Graduate level.
Perfect grammar.
APA format.
Research the topic and then present the research.
Similarity report must be below 20%.
Choose a Research Topic
Instructions
This week, you will focus on a topic of your choice and include a problem statement, theory or
conceptual framework, and the annotated bibliography from your previous work. This is a draft
to get feedback from your professor to complete the Signature Assignment.
The problem statement is between 250-300 words. It describes the gap in the literature or the
problem found in the research. It is something that has not been solved. A problem statement is
used to describe what the researcher intends to solve. This also includes what is known about the
problem or what should be known about the problem. Identify who is impacted if the problem is
not solved. Refer back to week 5, if needed to parallel the outline of the problem statement.
Include at least one citation from your literature that supports the evidence of a problem.
The purpose statement is written to align with the problem statement. Also, in this section, you
will identify the type of study such as qualitative or quantitative methodology. (Since you have
not yet studied the methodology, it is in another research block course, you may use your best
idea here.) Include a sentence of who the population and number of participants may be for this
study. Finally, in one or two paragraphs, describe how you will maintain the confidentiality of
the participants.
Assignment Instructions:
Include the following items in your draft:
1. Write a problem statement with no more than 250 words.
2. Write a purpose statement using the directions below.
3. Include two or three paragraphs about a theory or conceptual framework.
4. Add you annotated bibliography from previous work.
From the dissertation template, use the following points to write a purpose statement: Begin with
a succinct purpose statement that identifies the study method, design, and overarching goal: “The
purpose of this [identify research methodology] [identify research design] study is to [identify
the goal of the dissertation that directly reflects and encompasses the research questions that will
follow].”
• Indicate how the study is a logical, explicit research response to the stated problem and the
research questions that will follow.
• Continue with a brief and clear step-by-step overview of how the study will be (proposal) or was
(manuscript) conducted.
• Identify the variables/constructs, materials/instrumentation, and analysis.
• Identify the target population and sample size that will be needed (proposal) or was obtained
(manuscript).
Length: 10-12 pages
References: Include a minimum of seven (7) scholarly resources.
Your presentation should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts
presented in the course and provide new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your
response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards.
Creating a Draft Literature Review
This week, you will begin to merge all your knowledge and research into a draft for the
preparation of the signature assignment. Review all of your research and writing to begin
developing this paper. You will demonstrate your understanding of all the previous week’s work.
• Week 1: You reviewed the essence of a literature review and gained an understanding of the
reason for it and what the literature review is used for in academia. You also learned how to find
literature.
• Week 2: You developed skills to critically read articles and determined if the article is a match
for a topic you are researching. You also learned how to take notes and developed a procedure
to follow for your review of articles.
• Week 3: You learned about software to create a library of your own references. You researched
different programs and determined which may be best for your research tracking.
• Week 4: You learned how to develop an annotated bibliography and include the main points of
an author’s message and critique the article.
• Week 5: You learned the differences between primary sources vs. secondary sources. You also
learned about peer-reviewed articles and journals.
• Week 6: You learned about theories and conceptual framework. You also learned how to begin
understanding the software program SPSS for your next class.
Remember, this is a draft and it can be rather intimidating to create a literature review. Also,
when you get to the stage of your dissertation, every document is a draft until the committee
approves it. Then, you will have a final chapter to post.
PROBLEM STATEMENT 1
Problem Statement
PROBLEM STATEMENT 2
The problem to be addressed in this study is poor communication in organizational
leadership. The leadership of organizations is supposed to constantly communicate with the
employees at multiple levels. Communication and management are complementary disciplines as
the leaders of the organization cannot succeed where they are poor communicators. Poor
communication in organizations will harm the morale, productivity, and working relations in the
organization. Martinez and Fernandez (2018) explained the value of communication in
organizations and their impact on productivity. Communication is viewed as a strategic tool in
the organization where the leaders use it to communicate their vision and strategy. The lack of
communication is the biggest problem facing leaders in organizations today. The leaders have to
realize the impact of communication on a variety of items within the organization.
Leaders spend most of the time communicating in organizations but what is not known is
that most of the problems within the organization arise from poor communication. Poor
communication is when there is a discrepancy between what is said and what is heard. This is
why effective communication is vital for the success of both the leaders and the organization.
The problem of poor communication in organizational leadership is the negative impact on the
morale of the employees. This will impact the productivity of the organization and
interdepartmental relations. Bucata and Rizescu (2017) emphasized the importance of effective
communication in the formation of teams and achieving valuable performance. This would
explain why poor communication will harm the productivity of the organization.
PROBLEM STATEMENT 3
References
Bucăţa, George & Rizescu, Marius. (2017). The Role of Communication in Enhancing Work
Effectiveness of an Organization. Land Forces Academy Review. 22. 10.1515/raft-2017-
0008.
Martinez, Angela & Fernandez, s. (2018). Internal Communication Issues in the Firms: Does It
Affect Productivity? Review of European Studies. 10. 1. 10.5539/res.v10n2p1.
NCU Library / LibGuides / Library How-To Guides / Research Process
/ Finding a Research Topic
Research Process
These pages offer an introduction to the research process at
a very general level.
Home
Finding a
Research Topic
Brainstorming
Explore Web
Resources
Website
Evaluation
Explore
Background
Information
Explore
Books
Explore
Scholarly
Articles
Determining
Information
Needs
Scholarly
Research
Preparing to
Search this Guide Search
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Search
Reading a
Scientific Article
Finding Similar
Resources
Resources for a
Literature
Review
Resources for
Dissertation
Research
Organizing
Research &
Citations
Scholarly
Publication
Learn the
Library
Ask Us!
Finding a Research Topic
Which step of the research process takes the most time?
A. Finding a topic
B. Researching a topic
C. Both
How did you answer the above question? Do you spend most of your efforts
actually researching a topic, or do you spend a lot of time and energy finding
a topic? Ideally, you’ll want to spend fairly equal amounts of effort on both.
Finding an appropriate and manageable topic can sometimes be just as hard
as researching a topic.
A good research topic will have a body of related research which is
accessible and manageable. Identifying a topic with these characteristics at
the beginning of the research process will ultimately save you time.
Finding a research topic that is interesting, relevant, feasible, and worthy of
your time may take substantial effort so you should be prepared to invest
your time accordingly. Considering your options, doing some background
work on each option, and ultimately settling on a topic that is manageable
will spare you many of the frustrations that come from attempting research
on a topic that, for whatever reason, may not be appropriate.
Remember that as you are searching for a research topic you will need to be
able to find enough information about your topic(s) in a book or scholarly
journal. If you can only find information about your topic(s) in current event
sources (newspapers, magazines, etc.) then the topic might be too new to
have a large body of published scholarly information. If this is the case, you
may want to reconsider the topic(s).
So how do you find a research topic? Unfortunately there’s no directory of
topics that you pick and choose from, but there are a few relatively easy
techniques that you can use to find a relevant and manageable topic. A good
starting point may be to view the Library’s Resources for Finding a
Research Topic Workshop below.
The sub-pages in this section (on the left-hand menu) offer various tips for
where and how to locate resources to develop your research topic. And for
additional information on selecting a research topic, see the resources
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Subjects: Arts & Humanities, Business, Computing & Information Technology, Dissertation Resources, Education, Government &
Criminal Justice, Health, Medicine & Nursing, Law, Library Services, Tools & Resources, Marriage & Family Science, Psychology &
Social Work, Sociology & Diversity Studies
Tags: annotated bibliography, Boolean operators, cited, cited references, citing articles, dissertation research, field codes, Google
Scholar, literature review, measurements, organizing citations, peer-reviewed journals, popular sources, primary sources, research
design, research methods, research topic, research_process, scholarly sources, searching, secondary sources, statistics, tests,
theoretical frameworks, theory
Resources for Finding a Research Topic Workshop
This workshop will introduce you to library resources which can be used to locate
potential topics for a research paper or dissertation. This workshop explores
websites, reference books, and scholarly articles, as well as review criteria to
consider when selecting a topic.
Resources for Finding a Research Topic Workshop Outline
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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 1
Annotated Bibliography (Organizational Leadership)
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 2
Abbas Wasim and Imran Asghar. (2010). The Role of Leadership in Organizational Change.
Relating the Successful Organizational change to Visionary and Innovative Leadership.
Master’s Thesis in Industrial Engineering and Management.
Abbas and Imran look at the concept of organizational leadership through the leader’s
role during organizational change. The change agent’s leader has a vital role to play during
transition, considering 70% of the planned change in organizations fail. The article takes an in-
depth analysis of previous literature on the thesis and includes real-life cases of organizations to
ascertain leadership effectiveness during organizational change. The authors can show that
leadership with vision and an innovative approach would be useful during organizational change.
The thesis is useful as it can look at organizational leadership through one of the most
challenging processes an organization can undertake. Visionary and innovative leadership is
related to successful organizational change as the leader can provide strategies and the resources
that will ensure a successful change. This fits in my research of executive leadership, which
looks at the development of skills across the organization and the role of the leader during tough
periods in the organization. Change is difficult for organizations and it takes visionary and
innovative leadership to ensure a successful organizational change.
Dibiku, Mulugeta. (2017). Organizational Leadership. 10.13140/RG.2.2.29653.83686.
Dibiku draws from his experience as an assistant professor of marketing and management
to present organizational leadership and its characteristics and supplement the paper with various
models and theories. The author is able to look at organizational leadership from a dual-angle
which is what is best for an individual and what is best for a group. Organizational leadership is
a management approach where the leaders are supposed to develop strategies while motivating
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 3
people within groups. The models presented by the author like Reflective Human Action
leadership theory and Wisdom Intelligence and Creativity Synthesized (WICS) model, can
highlight the purpose of organizational leadership.
One of the author’s major weaknesses is that some of the theories presented have no
limitations. However, the information presented is good as the paper takes a wide dig at
organizational leadership while presenting the various theories that show the purpose of
organizational leadership. The paper perfectly fits my research of organizational leadership as
Dibiku can demonstrate executive leadership, its characteristics, and the various theories and
models related to organizational leadership.
Hao Moo Jun and Rashad Yazdanifard. (2015). How Effective Leadership Can Facilitate
Change in Organizations through Improvement and Innovation. Global Journal of
Management and Business Research: A Administration and Management Volume 15
Issue 9 Version 1.0 Year 2015.
Globalization is having a major impact on organizations as these organizations have to
create a competitive advantage in order to thrive. Leadership can help in spurring the change that
will make the organization competitive. Hao and Rashad are able to highlight how effective
leadership can bring positive changes to the organization like increasing innovation and making
the organization compete in its business environment. This is done by relating effective
leadership and change management. The impact of leadership on various elements that are
important for the growth of the organization like trust, vision and culture. The authors are able to
conclude by ascertaining the importance of effective leadership during change in the
organization and the importance of change in sustaining the business.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 4
There are various important points to note from the journal including the various
leadership skills that are required for effective leadership. Some of these traits include
communication and sharing which can be used during the change process. The information is
reliable as Hao and Rashad were able to carry out thorough research in the importance of
effective leadership in organizational change. The journal is indexed in one of the major
databases globally. This fits my research on organizational leadership.
Kolzow R. David (2014). Leading from Within: Building Organizational Leadership Capacity.
There are thousands of books written about leadership and effective leadership. This is
one of those books that takes a different approach which is more direct and structured in the
development of effective leaders. Kolzow, the author of the book not only shows the different
styles of leadership but is able to show what it takes to be an effective leader. The book
highlights the different characteristics of an effective leader which can be used by the reader to
understand what type of leader they are. The author also presents the various competencies that
can make a person to become a successful leader. The author looks at change management and
what is required by the leader during the change process. In conclusion a comparison is done
between a leader and a manager.
The book may be one of the many written about leadership but the author goes further in
defining organizational leadership by highlighting more of the critical leadership competencies.
The information presented in the book is useful as it gives a direct and structured understanding
on organizational leadership. This will be relevant in my research as the book gives more
information that is required for my study in organizational leadership.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 5
Laub James Alan. (2000). Assessing The Servant Organization: Development of The
Organizational Leadership Assessment (Ola) Instrument. Center for Creative Leadership
Various leadership styles can be regarded as useful in the organization, ensuring that the
organization’s success. Laub takes a different approach when looking at servant leadership.
Through the use of a Delphi study, he was able to determine a servant leader’s characteristics and
used the same attributes to develop an Organizational Leadership Assessment instrument. The
Delphi study involved a survey where the panel was asked to rate the characteristics of servant
leaders. The author uses the study to provide an operational definition of servant leadership and
the servant leader’s various characteristics.
The use of Organizational Leadership Assessment instrument was really effective
especially as a tool for measuring servant leadership in organizations. This made this tool useful
in future research and also in identifying servant leadership in organizations. This tool also
makes the study and the information provided useful which can be used in my study. Servant
leaders appear in part of my study in organizational leadership. An understanding of servant
leadership including and the various characteristics of the servant leader will be effective in my
study.
Manzi Freitas William. (2003). Servant Leadership Characteristics in a Healthcare Organization
and the Relationship with Leader-Member Exchange.
The study looks at the characteristics of servant leadership in healthcare setting. Manzi
was able to use the Organizational Leadership Assessment instrument to verify the various
differences between the characteristics of servant leadership in the various departments in a
hospital. The study did not find any major differences between the characteristics of servant
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 6
leaders in the different departments in the hospital. However, the age and tenure of the servant
leader indicated differences in the characteristics. Age was able to connect with the leader
valuing others, authenticity, team builder and shared leadership.
The study is able to provide a different angle about the concept of servant leadership
where one can use the information to understand why different servant leaders may dispel other
characteristics. The age and gender factors used in the study fully explain the difference in
features between the various servant leaders. The study will be beneficial in my study as servant
leaders form part of the leadership styles that will be used in my research. This study helps me to
understand why servant leaders can portray different characteristics while working in the same
organization.
Meraku Anjeza. (2017). Role of Leadership in Organizational Effectiveness. Journal of
Economics, Business and Management, Vol. 5, No. 11.
The role of a leader in the organization has been discussed in most of the studies.
However, there are limited studies that examine the leader’s role in guiding culture and structure
in the organization. Meraku takes this role in this study where she exploits various issues about
leadership in the organization. These issues include decision making, leadership features and the
qualities of leaders. The study tries to explain the decision-making crisis facing the world
currently, which moves from what everyone thinks about the financial crisis. The study uses the
Albanian environment to differentiate the different leadership myths and reality.
The information provided in the study is reliable as the author digs into the various
leadership styles and qualities that make a leader effective. The study takes a broad look at
organizational leadership through a real-life case study “Plus Communication Organization.” this
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 7
tries to explain the organization’s leadership effectiveness. The case study proves effective in
linking some of the organization’s issues and the role of the leader. This research fits in my study
on the concept of organizational leadership. It helps me answer questions like whether the
leadership style impacts the culture and structure of the organization.
Safferstone, Mark. (2005). Organizational Leadership: Classic Works and Contemporary
Perspectives. Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries. 42. 959 – 975.
10.13140/2.1.2412.6084.
Safferstone draws on his research as the executive director center of leadership and
technology to explain modern organizations’ need for leadership. The bibliography essay is able
to look at the history of leadership through a historical perspective of organizational leadership.
The author can highlight the positive impact of effective leadership on organizations, provide the
different models of leadership and frameworks and show the leadership development strategies.
The bibliography essay is extensive on organizational leadership providing some great web
resources like Harvard Business School and Harvard Business Review which address
organizational leadership. The paper also reviews the various intellectual contributions to
organizational leadership providing both historical and thematic perspectives.
The paper is highly reliable with the author using their knowledge and experience in the
field of leadership to provide a bibliography essay that touches on most of the areas in
organizational leadership. The essay is reliable as the writer is objective basing their research on
other peer-reviewed articles. The bibliography essay fits in my research as the information is
useful and will be able to shape my argument.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 8
Stephen H. Taplin., Mary K. Foster and Stephen M. Shortell. (2013). Organizational Leadership
for Building Effective Health Care Teams. Annals of Family Medicine, Vol. 11, No.
The study looks at organizational leadership in building effective healthcare teams. The
authors tackle organizational leadership by looking at how effective the management approach
can be in developing healthcare teams. The development and sustainment of effective teams will
depend on the environment created by the leadership. The study looks at the various teams in the
organization as they explain the teams’ roles. The administration of the organization is tasked
with creating an environment that will be able ensure team success. As the study is based on a
healthcare setting, organizational leaders can ensure they delegate duties, create a safety culture,
explain the different roles of the medical professionals and encourage the physicians who have
leadership skills.
The study only concentrates on teams while looking at organizational leadership. The
information provided only relates to the environment organizational leaders will provide for the
teams. However, this also adds another dimension to my study, which is on the impact of
organizational leadership on teams’ development and sustainment. The importance of teams has
been well researched with studies linking organizational success to well-developed teams. The
organization leaders are responsible for the creation of such groups.
Tait D. Shanafelt., Grace Gorringe., Ronald Menaker., Kristin A. Storz., David Reeves., Steven
J. Buskirk., Jeff A. Sloan, and Stephen J. Swensen. (2015). Impact of Organizational
Leadership on Physician Burnout and Satisfaction, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Volume 90,
Issue 4.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 9
This study is also based on the healthcare industry as it looks at the role of organizational
leadership. The authors surveyed physicians and scientists in large health organizations intending
to assess burnout. The survey was also used to rate the immediate supervisors’ leadership
qualities who were either physicians or scientists. The study used a five-point Likert scale in
rating the leadership qualities if the physicians and scientists in 12-specific dimensions. The
study was able to ascertain that both the physicians’ and physicians’ leadership qualities influence
the welfare of subordinate physicians and scientists’ satisfaction. This has an impact on the
training of leaders in the organization.
The study may have a level of bias because of the use of 5-point Likert scale. Likert-type
scales are usually reliable among people with mild IQ and the current group that was used in the
survey have a bigger IQ which would have an impact on the final results of the survey. However,
I would use part of the study to answer some of the questions in my study as the study will be
helpful to my research.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 10
References
Abbas Wasim and Imran Asghar. (2010). The Role of Leadership in Organizational Change.
Relating the Successful Organizational change to Visionary and Innovative Leadership.
Master’s Thesis in Industrial Engineering and Management.
Dibiku, Mulugeta. (2017). Organizational Leadership. 10.13140/RG.2.2.29653.83686.
Hao Moo Jun and Rashad Yazdanifard. (2015). How Effective Leadership Can Facilitate
Change in Organizations through Improvement and Innovation. Global Journal of
Management and Business Research: A Administration and Management Volume 15
Issue 9 Version 1.0 Year 2015.
Kolzow R. David (2014). Leading from Within: Building Organizational Leadership Capacity.
Laub James Alan. (2000). Assessing The Servant Organization: Development of The
Organizational Leadership Assessment (Ola) Instrument. Center for Creative Leadership
Manzi Freitas William. (2003). Servant Leadership Characteristics in a Healthcare Organization
and the Relationship with Leader-Member Exchange.
Meraku Anjeza. (2017). Role of Leadership in Organizational Effectiveness. Journal of
Economics, Business and Management, Vol. 5, No. 11.
Safferstone, Mark. (2005). Organizational Leadership: Classic Works and Contemporary
Perspectives. Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries. 42. 959 – 975.
10.13140/2.1.2412.6084.
Stephen H. Taplin., Mary K. Foster and Stephen M. Shortell. (2013). Organizational Leadership
for Building Effective Health Care Teams. Annals of Family Medicine, Vol. 11, No.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 11
Tait D. Shanafelt., Grace Gorringe., Ronald Menaker., Kristin A. Storz., David Reeves., Steven
J. Buskirk., Jeff A. Sloan, and Stephen J. Swensen. (2015). Impact of Organizational
Leadership on Physician Burnout and Satisfaction, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Volume 90,
Issue 4.
NCU Library / LibGuides / Library How-To Guides / Research Process / Preparing to Search
Research Process
These pages offer an introduction to the research process at a
very general level.
Home
Finding a
Research Topic
Determining
Information
Needs
Scholarly
Research
Preparing to
Search
Database
Research Log
Search Limits
Keyword
Searching
Boolean
Operators
Phrase
Searching
Truncation &
Wildcard
Symbols
Nesting
Search this Guide Search
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Proximity
Searching
Field Codes
Subject Terms
and Database
Thesauri
Reading a
Scientific Article
Finding Similar
Resources
Resources for a
Literature Review
Resources for
Dissertation
Research
Organizing
Research &
Citations
Scholarly
Publication
Learn the Library
Ask Us!
Preparing to Search
Once you have selected a topic and reviewed general resources, you must
decide what exactly interests you most about your topic. For example, you may
have chosen globalization as a topic, but when you run a search for
globalization in the Library databases, you get over 12,000 results! In a situation
like this you will need to narrow your search. What about globalization interests
you? Try adding some keywords to globalization to come up with a smaller,
more manageable, set of search results. You may also find that your research
topic is much too narrow, or focused. Trying to look for articles about the effects
of globalization on outsourced employees living in Hyderabad, India, will more
than likely return zero results. In this situation you need to broaden your topic by
taking away some keywords or being less specific about your research topic.
globalization = too broad
globalization on outsourced employees living in Hyderabad, India = too
narrow
globalization on outsourced employees = manageable topic
As mentioned above, it’s important to choose a topic that is not too narrow or
too broad. It is also helpful to select a topic where you can effectively explore
relationships. For example, “Is there a relationship between globalization and
the human rights of workers from local host countries?” Use your research topic
or question to identify the main ideas, which will become your keywords.
keywords = globalization, human rights, outsourced employees
As you continue searching, refine your search by adding or combining different
keywords that further explore your topic. You may find you need to modify your
question. Carefully read and evaluate scholarly research articles to determine
their suitability and validity. Use information from selected articles to form a
response to your question and guide future searches.
Understanding how to narrow or broaden your topic is a an important part of the
research process. Learn to recognize when these steps need to occur and what
to do to carry out these steps. Once you have developed a research topic, you
will want to begin thinking about the type of information you need and the best
approach to finding it.
The sub-pages in this section will describe techniques for searching in the
Library’s databases.
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Searching 101 Workshop
This workshop covers the basics of searching: Boolean logic, keywords vs. subjects,
how to use a database thesaurus, and truncation. Various databases will be used
throughout the workshop to demonstrate different searching techniques.
Searching 101 Workshop Outline
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Subjects: Arts & Humanities, Business, Computing & Information Technology, Dissertation Resources, Education, Government &
Criminal Justice, Health, Medicine & Nursing, Law, Library Services, Tools & Resources, Marriage & Family Science, Psychology & Social
Work, Sociology & Diversity Studies
Tags: annotated bibliography, Boolean operators, cited, cited references, citing articles, dissertation research, field codes, Google Scholar,
literature review, measurements, organizing citations, peer-reviewed journals, popular sources, primary sources, research design, research
methods, research topic, research_process, scholarly sources, searching, secondary sources, statistics, tests, theoretical frameworks,
theory
Searching 102 Workshop
This library workshop builds upon Searching 101 and covers field searching, nesting,
proximity searching, and finding similar resources. Various databases will be used
throughout the workshop to demonstrate different searching techniques.
Searching 102 Workshop Outline
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NCU Library / LibGuides / Library How-To Guides / Research Process
/ Primary and Secondary Resources
Research Process
These pages offer an introduction to the research process at a
very general level.
Home
Finding a
Research Topic
Determining
Information
Needs
Evaluating
Information
Primary and
Secondary
Resources
Academic,
Popular &
Trade
Publications
Scholarly and
Peer-Reviewed
Journals
Grey
Literature
Clinical Trials
Evidence
Based
Search this Guide Search
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1 of 4 12/31/2020, 10:12 AM
Treatment
Statistics
Datasets
Scholarly
Research
Preparing to
Search
Reading a
Scientific Article
Finding Similar
Resources
Resources for a
Literature Review
Resources for
Dissertation
Research
Organizing
Research &
Citations
Scholarly
Publication
Learn the Library
Ask Us!
Primary Sources
Primary resources contain first-hand information, meaning that you are reading
the author’s own account on a specific topic or event that s/he participated in.
Examples of primary resources include scholarly research articles, books, and
diaries. Primary sources such as research articles often do not explain
terminology and theoretical principles in detail. Thus, readers of primary
scholarly research should have foundational knowledge of the subject area. Use
primary resources to obtain a first-hand account to an actual event and identify
original research done in a field. For many of your papers, use of primary
resources will be a requirement.
Examples of a primary source are:
Original documents such as diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters,
interviews, records, eyewitness accounts, autobiographies
Empirical scholarly works such as research articles, clinical reports, case
studies, dissertations
Creative works such as poetry, music, video, photography
How to locate primary research in NCU Library:
1. From the Library’s homepage, begin your search in Roadrunner Search or
select a subject-specific database from the A-Z Databases.
2. Use the Scholarly/Peer-Reviewed Journal limiter to narrow your search to
journal articles.
3. Once you have a set of search results, remember to look for articles
where the author has conducted original research. A primary research
article will include a literature review, methodology, population or set
sample, test or measurement, discussion of findings and usually future
research directions.
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Secondary Sources
Secondary sources describe, summarize, or discuss information or details originally
presented in another source; meaning the author, in most cases, did not participate
in the event. This type of source is written for a broad audience and will include
definitions of discipline specific terms, history relating to the topic, significant
theories and principles, and summaries of major studies/events as related to the
topic. Use secondary sources to obtain an overview of a topic and/or identify
primary resources. Refrain from including such resources in an annotated
bibliography for doctoral level work unless there is a good reason.
Examples of a secondary source are:
Publications such as textbooks, magazine articles, book reviews,
commentaries, encyclopedias, almanacs
Locate secondary resources in NCU Library within the following databases:
Annual Reviews (scholarly article reviews)
Credo Reference (encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks & more)
Ebook Central (ebooks)
ProQuest (book reviews, bibliographies, literature reviews & more )
SAGE Reference Methods, SAGE Knowledge & SAGE Navigator (handbooks,
encyclopedias, major works, debates & more)
Most other Library databases include secondary sources.
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Work, Sociology & Diversity Studies
Tags: annotated bibliography, Boolean operators, cited, cited references, citing articles, dissertation research, field codes, Google Scholar,
literature review, measurements, organizing citations, peer-reviewed journals, popular sources, primary sources, research design, research
methods, research topic, research_process, scholarly sources, searching, secondary sources, statistics, tests, theoretical frameworks,
theory
Beginning the Resarch Process Workshop
This workshop introduces to the beginning stages of the research process, focusing on
identifying different types of information, as well as gathering background information
through electronic books.
Beginning the Research Process Workshop Outline
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NCU Library / LibGuides / Library How-To Guides / Research Process / Scholarly Research
Research Process
These pages offer an introduction to the research
process at a very general level.
Home
Finding a
Research Topic
Determining
Information
Needs
Scholarly
Research
Preparing to
Search
Reading a
Scientific
Article
Finding Similar
Resources
Resources for
a Literature
Review
Resources for
Dissertation
Research
Organizing
Scholarly Research
Once you have found a research topic of interest and developed a
hypothesis, you are ready to begin conducting scholarly research.
Through your research, you will be exploring and addressing the
relationships between the variables in your hypothesis. During the
course of your research, you may find information that contradicts
your research statement. When this happens, you will want to try to
find more information that confirms or denies the contradictory
information.
You may also determine that your original research question needs
to be revised. In this case, you can identify new concepts through
database searches, further examine the relationship between the
concepts, and review your search strategy to incorporate these new
concepts.
It may also be helpful to also maintain a log of previous database
search results based on different search methods and modify them
accordingly. Once you have answered your initial research
question, you should not stop your research before determining
if the original information need has been satisfied or if
additional information is needed.
Search this Guide Search
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Subjects: Arts & Humanities, Business, Computing & Information Technology, Dissertation Resources, Education,
Government & Criminal Justice, Health, Medicine & Nursing, Law, Library Services, Tools & Resources, Marriage & Family
Science, Psychology & Social Work, Sociology & Diversity Studies
Tags: annotated bibliography, Boolean operators, cited, cited references, citing articles, dissertation research, field codes,
Google Scholar, literature review, measurements, organizing citations, peer-reviewed journals, popular sources, primary
sources, research design, research methods, research topic, research_process, scholarly sources, searching, secondary
sources, statistics, tests, theoretical frameworks, theory
Research &
Citations
Scholarly
Publication
Learn the
Library
Ask Us!
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NCU Library / LibGuides / Library How-To Guides / Research Process / Reading a Scientific Article
Research Process
These pages offer an introduction to the research process at a
very general level.
Home
Finding a
Research Topic
Determining
Information
Needs
Scholarly
Research
Preparing to
Search
Reading a
Scientific Article
Finding Similar
Resources
Resources for a
Literature Review
Resources for
Dissertation
Research
Organizing
Research &
Citations
Scholarly
Publication
Search this Guide Search
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Learn the Library
Ask Us!
Library Tutorial
Reading a
Scholarly
Article Tutorial
This interactive
tutorial provides
practice reading
a scholarly or
scientific article.
Reading a Scientific Article
Attempting to read a scientific or scholarly research article for the first time may
seem overwhelming and confusing. This guide details how to read a scientific
article step-by-step. First, you should not approach a scientific article like a
textbook— reading from beginning to end of the chapter or book without pause
for reflection or criticism. Additionally, it is highly recommended that you
highlight and take notes as you move through the article. Taking notes will keep
you focused on the task at hand and help you work towards comprehension of
the entire article.
1. Skim the article. This should only take you a few minutes. You are not
trying to comprehend the entire article at this point, but just get a basic
overview. You don’t have to read in order; the discussion/conclusions will
help you to determine if the article is relevant to your research. You might
then continue on to the Introduction. Pay attention to the structure of the
article, headings, and figures.
2. Grasp the vocabulary. Begin to go through the article and highlight
words and phrases you do not understand. Some words or phrases you
may be able to get an understanding from the context in which it is used,
but for others you may need the assistance of a medical or scientific
dictionary. Subject-specific dictionaries available through our Library
databases and online are listed below.
3. Identify the structure of the article and work on your comprehension.
Most journals use an IMRD structure: An abstract followed by Introduction,
Methods, Results, and Discussion. These sections typically contain
conventional features, which you will start to recognize. If you learn to look
for these features you will begin to read and comprehend the article more
quickly.
The abstract gives a quick overview of the article. It will usually
contain four pieces of information: purpose or rationale of study (why
they did it); methodology (how they did it); results (what they found);
conclusion (what it means). Begin by reading the abstract to make
sure this is what you are looking for and that it will be worth your
time and effort.
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Additional
Resources
Anatomy of a
Scholarly
Article
How to Read
(and
Understand) a
Social Science
Journal Article
How to Read a
Scientific Paper
How to Read a
Scientific Paper
Interactive
Tutorial
How to Read
Scientific
Literature
(YouTube
Video)
Subject-Specific Dictionaries
The AMA Dictionary of Business and Management by
George Thomas Kurin
ISBN: 9780814420287
Publication Date: 2013
Covers a vast range of terminology from all areas of business
including management, strategy, finance, human resources, economics,
marketing, sales, insurance, and international business.
Collins Dictionary of Business by Christopher Pass (Editor)
ISBN: 9781849721691
Publication Date: 2006
Covers all the main areas of business theory and practice:
marketing, production, finance, personnel, business policy and
international business.
Collins Dictionary of Economics by C. L. Pass (Editor);
Leslie Davies (Editor); Bryan Lowes (Editor)
ISBN: 9781849721769
Publication Date: 2007
Summarizes the theoretical principles behind the science of
economics and their application in such areas as competition policy,
agricultural policy, fiscal policy and monetary policy.
Dictionary of Accounting by S. M.H. Collin
ISBN: 9781849722469
Publication Date: 2008
Provides a basic vocabulary of terms used in accounting, from
personal finance and investments to company accounts,
balance sheets and stock valuations.
Dictionary of Business by A&C Black
ISBN: 9781408198476
Publication Date: 2006
Business Education Health Sciences
Marriage & Family Science Psychology Research Methods
Social Work Technology
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Report a problemTags: annotated bibliography, Boolean operators, cited, cited references, citing articles, dissertation research,
General
Dictionaries
The American
Heritage
Dictionary of
the English
Language
The American
Heritage
Student
Science
Dictionary
The Chambers
Dictionary
Dictionary.com
The Free
Dictionary
Macmillan
Dictionary
Merriam-
Webster’s
Collegiate
Dictionary
Merriam-
Webster Online
The Penguin
English
Dictionary
The Science
Dictionary
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Subjects: Arts & Humanities, Business, Computing & Information Technology, Dissertation Resources, Education, Government &
Criminal Justice, Health, Medicine & Nursing, Law, Library Services, Tools & Resources, Marriage & Family Science, Psychology & Social
Work, Sociology & Diversity Studies
field codes, Google Scholar, literature review, measurements, organizing citations, peer-reviewed journals, popular sources, primary
sources, research design, research methods, research topic, research_process, scholarly sources, searching, secondary sources, statistics,
tests, theoretical frameworks, theory
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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS 1
Conceptual Framework for Two Theories
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS 2
Contents
Theory of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)……………………………………………………….. 3
History and Use Today ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Tuckman’s Theory of Team Building ………………………………………………………………………… 5
History and Use Today ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
References ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS 3
Theory of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)
The past three decades has seen numerous investments in technology, with companies
and other non-profit organizations bracing for the newest and modest technologies to improve
their performance and operations. However, the latest technologies were expensive and
somewhat inevitable for organizational managers due to increased competitiveness in the
modern business environment (Surendran, 2012). Organizations began the process of probing
the practical/significance of investing in information technology. Fred Davis became the first
person to develop a model to help IT managers assess the usage and reliability of acquired
technologies (Davis et al., 1989). In the 1980s, Fred Davis developed the technology
acceptance model (TAM) as an extension of the theory of reasoned action (TRA) in
explaining the human-computer and IT development perceptions.
The technology acceptance model is premised on answering the question of the
adoption of technology robustly and acceptably for all users and participants. According to
Davis et al. (1989), the technology acceptance model is explained by the constructs of
perceived usefulness and perceptions of ease of use for a particular technology. In essence,
for technology implemented in an organization to meet success in the adoption criteria, the
users/employees in the organizations must feel that the technology is solving their hurdles or
problems and enjoying the ease of using the new technology (Legris et al., 2003).
In his quest for answers on the usefulness of a specific technology, Davis
recommended the following interview question linked performance; does the technology
make it easier for the employee to do his/her job? Does the technology enhance employee
effectiveness and performance on the job? Does technology suggest help the employee
accomplish his/her tasks faster? (Legris et al., 2003). According to Davis et al. (1989), the
interview questions for determining perceived ease of use for a specific technology should be
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS 4
premised on; flexibility of usage, clarity of understanding processes, and skills matching for
the user to those required for the operation of the technology.
According to Davis et al. (1989), in his justification for the model, people are banked
on expectations and develop attitudes that fundamentally account for their utilization of
technology to accomplish target goals for organizations. The theory of reasoned action
(TRA), which is positioned as the core from which TAM was developed, is based on the facts
that human behavior is a construct of; cognitive intentions, systemic beliefs, subjective
norms, and feelings or general attitude (Legris et al., 2003). TAM is then coined from the
aforementioned TRA theory. The variables’ perceptions of usefulness and ease of use form
the belief system ideology that influences the attitude, intention, and use of the technology.
History and Use Today
The technology acceptance model has been widely applied in different sectors to
assess the effectiveness of applied technology and users’ responses via their interactions with
it. TAM became the most applied concept in estimating employee behaviour formation and
setting around the investments made by an organization as it narrowed the variables to two
major, scalable constructs; ease of use and usefulness. Although TAM’s application has been
broad, it’s still invalidated by many, especially in online businesses such as telehealth services
and mobile banking, as an inadequate predictor of customer attitudes from the ease of
technology use standpoint.
However, the technology acceptance model continues to be hailed as a key solution to
modern and postmodern problems in health care provisioning for hospitals across the globe.
The industry is one of the best equipped in terms of technologies, yet it still experiences the
grave problem of medical errors in diagnostics and treatment (Holden & Karsh, 2010). TAM
comes in handy as an explainer of scenario situations where technology is regarded as superb.
Still, the functionality doesn’t quite match the expected outcomes, thereby prompting the
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS 5
question of ease of use and perceived usefulness among physicians for the health care setting
(Holden & Karsh, 2010).
Conclusion
I do perceive the theory of technology acceptance model (TAM) as one of the greatest
developments for assessing employee-technology interaction satisfaction and the explainers
of human behaviour. I am fully in agreement with the TAM model’s assumption that
technology can be useful in accomplishing the required tasks but fail to do so due to
inadequate or little human effort input required to achieve the same. For example, an x-ray
machine is excellent in imaging services for patients. Still, a radiologist has to use an attitude,
and behavioural intentions matter in the service provider to ensure that he/she doesn’t make
errors. Despite the critiques, there is a sense to which TAM models enable managers to assess
the usefulness of technology and assess the motivational levels and attitudes of employees in
general.
Tuckman’s Theory of Team Building
The staged team building levels, popularly known as Tuckman’s stages of group
development, were first developed in the year 1965 by psychologist Bruce Tuckman (Gilley
et al., 2010). At the time, Bruce envisioned to help team members accomplish tasks with ease
by understanding group psychology better as a staged process. According to Chapman
(2016), Tuckman’s group development theory sets forth a pace for which team building
activities should follow and adhere to bring the best out of a team. While developing the five
stages of team building, Bruce noted that there had been so many teams commissioned to
start projects lasting months or even weeks but never completed due to member
disagreements and external pressures that mold into group psychological formations.
According to Chapman (2016), each of the five stages is crucial for a team and designed to
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS 6
help coaches and team leaders develop and a high-functioning team that would quickly and
efficiently accomplish the set goals.
Therefore, Bruce Tuckman’s theory of team building outlined the five stages
of group development as; forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning
(Chapman, 2016). Tuckman’s theory of group development is essentially based on the fact
that teams do not start off functioning highly and delivering expected results but rather grow
overtime ostensibly through the various stages outlined above. The stages above show that
teams essentially shift from forming or assembling members into more cohesive structural
teams and finally into more task-oriented teams (Chapman, 2016). Tuckman’s team formation
concepts are thus enshrined into simplifying teamwork theory and enhancing human
interaction in team situations.
After reviewing more than 40 articles involving group development ideals, Tuckman
noted that the groups were similar concerning evolution on the stages described above
(Bonebright, 2010). The first stage, forming, involves discovery in that the team members
interact with each other trying to determine the course and motive for the team formation. In
this stage, the team leader usually takes up the responsibility of laying the ground rules and
explaining the tasks to be accomplished by the team, thereby airing an aura of enthusiasm and
positivity among team members (Chapman, 2016). The second stage is usually the hardest
one for the team members (storming); confrontations and conflicts among team members
characterize it as they solidify their positions as part of the team and discover others’
differences (Chapman, 2016). This stage is further characterized by declined performance
activity in the overall team.
Tuckman’s third stage of team development is known as norming; in this stage,
negotiations as a methodology of conflict resolution ensues, enabling members to finally
come together towards a common goal (Chapman, 2016). In this norming stage, the team
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS 7
members determine solutions to their differences, set the ground rules, and by large set a new
focused synergy to surge forward together. The fourth stage in Tuckman’s theory, the
performing stage, is usually characterized by an overly increased focus of attention to the
common goals to be accomplished by team members (Gilley et al., 2010). According to
Bonebright (2010), team members’ roles in this stage become more fluid and distinctly clear,
enabling the team to realize its full potential in accomplishing the targeted tasks. Tuckman’s
team theory model’s adjourning stage marks the disbandment or dissolution of a team after
accomplishing its tasks.
History and Use Today
Tuckman’s theory, as mentioned above, came to light via psychologist Bruce
Tuckman in 1965. The theory has been adopted for utility by organizations in developing
teams to undertake certain projects such as product development, IT installations, and
collaborative marketing. However, Tuckman’s theory of team building is the primary
practical solution to developing a forming sports team, even in the contemporary world. The
fundamental outlay that defines team development under Tuckman’s model enables team
managers to channel team members’ energies and focuses on one constructive ideology and
task to be accomplished.
Conclusion
Tuckman’s team building theory serves as a crucial component of group development
and demystifying group psychology’s ideology. Collaboration and group work are in
modernity working in companies as they cover essential aspects in general, such as;
cooperation, commitment, communication, and conflict resolution. Tuckman’s theory is
fundamentally a bundle of the above aspects, and companies cannot inextricably avoid
Tuckman’s theory in their cultivation of team spirit and synergy among their employees.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS 8
References
Bonebright, D. A. (2010). 40 years of storming: a historical review of Tuckman’s model of
small group development. Human Resource Development International, 13(1), 111-
120.
Chapman, A. (2016). Bruce Tuckman’s 1965 Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing
team-development model. Retrieved
from http://www.businessballs.com/tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm
Davis, F. D., Bagozzi, R. P., & Warshaw, P. R. (1989). User acceptance of computer
technology: a comparison of two theoretical models. Management science, 35(8),
982-1003.
Gilley, J. W., Morris, M. L., Waite, A. M., Coates, T., & Veliquette, A. (2010). Integrated
theoretical model for building effective teams. Advances in Developing Human
Resources, 12(1), 7-28.
Holden, R. J., & Karsh, B. T. (2010). The technology acceptance model: its past and its future
in health care. Journal of biomedical informatics, 43(1), 159-172.
Legris, P., Ingham, J., & Collerette, P. (2003). Why do people use information technology? A
critical review of the technology acceptance model. Information &
management, 40(3), 191-204.
Surendran, P. (2012). Technology acceptance model: A survey of literature. International
Journal of Business and Social Research, 2(4), 175-178.
12
Dissertation Proposal and Dissertation Manuscript
Template and Guide
This cover page and template instructional content should be removed before drafting chapters. Keep the template instructions in a separate location for ongoing reference as you develop chapter content within the manuscript format.
Instructions for how to use this template and guide:
· Type directly into the template at “Begin writing here…” or “Text…”. Doing so should help to ensure the document is properly formatted.
· Use reminders in the comments relating to formatting as well as helpful tips for guidance purposes. Additionally, in each main section, use the checklist relating to content so you know what to include before you begin to organize your thoughts. Refer to the checklist continuously as you develop each section. As you self-evaluate each section, you can actually check off each box by clicking on it to ensure you have met all the requirements. Please note these lists are resources and not meant to be exhaustive, as it is impossible to cover the details of every method and design.
· The length of a section can vary, unless a guideline is provided.
· Once you have developed each section, refer to the comments and checklists one last time to be sure the section matches them as discussed with your Chair, then delete them.
· To delete a comment, right click on the comment, then select “Delete Comment.”. For additional strategies and guidance, click here.
Version: October 2020
© Northcentral University, 2020
Comment by Northcentral University: Ensure every section in the document meets the following requirements:☐ Use 12-point and Times New Roman font.☐ Write in the future tense when referencing the proposed study in the dissertation proposal. Write in the past tense when referencing the completed study in the dissertation manuscript.☐ Use economy of expression to present information as succinctly as possible without oversimplifying or losing the meaning.☐ Avoid personal opinions and claims. ☐ Support all claims in the document with recent, scholarly, peer-reviewed sources published within 5 years of when the dissertation will be completed, unless they are seminal sources or no other literature exists. For additional information and guidance relating to scholarly and peer-reviewed sources, click here. ☐ Avoid anthropomorphism (i.e., giving human qualities to inanimate objects) such as “The article claims…”, “The study found…,”, or “The research explored…”. ☐ Clearly and precisely define key words upon their first use only.
Title of the Dissertation Comment by Northcentral University: With the exception of articles and prepositions, the first letter of each word should be capitalized. The title should be two single spaces (one double space) from the top of the page. In 10-15 words, it should indicate the contents of the study. The title should be bold.The title page should include no page number, so please recheck pagination once the template cover page has been removed.
Dissertation XXX Comment by Northcentral University: Insert either “Proposal” or “Manuscript.”.
Submitted to Northcentral University
School of BUSINESS XXX Comment by Northcentral University: Indicate your school name here. Do not include the specialization.
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY,
DOCTOR OF ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP XXX Comment by Northcentral University: Insert your degree program in all capital letters (e.g., DOCTOR OF EDUCATION, DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION).
by
NAME Comment by Northcentral University: Insert your name in all capital letters (i.e., FIRST MIDDLE LAST).
La Jolla, California
Month Year Comment by Northcentral University: Insert the current month and year. There should be no comma separating them.
Abstract Comment by Northcentral University: The abstract should be included in the dissertation manuscript only. It should not be included in the dissertation proposal.The word Abstract should be centered, bolded, and begin on its own page.
Begin writing here… Comment by Northcentral University: The text should be left-justified (not indented) and double-spaced with no breaks.
Checklist:
☐ Briefly introduce the study topic, state the research problem, and describe who or what is impacted by this problem.
☐ Clearly articulate the study purpose and guiding theoretical or conceptual framework of the study.
☐ Provide details about the research methodology, participants, questions, design, procedures, and analysis.
☐ Clearly present the results in relation to the research questions.
☐ State the conclusions to include both the potential implications of the results on and the recommendations for future research and practice.
☐ Do not include citations and abbreviations or acronyms, except those noted as exceptions by the American Psychological Association (APA).
☐ Do not exceed 350 words. Strive for one page.
Acknowledgements Comment by Northcentral University: You may include an optional acknowledgements page in normal paragraph format in the dissertation manuscript. Do not include such a page in the dissertation proposal.The word Acknowledgements should be centered, bolded, and begin on its own page.
Begin writing here…
Table of Contents Comment by Northcentral University: Use the Table of Contents feature in Word. For additional information on creating a table of contents, click here. For information on updating the table of contents, click here, and for video resources from the Academic Success Center on formatting the table of contents, click here.Do not manually add headings into the Table of Contents. The headings in the table of contents are populated from the Styles gallery using the APA Level 1 and Heading 2 styles.Only include APA heading levels 1 and 2 in the table of contents. Use the Heading 2 style from the Styles gallery to add level two headings in the document. Update the table of contents to reflect any new level 2 headings added to document. Comment by Northcentral University: For Academic Success Center resources on formatting the table of contents, click here. For assistance, use the videos in the Tables and Headers tab and handouts in the Format tab. Comment by Northcentral University: Ensure the headings in the table of contents match those in the document. Please note the place holders are included in this table of contents: “XXX” under Chapter 2 must be replaced with the themes generated from the integrative critical review of the literature. If your study is qualitative, “Operational Definitions of Variables” under Chapter 3 must be deleted. “XXX” under Chapter 4 must be replaced with “Trustworthiness” for a qualitative study, “Validity and Reliability” for a quantitative study, and “Trustworthiness/Validity and Reliability” for a mixed methods study. The number of research questions listed under Chapter 4 must align with the number of research questions in your study. Under Appendices, each “XXX” must be replaced with the titles of the appendix.
Chapter 1: Introduction
1
Statement of the Problem
2
Purpose of the Study
2
Introduction to Theoretical or Conceptual Framework
3
Introduction to Research Methodology and Design
4
Research Questions
4
Hypotheses
4
Significance of the Study
5
Definitions of Key Terms
6
Summary
6
Chapter 2: Literature Review
7
Theoretical or Conceptual Framework
7
Subtopic
8
Summary
8
Chapter 3: Research Method
10
Research Methodology and Design
10
Population and Sample
10
Materials or Instrumentation
11
Operational Definitions of Variables
12
Study Procedures
13
Data Analysis
13
Assumptions
14
Limitations
14
Delimitations
14
Ethical Assurances
15
Summary
15
Chapter 4: Findings
16
XXX of the Data
16
Results
17
Evaluation of the Findings
18
Summary
18
Chapter 5: Implications, Recommendations, and Conclusions
19
Implications
19
Recommendations for Practice
20
Recommendations for Future Research
20
Conclusions
20
References
22
Appendix A XXX
23
Appendix B XXX
24
List of Tables Comment by Northcentral University: The words List of Tables should be centered, bolded, and begin on its own pageUse the Table of Figures feature in Word and select “Table” as the caption label. For additional information and guidance, click here. Tip: For formatting the caption for tables, table headings should be double spaced and placed above the table. The word “Table” and the number should be bolded. The table title is in title case and italics. Comment by Northcentral University: Click here to review a video from the Academic Success Center on creating the List of Tables.
Begin list of tables here…
List of Figures Comment by Northcentral University: The words List of Figures should be centered, bolded, and begin on its own pageUse the Table of Figures feature in Word and select “Figure” as the caption label. For additional information and guidance, click here.Tip: For formatting the caption for figures, figure headings should be double spaced and placed above the figure. The word “Figure” and the number should be bolded. The figure title is in title case and italics. Comment by Northcentral University: Click here to review a video on creating the List of Figures.
Begin list of figures here…
1
1
Chapter 1: Introduction Comment by Northcentral University: When preparing pagination, lowercase Roman numerals are used for the front matter pages prior to the first page of Chapter 1.The Roman numerals need to be centered and placed in the footer of each front matter page.Starting in Chapter 1, page numbers need to be placed at the upper right of each page header.Chapter headings are formatted as Level 1. Review a formatting APA headings video in the Academic Success Center here. APA Style recommends one space between sentences.
Begin writing here…
Checklist:
☐ Begin with an overview of the general topic to establish the context of the study and orient the reader to the field. Do not overstate the topic as you will address the topic more fully in Chapter 2.
☐ Describe the larger context in which the problem exists.
☐ Present an overview of why this research topic is relevant and warranted.
☐ Briefly explain what research has been done on the topic and why the topic is important practically and empirically (applied and PhD) as well as theoretically (PhD).
☐ Clearly lead the reader to the problem statement to follow. The reader should not be surprised by the problem described later in the document.
☐ Do not explicitly state the study problem, purpose, or methodology, as they are discussed in subsequent sections.
☐ Devote approximately 2 to 4 pages to this section.
☐ Write in the future tense when referencing the proposed study in the dissertation proposal. Write in the past tense when referencing the completed study in the dissertation manuscript.
☐ There are no personal opinions in the dissertation. All work must come from cited sources.
Statement of the Problem Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Applied dissertations should be practice-based. The documented problem might be a practical problem or issue in the profession or study context for which there is not already an acceptable solution. When defining the problem, a clear distinction must be drawn between what exists currently and what is desired. An applied study does not necessarily require generalizable results beyond the study site; however, it must address a problem relevant and exists outside of the study site. Similarly, a PhD dissertation must focus on a problem relevant and exists outside of the study site. Additionally, the study must make a substantive, scholarly contribution to both the research and theory. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Review the limitations and calls for future research in the relevant scholarly literature for guidance in identifying a problem. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: There are a couple of group sessions in the Academic Success Center per week in which students can engage with a live academic coach as well as other students who share the goal of enhancing their problem statement development skills. Learn more about this session and find the link to register here.
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Checklist:
☐ Begin with “The problem to be addressed in this study is…” This statement should logically flow from the introduction and clearly identify the problem to be addressed by the study (current citations needed).
☐ Succinctly discuss the problem and provide evidence of its existence. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: A lack of research alone is not inherently problematic. An inability to find research on your topic might indicate a need to broaden your search. It might be helpful to review the resources in the Northcentral University Library, including the Searching 101 Workshop, or schedule a research consultation.
☐ Identify who is impacted by the problem (e.g., individuals, organizations, industries, or society), what is not known that should be known about it, and what the potential negative consequences could be if the problem is not addressed in this study.
☐ Ensure the concepts presented are exactly the same as those mentioned in the Purpose Statement section.
☐ Do not exceed 250-300 words.
Purpose of the Study Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: The Academic Success Center has a weekly group session on Purpose Statements. Learn more about this session and find the link to register here.
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Checklist:
☐ Begin with a succinct purpose statement that identifies the study method, design, and overarching goal. The recommended language to use is: “The purpose of this [identify research methodology] [identify research design] study is to [identify the goal of the dissertation that directly reflects and encompasses the research questions to follow].”
☐ Indicate how the study is a logical, explicit research response to the stated problem and the research questions to follow.
☐ Continue with a brief but clear step-by-step overview of how the study will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) conducted.
☐ Identify the variables/constructs, materials/instrumentation, and analysis.
☐ For the proposal (DP) identify the target population and sample size needed. For the manuscript (DM), edit and list sample size obtained.
☐ Identify the site(s) where the research will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) conducted using general geographic terms to avoid identifying the specific location. To avoid compromising participants’ confidentiality or anonymity, use pseudonyms.
☐ Do not exceed one paragraph or one page.
Introduction to Theoretical or Conceptual Framework Comment by Northcentral University: Select the heading that reflects whether you are using a theoretical or conceptual framework, but do not keep both words in the title. For PhD – Theoretical Framework, for applied doctorate Conceptual Framework.
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Checklist:
☐ Identify the guiding framework. Present the key concepts, briefly explain how they are related, and present the propositions relevant to this study. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: The Academic Success Center has a weekly group session on Theoretical and Conceptual Framework. Learn more about this session and find the link to register here.
☐ Explain how the framework guided the research decisions, including the development of the problem statement, purpose statement, and research questions.
☐ If more than one framework is guiding the study, integrate them, rather than describing them independently. Do not select a separate framework for each variable/construct under examination.
☐ Do not exceed two pages. A more thorough discussion of the theoretical/conceptual framework will be included in Chapter 2.
Introduction to Research Methodology and Design
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Checklist:
☐ Provide a brief discussion of the methodology and design to include a description of the data collection procedure and analysis. Do not include specific details regarding why the methodology and design were selected over others. More detailed information will be included in Chapter 3.
☐ Cite the seminal works related to the selected methodology and design.
☐ Indicate why the selected research methodology and design are the best choices for the study by explaining how they align with the problem and purpose statements as well as the research questions. Do not simply list and describe various research methodologies and designs.
☐ Devote approximately one to two pages to this section.
Research Questions Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Research questions beginning with “To what extent…” or “Under what conditions…” yield more meaningful data than questions that generate yes/no responses such as “Is Variable 1 significantly related to Variable 2?”
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RQ1 Comment by Northcentral University: Sub questions are allowed if you want to examine more in-depth research questions. For example, if the first research question has two sub questions, they would be denoted as RQ1a and RQ1b. Use APA level 3 headings for each research question. The level 3 heading is flush left, title case, bolded, and italicized. The text begins as a new paragraph. Apply level 3 headings using the Heading 3 style under the Styles gallery.Review Section 2.27 in the APA 7th edition manual, and locate more information on APA headings here.
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RQ2 Comment by Northcentral University: Repeat this process for each research question.
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Hypotheses Comment by Northcentral University: Hypotheses are only listed in quantitative and mixed methods studies. Comment by Northcentral University: The hypotheses must align with the research questions so RQ1 matches H1, etc.
H10
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H1a
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H20
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H2a Comment by Northcentral University: Repeat this process for each hypothesis.Maintain Level 3 heading formatting for each hypothesis.
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Checklist:
☐ Present research questions directly answerable, specific, and testable within the given timeframe and location identified in the problem and purpose statements.
☐ Include the exact same variables/constructs, participants, and location mentioned in the problem and purpose statements. No new variables/constructs should be introduced.
Significance of the Study Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Consider the professional and academic audiences who might be interested in the study results and why.
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Checklist:
☐ Describe why the study is important and how it can contribute to the field of study.
☐ For applied studies, explain how the results might both be significant to leaders and practitioners in the field and contribute to the literature. For PhD studies, explain how the results advance the guiding framework and contribute to the literature.
☐ Describe the benefits of addressing the study problem, achieving the study purpose, and answering the research questions. Whereas the problem statement should articulate the negative consequences of not conducting the study, this section should highlight the positive consequences of completing the study.
☐ Do not exceed one page.
Definitions of Key Terms
Term 1 Comment by Northcentral University: Replace “Term 1” with the first term and provide the definition and citation(s). Repeat this process for all the key terms.
Text… Comment by Northcentral University: Maintain Level 3 heading formatting for each term.
Term 2
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Checklist:
☐ Alphabetize and bold terms directly related to the dissertation topic and not commonly used or understood.
☐ Paraphrase the definitions of the terms using complete sentences and provide a citation for each one.
☐ Do not define theories, conceptual frameworks, statistical analyses, methodological terms, or the variables/constructs under examination.
Summary
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Checklist:
☐ Briefly restate the key points discussed in the chapter. Review the headings and/or table of contents to ensure all key points are covered.
Chapter 2: Literature Review Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Think of Chapter 2 as a funnel and lead the reader from the broad context of the study to an explanation of why this specific study is needed. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: To ensure your study is relevant and current, continue to expand and update the literature review through the final dissertation manuscript draft. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: For exemplars on what synthesis and critical analysis look like, try searching for published literature using the following terms “critical review of the literature [school]”, inserting the name of your school. Comment by Northcentral University: The Academic Success Center has a weekly group session on Synthesis and Analysis. Learn more about this session and find the link to register here.
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Checklist:
☐ Begin with the first sentence of the purpose statement and problem statement that leads to a brief explanation of the organization of the literature review. Do not simply cut and paste the Purpose Statement section from Chapter 1.
☐ Provide an overview of the sub-headings in the literature that will be discussed.
☐ At the end of this section, indicate the databases accessed and the search engines used. Discuss all the search parameters, including the search terms and their combinations (with more detailed search terms located in an appendix, if appropriate), range of years, and types of literature.
☐ Devote approximately 30 to 60 pages to this chapter to include citations to at least 50 relevant sources. Comment by Northcentral University: Chapter 2 includes the statement that it is to have 30-60 pages. Depending on the topic this can be shorter. Refer to your Chair for guidance.
Theoretical or Conceptual Framework Comment by Northcentral University: Select the heading that reflects whether you are using a theoretical or conceptual framework, but do not keep both words in the title. For PhD – Theoretical Framework, for applied doctorate Conceptual Framework.
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Checklist:
☐ Describe the guiding theoretical/conceptual framework of the study, including the definitions of all the concepts, an explanation of the relationships among the concepts, and a presentation of all the assumptions and propositions.
☐ Explain the origin and development of the framework. Demonstrate detailed knowledge of and familiarity with both the historical and the current literature on the framework.
☐ Identify existing research studies that used this framework in a similar way. Mention alternative frameworks, with a justification of why the selected framework was chosen.
☐ Describe how and why the selected framework relates to the present study and how it guided the development of the problem statement, purpose statement, and research questions.
Subtopic Comment by Northcentral University: Replace “Subtopic” with an idea from the integrative critical review of the literature. Repeat this process until each idea is included.
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Level 3 Heading Comment by Northcentral University: The level 3 heading is flush left, bolded, and italicized. The title should be in tile case, and the text begins as a new paragraph after the heading. Apply additional level 3 headings using the Heading 3 style options under the Styles gallery. Use APA’s Headings guide to assist with proper header formatting. Comment by Northcentral University: If additional subheadings are needed, use this format per APA guidelines.
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Level 4 Heading. Text… Comment by Northcentral University: The level 4 heading is indented and bolded. The title should be in tile case, and the title ends with a period. The text begins directly after the heading in normal paragraph format. Apply additional level 4 headings using the Heading 4 style option in the Styles gallery. Use APA’s Headings guide to assist with proper header formatting.
Checklist:
☐ Critically analyze (i.e., note the strengths and weaknesses) and synthesize (i.e., integrate) the existing research. Rather than reporting on each study independently, describe everything known on the topic by reviewing the entire body of work.
☐ Present a balanced integrative critical review of the literature, ensuring all points of view are included. Cover all the important issues with a discussion of areas of convergence (i.e., agreement) and divergence (i.e., disagreement). Provide potential explanations for areas of divergence. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Use the Academic Success Center’s Synthesis and Analysis guide that has several resources, including a synthesis matrix to assist with this section.
☐ Address issues of authority, audience, and/or bias/point of view in the sources used.
Summary Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: In essence, the summary is the “take-home” message of the integrative critical review of the literature with a specific emphasis on how the literature supports the need for your study.
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Checklist:
☐ Briefly restate the key points discussed in the chapter. Review the headings and/or table of contents to ensure all key points are covered.
☐ Highlight areas of convergence and divergence as well as gaps in the literature that support the need for the study. This discussion should logically lead to Chapter 3, where the research methodology and design will be discussed.
Chapter 3: Research Method
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Checklist:
☐ Begin with an introduction and restatement of the problem and purpose sentences verbatim. Comment by Northcentral University: You can copy and paste from your Chapter 1.
☐ Provide a brief overview of the contents of this chapter, including a statement that identifies the research methodology and design.
Research Methodology and Design Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: The Academic Success Center has a weekly group session on Writing Research Design. Learn more about this session and find the link to register here.
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Checklist:
☐ Describe the research methodology and design. Elaborate upon their appropriateness in relation to the study problem, purpose, and research questions.
☐ Identify alternative methodologies and designs and indicate why they were determined to be less appropriate than the ones selected. Do not simply list and describe research methodologies and designs in general.
Population and Sample Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Depending on the study design, the population might include but not be limited to a group of people, a set of organizations, documents, or archived data.
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Checklist:
☐ Describe the population, including the estimated size and relevant characteristics.
☐ Explain why the population is appropriate, given the study problem, purpose, and research questions.
☐ Describe the sample that will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) obtained.
☐ Explain why the sample is appropriate, given the study problem, purpose, and research questions.
☐ Explain the type of sampling used and why it is appropriate for the dissertation proposal methodology and design. For qualitative studies, evidence must be presented that saturation will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) reached. For quantitative studies, a power analysis must be reported to include the parameters (e.g., effect size, alpha, beta, and number of groups) included, and evidence must be presented that the minimum required sample size will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) reached.
☐ Describe how the participants will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) recruited (e.g., email lists from professional organizations, flyers) and/or the data will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) obtained (e.g., archived data, public records) with sufficient detail so the study could be replicated. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Many qualitative and mixed methods studies require multiple sources of data. Describe how the data will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) obtained from each source.
Materials or Instrumentation Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: In quantitative studies, the development of a new instrument is discouraged due to the time and skills required to create a valid and reliable instrument. A thorough and extensive search of the literature should be done to locate an appropriate psychometrically sound instrument. However, if such an instrument is not located after a thorough search, and you plan to develop a new instrument, consult survey item and instrument development resources and plan piloting and validation procedures. Describe the development process in detail and provide evidence of the instrument’s validity and reliability. Include the final instrument developed based on those findings. The evidence of validity and reliability should be reported in Chapter 4.In qualitative studies, using a newly developed interview protocol based on the literature is more common and acceptable. Describe the development process in detail followed by the field testing processes used and subsequent modification made. Comment by Northcentral University: Select the heading that reflects which of the two you will be doing.
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Checklist:
☐ Describe the instruments (e.g., tests, questionnaires, observation protocols) that will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) used, including information on their origin and evidence of their reliability and validity. OR as applicable, describe the materials to be used (e.g., lesson plans for interventions, webinars, or archived data, etc.).
☐ Describe in detail any field testing or pilot testing of instruments to include their results and any subsequent modifications. Comment by Northcentral University: Verify with the IRB whether permission is needed or a pilot application needs to be completed. Locate IRB resources here.
☐ If instruments or materials are used that were developed by another researcher, include evidence in the appendix that permission was granted to use the instrument(s) and/or material(s) and refer to that fact and the appendix in this section.
Operational Definitions of Variables Comment by Northcentral University: Include this section in quantitative/mixed methods studies only. Comment by Northcentral University: Operational definitions are distinct from the conceptual definitions provided in the Definition of Terms section. Specifically, operational definitions indicate how the variables will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) measured. Comment by Northcentral University: A paragraph is not required to introduce the operational definitions; a single sentence introducing this section is sufficient.
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XXX Comment by Northcentral University: Replace “XXX” with the first study variable. Repeat this process for all the study variables. Maintain Level 3 heading formatting for each variable.
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Checklist:
☐ For quantitative and mixed methods studies, identify how each variable will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) used in the study. Use terminology appropriate for the selected statistical test (e.g., independent/dependent, predictor/criterion, mediator, moderator).
☐ Base the operational definitions on published research and valid and reliable instruments.
☐ Identify the specific instrument that will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) used to measure each variable.
☐ Describe the level of measurement of each variable (e.g., nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio), potential scores for each variable (e.g., the range [0–100] or levels [low, medium, high]), and data sources. If appropriate, identify what specific scores (e.g., subscale scores, total scores) will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) included in the analysis and how they will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) derived (e.g., calculating the sum, difference, average).
Study Procedures
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Checklist:
☐ Describe the exact steps that will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) followed to collect the data, addressing what data as well as how, when, from where, and from whom those data will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) collected in enough detail the study can be replicated.
Data Analysis Comment by Northcentral University: The Academic Success Center has a weekly group session on both Writing Quantitative and Writing Qualitative Analysis. Learn more about these sessions and find the link to register here.
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Checklist:
☐ Describe the strategies that will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) used to code and/or analyze the data, and any software that will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) used.
☐ Ensure the data that will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) analyzed can be used to answer the research questions and/or test the hypotheses with the ultimate goal of addressing the identified problem.
☐ Use proper terminology in association with each design/analysis (e.g., independent variable and dependent variable for an experimental design, predictor and criterion variables for regression).
☐ For quantitative studies, describe the analysis that will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) used to test each hypothesis. Provide evidence the statistical test chosen is appropriate to test the hypotheses and the data meet the assumptions of the statistical tests.
☐ For qualitative studies, describe how the data will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) processed and analyzed, including any triangulation efforts. Explain the role of the researcher.
☐ For mixed methods studies, include all of the above.
Assumptions Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Assumptions, limitations, and delimitations are related but distinct concepts. For additional information, click here.
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Checklist:
☐ Discuss the assumptions along with the corresponding rationale underlying them.
Limitations Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: The study limitations will be revisited in Chapter 5.
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Checklist:
☐ Describe the study limitations.
☐ Discuss the measures taken to mitigate these limitations.
Delimitations Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Limited time and resources are not considered to be limitations or delimitations, as all studies are limited by these factors.
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Checklist:
☐ Describe the study delimitations along with the corresponding rationale underlying them. An example of delimitations are the conditions and parameters set intentionally by the researcher or by selection of the population and sample.
☐ Explain how these research decisions relate to the existing literature and theoretical/conceptual framework, problem statement, purpose statement, and research questions.
Ethical Assurances Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: When research involves human subjects, certain ethical issues can occur. They include but are not limited to protection from harm, informed consent, right to privacy, and honesty with professional colleagues.
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Checklist:
☐ Confirm in a statement the study will (proposal) or did (manuscript) receive approval from Northcentral University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to data collection.
☐ If the risk to participants is greater than minimal, discuss the relevant ethical issues and how they will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) addressed. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: For guidance on ethical considerations in human subjects research, click here.
☐ Describe how confidentiality or anonymity will be (proposal) or was (manuscript) achieved.
☐ Identify how the data will be (proposal) or were (manuscript) securely stored in accordance with IRB requirements.
☐ 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 (proposal) or were (manuscript) used to prevent these biases and experiences from influencing the analysis or findings.
☐ In the dissertation manuscript only, include the IRB approval letter in an appendix.
Summary
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Checklist:
☐ Summarize the key points presented in the chapter.
☐ Logically lead the reader to the next chapter on the findings of the study.
Chapter 4: Findings
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Checklist:
☐ Begin with an introduction and restatement of the problem and purpose sentences verbatim and the organization of the chapter.
☐ Organize the entire chapter around the research questions/hypotheses. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Review peer-reviewed research articles to locate examples of how to report results generated using the research design used in your study.
XXX of the Data Comment by Northcentral University: Replace “XXX” with “Trustworthiness” for a qualitative study or “Validity and Reliability” for a quantitative study. For mixed methods studies, replace “XXX” with “Trustworthiness/Validity and Reliability.”.
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Checklist:
☐ For qualitative studies, clearly identify the means by which the trustworthiness of the data was established. Discuss credibility (e.g., triangulation, member checks), transferability (e.g., the extent to which the findings are generalizable to other situations), dependability (e.g., an in-depth description of the methodology and design to allow the study to be repeated), and confirmability (e.g., the steps to ensure the data and findings are not due to participant and/or researcher bias).
☐ For quantitative studies, explain the extent to which the data meet the assumptions of the statistical test and identify any potential factors that might impact the interpretation of the findings. Provide evidence of the psychometric soundness (i.e., adequate validity and reliability) of the instruments from the literature as well as in this study (as appropriate). Do not merely list and describe all the measures of validity and reliability.
☐ Mixed methods studies should include discussions of the trustworthiness of the data as well as validity and reliability.
Results Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Present sufficient information so the reader can make an independent judgment regarding the interpretation of the findings.
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Checklist:
☐ Briefly discuss the overall study. Organize the presentation of the results by the research questions/hypotheses.
☐ Objectively report the results of the analysis without discussion, interpretation, or speculation.
☐ Provide an overview of the demographic information collected. It can be presented in a table. Ensure no potentially identifying information is reported.
Research Question 1/Hypothesis Comment by Northcentral University: Repeat this process for each research question.
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☐ Report all the results (without discussion) salient to the research question/hypothesis. Identify common themes or patterns.
☐Use tables and/or figures to report the results as appropriate. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Tables and figures should not be included on the same page. If you introduce a table or figure in the middle of the page and there is not enough room to include the entire table or figure on the page, it must be placed on the next page. Perform a hard right return (hold down the shift key while hitting the return key) and begin the table on the next page. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Tables and figures should be placed with the corresponding research question. The formatting of tables varies, depending on the statistical test. Follow APA formatting requirements for tables, titles, figures, and captions. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Tables and figures must be referenced in the text. Please refer to APA guidelines regarding when and how to use tables and figures. Do not fully describe data in the text and also present them in a table.
☐ For quantitative studies, report any additional descriptive information as appropriate. Identify the assumptions of the statistical test and explain how the extent to which the data met these assumptions was tested. Report any violations and describe how they were managed as appropriate. Make decisions based on the results of the statistical analysis. Include relevant test statistics, p values, and effect sizes in accordance with APA requirements.
☐ For qualitative studies, describe the steps taken to analyze the data to explain how the themes and categories were generated. Include thick descriptions of the participants’ experiences. Provide a comprehensive and coherent reconstruction of the information obtained from all the participants. Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Review published articles that used the same design for examples of how to present qualitative, thematic findings.
☐ For mixed methods studies, include all of the above.
Evaluation of the Findings Comment by Northcentral University: The Academic Success Center has a weekly group session on both Writing Quantitative and Writing Qualitative Analysis. Learn more about these sessions and find the link to register here.
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Checklist:
☐ Interpret the results in light of the existing research and theoretical or conceptual framework (as discussed in Chapters 1 and 2). Briefly indicate the extent to which the results were consistent with existing research and theory.
☐ Organize this discussion by research question/hypothesis.
☐ Do not draw conclusions beyond what can be interpreted directly from the results.
☐ Devote approximately one to two pages to this section.
Summary
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Checklist:
☐ Summarize the key points presented in the chapter.
Chapter 5: Implications, Recommendations, and Conclusions Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: A common tendency is to rush through Chapter 5 and fail to develop ideas fully. Take time to remember why the study was important in the first place and ensure Chapter 5 demonstrates and reflects the depth and importance of the study. Refer back to the study problem and significance and consider what professional and academic organizations might be interested in your research findings. As you complete Chapter 5, seek out avenues to present and publish your research.
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Checklist:
☐ Begin with an introduction and restatement of the problem and purpose sentences verbatim, and a brief review of methodology, design, results, and limitations.
☐ Conclude with a brief overview of the chapter.
Implications
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Checklist:
☐ Organize the discussion around each research question and (when appropriate) hypothesis individually. Support all the conclusions with one or more findings from the study.
☐ Discuss any factors that might have influenced the interpretation of the results.
☐ Present the results in the context of the study by describing the extent to which they address the study problem and purpose and contribute to the existing literature and framework described in Chapter 2.
☐ Describe the extent to which the results are consistent with existing research and theory and provide potential explanations for unexpected or divergent results.
☐ Identify the most significant implications and consequences of the dissertation (whether positive and/or negative) to society/desired societal outcomes and distinguish probable from improbable implications.
Research Question 1/Hypothesis Comment by Northcentral University: Repeat this process for each research question.
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Recommendations for Practice
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Checklist:
☐ Discuss recommendations for how the findings of the study can be applied to practice and/or theory. Support all the recommendations with at least one finding from the study and frame them in the literature from Chapter 2.
☐ Do not overstate the applicability of the findings.
Recommendations for Future Research
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Checklist:
☐ Based on the framework, findings, and implications, explain what future researchers might do to learn from and build upon this study. Justify these explanations.
☐ Discuss how future researchers can improve upon this study, given its limitations.
☐ Explain what the next logical step is in this line of research.
Conclusions
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Checklist:
☐ Provide a strong, concise conclusion to include a summary of the study, the problem addressed, and the importance of the study.
☐ Present the “take-home message” of the entire study.
☐ Emphasize what the results of the study mean with respect to previous research and either theory (PhD studies) or practice (applied studies).
References Comment by Northcentral University: Tip: Create your reference list as you develop each section. As each citation is included in the paper, insert the reference in this section.Use the level 1 heading for the References title. If using a citation software, ensure all information is included and properly formatted. Although such programs can be helpful, they are not always correct. Comment by Northcentral University: For each reference listed, there must be at least one corresponding citation within the body of the text and vice versa. The References should be alphabetized by the last name of the first author.Note. Academic Writer, an APA Style resource provided to NCU students, has over 150 sample references. Learn how to register for an account here.
Reference 1
Reference 2
Author, A., & Author, B. (year). Article title. Journal title, X(X), xxx-xxx.
https://doi.org/xxxxx
Appendix A
XXX Comment by Northcentral University: Each appendix referenced in the text should appear in this section at the end of the manuscript. Appendices should be listed in the order referenced in the text.Remember to include each appendix in your Table of Contents. Apply the level 1 heading for each appendix title and the appendix name. Replace “XXX” with the appendix name.
Insert Appendix A content here… Comment by Northcentral University: Be sure to de-identify all materials so readers cannot identify participants or where data were specifically collected.
Appendix B
XXX
Insert/type Appendix n content here…