Module 2 - SLPRESEARCH DESIGN DEVELOPMENTSLP Assignment The Session Long Project (SLP) will focus on the development of Dissertation/DSP Prospectus. Each SLP will require you to draft and strengthen

[Title Centered in Bold Font Double-Spaced if Needed]

A [DOCTORAL STUDY PROJECT or DISSERTATION] Prospectus

Submitted to the [Name of College]

of Trident University International

a member of the American InterContinental University System

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of [Degree] [in Name of Program if applicable]

by

[Your First and Last Name]

Chandler, Arizona

20[XX]

[Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall YYYY]

[Instructor]

About This Template

Note: Delete these instructional pages before submission. All instructions are noted in blue font.

This template (2023 version) outlines the doctoral study project (DSP) and dissertation prospectus at Trident University International, a member of the American InterContinental University System. Within each section of this document, you will find recommendations and guidance to complete your prospectus. A universal DSP/dissertation template is available for the proposal (chapters 1-3) and final manuscript (all five chapters) on the Doctoral Resources LibGuide.

You are required to follow APA format as you write.

Throughout this document, you will see brackets like these: […]. These brackets contain instructions for you and should be deleted and replaced with your own content prior to submission. Students must determine the most appropriate representations of information based on their field of study, research design, and in consultation with the course instructor.

Each chapter begins on a new page. This document uses page breaks that should be retained. Chapter titles and all headings follow the APA Manual 7th Edition. Chapter titles are in heading level 1. Levels 2-5 are used to organize text within chapters. This template uses the Word automatic Table of Contents tool. A running head is optional, but if you elect to include one, it should be in the page header, flush left, in all caps, and not exceed 50 characters. All text is double-spaced, and the font is Times New Roman 12 pt. Please refer to the APA Manual for additional guidance on citations, tables, figures, appendices, and your reference page.

This document, and Chapters 3 specifically, is a general template. If conducting a quantitative or mixed methods study, refer to the appropriate Standards for Reporting Statistical Analysis Template for explicit content of what should be included in Chapter 3.

Additional writing resources: Writing Resources

“Trident regards academic integrity as vital to the success of its students and to the reputation of the University as an institution of higher learning. Students attain their educational goals and enjoy an enriched academic experience only when there is effective learning. Effective learning occurs when students conduct their own research and are the sole authors of their work. The assessment of that learning is undermined when the originality of students’ work is questionable.

Trident, therefore, expects students to adhere to the highest standards of academic integrity in all their work." (Trident University Catalog).

Additional information: Plagiarism

List of Tables 6

List of Figures 7

Chapter 1: Introduction 8

Background 8

Problem Statement 8

Purpose Statement 8

Conceptual or Theoretical Framework 9

Research Question(s) 9

Definition of Key Terms 10

Summary 10

Chapter 2: Literature Review 11

Literature Search Strategy 11

Synthesis of the Literature 11

Summary 14

Chapter 3: Methodology 15

Research Methodology and Design 15

Role of the Researcher 15

Population and Sample Selection 15

Instrumentation 16

Variables and Operational Definitions [quantitative and mixed methods studies only] 18

Demographics and Control Variables [quantitative and mixed methods studies only] 19

Data Collection 20

Data Analysis 20

Assumptions 21

Limitations 21

Delimitations 21

Reliability and Validity 21

Ethical Assurances 22

Summary 22

References 23

Appendix A 24

Table 1 13

Table 2 17

Table 3 19

[Create your List of Tables page by using the “References” feature in Word.

1. First, you must be sure that you have added captions to all tables. To add captions, select the table first, then, on the “References” tab, in the “Captions” group, click “Insert Caption.” For tables, select the “tables” label.

2. Once you are sure all tables have captions, on the “References” tab, in the “Captions” group, click “Insert Table of Figures.” Word will then automatically list all tables that you have captioned in your document.

3. To update the list, select the text in the list of tables and click “Update Table,” and then press F9.

The list of tables presented here is an example and should be replaced with your own tables listed. Consult the APA manual to ensure that all tables and table titles, figures, and figure captions conform to APA format.] 

Figure 1 13

[Create your List of Figures page by using the “References” feature in Word.

1. First, you must be sure that you have added captions to all figures. To add captions, select the figure first, then, on the “References” tab, in the “Captions” group, click “Insert Caption.” For figures, select the “figures” label.

2. Once you are sure all figures have captions, on the “References” tab, in the “Captions” group, click “Insert Table of Figures.” Word will then automatically list all figures that you have captioned in your document.

3. To update the list, select the text in the list of figures and click “Update Table,” and then press F9.

The list of figures presented here is an example and should be replaced with your own figures listed. Consult the APA manual to ensure that all tables and table titles, figures, and figure captions conform to APA format.] 

[In this opening paragraph of narrative, present your topic (main idea) and the context in which you are approaching the topic. Don’t explicitly state your problem, purpose, or methodology as they are discussed and belong in subsequent sections.]

[Present an overview of why the research topic is currently of interest. This section is the bridge to the problem statement. Tie the study topic clearly to your field and concentration (if applicable).]

[This does not have to be long, but it does have to be complete. Clearly present the gap (in theory or literature) your research addresses and how you identified that gap (it is not enough to say it has not been studied). Your discussion needs enough detail to develop your research questions, and should provide evidence that the problem is current, relevant, and important. What is the contribution the study makes to the body of knowledge/why is this research important? Within this section be explicit and state “The problem to be addressed by this study is…”]

[Concisely present the purpose of the study. In the problem statement you identified the gap. In the purpose statement discuss how you plan to fill that gap (what the study about). You should include the methodology and design you plan to use as an identification of the population/organization type/audience.]

[Your conceptual or theoretical framework is based on your review of the literature and is clearly linked to your purpose statement. In chapter 1 of your proposal you introduce this framework as the foundation of your study. You will then go into much more depth on this in chapter 2 as you develop your full proposal. For your prospectus you should consider: How does your study address a gap in the literature/research? What constructs (or variables) does your study attempt to explore or examine? Situate your study within other theory and research. Summarize why your study and the selected methodology addresses the phenomena or variables under study and from what framework you will operate.]

[Begin with a general, overarching research question that speaks to the main purpose of the study. The follow this with numbered research questions that are clear, articulated, and specific, corresponding exactly to the study purpose. Be sure each is answerable and/or testable within the timeframe and location of your study. Be thought-provoking and open-ended (cannot be answered yes or no or in one word or phrase). Refer to the main constructs and relationships to be investigated in the study.]

RQ1. [Text of first research question here.]

RQ2. [Text of second research question here, if applicable.]

RQ3. [Text of third research question here, if applicable.]

[Identify the key terms used in the study and provide clear definitions as used in the literature and for the purposes of the study. At a minimum define each of your variables. The key terms should be in alphabetical order, and each should include a citation. Present each in paragraph form with the term itself listed first in italics followed by a period. Then begin the definition. You’ll continue to add to this list as you develop your full proposal. An example follows:

Precipitation. Rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls from above and hits the ground (Smith, 2023; Turner, 2022).]

[Summarize relevant and significant points of the chapter. Provide a scholarly transition to the next chapter.]

[For sufficient depth, Chapter 2 must be a minimum of 30 pages in length and fully support the theoretical and conceptual development of your study as you develop your full proposal. For the prospectus, you are aiming to develop approximately 10 pages complete by the end of module 2 and 20 pages by the end of module 4. In this introductory paragraph, provide an overview of the general topic and general research question(s) to establish the context of the study and orient the reader to the field.]

[Describe the library and search engine sources, and search terms. Rely on literature from the last 5 years when possible. 50% or more of references should be recent and peer reviewed. These are guidelines, but the topic selected, and your study design should drive this and should be discussed with your instructor.]

[The body of your literature review must address these topics: theoretical orientation, conceptual framework, and a synthesis of what is known about your topic and research problem. Your review should be organized using sub-headings (APA heading levels 3, 4, and 5) to organize the narrative in this and each section that follows in chapter 2. Discuss in depth any foundational studies that inform your study including methodology, design, sample size, and study recommendations. The order in which you present your synthesis, theoretical orientation, and conceptual framework should be discussed with your instructor. Additional resources related to writing literature reviews are provided at the end of this section.

If completing a quantitative or mixed methods study, be sure you include a hypothesis development section and description of your research model. Develop a diagram of your model and a table relating the research questions to the relevant hypotheses (quantitative and mixed methods studies only). An example figure and table are included below.]

Literature review resources available in the Trident Library:

• Oliver, P. (2012). Succeeding with your literature review. McGraw-Hill Education.

• Boote, D. N., & Beile, P. (2005). Scholars before researchers: On the centrality of the dissertation literature review in research preparation. Educational Researcher, 34(6), 3-15. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X034006003]

Figure 1

Research Model

Table 1

Table of Hypotheses

[Note about the use of published images, figures and/or tables: If published images, figures, and/or tables are presented in chapter 2 or any other section of your manuscript, you must obtain permission from the copyright holder. Personal and Fair Use in the case of dissertations and DSPs does not apply.]

[Summarize relevant and significant points of the chapter. Provide a scholarly transition to the next chapter.]

[Restate the problem statement and purpose verbatim in this introduction. Give a brief narrative description of the research model. Provide a succinct overview of the contents of Chapter 3 that clearly identifies the research methodology and design in a single statement.]

[In your first paragraph, briefly describe the research methodology selected. Include a brief justification for why you selected the methodology with supporting citations. Identify alternative methodologies and include a statement about why the selected method was determined to be more appropriate than other methods.

In your second paragraph, briefly describe the research design selected. Include a brief justification for why you selected the design with supporting citations. Identify alternative designs and include a statement about why the selected design was determined to be more appropriate than other designs.]

[Explain your role as researcher and any relationships that may exist with the participants or organizations under study.]

[What is the overall population of interest? Within that population, who will be your participants (sample)? Will you have any subgroups, and if so what criteria will be used to establish these groups? Specify the number of participants required and use a power analysis tool to determine the appropriate sample and effect size for quantitative and mixed methods studies. Include evidence of this analysis in your appendix. How will you recruit the sample? Explain any permissions required. If applicable, explain how consent will be secured.]

[Describe any archived data or other secondary data and include a description of how the data were originally collected and for what purpose along with information regarding validity and reliability. Describe any published instruments (tests, questionnaires, observation procedures) that will be used, including information on their origin, evidence of their reliability and validity, and your rationale for selection. Describe in detail any materials (including survey/instruments, field testing or pilot testing of instruments) and include their results and any subsequent modifications. Describe interview protocols including a description of how the interview questions were developed with appropriate qualitative research method support. Adequately describe any apparatus including the model/make, how it is used, and outcome(s) it provides. Use an instrument matrix table to summarize your selections (example table follows). Show and include evidence that permission was granted to use the instrument(s) in the appendix.

Table 2

Instruments Matrix

Note. This table includes examples. Replace content with specifics related to your study and remove the instructional text.

For quantitative studies, instrument self-development is strongly discouraged owing to the amount of time and skills that are required to create a valid and reliable instrument. For qualitative studies, the use of newly developed and literature-based interview protocols is more common and acceptable. Describe the development process in detail followed by the field-testing procedures used and consequent modifications that were made.]

Pilot Study / Field Testing [if applicable]

[Briefly describe any planned pilot study and its purpose. The normal purpose is to verify the readability and clarity of your survey using a small group of test participants known to you, not the actual study participants.]

[Operational definitions are dissimilar from the conceptual definitions that are provided in the Definition of Terms section of Chapter 1. Note that operational definitions specify how the variables will be measured. Use subheadings for each variable. Provide the source and reliability of each scale. Make sure you include every variable used in your hypotheses.

A Table of Variables (see example) is required at the end of this section which defines each variable based on type, the Level of Measure, and role in the analysis (independent variable, dependent variable, and covariates).]

[First Variable. (Define it, how you going to operationalize, how are you going to measure it, where did you get the scale, what was its reliability)]

[Second Variable. (Define it, how you going to operationalize, how are you going to measure it, where did you get the scale, what was its reliability)]

[List each demographic/control variable you plan to collect along with a brief justification for collecting it (if you plan to use the demographic as a hypothesized covariant it should appear in the Variables and Operational Definitions section).]

Table 3

Summary of Variables

Note: LoM = level of measurement, DV = dependent variable, IV = independent variable.   

[Describe your data collection plan. Be as specific as possible as to how you will collect primary data for your chosen sample. Confidentiality and privacy should be discussed as well. If you are using secondary data, include a description of how the data were originally collected and for what purpose along with information regarding validity and reliability, or face validity, as appropriate.]

[In this section, describe in a step-by-step manner how data will be prepared and analyzed. Give a good description of how your will clean data, code (if applicable), test for validity and reliability, and how you will test the hypotheses, if appliable (regression, SEM, etc.). If your study is quantitative or mixed methods, be sure to refer to the Standards of Statistical Analysis and Presentation of Results document in the Research and Doctoral Studies Libguide for your planned research statistical method in completing this section. Also discuss how you plan to test for control variable interaction (if applicable). If using software to assist in your analysis (e.g. SPSS, MAXQDA) identify it in this section.]

[Insert statistical analysis table here (refer to the Standards of Statistical Analysis and Presentation of Results document in the Research and Doctoral Studies Libguide for examples).]

[Discuss the assumptions about the study population and design along with the corresponding rationale and support underlying them. If your study is quantitative or mixed methods you must list the assumptions for each statistical test. If you plan to use parametric tests, be sure to describe the non-parametric alternatives you will use if you fail to meet the parametric assumptions.]

[Describe the study limitations (potential weaknesses to interpretation and validity) within the context of the study design. Discuss the measures that were taken to mitigate these limitations. Detail the methods/strategy used to address missing data, nonresponse rates, participant honesty, etc. Review any potential threats to validity (specific to the study design) and how they will be addressed to the extent possible.]

[Discuss the scope of data used in the study and describe the study delimitations along with the corresponding rationale underlying them. Explain how these delimitations (research decisions) relate to the existing literature and theoretical/conceptual framework, problem statement, and research questions.]

[Describe the strategies you’ll use to establish reliability and validity for your study as a whole. If you have qualitative elements in your study, how will you establish credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability? For all studies, be sure to address any issues related to bias.]

[Discuss compliance with the ethical standards for conducting research as appropriate to the proposed research design including sufficient information on protection for human subjects. Describe the informed consent procedures and how confidentiality of the participants will be maintained. If the risk to participants is greater than minimal, discuss the relevant ethical issues and how they will be addressed. Identify how the data will be securely stored in accordance with IRB requirements as appropriate. Describe the role of the researcher in the study. Discuss relevant issues, including biases as well as personal and professional experiences with the topic, problem, or context. Present the strategies that will be used to prevent these biases and experiences from influencing the analysis or findings. Describe how you will obtain ethical assurances for formal IRB approval of the study. Compose a confirmation statement that the study will receive Institutional Review Board approval from Trident University International prior to data collection.]

[Summarize relevant and significant points of the chapter. Provide a scholarly transition to the next chapter.]

[List all references cited in the manuscript. Order the list of references alphabetically by author. Use a 0.5 inch hanging indent and double-space. Format the references to current APA guidelines, providing DOI information where available (with live links). Examples are included below.

Boote, D. N., & Beile, P. (2005). Scholars before researchers: On the centrality of the dissertation literature review in research preparation. Educational Researcher, 34(6), 3-15. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X034006003

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312

Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115-135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8

Oliver, P. (2012). Succeeding with your literature review. McGraw-Hill Education.]

[Appendices should be presented in the order they are referenced in the body of the prospectus manuscript. At a minimum, the appendices should include:

• Power analysis evidence if used to determine sample size

• Relevant site permission(s) OR copies of site permission requests

• Relevant recruitment letter(s)

• Informed consent letter(s)

• Copies of instruments

• Evidence of permission to use or adapt published instruments (if required)

• IRB training (CITI) certificate

Note: Each appendix item should be listed with a new appendix letter in alphabetical order: Appendix A, B, C…]