essay writing

Chapter 1: Introduction

Each of the following sections contains a suggested page length and recommended content sections; however, the length and content sections should be determined by sufficiency, completeness, and the nature of the research.

Overview

Describe the topic of the study, why the study needs to be conducted (gap), and the potential implications. Preview the major sections of the chapter. This introduction to the chapter should be less than 1 page in length.

Background of the Study

Briefly, summarize the research literature that outlines the scope of the study topic and indicates that this is a current problem. You can use this literature to trace the problem from its initiation to its current state. Describe the gap in the literature that the study will address. End the section on why the study is needed; this must go beyond just filling a gap in the literature. This section should be 2-4 pages in length.

Problem Statement

Offer a strong opening here with a powerful (cited) statement that will grab the reader’s attention. Follow the opening statement with a staggering statistic that validates the existence of the current problem (also cited). State the research problem. Frame the problem in a way that builds upon or counters previous research findings focusing primarily on research conducted in the last 5 years. Address a meaningful gap in the current research literature.

You may choose to include both the general problem statement (a broad concept of the problem), and the specific problem statement (the focus of the study). Use key words such as “the specific problem is …” and be sure to indicate a problem as a gap between the current state of a situation and the desired state of a situation (current status of the topic in the literature). Your sentence that directly states the research problem should be a variation of your central research question to ensure alignment. This section should be concisely written and in about a half a page in length.

Statement of Purpose

Provide a concise statement that serves as the connection between the problem being addressed and the focus of the study. The purpose contains: (a) an indication that this is a qualitative/quantitative study, (b) the study intent (indicate whether the study will describe, compare, correlate explore, and develop), and (c) the independent, dependent, and covariate variables. See Creswell’s Research Design, Chapter 6, for scripts on writing purpose statements. This section should be succinct and about a half a page in length.

Research Question(s)

State the research question(s). State the null and alternative hypotheses (where applicable) that identify the independent and dependent variables being studied, the association being tested, and how the variables are being measured. This section should be 1-3 pages in length.

For quantitative studies, include the theoretical foundation. Identify the theory or theories and provide the origin or source. State concisely the major theoretical propositions and / or major hypotheses with a reference to a more detailed explanation in Chapter 7. Explain how the theory relates to the study approach and research questions. This section should be about 1 page in length.

For qualitative studies, identify and define the conceptual framework (a description of the research that supports the need for the study) as derived from the literature - a more detailed analysis will appear in Chapter 9. State the logical connections between the tenets of the theory and the purpose of your study in order to justify the use and research design with multiple references - a more thorough and in-depth explanation will appear in Chapter 1 so excessive detail is not necessary. State how the framework relates to the study approach and key research questions, as well as to the instrument development and data analysis where appropriate.

Significance

The significance of the study is described in terms of (a) advancing theory, (b) advances in practice, and (c) filling a gap in the literature. This section, including the three subsections, should be 3-5 pages in length.

Assumptions

Clarify any aspects of the study that are believed but cannot be proven to be true. Only include assumptions critical to the meaningfulness of the study. Describe the reasons why the assumptions were necessary in the context of the study. This section should be around 1 page in length.

Limitations

Describe limitations of the study related to design and / or methodological weaknesses (including issues related to limitations of internal and external validity, construct validity, and confounding variables. Describe any biases that could influence study outcomes and how they are addressed. Describe reasonable measures to address limitations. This section should be around 1 page.

Definition of Terms

Define terms used in the study that have specific meanings in this context. Do not include common terms or terms that can easily be looked up in a dictionary. Include citations that identify support in the professional literature for the definition or operational definition. All definition citations should be from peer-reviewed literature. Definitions should be alphabetized. This section should be between 1-3 pages in length.

Organization of the Remaining Chapters

Summarize the contents of each of the subsequent chapters in the dissertation covering the main points of each chapter. This section should be around 1 page in length.