TEMPLATE INSTRUCTIONS
Throughout this template, you will see several sections written in red type.
These are sections written with directions regarding how you should format your
dissertation so that it meets the requirements of APA style and the Graduate
Studies Office. In many instances, the red type will refer you to one of the
appendixes for this document.
You will also see numerous sections in blue type. These sections provide
guidelines regarding the content for various sections of the dissertation. In many
instances, the sections in blue type will make references to several of the
textbooks used in the program.
The black type that you see in this document will either direct you where to
type or it may include example text language. You may use this text as a script
to help you begin writing the various sections of the dissertation.
We encourage you to keep these instructions in your document initially,
and then delete them from the final document after you are confident in the
content that you have written.
California State University,
Fullerton
DISSERTATION TITLE: THE TITLE SECTION SHOULD LOOK LIKE AN
INVERTED PYRAMID AND THE SUBTITLE TYPTICALLY INDICATES
THE METHODOLOGY USED FOR THE STUDY
A DISSERTATION
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements
For the degree of
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
In
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
P-12 Leadership (Or) Community College Leadership
By
Joe A. Student
Dissertation Committee Approval:
Professor Jane A. Smith, Chair
Associate Professor John B. Jones, College of Education
Expert Member, Sarah L. Stevens, Anywhere Community College
Month, YEAR
CSUF Ed.D. Dissertation Template – 8/27/2014
Copyright 20XX ©
Joe A. Student
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ii
ABSTRACT
Type your abstract content here.
Write the abstract last. This is a concise summary of your study’s purpose
and major findings (limit 350 words). Potential readers who conduct searches
using library indexes such as ProQuest or Dissertation Abstracts International will
have access to your abstract through the search index; they will use your
abstract to determine whether or not to read your dissertation, so choose your
wording carefully. Note that your abstract will be published online and in
ProQuest.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................
iv
LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................. viii
LIST OF FIGURES ...........................................................................................
x
DEDICATION ................................................................................................... xii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................... xiii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................
1
Background of the Problem ...................................................................
A Heading with a Very Long Title Should be Shortened, but if not,
then Indent the Second Line an Additional 5 Spaces .......................
Problem Statement ................................................................................
Purpose Statement ................................................................................
Research Questions ..............................................................................
Significance of the Study .......................................................................
Scope of the Study ................................................................................
Assumptions of the Study ...........................................................
Study Delimitations .....................................................................
Study Limitations .........................................................................
Definitions of Key Terms ........................................................................
Organization of the Dissertation .............................................................
1
2
3
3
4
6
6
7
7
7
8
9
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ............................................... 10
Historical, Philosophical, and/or Theoretical Foundation .......................
Philosophical Foundation ............................................................
Historical Foundation ..................................................................
Theoretical Foundation ...............................................................
Review of the Scholarly Empirical Literature ..........................................
Conceptual Framework ...............................................................
Student Outcomes ......................................................................
Teacher Attitudes ........................................................................
Teacher Behaviors ......................................................................
Chapter Summary ..................................................................................
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11
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13
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15
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CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................................. 16
Qualitative/Quantitative/Mixed Methods Research ................................
Research Design ...................................................................................
Research Methods .................................................................................
Setting .........................................................................................
Sample ........................................................................................
Data Collection and Management ...............................................
Data Analysis and Interpretation .................................................
Chapter Summary ..................................................................................
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18
19
20
20
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24
27
CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS ................................................................................. 28
First Research Question ........................................................................
Second Research Question ...................................................................
Third Research Question .......................................................................
Chapter Summary ..................................................................................
29
30
30
30
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION ............................................................................ 31
Interpretations/Conclusions ...................................................................
Implications ............................................................................................
Implications for Policy .................................................................
Implications for Practice ..............................................................
Implications for Theory ................................................................
Implications for Future Research ................................................
Recommendations .................................................................................
Type a Heading for Your First Recommendation Here ...............
Type a Heading for Your Second Recommendation Here ..........
Type a Heading for Your Third Recommendation Here ..............
Type a Heading for Your Fourth Recommendation Here ............
Summary of the Dissertation..................................................................
31
32
32
32
33
33
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34
34
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34
REFERENCES ................................................................................................. 36
APPENDICES .................................................................................................. 37
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
APPENDIX FORMAT: THIS IS THE APPENDIX TITLE....................
GENERAL FORMATTING GUIDELINES ...........................................
HEADINGS, SERIATION, AND BULLETED TABS ............................
TABLES AND FIGURES ....................................................................
CITATIONS AND QUOTATIONS .......................................................
CUTTING AND PASTING CONTENT INTO THE DISSERTATION
TEMPLATE ........................................................................................
For additional headings, you can copy and paste the above headings.
v
37
38
39
42
44
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 If you have only one appendix, then type in APPENDIX: TITLE rather than
as shown above. A single appendix is not identified with a letter.
 For more than one appendix, the pagination for the first appendix is the same
as listed for APPENDICES.
vi
LIST OF TABLES
Table
Page
1.
Frequency of Survey Participants by Race and Gender ......................
42
2.
A Table with a Very Long Title Should be Shortened, but if not,
Extend to a Second Line without Additional Spaces ............................
50
Formatting Notes

You can copy and paste this list if you need additional titles.

Number tables sequentially in the order that they appear in the
dissertation. Do not re-start numbering at each chapter.

Titles listed here should be the same as within the text.

Give every title a brief but clear and explanatory title.

If titles must exceed the length of the dot leaders, do not allow them
to enter the page number column.

Additional pages begin at the top one-inch margin.

Consult the APA manual! Be sure your tables are formatted to look
exactly like the ones in the manual. If you have any questions, ask
the Dissertation Reader early
Notes Regarding the Use of Tables
vii

Tables should only be used in a very limited way in Chapters 1 and 2 and
are not to take the place of text in the body. Rather, tables serve a
supplementary function for the points made in the text that you write.
viii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
Page
1.
Dissertation formatting is exhausting ......................................................
44
2.
Correct means of highlighting text to cut from your original document ...
47
3.
Incorrect means of highlighting text to cut from your original document .
48
4.
Highlighting template text that you wish to replace.................................
48
5.
Using the merge formatting function .......................................................
49
6.
A figure with a very long name should be shortened, but if not,
extend to a second line without additional spaces ..................................
50
Formatting Notes

You can copy and paste this list if you need additional titles.

Captions listed here must be the same as within the text.

If captions exceed the length of the dot leaders, do not allow them
to enter the page number column, which includes the blank spaces
between the dot leaders and the page number.

Additional pages begin at the top one-inch margin.

Consult the APA manual! Be sure your figures are formatted to look
exactly like the ones in the manual.
Notes Regarding the Use of Figures
Any type of illustration other than a table is called a figure and includes
charts, dot maps, shaded maps, graphs (e.g., scatter plots, line graphs, bar
ix
graphs, pictorial graphs, pie graphs), photographs, drawings, diagrams, or other
depictions. Figures function to augment, condense, or organize the text, and the
number of figures varies in each dissertation.
As with tables, student generated figures are used only in a very limited
way in Chapters 1 and 2 and are not to take the place of text in the body.
Rather, figures serve a supplementary function for the points made in the text
that you write.
x
To my amazing children, Terrell and Silvia, wise beyond their years,
and
To my beloved wife, Maria, infinitely supportive.
This is an optional section in which you may dedicate your dissertation to
a person or group of people, an organization, or a cause. Dedications are
typically one or two sentences in length, and being with “To . . . . ”
No heading is required on this page. Its text should be centered
horizontally between the left and right margin, as well as vertically between the
top 2” margin and the bottom margin.
xi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Type your acknowledgements text here.
This is an optional section in which you may thank friends, mentors,
colleagues, supporters, and/or institutions that supported your research or
provided special assistance. You may also thank faculty or staff members; if
your advisors or committee members offered routine help, you may omit them
entirely.
Observe the same formatting guidelines for this section, including margins
and double-spacing. It must match the main text.
xii
1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Type your opening content here.
This chapter provides an introduction to and overview of the dissertation.
The opening paragraphs of your dissertation are critical because they set the
tone for the rest of your dissertation. You should begin with a “hook” that grabs
the reader’s attention, but be sure that your hook is relevant to your topic and
does not detract from the scholarly tone of your dissertation. Your reader should
gain a clear sense of your study’s topic by reading just this opening section. This
section can be as short as one well-written paragraph; in most cases, it should
be no longer than 2-3 pages in length.
See pages 97-100 in the Creswell (2009) Research Design text for more
information. If you wish to use something more substantive, you should first
consult with your faculty and/or your dissertation chair.
Background of the Problem
Type your background content here.
The background of the problem section is the most general and is usually
longer than the problem statement and purpose statement sections
(approximately 4-6 pages). This section contains information that brings your
readers “up to speed” with your topic and lays the groundwork for the problem
2
statement. By the time you that have finished providing the background of the
problem, the reader should have a sense of the nature and scope of the problem.
When writing the background of the problem section, assume your reader
has limited familiarity with your topic. Your job is to convince this person that
your topic is an educational problem that warrants further investigation.
Oftentimes, writers assume that others will share their convictions regarding the
selected topic. This may work if your audience consists solely of more
progressive educators; however, if your audience includes board members,
policymakers, or other external educational stakeholders, you will need to
demonstrate why your topic is a relevant problem in terms that are meaningful to
them.
While you should draw primarily from scholarly sources, you may draw
upon the content of newspapers, reports, editorials, or professional magazines to
help demonstrate the importance of your topic. Note that you must frame these
as non-scholarly works. For example, “Lee (2012), in a recent editorial,
suggested. . .” You might also draw on documents and sources that describe
regional economic, demographic, or political trends. This section might include
(a) the historical context of your topic, (b) summaries of competing policy
arguments regarding your topic, (c) a review of relevant theories or philosophical
viewpoints, or (d) citations of authors who have called for research addressing
your topic. This review should identify what a reasonable reader can confidently
deduce from the literature as well as notable limitations and gaps within the
literature.
3
Problem Statement
Type your problem statement content here.
Following the prior background section, the problem statement
demonstrates to your reader why your topic is important. This section should
“close the deal” and convince any reasonable reader that your topic is worthy of
empirical study. Be sure to include its relevance beyond the research context
within which it is developed. The organization of this section typically
summarizes (a) your claim that the topic is important, (b) what is known about
this topic from the literature and what has not been investigated or solved up to
this point, (c) limitations and gaps in the current literature, and (d) how additional
research could inform policy and practice. This section must include your
problem statement. For example, you might state, “The problem that this study
addresses is ______.” A strong problem statement will set up the purpose
statement for your study, which you will identify in the next section.
Depending on the nature of your topic, the problem statement may range
from 1-3 paragraphs in length. For more information, see pages 69-82 in the
Creswell (2007) Educational Research text, pages 100-110 in the Creswell
(2009) Research Design text, and pages 148-150 in the Creswell and Plano
Clark Mixed Methods Research (2011) text.
Purpose Statement
Type your purpose statement content here.
Assuming that you have developed a strong problem statement, this
section can consist of one well-written paragraph. Your purpose statement
4
should introduction your methodological approach. For example, “The purpose
of this mixed methods study was to. . . .” The purpose of the research should be
preceded by a sentence or two that moves the reader, in a cohesive way, from
the problem to the purpose of your study. By the time that your readers get to
the purpose of the research, they should be thinking, “Of course, this is the
purpose!”
For information on purpose statements in general, see chapter six (pp.
111-127) in the Creswell (2009) Research Design text; for information specific to
mixed methods purpose statements, see pages 151-160 in the Creswell and
Plano Clark (2011) Mixed Methods Research text. For your early drafts, use the
fill-in-the-blank templates or “scripts” provided in your textbooks (Creswell, 2009,
pp. 114, 118, 122-123; Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011, pp. 154-159).
Research Questions
Type your research question content here.
Use one or two sentences to transition from the purpose statement to the
research questions. For example, “The following research questions will guide
this quantitative study” or “In order to accomplish this purpose, I have posed the
following research questions” or “The following four research questions will guide
this mixed methods research study:”
1.
What is the relationship between the measures of teacher attitudes,
teacher behaviors, and student outcomes?
2.
How do students describe their perceptions of their teachers’
attitudes and behaviors?
5
3.
In what ways do student perceptions about teacher attitudes and
behaviors explain the relationships between measures teacher
attitudes and behaviors with student outcome measures?
For the format of dissertation research questions, observe the example
above (see also Appendix C). Note that the tabs align by .5-inch increments.
Try to limit the number of questions so that your research study is
manageable. Most studies will have between two and four research questions,
and your selected methodology will inform the types of questions you use. Note
the following:

If your study is qualitative only, you may have a single guiding
question, possibly supported by 2-3 research questions.

If your study is quantitative only, you may pair a set of formal
hypotheses with your research questions. There may be more than
one hypothesis for each research question. While hypotheses are
value-laden, they should have an empirical referent, i.e., a
measurable quality. Hypotheses should be related to available
statistical techniques and should be related to a body of theory.

If you use mixed methods, you should have at least one qualitative
and at least one quantitative research question followed by a
concluding mixed methods research question.
For more information on writing strong research questions, see chapter seven
(pp. 129-143) in your Creswell (2009) Research Design text. The Creswell and
Plano Clark (2011) Mixed Methods Research text includes valuable information
6
and guidelines for writing mixed methods research questions as well as example
mixed methods research questions for each of their various mixed methods
designs (see pp. 160-168). If you plan to use an appreciative inquiry approach,
review chapter five in the Reed (2006) text regarding the design of your research
questions.
Significance
Type your significance section content here.
Begin this section with a statement along the lines of the following: “This
research is important and will make a significant contribution to educational
leadership because. . . .” Discuss why your research will be a valuable addition
to the field, and why it is potentially beneficial to you as a practitioner. Use this
section to identify which sets of educators (presidents, superintendents, faculty,
instructors, student affairs professionals, etc.) or stakeholders (board members,
policymakers, parents, etc.) will benefit from your study. You should anticipate
here how they might use the results to inform their practice, decisions, etc. This
section typically consists of 1-3 well-written paragraphs.
Scope of the Study
Type the opening for your scope of the study section here.
Use this section to explain to your reader the range of your study,
meaning what you will and will not consider. The opening paragraph typically
summarizes this content. The three sub-sections (assumptions, delimitations,
and limitations) expand upon this opening in specific ways as outlined below.
7
Assumptions of the Study
Type your assumptions content here.
The assumptions of the study are suppositions that you make as a
condition of the study, but that you will not test as a part of the study. For
example, you may assume that participants respond to the questions of a survey
truthfully, or you might assume that grades are an accurate measure of students’
academic achievement. The assumptions that you identify should consist of
items that a reasonable person will accept as a provision for your study. This
section typically consists of 1-3 well-written paragraphs.
Study Delimitations
Type your delimitations content here.
The delimitations of a study are those aspects that you deliberately
choose not to consider in your study. For example, you may choose to delimit
your study to a specific subpopulation of students, to a single campus or region,
or to specific measures of institutional effectiveness.
For each of these, you could choose otherwise, but you are electing to
focus your study as outlined here. Since you choose the delimitations for your
study, the rationale for your choices should be evident to your reader. You need
to make clear to your reader why the study will be stronger because of the
delimitations you selected. This section typically consists of 1-3 well-written
paragraphs, though it can be longer.
Study Limitations
Type your limitations content here.
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The limitations of a study are those aspects that are beyond your control
as a researcher that you would typically address if it were possible. For example,
you may use a dataset for your study that does not include demographic
information about the participants; if you could, you would choose to include that
information as a part of your study, but that choice is not an option. For example,
if you were comparing three schools’ test results and the data were incomplete
for one school due to a computer malfunction, that would create a limitation for
your study. Oftentimes, your limitations may reflect the one-year timeframe for
completing the dissertation. This section typically consists of 1-3 well-written
paragraphs though it may be longer.
Definitions of Key Terms
Type your content for the definitions of key terms here.
When selecting terms to include in this section, consider what a typical
reader may need to know as she or he proceeds to read your literature review.
Your list will typically consist of technical vocabulary, jargon, abbreviations,
acronyms, or expressions or terms that have competing definitions within the
literature (e.g., persistence v. retention) or that will be used in the proposal. You
should include citations to support your definitions whenever possible. Though
the number of terms included here can vary significantly depending on the topic,
a typical dissertation includes 5-10 terms.
You should typically list your terms in alphabetical order. In terms of
format, use a Level 4 APA style heading as follows:
9
Term. Use a minimum of one complete sentence to define this term. Do
not use sentence fragments. You may use quotes and citations.
Term. Use a minimum of one complete sentence to define this term.
Organization of the Dissertation
Type your organization of the dissertation content here.
You should close chapter one with a concise summary of the chapter
contents (problem, purpose, significance, scope, key terms) followed by a
preview the organization of the rest of the dissertation. For example, “In Chapter
1, I provided a context regarding . . . , and then defined the problem and purpose
of this study. I further discussed the significance and scope of the study and
provided definitions for key terms. Chapter 2 presents a critical review of the
literature pertaining to the research question. Chapter 3 contains the research
design, including data collection and analysis methods. Chapter 4 presents the
study’s findings, and in Chapter 5, I discuss conclusions, interpretations, and
recommendations for policy and practice.”
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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Type your opening for chapter 2 here.
To open chapter two, provide a concise summary of the problem and
purpose of the study (you do not typically re-state the research questions here).
This opening should typically consist of a single well-written paragraph. At the
end of this paragraph, conclude with a sentence previewing the overall
organization of this chapter. For most dissertations, this will consist of two parts.
The first is the philosophical, historical, and/or theoretical foundation (you may
use one or more of these or your study may not include a foundation section at
all). The second is the review of empirical literature. Thus, one may end this
opening paragraph as follows: “At the beginning of this chapter, I review the
philosophical and theoretical foundations of this study. Next, I provide an
extensive review of the empirical research related to the dissertation topic. I
conclude with a chapter summary.”
The literature review itself can vary significantly in length. As a very rough
guide, your literature review should be between 5,000 words (approximately 20
pages) and 10,000 words (approximately 40 pages) in length, but you can work
outside of these guidelines when you can present a strong rationale for doing so.
Remember to consider the focus of your study as your goal is not to review all
the literature that could relate to your topic, but to provide an in-depth, saturated
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review of the literature that is necessarily related to your topic. It is also wise to
begin with the end in mind. Consider what types of findings might emerge from
your study and what sets of literature you will need to discuss in Chapter 5 in
order to interpret those findings. For more information on the role of the literature
review in a research study, see chapter four (pp. 88-119) in the Creswell (2007)
Educational Research text or chapter two (pp. 23-48) in the Creswell (2009)
Research Design text.
Philosophical, Historical, and/or Theoretical Foundation
Type your content for the opening of this section or these sections here.
The largest portion of the literature review is typically your review of
empirical research related to your study (see the next section). That said, many
literature reviews begin with a philosophical, historical, and/or theoretical
foundation that informs how you, the researcher, approach your review of the
literature as well as the design of your study. Three of the most common types
of foundations are listed below. Note that you may use one or more of these in
your study, or you might use none of them.
Philosophical Foundation
Type your philosophical foundation content here.
If you plan to use a specific philosophical worldview to inform your study,
you should discuss it here. For example, if you plan to conduct your study with
the intent of specifically addressing racist structures in higher education systems
that oppress students or professionals of color, you might choose to use critical
race theory as a philosophical foundation; if your interest is primarily in how
12
participants make meaning of their life experiences, you might draw upon
existentialism as a philosophical foundation. If you identify a philosophical
foundation, you need to describe it for your readers so that they can understand
how it informs the way you select and review literature, craft your methodology
and research design, and go about your data collection and analysis.
Historical Foundation
Present your historical framework content here.
You may refer to this as historical context depending on how this content
informs your overall study. For many studies, it is important that the reader have
a strong understanding of the historical context of the topic. For example, it may
be difficult for a typical reader to fully understand a study addressing community
colleges or educational accountability without a thorough review of the history
that has led up to current realities. Your task with a historical foundation is to
present a well-organized presentation of those historical aspects with sufficient
clarity to help your reader understand the interpretations of your findings that you
will present later in Chapter 5.
Theoretical Foundation
Type your theoretical foundation content here.
If you plan to draw heavily on specific organizational, leadership, learning,
or student development theories, you should provide a description of that theory
(or those theories) here. This may be a specific theory or a body of related
theories. In many dissertations, this will be referred to as a “theoretical
framework.” Instead, we typically use the term “theoretical foundation” to
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demonstrate the connection to the prior foundations and to help clarify the
distinction with the conceptual framework of the review of empirical literature as
discussed in the next section.
Note that your purpose in presenting a theoretical foundation is to help
your reader understand the content of the theory, how it was developed, and the
potential strengths and limitations of the theory. You may present empirical
research here that has tested the validity of your theory/theories, but you should
not yet present a review of empirical research that has utilized your selected
theory/theories as a foundation—you will present that content in the next section
of the literature review.
Review of the Scholarly Empirical Literature
Type a short transition sentence or paragraph here.
Conceptual Framework
Type your conceptual framework content here.
The conceptual framework refers to how you have organized the content
of your review of empirical literature. Begin with a statement along the lines of,
“The conceptual framework for this study is grounded in (state the number of)
concepts.” and continue by listing these concepts as a series of sentences, one
sentence per major concept. Note that each major concept that you list here
should correspond with the major headings utilized in this section of your
literature review. Note the following example: “The conceptual framework for
this study is grounded in three broad concepts. The first of these is research that
has addressed student outcomes in terms of their academic achievement. The
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second is research that has examined how teacher attitudes affect student
outcomes. Lastly, I review research that has examined the relationships
between various forms of teacher behaviors and student academic
achievement.”
Note that you should base the content of this section of your literature
primarily (if not exclusively) on research findings—do not include theoretical
writings here. Your analysis and synthesis should consistently consider the
methodological designs of the studies reviewed as well as your evaluation of the
studies’ strengths and limitations. The following is provided as an example of
how this might fit with the conceptual framework content presented above.
Student Outcomes
The research addressing student outcomes is quite large and relevant to
this study. In this section, I focus my review of research addressing student
outcomes on (a) student grades, (b) students’ performance on standardized
tests, and (c) other measures of students’ academic achievement.
Student grades. The research addressing. . . .
Students’ performance on standardized tests. Many studies have. . . .
Other measures of student’s academic achievement. In addition to
research addressing grades and standardized test scores, numerous studies
have. . . .
15
Teacher Attitudes
A significant body of research has addressed the role of teacher attitudes
as related to student learning. In this section, I address research addressing the
following three aspects of teacher attitudes: (a). . . , (b). . . , and (c). . . .
Teacher Behaviors
In addition to teacher attitudes, a large number of empirical studies have
examined the influence of teacher behaviors on student learning. My summary
of this body of research is organized around the four themes of (a). . . , (b). . . ,
(c). . . , and (d). . . .
Chapter Summary
Type your chapter summary content here.
The chapter summary serves three key purposes. First, it provides a
concise summary of what we know from the current literature. Second, it
identifies significant limitations and gaps in the current literature. Third, it uses
these gaps to set up the transition from the literature review to the research
methods in chapter three and how your study will address the gaps in the
literature.
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CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Type the opening to your chapter 3 here.
To open Chapter 3, the first paragraph is typically a concise (½ page),
well-written summary of the problem. This should flow naturally from the
transition you provided in your summary at the end of Chapter 2.
In the second paragraph, you should re-state your purpose statement and
your research questions. Use your language from Chapter 1 for the purpose
statement, limiting it to the 1-3 sentences used to present the purpose statement.
If you elaborated on the purpose statement with multiple paragraphs, do not
include those here. If you identified hypotheses as a part of a quantitative study,
you should re-state them here as well.
In the third paragraph, provide a quick preview of the organization of the
rest of your chapter three. For example, “In this chapter, I first present the
methodology for this study including a discussion of its philosophical foundations.
Next, I provide a description of the research design within my selected
methodological approach that I will use in this study. Following the research
design, I detail the specific research methods used in this study. This description
includes information about the setting, sample, data collection including
instrumentation and procedure, and data analysis including
17
validity/trustworthiness and the role of the researcher. I conclude with a chapter
summary.”
Qualitative/Quantitative/Mixed Methods Research
Type your methodology content here.
In the first major section of your chapter three, you should provide an
overview of your selected study methodology or paradigm: quantitative,
qualitative, or mixed methods. This must include a justification for why your
selected methodology is best suited to answer your research questions. Provide
a description of the philosophical foundation and assumptions of the paradigms,
its purpose, and its strengths and limitations. Conclude this section by providing
a rationale for why this research paradigm best fits with your purpose and
research questions. Your may elect to organize this section with four
paragraphs, one to address each of the following questions:
1.
What is qualitative/quantitative/mixed methods research?
2.
What are the philosophical foundations of
qualitative/quantitative/mixed methods research?
3.
What are the strengths and limitations of
qualitative/quantitative/mixed methods research? (Make sure that
you make clear to your reader how the strengths outweigh the
limitations.)
4.
Why is qualitative/quantitative/mixed methods the best fit for this
study?
18
Chapters two in the Creswell (2007) Educational Research text and one in
the Creswell (2009) Research Design text provide a nice introduction to
quantitative and qualitative approaches to research. For mixed methods studies,
you should draw on chapters one and two (pp. 1-52) in the Creswell and Plano
Clark (2011) text. If you choose to draw upon the principles of appreciative
inquiry, use content from chapters two and three in the Reed (2006) text. Note
that the length of this section can vary significantly; it is often 2-4 pages in length.
Research Design
Type your research design content here.
Within each of the three broad methodological paradigms listed above,
there are multiple research designs that lay out plans for enacting research within
the broader paradigm. Within the quantitative paradigm, the most commonly
used research designs are experimental designs, correlational designs, and
survey designs. Within the qualitative paradigm are grounded theory,
ethnography, phenomenology, narrative research, and discourse analysis,
among others. Commonly used mixed methods research designs include
triangulation or convergent designs, sequential explanatory and exploratory
designs, and embedded designs. Depending on the forms of data collection and
analysis used, case study research designs may fall under either the qualitative
or the mixed methods paradigms. Note that your selected research design must
align with the methodology discussed in the prior section.
Write this section by providing a 1-3 page description of your specific
research design. Your goal should be to provide enough information about your
19
design so that your reader can understand the more specific research methods
that you set forth in the next section. In this section of Chapter 3, you should not
yet detail the specifics of your study as that content goes in the next section of
Chapter 3. As with the prior section, draw heavily from the appropriate section(s)
of the four primary texts as well as other methodological works to provide this
description. You should not rely solely on texts used in class such as Creswell
(2007, 2009), Creswell and Plano Clark (2011), and Reed (2006).
Research Methods
Type the opening to your research methods section here.
The research design that you just finished writing included information
about the design. For example, you wrote about grounded theory or about
survey research or about an exploratory mixed methods design. In this section,
you detail the steps that you will take to apply (and in many cases adapt) this
research design to your study. Thus, the research methods section is your
“instruction manual” or “recipe” for carrying out the study. You should explain
this transition in this opening paragraph. For example: In this section, I will
describe the specific research methods that I utilized to apply <insert the name of
your research design> in this study. Specifically, I will discuss the setting,
sample, data collection, data analysis, and steps taken to ensure validity or
trustworthiness.” If you are conducting mixed methods research, you should
state up front how you will present content for the quantitative and qualitative
phases of your study. For example, “Given the two-phase nature of this mixed
methods study, I will discuss the qualitative and quantitative methods separately
20
in each section.” See pages 251-257 in the Creswell and Plano Clark (2011) text
for a discussion of strategies for writing mixed methods proposals and methods.
What follows is a typical layout of the research design section. That said,
the sequencing of content in this section can vary widely, especially in mixed
methods studies where one has to consider whether to present content for the
various phases of the study side-by-side or sequentially. In any case, the
sequence that you choose should that which best enables you describe your
research design to your reader. It may be helpful to think of writing a “recipe” in
which you describe the rationale and steps of your research design in sufficient
detail so that someone else could complete the study for you.
Setting
Type your setting content here.
You may also elect to describe this as the context of your study. Provide
a description of the context of your proposed study, including the site location(s)
and characteristics of the site(s). Descriptions may include commentary
regarding the economic, social, cultural, and organizational elements of the
research context. Demographic data (e.g., percentage of diversity within the
population) should be presented. The length of this section will depend on the
nature of the study; you will need to provide more information if it is likely that the
setting will have a significant effect upon the findings.
Sample
Type your sample content here.
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In this section, describe your sample, which consists of who you will study
and how you will access this population. Describe the actions that you plan to
take to identify the participants and how you propose to gain access to them.
Provide a description of the characteristics of the participants and why or how
their perceptions about the research problem will inform the study. Project the
number of participants whom you will involve in your study to ensure depth and
breadth of data collection. Discuss also how you will ensure the ethical
protection of your participants (in alignment with IRB requirements). If you have
agreed to keep the identity of participants confidential or anonymous, you must
discuss why that is the case and how that will be assured. This section is
typically a couple pages in length. For your proposal, you should write about
your anticipated sample; for your final dissertation, re-write this section to
describe the sample that you actually secured.
For quantitative studies, you should review the sections addressing
sampling in the Creswell (2007) Education Research text (pp. 150-157) and the
Creswell (2009) Research Design text (pp. 155-157). For qualitative studies,
review the sections addressing sampling in the Creswell (2007) Education
Research text (pp. 213-219). For mixed methods designs, you will need to
consider sampling procedures for each of the portions of your study; in addition
to the sections above, review the sampling content from chapter six of the
Creswell and Plano Clark (2011) Mixed Methods Research text. Reed (2006)
has also provided addition information about sampling in appreciative inquiry
22
studies in chapter six (pp. 111-135). You should provide multiple citations to
these texts and other sources to support your sampling criteria and rationale.
Data Collection and Management
Type an introduction to your data collection and management content
here.
This section often consists of three sub-sections addressing (a)
instrumentation, (b) procedures for data collection, and (c) data management
strategies. This said, you should organize and sequence your content in a
manner that will most clearly communicate your process to your reader. For
more information on quantitative data collection, see pages 157-179 in the
Creswell (2007) Educational Research text and pages 145-162 in the Creswell
(2009) Research Design text. For more information on qualitative data collection,
see pages 220-239 in the Creswell (2007) Educational Research text and pages
178-182 in the Creswell (2009) Research Design text. For mixed methods,
review chapter six in the Creswell and Plano Clark (2009) Mixed Methods
Research text; for appreciative inquiry approaches, review chapter six in the
Reed (2006) Appreciative Inquiry text.
Instrumentation. Type your instrumentation content here.
Describe any instruments and the types of data you plan to collect in your
study. For a quantitative study, this will include a discussion of the surveys,
questionnaires, or data sets used in the study. If you designed your instrument,
provide detailed information about the steps that you took to draft, pilot, test,
revise, and/or finalize the instrument as well as specific steps taken to ensure
23
validity. If you use an instrument that someone else has designed, provide
information about the instrument’s design and any reliability testing from prior
administrations of the instrument. Depending on the context and complexity of
your instrumentation, this section may be 2-3 pages or more in length.
For qualitative studies, the researcher becomes the research instrument.
You will discuss this in greater detail in the “role of the researcher” section, which
can be presented here, but which is typically presented later in the chapter.
Here, you should identify and define the types of data that you plan to collect,
such as observations, field notes, interview and/or focus group data, documents,
and artifacts. Additionally, you should discuss your interview or observations
protocols (e.g. the list of questions asked during interviews) and the strategies
that you used to design these protocols.
For mixed methods studies, you will need to draw on both quantitative and
qualitative instrumentation. If the findings from one part of your study influence
or support the instrumentation for the other part of your study, you should discuss
that here. For example, some studies begin with qualitative interviews and the
findings related to those interviews inform the content of questions asked in a
follow-up quantitative survey.
Procedures. Type your procedure content here.
Use this section to describe the steps that you will take to collect your
data. This section should consist of timelines, steps taken to access your
sample, etc. For qualitative studies, you should additionally project the kind,
number, and length of the observations, interviews, or focus groups that you plan
24
to conduct as well as the names or types of documents or objects of material
culture that you plan to collect. For mixed methods studies, you need to outline
the sequence of data collection procedures so that your reader understands how
data collection in one part of the study may be influenced by data collection or
analysis in another part of the study.
Data management. Type your data management content here.
Include a brief discussion of the data management methods that you will
use to collect and archive data (e.g., storage and protection of text files, audio
and video tapes, digital information, survey instruments).
Data Analysis and Interpretation
Type an introduction your data analysis and interpretation section here.
In this section, describe your rationale and steps for data analysis. This
section often includes sub-sections addressing (a) analysis, (b) validity and/or
trustworthiness, and (c) the role of the researcher. There may also be a subsection that specifically addresses mixed methods or appreciative inquiry
analyses and interpretations. For more information on quantitative data analysis
and interpretation, see chapter seven in the Creswell (2007) Educational
Research text and pages 162-170 in the Creswell (2009) Research Design text.
For more information on qualitative data analysis and interpretation, see chapter
nine in the Creswell (2007) Educational Research text and pages 183-200 in the
Creswell (2009) Research Design text. For mixed methods designs, see chapter
eight in the Creswell and Plano Clark (2011) Mixed Methods Research text; for
25
appreciative inquiry, see chapter seven in the Reed (2006) Appreciative Inquiry
text.
Data analysis. Type your data analysis content here.
For quantitative studies, this section should provide a description of how
you will work with the data in terms of processing of data, data coding and entry,
and accuracy checks. In addition, students should provide a thorough
explanation of which statistical procedures will be used for each research
question and hypothesis. This discussion should address the assumptions of
these statistical tools as well as any relevant information regarding their strengths
and/or limitations. If you plan to use data analysis software such as SPSS,
describe the software and how you will utilize it.
For qualitative studies, discuss the coding procedures that you plan to
use. For example, you might discuss how you will reduce the raw data into key
words and phrases (preliminary data analysis), identify conceptual categories
(interim data analysis), and then identify emergent themes. If you plan to use
data analysis software such as Atlas.ti, describe the software and how you will
utilize it. For the final dissertation, be sure to demonstrate that you understand
the relationship between data analysis and the construction of meaning as well
as how you have developed “self-conscious” awareness of the relationship
between the methods that you used and the conceptual understandings that you
developed from an interpretive perspective.
For mixed methods studies, you will need to address quantitative and
qualitative data analysis separately. In addition, you will need to discuss the
26
strategies that you will use to conduct the mixed analysis—for analyzing
quantitative findings in light of qualitative findings and vice versa.
Procedures to ensure validity and/or trustworthiness. Type your
validity and/or trustworthiness content here.
In quantitative studies, this is typically called “validity” whereas it is often
referred to as “trustworthiness” in qualitative studies. In mixed methods studies,
either or both term may be used. For quantitative studies, emphasis is typically
on the reliability of the instrument and the application of statistical tools. When
self-report data are used, you should provide a basis for your confidence in the
validity of those data. For qualitative studies, discuss strategies utilized such as
data triangulation, member checks, and inter-coder reliability. You should
include multiple references to scholarly sources to support your rationale for
methods used to ensure validity and/or trustworthiness.
Role of the researcher. Type your role of the researcher content here.
Most qualitative dissertations include this section, but few quantitative
studies do. We recommend it regardless of your approach because you, as the
researcher, will affect your study’s findings regardless of your methodological
approach. For those of you doing quantitative studies, note that this is fully
consistent with its postpositivist foundations. Regardless of your approach and
whether or not you choose to draw upon appreciative inquiry, you should review
the “Researcher Position” section (pp. 82-85) in the Reed (2006) text.
For qualitative studies, the researcher becomes the research instrument,
the lens through which information is filtered. Disclose your positionality on the
27
participant-observer continuum as well as your underlying assumptions, including
your point of view and biases. Describe how you will address any potentially
negative influences that might result from your role in the research. For
quantitative studies, consider how choice of instruments or the wording of
questions might influence the results as well as strategies used to ensure that
your interpretations of statistically significant findings are reasonably free of bias
and open to alternative interpretations.
Chapter Summary
Type your chapter summary content here.
The chapter summary (typically one well-written paragraph) should
summarize the problem and review the content of the research questions as they
relate to your research design and methods (do not re-state the research
questions here). This review should serve as a transition to chapter four where
you will present your research findings organized around your research
questions.
28
CHAPTER 4
FINDINGS
Type the opening for your chapter 4 here.
For the opening paragraph of Chapter 4, present a concise summary of
the methodology. Conclude this opening paragraph with a preview of the
organization of the chapter.
In many instances (especially for quantitative studies), the organization of
chapter four reflects the organization of the research questions. In some cases
(typically qualitative studies), the research design and/or your findings will dictate
a different organization. If this is the case, you should discuss in the opening and
closing sections of the chapter how the findings presented fit with the research
questions. Chapter 4, however, will be unique for each dissertation, depending
on the research questions to be addressed and the type of data collected. Also
important are the expectations of your dissertation chair. You would be wise to
discuss with your chair a plan for how to organize and write your Chapter 4 so
that you can get her or his feedback and approval before you start writing.
The following are a list of things that you must have or do in Chapter 4:

Call attention to significant findings.

Write in the past tense.

Present findings and data that are logically connected to the
problem statement and research questions.

Present evidence to answer the research questions.
29

For quantitative studies, identify the significance level when
statistically significant results emerge.

Also for quantitative studies that included hypotheses, state
whether the hypotheses have been accepted or rejected.

For qualitative studies, present “thick descriptions” with significant
details for qualitative data.

For mixed methods studies, present a separate section that
specifically addresses findings unique to the mixed methods
analyses.

Present any unanticipated results.
The following are a list of things that you should generally not do in Chapter 4:

Do not make sweeping interpretations.

Do not reach conclusions.

Do not state your opinions or editorialize.

Do not draw implications, though you can highlight important data
that support implications that you will discuss in Chapter 5.
The next section presents one potential means of organizing Chapter 4. It is
likely that many students will depart from this structure, especially those who
conduct qualitative and mixed methods studies.
First Research Question
Type the opening for this section’s content here.
30
When introducing this section, re-state the research question(s) that is/are
being addressed. Then present the findings in a manner consistent with the
research question.
Second Research Question
Type your opening to this section here.
Follow the same format here as for the first research question. Use care
not to interpret findings, but you should include an introduction to this section that
serves as a clear transition from the content and findings of the prior section to
the content and findings of this section.
Third Research Question
Type your opening to this section here.
Follow the same format here as for the first research questions. If there
are additional research questions, add sections for them below.
Chapter Summary
Type your chapter summary content here.
Up to this point, you have presented all of your findings in significant
detail. With the chapter summary, you should identify the most significant
findings from the chapter. Do not present any new findings or information here—
simply summarize the most significant findings. This will serve as a transition to
chapter five.
31
CHAPTER 5
DISCUSSION
Type your opening content for Chapter 5 here.
To open Chapter 5, present a concise summary of the entire study—the
problem, purpose statement, research questions, and methodological approach.
Note that Chapter 5 is where your voice comes forward. The purpose of this
chapter is to provide your interpretation of the meaning of the results. Great care
should be taken to craft a clear opening section since this section will provide the
organizational structure for the chapter.
Interpretations/Conclusions
Type an opening for your interpretations/conclusions section here.
Depending on the design of your study, you may label this section either
“Interpretations” or “Conclusions.” In some instances, you may wish to precede
this section with a summary of findings. The summary of major findings is similar
to the chapter summary from chapter four in that you focus on the most important
and significant findings from your study. The difference in chapter five is that you
now include your interpretations of what the findings mean. As you present and
interpret the findings, you should note the strengths and potential limitations of
those findings, especially as related to your research design. Along with your
interpretations, you should draw connections to the literature review (both
framework(s) and empirical research) noting how your findings are similar to or
32
different from those of other studies. Thus, you will cite sources from your
literature review extensively here. In some instances, students will elect to
simply present a concise summary of findings here, and then include
interpretations in the following section as “Interpretations and Implications.”
You may use several sub-sections here to reflect each of the major
findings of your study; in some cases, students will organize this section around
the major findings as they relate to each of the research questions.
Implications
Type your implications content here.
The implications extend the interpretations of findings to include steps for
action in terms of policy, practice, or theory. In many cases, students will
integrate this content into the prior section. In others, students will present this
as a separate section as shown here and as organized below. Note that you
should continue to draw connections to the literature in this section.
Implications for Policy
Type your implications for policy content here.
Following the organization of each of your major findings, discuss
implications for educational policy.
Implications for Practice
Type your implications for practice content here.
Following the organization of each of your major findings, discuss
implications for educational practice.
33
Implications for Theory
Type your implications for theory content here.
Following the organization of each of your major findings, discuss
implications for educational theory—note that this is often connected to
implications for future research.
Implications for Future Research
Type your implications for future scholarship/research content here.
Following the organization of each of your major findings, discuss
implications for future research.
Recommendations
Type the opening content for your recommendations section here.
The recommendations section is similar to the implications section, but it
should reflect a deeper synthesis. In the implications section, you discuss
implications for each of your major findings. For the recommendations section,
you step back from your study and try to review it from a more global
perspective. Your goal is to answer the question, “In light of what you have
learned from you review of the literature and your study’s findings, what three to
five recommendations would you make for policy and practice?” Consider
broader recommendations for (a) changes in theory or theoretical constructs; (b)
policy at the institutional, district, state, and/or federal levels; and (c) changes in
educational practice.
There may be cases where you have more than five recommendations,
but you should use caution in doing so—in many environments, increasing the
34
number of recommendations to a laundry list reduces the likelihood that any of
them will be enacted. Further, note that you should support each of your
recommendations with content from your literature review and with findings from
your study.
Presented below are example headings related to the development of the
dissertation. As shown here, use short descriptive headings rather than labeling
your recommendations numerically.
Type a Heading for Your First Recommendation Here
Type your content for your first recommendation here.
Type a Heading for Your Second Recommendation Here
Type your content for your second recommendation here.
Type a Heading for Your Third Recommendation Here
Type your content for your third recommendation here.
Type a Heading for Your Fourth Recommendation Here
Type your content for your fourth recommendation here.
Copy and paste the above format for additional recommendations.
Summary of the Dissertation
Type your summary of the dissertation content here.
It is better to be overly concise than redundant in this final conclusion.
Your purpose is to review the problem, findings, and recommendations in a
manner that pulls everything together and provides the reader with an
appropriate send off or call to action. If you opened your dissertation with an
35
interesting quote, statistic, or story, you may return to that concept here to help
you draw closure to the study.
36
REFERENCES
[Note: List the references of your study here. List every source that you cited in
your dissertation, but no others. If there are other sources that you wish to list
that you have not cited, these should go into a separate “bibliography” section.
Note also that the alphabetical listing of references should make it easy for your
reader to find sources–the same names listed in citations should serve as the
beginning for each of the references, thus making it easy for your reader to
quickly find the appropriate source.]
Creswell, J. W. (2007). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and
evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Pearson.
Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods approaches (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed
methods research (2nd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.
Reed, J. (2006). Appreciative inquiry: Research for change. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage.
37
APPENDIX A
APPENDIX FORMAT: THIS IS THE APPENDIX TITLE
Type your appendix content here.
Notice that the top margin is at the one-inch margin, rather than at two
inches. Observe all other formatting restrictions apply for margins and titles. Try
to use Arial 12 point font—do not use a font size smaller than Arial 8 point.
The following is a list of items typically included as appendixes in a
dissertation:

Survey instruments

Interview protocols

Informed consent forms

Emails, letters, posters, etc. used to recruit participants

Comprehensive tables of findings when abbreviated table content is
used in the dissertation
38
APPENDIX B
GENERAL FORMATTING GUIDELINES
The University Dissertation Manual provides the guidelines that must be
followed in formatting your proposal. The summary provided here will help you to
begin your work. Note that this dissertation is already set up to meet these
formatting guidelines.
1.
Use one side of a standard-sized 8 ½ x 11-inch paper.
2.
Use 12-point Arial font.
3.
Double-space and leave margins of at least 1 inch at the top,
bottom, and right of every page. The dissertation requires a 1.5inch margin on the left to allow for binding.
4.
Indent the first line of each paragraph 0.5 inch.
5.
Use left justification and leave the right margin uneven.
6.
Place use spaces after the punctuation that concludes each
sentence.
7.
Format the preliminary pages using lower-case Roman numerals at
the bottom center of each page after the first page. Begin with ii on
the second page of the preliminary pages.
8.
After the preliminary pages, paginate the document sequentially in
Arabic numerals (e.g., 1, 2, 3) at the top right-hand corner of each
page.
39
APPENDIX C
HEADINGS, SERIATION, AND BULLETED TABS
APA Style Headings and Formatting (This is a Level 1 Heading)
Level 1 headings are always bolded, centered, and fit within the double
spacing requirements—there is no extra spacing above or below it. This first
heading may begin anywhere in the chapter, but it should be preceded by an
introductory paragraph. In addition to Level 1 headings, you may use the
additional levels shown below. Avoid having only one subsection heading and
subsection with a section, just as you would in an outline. Use at least two
subsection headings within any given section, or use none (APA manual, p. 62).
Do not include any additional space before or after headings. You should include
all Level1 and Level 2 headings in your table of contents, but do not include
content for Level 3 and above.
This is a Level 2 Heading
This level is a subsection of the preceding level 1 heading. All headings
must be worded in the Table of Contents exactly as they are in the text. The
heading should be flush left and boldface with the first letter of all major words
capitalized. The text starts on the line one double space below the secondary
heading and is indented. Level 2 headings for CSUF dissertations must be in the
Table of Contents.
Level 3 headings. Level 3 headings need not be included in the Table of
Contents. If you use it, be sure you have at least one more, like all other
headings. See the APA manual for further subsection instructions. The heading
40
is indented, boldface, and in lowercase type with only the first word of the
heading capitalized. The text begins two spaces after a level three heading and
not on the line after the heading as is the case with level one and two headings.
Level 4 headings. You may occasionally need to use Level 4 headings
to break up content within a Level 3 heading section. Level 4 headings are
indented, boldface, italicized, and in lowercase type with only the first word of the
heading capitalized.
Level 5 headings. Few dissertations will require Level 5 headings. Level
5 headings are indented, italicized, and in lowercase type with only the first word
of the heading capitalized.
Widow and Orphan Lines
A widow or orphan line occurs when there is only one line or heading at
the bottom of a page. Avoid these. A slightly shorter page than the others is
permissible. In your final draft, you can eliminate orphaned lined by inserted
extra lines after prior paragraph.
Setting Bulleted Tabs
For dissertation research questions, for example, observe the following
tabbed examples:
1.
What is the relationship between the measures of teacher attitudes,
teacher behaviors, and student outcomes?
2.
How do students describe their perceptions of their teachers’
attitudes and behaviors?
41
3.
In what ways do student perceptions about teacher attitudes and
behaviors explain the relationships between measures teacher
attitudes and behaviors with student outcome measures?
Notice that the tabs align by .5-inch increments. Bulleted lists are generally
discouraged in a dissertation, but should follow the same format as numbered
lists if used.
42
APPENDIX D
TABLES AND FIGURES
Insert your table or figure after you have referenced it within the text.
Notice that the table number is double spaced after the text. Decimal point data
are always aligned to the decimal point, rather than centered.
Table 1
Frequency of Survey Participants by Race and Gender
Demographic Variable
Frequency
Percentage
African American/Black
48
12.1
Asian/Pacific Islander
73
18.4
Caucasian/White
113
28.5
Hispanic/Latino
107
27.0
7
1.8
Multiracial
23
5.8
Other
11
2.8
Declined to State
14
3.5
Female
236
59.6
Male
160
40.4
396
100.0
Race
Native American
Gender
Total
43
Column Heads
“Stub head” column content or data for the left-hand column are generally
left justified with the column head centered above the columns. Numerical data
in remaining columns must align at the decimal and, if possible, carry all
comparable values to the same number of decimal places. The column heads
for these data should be centered above the data for the columns. APA does not
require that students use double-space type throughout their tables, though the
final format of tables should be clear and easy to read. For large tables, students
may use Arial 10 or 11 point font, but no smaller.
There are a number of additional specific rules for tables regarding notes,
explanations, capitalization, and run-over lines, to name but a few. APA has
many specific examples in the manual.
Table Referencing
All tables (and figures) should be referred to in the text, numbered
consecutively (with Arabic numerals), and placed as close as possible to the
original text reference. Refer to tables and figures by their number; for example,
“as shown in Table 8, the response time among firefighters and police was
substantially different.” All information within the table or figure should be
explained before it is presented.
44
Figure 1. Dissertation formatting is exhausting.
Table titles are double-spaced above the table, and figure titles can be
placed immediately following the figures. Fonts for titles and data may be no
smaller than 10 point. Tables and figures larger than a half a page may stand
alone; otherwise, add text to fill the page. Avoid splitting tables across pages.
A table or figure should be able to stand alone without any text
explanation or, in some cases, sourcing. Thus, all pertinent information should
be referenced within the text that precedes the table.
45
APPENDIX E
CITATIONS AND QUOTATIONS
You must include the author name(s) and year in every citation. The year
should generally be placed immediately after the author name. Note that the
purpose of the citation is to direct your reader to the appropriate source in your
references. When you provide a direct quote, you must also include a page
number for the citation. The page number citation should be placed immediately
after the quoted material. Thus, these citations typically take one of two forms as
presented in the next two sentences. Creswell and Plano Clark (2011) stated,
“Mixed methods research is ‘practical’ in the sense that the researcher is free to
use all methods possible to address a research problem” (p. 13). “Mixed
methods research is ‘practical’ in the sense that the researcher is free to use all
methods possible to address a research problem” (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011,
p. 13). Note from this example that the word “and” is spelled out in the first case,
but the ampersand symbol (&) is used inside the parenthetical citation. Also,
note that “double” quotation marks surround the word “practical” in the original,
but only ‘single’ quotation marks are used inside the quotation.
Quotations of 40 or more words should be placed into a block quotation as
shown below. Block quotes should always be introduced and not presented
without context. For example: When discussing the recent increase in the
popularity of mixed methods research, Creswell and Plano Clark (2011) stated
the following:
46
What is it about the nature of mixed methods that draws researchers to its
use? Its popularity can be easily documented through journal articles,
conference proceedings, books, and the formation of special interest
groups (Creswell, in press-b; Plano Clark, 2010). It has been called the
“third methodological movement” following the developments of first
quantitative and then qualitative research (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003a, p.
5), the “third paradigm” (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2003a, 2004, p. 15),
and “a new start in the social science sky” (Mayring, 2007, p. 1). Why
does it merit such superlatives? One answer is that it is an intuitive way of
doing research that is constantly being displayed through our everyday
lives. (p. 1)
The formatting of this section further demonstrates (a) the correct format for
regular in-text citations as shown within the quote itself, (b) the correct format for
the citation of a block quote, (c) the correct non-indented line following the block
quote since this content is a part of the same paragraph as the quote, and (d) the
correct format for a seriated list that does not consist of a list of full sentences.
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APPENDIX F
CUTTING AND PASTING CONTENT INTO THE DISSERTATION TEMPLATE
When cutting and pasting content from another document into this
dissertation template, you will need to ensure that you keep the formatting of this
document. If you simply cut from another document and paste here, you will
likely retain the formatting of your source document (e.g. the font, font size,
spacing). In order to retain the formatting in this dissertation template, use the
following steps:
1.
In your original document, highlight the text that you wish to cut
extending the highlight just past the period as shown in Figure 2
below. Do not extend the highlighting to the extra spaces at the
end of the line as shown in Figure 3. The reason is that Microsoft
Word often includes formatting code instructions in this space.
Figure 2. Correct means of highlighting text to cut from your original document.
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Figure 3. Incorrect means of highlighting text to cut from your original document.
2.
After correctly highlighting the text that you wish to cut, you can
either use the “cut” function in Microsoft word or the shortcut (CTRL
+ X). We recommend that you use the cut function rather than the
copy function so that that you can keep track of the content that you
have moved to this dissertation template.
3.
Next, highlight the text in this dissertation template where you wish
to paste your content. Follow the same conventions for highlight
the text that you wish to replace as shown in Figure 4 below.
Figure 4. Highlighting template text that you wish to replace.
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4. To paste your content, use the “Merge Formatting (M)” function in
Microsoft Word as shown in Figure 5 below. This will merge the
content that you have cut from your prior document into the format
of the dissertation template (see how the content from Figure 2
above is now has the correct font, size, margins, etc.). Note that
there will be some instances when this paste option will not be
available to you—it is your responsibility to ensure that whatever
content you paste is formatted to fit with the guidelines presented in
this template.
Figure 5. Using the merge formatting function.