i.e., APA,
SGAD, or both).
0 Key components of the applied dissertation are poorly developed or missing. It appears that
little or no attempt was made to comply with the APA and SGAD.
N Not applicable
68
Note: The above categories are appropriate for most applied dissertations. However, with the
potential for a variety of applied dissertation designs (e.g. case studies, ethnographic
studies, longitudinal evaluations, etc.) some or all of these will not be applicable. In such
circumstances, the chair and the committee member should agree on equivalent categories
that the committee member’s feedback should address.
69
Appendix C
Applied Dissertation Report Rubric
70
Applied Dissertation Report Rubric
Overview
The applied dissertation is a complex undertaking involving a number of key components
that need to be linked to one another to provide meaning to an individual who might read a report.
The various components of an applied dissertation are generally grouped together to create
chapters that should stand alone on their own merit. In turn, each chapter needs to be linked to the
preceding and subsequent chapter to form an integrated applied dissertation. The rubric was
developed as a set of anchors to assist participants, your committee member, and your committee
chair with uniform, albeit generic, feedback relative to an applied dissertation proposal or an
applied dissertation report. The rubric was not designed to assess whether or not a particular
applied dissertation is a worthy endeavor. Rather, the rubric should provide a participant with
feedback of how well the thought process involved in developing the applied dissertation report
was presented in written form. A rating of “3” on any single component does not indicate that
there are no aspects of the report that could not be improved, it should serve as an overall gauge of
the degree to which a proposal or report meets a particular set of criteria. Finally, the most
important aspects of the feedback that a participant will receive are not the scores on a section of a
report, but rather the specific comments that are made by your committee chair and committee
member throughout the report.
Directions
The reader of the report should check a number from 0-3 or N to represent his or her
assessment of a particular section of a proposal that best represents his or her overall rating of the
degree to which a participant meets the standards described.
71
Definitions
3 = Above Standard
2 = Meets Standard
1 = Minimally meets Standard
0 = Needs work to meet Standard
N = Not Applicable
1. Clarity of problem(s) or opportunity identification and rationale; good supporting
evidence from the setting and literature.
3 A clear and succinct descriptive narrative is developed that establishes the problem or
opportunity statement as the basis for the applied dissertation. The problem or opportunity
is clearly stated in one or two sentences that establish an empirical and normative
reference, without stating a solution. The problem or opportunity is within the participant’s
span of influence and is mutable within the applied dissertation timeframe. Discrepancy
trend data, that may be quantitative or qualitative or both, are clearly identified that
supports the contention that a problem or an opportunity exists. The research and literature
support the problem or opportunity statement.
2 A short descriptive narrative is developed that establishes the problem or opportunity
statement as the basis for the applied dissertation. The problem or opportunity is stated in
one or two sentences that establish an empirical and normative reference, without stating a
solution. The problem or opportunity is within the participant’s span of influence and is
mutable within the applied dissertation timeframe. Some discrepancy trend data, that may
be quantitative or qualitative or both, are identified that supports the contention that a
problem or an opportunity exists. The research and literature support the problem or
opportunity statement.
1 The descriptive narrative that establishes the problem or opportunity statement as the basis
for the applied dissertation is wordy or disjointed. The problem or opportunity is stated but
does not include an empirical and normative reference. The problem or opportunity may
not be totally within the participant’s span of influence or mutable within the applied
dissertation timeframe. Some quantitative or qualitative discrepancy data are identified, but
the direct linkage to the problem or an opportunity is not clear.
0 The narrative description and the problem statement are wordy or not clearly defined or
missing. Data substantiating the existence of a problem or opportunity are not directly
related to the problem statement or are missing.
N Not applicable
72
2
Clarity of discussion; relevance of elements from the work setting germane to the applied
dissertation; possible or potential causes; and a working hypothesis.
3 The context for the applied dissertation is clearly and succinctly described and any prior
work done in the setting, that will have explicit importance for the applied dissertation, is
stated. Any relevant characteristics of the work setting that will have a direct impact on the
applied dissertation are identified and explained. Possible or probable causes for the
problem or opportunity have been identified, are clearly stated and supported by data or the
research literature. An hypothesis for the applied dissertation is developed.
2 The context for the applied dissertation is described and any prior work done in the setting,
that will have explicit importance for the applied dissertation, is stated. Any relevant
characteristics of the work setting, that will have a direct impact on the applied dissertation,
are identified. Possible or probable causes for the problem or opportunity have been
identified. A hypothesis for the applied dissertation is developed.
1 The context of the work setting is described, often in great detail, but the linkage between
the setting and any prior work done for the applied dissertation is not clearly stated or
missing. Characteristics of the work setting, that will have a direct impact on the applied
dissertation, are not identified. Possible or probable causes for the problem or opportunity
are stated. A hypothesis for the applied dissertation is not clearly stated.
0 The context for the applied dissertation is not clearly stated. Any relevant characteristics of
the work setting that will have a direct impact on the applied dissertation are not identified.
Possible or probable causes for the problem or opportunity are not clearly stated or are
missing. An hypothesis for the applied dissertation is not developed or stated.
N Not applicable
3. Integration of related research and literature throughout; quality, relevance, and recency
of the research and literature review; and conclusions of the literature review to form a
thesis.
3 There is an integration of related research and literature throughout the applied dissertation.
The literature review, which is outlined by subject or topical area(s), is based upon the
most current applicable research and is directly related to the problem or opportunity and
the possible causes of the problem or opportunity. The concise conclusions of research and
literature review are used to develop a thesis that serves as the basis for the potential
approaches, strategies, or interventions to address the problem.
2 There is an integration of related research and literature throughout the applied dissertation.
The literature review, which is outlined by subject or topical area(s), is based upon current
applicable research and is directly related to the problem or opportunity and the possible
causes of the problem or opportunity. The conclusions of research and literature review are
used to develop a thesis that is basis for the potential approaches, strategies, or
interventions to address the problem.
73
1 The literature review is not outlined by subject or topical area(s) and reads like an
annotated bibliography. The research and literature review may be related to the problem or
opportunity or the possible causes of the problem or opportunity, but not both and may not
be the most current research. There are no conclusions to the research and literature review
that lead to the development of a thesis that is basis for the potential approaches, strategies,
or interventions to address the problem.
0 There are no conclusions to the research and literature review that lead to the development
of a thesis that is basis for the potential approaches, strategies, or interventions to address
the problem.
N Not applicable
4. Purpose of the applied dissertation, development of appropriate methodology and
interventions related to the problem, the applied dissertation setting, and the review of
the literature.
3 The purpose of the applied dissertation is clearly and succinctly stated. Each approach,
strategy, or intervention is clearly related to the problem or opportunity, the applied
dissertation setting, the review of the research and literature, and is described conceptually.
The methods clearly address each of the questions regarding who will be doing what,
where, when, how, and why.
2 The purpose of the applied dissertation is clearly stated. Each approach, strategy, or
intervention is clearly related to the problem or opportunity, the applied dissertation
setting, the review of the research and literature, and is described conceptually. The
methods address each of the questions regarding who will be doing what, where, when,
how, and why.
1 The purpose of the applied dissertation is not clearly stated. Each approach, strategy, or
intervention may or may not be related to the problem or opportunity, the applied
dissertation setting, the review of the research and literature, and is not described
conceptually. The methods address most of the questions regarding who will be doing
what, where, when, how, and why.
0 The purpose of the applied dissertation is not stated. The approaches, strategies, or
interventions are not related to the problem or opportunity, the applied dissertation setting,
or the review of the research and literature. The methods do not clearly address the
questions of who will be doing what, where, when, how, and why.
N Not applicable
5. Originality and creativity, or appropriateness of the design and methods of implementing
the intervention; the timetable for implementing the intervention.
3 There is clear evidence of originality and creativity in the design and methods. The means
of implementing the intervention are clearly evident, articulated, and appropriate. How the
participant will monitor the activities and the formative assessment of the applied
dissertation is clearly and directly related to the problem or opportunity and the work
setting. The timetable for implementing and monitoring the implementation is appropriate
given the nature of the problem and the work setting.
74
2 There is some evidence of originality and creativity in the design and methods. The means
of implementing the intervention are evident, articulated, and appropriate. How the
participant will monitor the activities and the formative assessment of the applied
dissertation is directly related to the problem or opportunity and the work setting. The
timetable for implementing and monitoring the implementation is appropriate given the
nature of the problem and the work setting.
1 The appropriateness of the design and methods of implementing the intervention are stated.
However, the means by which the participant will monitor the activities and the formative
assessment of the applied dissertation are not clearly articulated or it is not directly related
to the problem or opportunity and the work setting. The timetable for implementing and
monitoring the implementation is questionable given the nature of the problem and the
work setting.
0 The design and methods of implementing the intervention are inappropriate. How the
participant will monitor the activities and the formative assessment of the applied
dissertation is not articulated. The timetable for implementing and monitoring the
implementation is not appropriate.
N Not applicable
6. Significance of objectives or outcomes; appropriate linkage to the identified problem or
opportunity, research questions, and procedures.
3 Measurable qualitative or quantitative terminal and process objectives are clearly identified
and directly relate to what the participant is attempting to accomplish. Each objective is
clearly and directly linked to each identified problem or opportunity, each of the
established research questions, and each of the procedures described in the methods.
2 Measurable qualitative or quantitative terminal and process objectives are identified and
directly relate to what the participant is attempting to accomplish. Each objective is linked
to the identified problem or opportunity, the established research questions, and the
procedures described in the methods.
1 The terminal objectives and process objectives are identified and relate to what the
participant is attempting to accomplish, but may not be measurable or clearly stated. Some
objectives may not be linked to the identified problem or opportunity, the established
research questions, and the procedures described in the methods.
0 Objectives are not identified that directly relate to what the participant is attempting to
accomplish.
N Not applicable
75
7. Appropriateness of the evaluation design; appropriate linkage to the identified problem
or opportunity, research questions, and data to be collected and analyzed; soundness of
data analysis and findings; clarity and appropriateness of interpretations based on
evaluation results and current literature.
3 The evaluation design, which may be quantitative or qualitative, clearly and succinctly
determines the extent to which each approach, strategy, or intervention meets its
objective(s). The design is directly linked to each of the identified problems or
opportunities, the established research questions, and the procedures described in the
methods. The actual data collected and analyzed are related to both the terminal and
process objectives. The findings and results focus on the summative evaluation of the
objectives used to measure or evaluate the intervention effectiveness.
2 The evaluation design, which may be quantitative or qualitative, determines the extent to
which each approach, strategy, or intervention meets its objective(s). The design is linked
to the identified problems or opportunities, the established research questions, and the
procedures described in the methods. The actual data collected and analyzed are related to
both the terminal and process objectives. The findings and results focus on the summative
evaluation of the objectives used to measure or evaluate the intervention effectiveness.
1 The evaluation design does not clearly determine the extent to which each approach,
strategy, or intervention meets its objective(s). The design is not directly linked to each of
the identified problems or opportunities, the established research questions, and the
procedures described in the methods. The actual data collected and analyzed are not
directly related to the objectives. The findings and results do not focus on the summative
evaluation of the objectives.
0 The evaluation design is poorly developed or absent. The design is not linked to the
identified problem or opportunity, the established research questions, or the procedures
described in the methods. There is little evidence of data collection or data analysis that is
related to both the objectives. The findings and results focus on the summative evaluation
are not based upon nor supported by appropriate data.
N Not applicable
8. Reasonableness of results interpretation; accuracy of conclusions; implications for
practice and practitioners; appropriateness of recommendations.
3 A discussion of the outcomes and conclusions clearly and succinctly focus on the overall
importance of the formative and summative evaluation of the applied dissertation. The
implications and recommendations for future practice and for practitioners are directly
based on the formative and summative evaluation of the applied dissertation and are clearly
stated.
2 A discussion of the outcomes and conclusions that focus on the overall importance of the
formative and summative evaluation of the applied dissertation is stated. The implications
and recommendations for future practice and for practitioners, which are based on the
formative and summative evaluation of the applied dissertation, are clearly presented.
1 A discussion of the outcomes and conclusions that focus on the overall importance of the
76
formative and summative evaluation of the applied dissertation is not clearly stated. The
implications and recommendations for future practice and for practitioners, based on the
formative and summative evaluation of the applied dissertation are not clearly presented.
0 The interpretation of results is not based upon the data or data that are not directly related
to the objectives of the applied dissertation. The conclusions are not related to the data nor
the interpretation of the data and may contain instances of bias. The implication for
practice and recommendations are missing or not clearly stated.
N Not applicable
9. Soundness of follow-up plans to sustain improvements or to assure that the
recommendations are being undertaken; evidence of risk taking and creative change.
3 The implications, limitations, and recommendations for practice are clearly and succinctly
discussed using the conclusions drawn from the applied dissertation. The impact of any
limitations and the potential use that others might make of the conclusions are clearly
presented. Follow-up plans are discussed as well as any evidence of risk taking or creative
changes that occurred as a result of the applied dissertation.
2 The implications, limitations, and recommendations for practice are discussed using the
conclusions drawn from the applied dissertation. The impact of any limitations and the
potential use that others might make of the conclusions are presented. Follow-up plans are
discussed as well as any evidence of risk taking or creative changes that occurred as a
result of the applied dissertation.
1 The implications, limitations, and recommendations for practice are discussed using the
conclusions drawn from the applied dissertation are not clearly stated. The impact of any
limitations and the potential use that others might make of the conclusions are not clearly
discussed. Follow-up plans are not clear nor is there evidence of risk taking or creative
changes that occurred as a result of the applied dissertation.
0 Follow up plans are lacking to sustain improvements or to assure that the recommendations
for improvements are missing. In addition, there is no evidence of risk taking or creative
change.
N Not applicable
77
10. Overall judgment of this applied dissertation report
3 The various components of the applied dissertation are clear, concise, cogent, compelling,
and correct. There are relatively few mechanical issues that need to be addressed (i.e.,
APA, SGAD, or both).
2 Overall, the major components of the applied dissertation are linked together in a clear and
succinct manner. There are some mechanical issues that need to be addressed (i.e., APA,
SGAD, or both).
1 The various components of the applied dissertation are present to one degree or another;
however, the linkage between the various components is weak or non-existent. The text
tends to be wordy and contains a number of redundancies, or the fragmented and lacking
coherency. There are a number of mechanical issues that need to be addressed (i.e., APA,
SGAD, or both).
0 A number of key elements of the applied dissertation are missing. There are a number of
mechanical issues that need to be addressed (i.e., APA, SGAD, or both).
N Not applicable
Note: The above categories are appropriate for most applied dissertations. However, with the
potential for a variety of applied dissertation designs (e.g. case studies, ethnographic
studies, longitudinal evaluations, etc.) some or all of these will not be applicable. In such
circumstances, the chair and the committee member should agree on equivalent categories
that the committee member’s feedback should address.
78
Appendix D
Guidelines for Writing Abstracts
79
Guidelines for Writing Abstracts for the Applied Dissertation Report
The abstract should be
1. informative rather than descriptive.
2. approximately 200 words in length for the applied dissertation proposal and 220 to 270
words for the report.
3. as concise as possible although it should not be more than one page.
4. neither critical nor evaluative.
The abstract should include
1. a statement of the problem and the purpose of the project.
2. research question(s) and hypotheses, if any.
3. research methodologies employed and a summary of procedures.
4. a summary of results and conclusions (applied dissertation report only).
5. recommendations of the project (applied dissertation report only).
The abstract should not include a
1. discussion of, or reference to, the literature review.
2. detailed elaboration on the purpose of the applied dissertation and development of
hypotheses or research questions.
3. rationale for the treatment or procedures selected.
4. detailed descriptions of project procedures or their application.
5. detailed discussion of the implications of results (applied dissertation report only).