Research Dissertation Proposal
Example Link: Similar to https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/4132/#:~:text=This%20study%20concludes%20that%20the,Crisis%20(2015%2D2019).
Example: The 2015 Migrant Crisis: An Impact to Germany?
Create research proposal similar to above with a focus on the US migrant crisis spanning
the last 12 years and three presidential administrations.
Length: The dissertation
proposal will be approximately 15-20 pages
Sections: Section order may vary,
and individual students will make these decisions in consultation with their
dissertation committee. The following is a brief synopsis of what is expected
in each section of the dissertation proposal:
Headings: Section headings, of course,
should follow a logical, consistent format.
Section 1: Proposal Abstract
Proposal abstract is about 250
words and consists of:
§ one or two sentences
summarizing Section 2 (Context)
§ one or two sentences
summarizing Section 3 (Theoretical Background)
§ one or two sentences
summarizing Section 4 (Methods)
§ one or two sentences
summarizing Section 5 (Purpose/Research Questions)
§ one or two sentences
summarizing Section 6 (Significance)
Section 2: Introduction/Context
The context section begins with an introductory paragraph that
orients the reader to what will be covered in this section. This section
describes the context or site or topic area where the study occurs, using
support from the literature (E.g., in a study of women peacemakers in Northern
Ireland, the context section would cover the Northern Ireland conflict). The
context section may also focus on a particular issue, e.g. in a study on
interventions in the child soldier issue, the context section might describe
the child soldier issue
The section must also show a formal problem statement
showcasing the need for the study and gap in the literature. It must state the purpose of the study by way
of introduction to the research questions that follow.
Outline the major research question(s). Importantly, detail any
sub-questions (e.g., if you’re studying forgiveness among Florida mediators,
you may raise sub-questions relating to gender, ethnicity, type of practice,
professional background, etc.)
The writing must be clear and concise and
effectively orient the reader to the more detailed narrative that follows. The
concluding paragraph of the section emphasizes the significance of the research
context and site and transitions logically into the next section.
The following is a basic
outline of some suggested topics to cover within this section:
·
Context/Background on topic
(the headings here can vary depending on your topic.
o Discuss state of affairs, context, existing studies supported by literature
in brief (cite using proper APA format)
o Every time you make a statement of fact/assertion, support it with one
of more sources.
·
Research Problem Statement
(answer the following
using literature to support assertions/facts)
o the social issue or conflict under study (use various sources)
o summary of recent studies addressing the topic or some aspect of the
topic
o the need for the study and
o what is missing/lacking in the literature that has not been
sufficiently researched that your study will address.
o Include research question(s) and sub-questions
·
Purpose Statement/Research Questions
o Use Creswell Script as a guide for discussing your research
purpose/approach:
Creswell (2007, p.
103-104):
1)
“The purpose of
this__________ (quantitative study, narrative, phenomenological, grounded
theory, ethnographic, case) study is (was? will be?) to ___________(understand?
describe? develop? discover?) the ________ (central phenomenon of the study)
for _________ (the participants) at ________ (site). At this stage in the research, the
________(central phenomenon) will be generally defined as _________ (a general
definition of the central concept).”
**Adapted from Creswell, John W. (2007 editions). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. ISBN:
978-1-4129-1607-3
2)
Discuss expected at
least 2 -3 goals for the study.
·
Conflict Resolution Theories:
·
Discuss Theories
related to CR in brief in intro and expanded in lit review
·
Definition of terms and
section conclusion or summary
Section 3: Literature review
and theoretical framing
This section reviews the theoretical literature that
underlies the study. A brief review of the extant literature on the subject
must be presented to illustrate that the student knows what is known so far on
the topic and is conversant with developments in the area of the proposed
study.
Usually two to four theoretical perspectives inform
a dissertation project, and each of these bodies of theory should be presented
in different sections. For example in a study on women peacemakers in Northern
Ireland, the theoretical literature might cover (a) causes of ethnic conflict,
(b) definitions of peace, and (c) gender theory.
The presentation should have a coherent, logical
organization that in itself reflects an interpretation of the theoretical
literature and how the theories will help in understanding and/or analyzing the
issue. The number of references listed can vary, but a good rule of thumb is
that references should number 60 to 200. Importantly, references should be
up-to-date, with the majority of references within the past ten years.
Section 4: Methodology
Describe in detail the research
procedure to be used:
§ The methodology must be
indicated and explicated i.e. whether quantitative, qualitative or mixed method
as well as the specific methodology under each research tradition. Provide a
rationale for your choice of methodology.
§ The sampling and sampling
criteria must be presented i.e. who are the participants, or what are the data
texts, how many they are and why them and not others. You also need to explain
how access will be obtained, the ethical concerns such as confidentiality as
well as the potential risks and benefits to participants (even if the risks are
minimal).
§ Explain the data gathering
or data generation techniques (detailed rationale and description of how data
will be gathered).
§ Explain the data analysis
(description of and rationale for the data analysis process.
§ Sometimes, there is an
additional body of theory that is relevant to the methodology, for example a
particular type of methodology (e.g., semi-projective tests, narrative methods,
etc.) may require some description and theoretical support.
A concluding paragraph
summarizes the section and transitions to the next section.
Section 5 Significance of the Study
In this concluding section,
the significance of the study is pointed out e.g.:
§ how and/or why the study
will advance knowledge within the conflict resolution and/or peace studies
fields;
§ how the study will
contribute to the development of theoretical knowledge;
§ what practice-related
contributions the study might make; and/or
what policy implications the study might have.
