Dissertation Research: An Integrative Approach

Dissertation Research

Dissertation Research

An Integrative Approach

Robert E. Levasseur, Ph.D.

MindFire Press

St. Augustine, Florida

Copyright © 2011 by Robert E. Levasseur All rights reserved.

Reproducing, storing in a retrieval system, or transmitting any part of this book by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—is strictly prohibited without the written permission of the author.

Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein.

ISBN–13: 978–0–9789930–3–0

ISBN–13: 978–0–9789930–5–4 (e-book)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011914594

Published by MindFire Press— St. Augustine, Florida (www.mindfirepress.com)

I dedicate this book to my wife, Donna Fox,

whose love, encouragement, and support

made my doctoral journey possible.

Contents

Preface

Part I: Dissertation Research

1 What is a Dissertation?

2 Dissertation Research: A Systemic View

3 Dissertation Research: An Analytical View

1. Problem

2. Grounding Literature

3. Purpose

4. Research Questions

5. Research Method

6. Research Design

7. Proposal

8. Research

9. Dissertation

10. Publication

4 What is the Dissertation Review Process?

Part II: Dissertation Writing

5 Writing the Proposal

Develop a Solid IRP

Follow the Rubric and Template

Write Like a Scholar

Know the Proposal Structure

Provide the Required Content

Complete the IRB Application

6 Conducting the Research

7 Writing the Dissertation

8 Publishing the Findings

Part III: Dissertation Resources

9 Enabling the Dissertation Process

Choosing a Committee

Managing the Process

10 Selected Readings

Dissertation Guides

General Resources

Qualitative Research

Quantitative Research

Mixed Methods Research

References

Appendix A—Searching Online Databases

Appendix B—Developing Hypotheses

Appendix C—Selecting a Research Method

Appendix D—Developing the Model

Appendix E—Selecting the Sample

Appendix F—ABCs of APA Style

Appendix G—Frequently Asked Questions

About the Author

Books by Robert E. Levasseur

Preface

The dissertation is a daunting challenge. However, because the successful completion of the dissertation is necessary to move from ABD (All But the Dissertation) status to Ph.D. status (or the equivalent), there is no doubt that doctoral students are motivated to learn how to meet this challenge.

Despite the best efforts of universities to prepare them for this final examination of their doctoral studies, most doctoral students, regardless of how well they have done in their course work or on the major papers or exams that comprise the earlier part of their doctoral program, have very little idea when they reach the dissertation stage of (a) how to identify a suitable topic, or (b) how to design, conduct, and report the findings of an acceptable dissertation research project based on that topic.

This is primarily because the dissertation is like no other deliverable they have worked on before. As a result, students must learn both what it is as well as how to get it done. Contributing to the challenge is the fact that the resources at their disposal (i.e., rubrics, process diagrams, and the like provided by their university, and available reference books on the dissertation review process) tend either to (a) provide general descriptions of what they must produce (i.e., deliverables) at each stage of the dissertation review process without explaining how to produce them, or (b) provide detailed information on certain aspects of the process (such as how to write a literature review, or how to choose the right statistical method) without dealing with the dissertation research process holistically.

What most doctoral students need, and what my mentees have found most useful, is a more integrated, systemic, problem-solving approach based on the essential steps in the research process. Hence, the purpose of this book is to try to demystify dissertation research by (a) describing a simple, systemic, integrative approach to doctoral research, (b) providing examples of how to apply it effectively in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research studies to harness personal passion and scholarly pursuit, and (c) providing students with the tools they need to apply the integrated process to their own dissertation research.

Studying this integrated process and learning how to apply it to concrete research topics will enable students to identify a researchable topic for their unique dissertation study that is rooted in their passion and grounded in the literature of their field, and that they, as scholars in pursuit of the highest educational degree, can fashion into a doable, high quality dissertation research project.

Part I

Dissertation Research

Chapter 1

What is a Dissertation?

Which of the following best describes a dissertation?

A. A requirement for the doctoral degree.

B. The deliverable of the capstone project of a doctoral program of study.

C. The equivalent of the final examination for a doctoral student.

D. The demonstration of a doctoral student’s ability to design, conduct, and report the findings of a research project.

E. An attempt to advance the boundaries of knowledge in a given field under the guidance of a committee of fellow scholars.

F. A scholarly report, generally consisting of five chapters that provide (a) an overview of a research project, (b) a review of relevant literature, (c) a detailed description of the research methods used, (d) an explanation of the results obtained, and (e) the conclusions drawn from these findings as well as recommendations for professional application and further study.

G. An exercise in complex problem solving and decision making.

H. All of the above.

[Note: The answer is on the next page.]

The correct answer is H.

Because of the inherent complexity of this major undertaking, it is essential to approach the dissertation in a systematic fashion. The problem is to figure out how to do it.

One solution, which is based on the techniques of complex problem solving and decision making used by engineers and others who encounter these types of problems frequently, is to use an iterative process that takes a systemic view of dissertation research and moves in a logical, step-by-step manner from an initial broad statement of a problem of interest to a final, detailed dissertation design that, when executed properly, results in the creation of new knowledge about the problem and its solution.

While each dissertation journey is unique and filled with its own special challenges, the odds of solving the problems presented by a dissertation research study and completing the journey successfully are dramatically higher if you follow a systematic process like the one described in the next chapter.

Chapter 2

Dissertation Research: A Systemic View

One of the characteristics of systems that we are all familiar with is the fact that the parts of a system are interconnected. As a result, a change in one part of the system affects the other parts of the system to varying degrees. In this chapter, we will examine the dissertation research process from this point of view.

The table below briefly describes the 10 steps in the dissertation research process.

Table 1. Dissertation Research Process

The first seven steps in the dissertation research process are planning steps. The first six taken together constitute the integrated research plan (IRP). The seventh or proposal step results in a detailed research plan based on the IRP. The eighth is an action step involving the implementation of the research design. The final two are the reporting steps, in which a doctoral student communicates in a dissertation, and later possibly in one or more academic publications, the research and its findings in a form suitable to the intended audience.

For the dissertation, this typically takes the form of a five-chapter scholarly report addressed to other scholars, such as the dissertation committee and university appointed reviewers. In some cases, it also includes the preparation of one or more articles suitable for publication in refereed journals.

[Note: The dissertation research process described above is the same one that academic researchers follow when conducting and reporting the findings of their research to other scholars, except that it includes the additional steps (#7 and #9 in Table 1) of writing and defending a proposal and dissertation.]

When viewed from a systemic perspective, the dissertation research process is:

✓ Sequential

✓ Iterative

✓ Coherent

The dissertation research process is sequential in the sense that each step depends upon (i.e., aligns with) the preceding steps. That is, the search for the grounding literature focuses on the broad problem area specified in the problem statement. The purpose statement derives from the findings of the literature search. The research questions derive from the purpose of the study. The research method follows directly from the research questions. The research design actualizes the research method. The proposal ties all of the preceding steps into a detailed research plan. The research study implements the research plan. And, finally, the dissertation and publication present the findings of the research study to other scholars inside and outside of the university.

As shown in Figure 1, the dissertation research process is also iterative (i.e., trial and error) in the sense that circumstances uncovered when working on a given process step may necessitate the revision of one or more preceding steps, which in turn may necessitate the revision of subsequent steps.

For example, a careful literature search might lead to the conclusion that other scholars had studied a problem extensively and that, therefore, the answers to that problem exist in the literature, necessitating a shift to another dissertation topic. Or, the discovery of a problem in the design phase, such as the unavailability of existing quantitative data for one or more essential variables in the study, might necessitate a switch to a new research method (e.g., from existing data analysis to survey research).

A more complicated hypothetical example might involve the discovery in the pilot phase of a survey design process that a qualitative, interview-based approach would yield more valid data than the initially planned quantitative survey. This would almost certainly necessitate changes to the research questions, which in turn would require changes in the research method and the research design.

1. Problem

2. Grounding Literature

3. Purpose

4. Research Questions

5. Research Method

6. Research Design

7. Proposal

8. Research

9. Dissertation

10. Publication

Figure 1. Systemic View of the Dissertation Research Process

Finally, the dissertation research process is coherent in