CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION..
Overview..
Background.
Situation
to Self
Problem
Statement
Purpose
Statement
Significance
of the Study
Research
Questions
Definitions
Summary
This is how chaper one should look. It is a Qualitative Dissertation Paper
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Overview
The purpose of Chapter One is to provide a framework for the research. The
chapter should create reader interest, provide a foundation for the problem
that necessitates the research, overview the context of literature in which the
research is founded, identify the importance of the research for a specific
audience, and briefly introduce the research via the research questions. The Overview must clearly and concisely
describe the contents and organization of the chapter. Chapter One may vary in
length from 10-15 pages for the final dissertation.
Background
The Background section
contains a summary of the most relevant literature and provides the historical
(i.e., how the problem has evolved over time), social (i.e., contexts), and
theoretical (e.g., important variables, the theoretical concepts, and the
principles underpinning the research) contexts for the research problem. Each
of the three contexts must be specifically examined using APA Level 2 headings
for each. You should be sure to link and relate the background of the study to
the proposed research. Questions that may be asked or addressed in this section
may include, but are not limited to: What is the problem and why is it an
interest? Who else is affected by the
problem? What research has been done to
investigate or address the problem? How
will the proposed research extend or refine the existing knowledge in the area
under study? Who will benefit or use the
proposed research? What new information
does the current research add to the body of existing literature regarding the
topic? The majority of literature cited
in this section should be no more than five years old.
Situation to Self
This section provides an opportunity for you to articulate your
motivation for conducting the study and identify the philosophical assumptions
(ontological, epistemological, rhetorical, axiological) you bring to the
research and the paradigm (positivism/post-positivism, constructivism,
participatory, and pragmatism) that will guide the study.
Problem Statement
“A problem might be defined as the
issue that exists in the literature, theory, or practice that leads to a need
for the study” (Creswell, 1994, p. 50). A problem statement summarizes “the
context for the study” and the main problem the researcher seeks to address
(Wiersma, 1995, p. 404). It identifies the general problem, the specific
problem, the focus of the research, and the population sample. The problem
statement draws from the background section; it includes current (i.e., five
years or less since publication) literature (three to five citations) to show
that the proposed research is empirically significant and relevant to the field.
It should be stated clearly and unambiguously in one to two paragraphs. You should
state: “The problem is….” In one to two focused
paragraphs, convince the reader why the particular issue or problem your study
is investigating needs to be done.
·
Introduce the general topic needing more
research, including relevant/recent statistics on the issue.
·
Summarize the recent research on the topic.
·
Explain how/why the current research is
deficient or falls short.
·
Conclude with a focused statement identifying
the problem in relation to your research design.
Purpose Statement
The purpose
statement should follow the problem statement and clearly and succinctly state the
focus and intentions of the proposed research. “The purpose statement should
provide a specific and accurate synopsis of the overall purpose of the study”
(Locke, Spirduso, & Silverman, 1987, p. 5) and begin with the following
statement: “The purpose of this study is . . .” It foreshadows the research
question(s), and the statement must be used consistently throughout the
dissertation. You are encouraged to use the following template adapted from
Creswell (2013):
The purpose of
this _________ (phenomenological, grounded theory, ethnographic, case,
historical) study is to _______________ (understand? describe? develop?
discover?) the _____________ (central phenomenon of the study) for
_____________ (the participants) at __________ (the site). At this stage in the
research, ___________ (central phenomenon) will be generally defined as
________________ (a general definition of the central concept). The theory
guiding this study is (identify theory and cite theorist) as it (explain the
relationship between the theory and your focus of inquiry).
Although brief in nature, the problem
and purpose statements are two very important aspects of the manuscript. These
statements support the importance of the study and identify the goal of the
research. All preceding writing within the manuscript should funnel into the
problem and purpose statements, and all proceeding aspects of the manuscript should
align with, support, and further expand upon the problem and purpose
statements.
Significance of the Study
The significance of the study section
contains a description of the contributions that the study makes to the
knowledge base or discipline, both theoretically and empirically (i.e., How
does it relate to other studies that are similar or that investigate the same
issue?)
This section also
includes a brief description of the practical significance of the study; why it
is important to the location, organization, general population, or sample being
studied (e.g., Why and how does it affect them? How will it improve the conditions, lives,
work environment, etc.? How can this
study be used on a wider scale to affect change to help a wider group of people
or the organization as a whole?). References are very
important here to lend additional credence and support the study. All
assertions in this section need to be well supported by the literature. Citations
are needed.
Research Questions
The proposed
research questions should be derived from the problem and purpose statements. A well-written research question is feasible, clear,
significant, and ethical. In qualitative studies, research questions are
often philosophical or pragmatic in nature and ask about meaning, process,
perceptions, or behavior. Qualitative research questions are usually broader
and become more specific as you move into the actual data collection/analysis
process. Identify at least three research questions. If a central research
question is used, the subsequent questions are called sub-questions. Include a
brief description and discussion of each one before moving to the next question,
using the literature (including citations) to support the focus of the question.
Remember that each research question will need to be addressed in the data
collection, data analysis, and discussion sections of later chapters. Be sure
these questions do not elicit simple yes/no responses. Note that traditional
research hypotheses are not necessary or appropriate for most qualitative
studies.
Definitions
Terms pertinent to the study should be listed and defined
as the final section of Chapter One. All definitions in this section also need to
be supported by the literature. Include terms that use abbreviations. Citations
are needed. Dictionary definitions
are not acceptable. Example:
1. Attitude – Attitude is a psychological
tendency that involves evaluating a particular object with some degree of favor
or disfavor (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993).
2. Interest – The combination of emotion
and personal valuation of a task resulting in a desire for various levels of
enjoyment (Ainley & Ainley, 2011).
3. Etc…
Summary
Provide a chapter
summary here. The Summary includes a succinct restatement of the problem and
purpose of the study and provides a strong conclusion to the chapter.
