Instruction: The prospectus, or culminating project, for this course, must demonstrate your comprehension, application, analysis, and integration of coursework and current research in relation to your research interests. In this section, you will integrate all of the work you have completed and the feedback you have received from your professor to present a prospectus capable of being expanded into a dissertation.
Throughout this course, you have developed the foundational elements needed for a successful dissertation. This final assignment should draw on each course learning outcome and concept as you synthesize these elements and corrections based on feedback received into a comprehensive prospectus.
As you complete the assignment this week, be sure that you have fully incorporated all your professor’s feedback. Addressing feedback is critical to refine your work. Furthermore, before you submit your assignment, be sure you have edited it and proofread it several times. It should have clear headings dividing each section.
Please title this assignment “Dissertation Prospectus.”
The prospectus needs to have an Introduction section to help introduce your reader to your research topic. So far in this course, you have not yet written this section. Therefore, you will need to write this Introduction section which will go at the beginning of this assignment (your prospectus). This new Introduction section should clearly align with your problem statement, purpose statement, and research questions.
The Introduction should be 2-3 pages. To craft your Introduction, you may find it helpful to refine and revise the work you submitted for the Week 1 assignment. In your Introduction, include the following:
- A brief overview of the topic and relevant scholarly literature. This should establish the study’s context and orient the reader to the field.
- A brief overview of why this research topic is relevant and warranted.
- A brief explanation of what research has been done on the topic and why the topic is important (practically or theoretically).
- A final paragraph that leads the reader to the problem statement (which is the next section that will follow the Introduction).
Be sure to write in the future tense when referencing the proposed study.
Continue “building” your prospectus by adding in your (revised) problem statement and other content you have written in your previous assignments in this course (after having applied feedback from your professor). The order should be
- Introduction
- Problem Statement
- Purpose Statement
- Research Questions
- Framework
- Research Design and Methods
- Summary
- References
Each section should have a clear heading, as stated in the list above. Ensure the order of the sections is correct.
Please review the following table for key criteria on how your assignment will be evaluated.
| Section | Meets |
| Introduction | A clear overview of the study is provided. There is a flow from general to specific of the topic. Major points are adequately supported by the literature. Relevant background information is provided to contextualize the topic. |
| Problem Statement | A clear problem is explained and supported, and this is related to the material in the Introduction. Strong evidence is provided and discussed. Scholarly tone and voice are appropriate for dissertation research. There is no evidence of rhetoric, bias, or agenda. |
| Purpose Statement | The purpose of the study is described and aligned with the stated problem. It is feasible. A summary of how the study will be conducted is provided. |
| Research Questions (and Hypotheses, if quantitative) | Research question(s) are directly answerable beyond yes/no response, and they are focused and testable based on the data to be collected. Research question(s) are aligned and support the problem and purpose. Each research question has one main topic or focus. The core concepts (qualitative) and/or operational variables (quantitative) are included. If the study is quantitative, hypotheses are included, and these are correctly written. |
| Framework | The framework is clearly articulated and aligns with the problem, purpose, research questions, and research design and methods. The framework aligns with the research goals. Seminal and current sources are included. The framework aligns with the student’s degree type (i.e. theoretical for PhD and conceptual for DBA, DCJ, DPA, etc.). |
| Research Design and Methods | The research design and methods are aligned with the study problem, purpose, and research questions. The design choice is consistent with the research method. The research design and methods align with best practices in the field and demonstrate the rigor of a doctoral study. |
| Summary | The summary captures the key sections above. |
| References and APA | References match citations and vice versa. The format is compliant with APA requirements. DOIs are live links. The literature included is clearly and accurately cited. |
Requirements
- Length: Appropriate length encompassing all sections, per requirements in previous assignments.
- References: Appropriate number of scholarly resources, per requirements in previous assignments.