Beginning this week and extending through the rest of the course, you will work on the components that constitute your Final Project, a qualitative research plan. You will produce the Final Project in a stepwise fashion; during each week, you will work on a new step. You will receive from your classmates and Instructor feedback on each step that you will incorporate into the final document.

The intent of this project is to develop knowledge and practice skills that will prepare you for developing a qualitative capstone proposal. In fact, most of the Assignments closely parallel the requirements for a qualitative research proposal as described in the qualitative checklist.

Note: Be sure to watch the “Final Project Guidelines” video included in this week’s Learning Resources in preparation for Final Project Step I.

ASSIGNMENT 

The Final Project is composed of six steps. These are presented in the video, and the instructions for each step are described in detail in the week each occurs.

Step I: Revising the problem/purpose statement and choosing the approach (Week 5)
Step II: Developing an interview guide, invitation, and data collection protocol (Weeks 6 and 7)
Step III: Conducting the interviews, taking notes, and journaling (Week 8)
Step IV: Transcribing and organizing data and peer debrief (Week 9)
Step V: Considerations for qualitative analysis, including analysis plan, coding strategies, and software choices (Week 10)
Step VI: Final submission and reflection (Week 11)

In Week 5, you will complete Step I of the Final Project. To complete Step I, do the following:

To prepare for this Assignment:

• Review your Workshop thread, paying particular attention to feedback you collected during Weeks 1–5 on your problem statement, purpose, research question, and approach.
• Review the qualitative checklist.
• Review the Final Project Rubric.

ONLY STEP 1 IS DUE ON THURSDAY APRIL 1ST. 

FOR THE FOLLOWING STEPS I WILLR EFER BACK TO THIS PPOST ! 

11

Comment

by

Laureate Online Education: When working with the template, be sure to have the formatting marks showing so that you can see where the character spaces, paragraph returns, and page and section breaks are. It is important when typing in your own text that you do not delete or copy over any of the breaks (page breaks or section breaks) that are set in the template. This is important because it affects the page numbering, which is set up in the template per guidelines. Removing template breaks will throw off the correct pagination.
In Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010, click on the Home tab, then in the Paragraph area, click on the Show/Hide icon ¶. In Word 2003, click on the Show/Hide icon ¶ on the standard toolbar.

Abstract

[Project Title] Comment by Laureate Online Education: Double space the title if it goes over one line.

by

[your official name]

MA, [university], 20XX Comment by Laureate Online Education: This information is optional.

BS, [university], 20XX

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

Comment by Laureate Online Education: Use this template for the proposal, too. In place of Project, type Proposal.

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

[name of program]

Walden University

[last month of quarter you plan to graduate] 20XX

Abstract

Insert abstract here; it should be no more than one page. Abstract text must be double-spaced with no paragraph breaks. Describe the overall research problem being addressed in the first couple of sentences and indicate why it is important (e.g., who would care if the problem is solved). You can include a general introduction of the issue in the first sentence, but you need to move to a clear statement of the research problem being addressed. Identify the purpose and theoretical foundations, if appropriate, summarize the key research question(s), and briefly describe the overall research design, methods and data analytic procedures. Conclude with a (a) statement of reflection on what was learned and (b) statement on the implications for positive social change. Here are some form and style tips: (a) limit the abstract to one typed page; (b) maintain the scholarly language used throughout the Project; (c) keep the abstract concise, accurate, and readable; (d) use correct English; (e) ensure each sentence adds value to the reader’s understanding of the research; and (f) use the full name of any acronym and include the acronym in parentheses. Do not include references or citations in the abstract. Per APA style, unless at the start of a sentence, use numerals in the abstract, not written out numbers. For more guidance on writing this paragraph, consult the Abstract Primer (available at

http://researchcenter.waldenu.edu

/).

[Project Title] Comment by Laureate Online Education: This title page is exactly the same as the Abstract title page, without the word Abstract at the top.

by
[your official name]

MA, [university], 20XX Comment by Laureate Online Education: This information is optional. If you left it off the abstract title page, leave it off here, too.

BS, [university], 20XX Comment by Laureate Online Education: To delete these comment balloons, have your cursor in the balloon, right click, and choose Delete Comment.

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
[name of program]

Walden University
[last month of quarter you plan to graduate] 20XX

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study (Level 0 Heading)

1

Background
Research Problem
Purpose Statement
Research Questions
Conceptual or Theoretical Framework

Chapter
2
: Research
Plan

4

Research Design
Role of the Researcher
Participant Selection
Instrumentation
Procedures for Data Collection 4
Data Analysis Plan
Issues of Trustworthiness

Chapter
3: Summary and Reflections

5

Introduction
Reflection on Social Change
Reflection on Course Learning
Next Steps5

Use this table of contents (TOC) as an example of what one looks like. When it comes time for creating your own TOC, RIGHT CLICK anywhere in the Table of Contents, select UPDATE FIELD, then select UPDATE ENTIRE TABLE or UPDATE PAGE NUMBERS ONLY, and click OK.
The table of contents will be generated using the style tags from the template; you will also be able to automatically update the TOC, both added headings and page numbers.

List of Tables
Table 1
.
A Sample Table Showing Correct Formatting

5

When you update the list of tables, the table number and title will come in without a period between them; you will need to manually add that period after all table numbers, as shown for Table 1. In addition, the title will retain the italics from the narrative when the List of Tables is updated. Once your list is finalized, select the entire list and change it all plain type.

List of Figures
Figure 1. Figure caption goes here xx
The List of Figures is not set up to automatically update. If you have figures in your document, type them in manually here, following the example above.
Alternately, follow these instructions, which will allow automatic updating of the List of Figures.
1. Use the cursor to highlight the figure number and caption where they appear in the narrative chapters. (Figure 1. Figure caption.)
1. Press Shift + Alt + the letter o). In the Mark Table of Contents Entry that comes up, you will see the figure information that you highlighted in the Entry box. Put A in the Table Identifier box. Put 1 in the Level box. Do not close the Mark Table of Contents Entry box. Work can be done while it is open.
1. Continue to follow this protocol for all figures. You will see parenthetical entry field coding beside each figure caption when you have the formatting showing.
1. Close Mark Table of Contents Entry box.
1. Place your cursor on the List of Figures page in the TOC.
1. Open the References tab.
1. Left click Insert Tables of Figures.
1. In the Table of Figures box that comes up, put a check in the “Show page numbers” and “Right align page numbers boxes.” Remove the check from the hyperlink box. Put dot leaders in the Tab leader box. Under General, format is “from template.” Caption label is “Figure.” Put a check in the “Include label and number” box.
1. Go to Options. Remove check from “style” box. Put a check in the “Table entry fields” box. Put A in the Table identifier box. Click OK. Click OK again on initial Table of Figures box.
1. The figures will appear on the List of Figures page. You may have to reformat the spacing and font. If the captions themselves change in the narrative, this whole process must be repeated. If only the page numbers change, do this:
1. Left click to place the cursor anywhere on the figures mentioned on the List of Figures page.
1.  Right click “Update field.”
1. Place bullet in circle for option to update page numbers only.
1. Left click OK.
1. The page numbers will update automatically.

vii

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study (Level 0 Heading) Comment by Laureate Online Education: This heading is tagged with the style Level 0.
Level 1 Heading
Begin text here.
APA Level 2 Heading Comment by Laureate Online Education: This heading is tagged with the style APA Level 2. If you click on the title, you will see that style appear in the style list on the formatting toolbar. When you add more Level 2 headings, type them in title case and apply the style to the new title.
Place your text here; when placing your cursor on this text, you will see in the style menu that this paragraph is tagged “Body Text.” That means it will automatically appear double-spaced with the first line indented, per Walden style. The sixth edition of the APA manual advises two character spaces between sentences. Walden accepts either one or two spaces; either is acceptable, just be consistent. The text in this template has one character space between sentences.
You can find the style menu in Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010 by clicking on the Home tab on the standard toolbar; Styles is one of the choices you will see. Click on the arrow icon on the right side of the Styles bar, and the drop-down menu of styles will appear. In Word 2003, look in the upper left corner of your screen, on the formatting toolbar, for the drop-down style menu.
To apply this template’s formatting to the text of your paper, simply highlight the paragraph(s) or heading you want to format, and choose the appropriate tag from the style menu. The list of style tags includes all levels of headings, block quotes, table and figure captions, references, and body text.
APA level 3 heading. Text begins here. Comment by Laureate Online Education: This heading level is not listed in the Table of Contents so there is no style tag associated with it. To apply the correct style to this heading, indent it 0.5 in., use sentence case, and bold type. The heading ends with a period, and the text follows the period, on the same line as the heading title.

APA level 4 heading
. Text begins here. The following is an example of a block quote: Comment by Laureate Online Education: To apply the correct style to this heading, indent it 0.5 in., use sentence case and bold, italic type. The heading ends with a period, and the text follows the period, on the same line as the heading title.
This is an example of a block quote. Now is the time to do the work that needs to be done. This is an example of a block quote. Now is the time to do the work that needs to be done. This is an example of a block quote. Now is the time to do the work that needs to be done. This is an example of a block quote. Now is the time to do the work that needs to be done. (Author, date, p. #)
If you make a mistake and something changes that you did not want to change, in Word 2007 or 2010, either type Ctrl (Control key) z or, on the Quick Access toolbar, next to Save, click on the arrow icon for Undo. In Word 2003, go to Edit, Undo Typing.
As you continue to develop your proposal and Project in this template, use the instructions in Comments 9 to11 to add new headings and new text.
For guidance on the content of sections of a proposal or Project, go to the Center for Research Quality website and look under the Project Evaluation Tools documents, then choose the appropriate checklist, which outlines the contents of each chapter of the Project.
For guidance on APA style rules, go to the Writing Center website, or consult the Form and Style sections of the Proposal and Project Guidebook at http://catalog.waldenu.edu/index.php or on the Center for Research Quality website.

Chapter 2: Literature Review
First Heading
Insert the text of your literature review here. Report the literature in past tense, as in Jones (2003) argued, not Jones (2003) argues. Refer to the rubric for guidance on the content of sections in this chapter.
Here are some additional tips for presenting data in vertical list form.
1. In the body of your paper, use this format when presenting information as a vertical list. Comment by Laureate Online Education: This example of a numbered list uses Word’s automatic list numbering feature.
2. When the order of the items in the list is important, use a numbered list. Use a bulleted vertical list when you do not need to indicate a certain order or chronology.
· This is an example of a bulleted list.
· It follows the same format as for a numbered list, with the bullet point indented the same as a paragraph indent.

Chapter 3: Research Method
First Heading
Discuss your research method here. Refer to the rubric for guidance on the content of sections in this chapter.

Chapter 4: Results
First Heading
Present your results here. Refer to the rubric for guidance on the content of sections in this chapter.
This is an example of a table in APA style (see Table 1).
Table 1
A Sample Table Showing Correct Formatting Comment by Laureate Online Education: The left-facing arrow (make sure you have the formatting marks showing so you can see this) after the table number is a formatting mark that shows when you hit Shift, Enter rather than just Enter to get to the next line. It is important to hit Shift, Enter after typing the table number so that the formatting of both number and title will be correct and can be brought into the TOC. Comment by Laureate Online Education: Font size of a table can be smaller than body text, but no smaller than 8 pt. You may change the font to a sans serif font such as Arial if you wish.
The table number has a style tag (Table Title) as does the table title (Table title + italic). After you type the table number, assign it the Table Title style, then, instead of hitting the Enter key to get to the next line, hit Shift, Enter. Then type the table caption and assign it the Table Title style tag, then italics.
In APA style, tables have no vertical lines.

Column A

Column B

Column C

Column D

Row 1

Row 2

Row 3

Row 4

Note. From “Attitudes Toward Project Editors,” by W. Student, 2008, Journal of Academic Optimism, 98, p. 11. Reprinted with permission. Comment by Laureate Online Education: The Note cites the source of data that aren’t original to your study. You MUST obtain permission to reprint information that is not in the public domain. Include letters of permission in an appendix.

This is an example of a figure labeled per APA style. Note that the label is placed under the figure itself. As with tables, refer to the figure by number in the narrative text preceding the placement of the figure (see Figure 1).
[place figure here]

Figure 1. This is a sample of a figure caption.
Follow these instructions to allow figure number and caption to update in the List of Figures.
1. Use the cursor to highlight the figure number and caption. (Figure 1. Text.)
2. Press Shift + Alt + the letter o). In the Mark Table of Contents Entry that comes up, you will see the figure information that you highlighted in the Entry box. Put A in the Table Identifier box. Put 1 in the Level box. Do not close the Mark Table of Contents Entry box. Work can be done while it is open.
3. Continue to follow this protocol for all figures. You will see parenthetical entry field coding beside each figure caption.
4. Close Mark Table of Contents Entry box.
5. Place your cursor on the List of Figures page in the TOC.
6. Open the References tab.
7. Left click Insert Tables of Figures.
8. In the Table of Figures box that comes up, put a check in the “Show page numbers” and “Right align page numbers boxes.” Remove the check from the hyperlink box. Put dot leaders in the Tab leader box. Under General, format is “from template.” Caption label is “Figure.” Put a check in the “Include label and number” box.
9. Go to Options. Remove check from “style” box. Put a check in the “Table entry fields” box. Put A in the Table identifier box. Click OK. Click OK again on initial Table of Figures box.
10. The figures will appear on the List of Tables page. You may have to reformat the spacing and font. If the captions themselves change, this whole process must be repeated. If only the page numbers change, do this:
a. Left click to place the cursor anywhere on the figures mentioned on the List of Figures page.
b.  Right click “Update field.”
c. Place bullet in circle for option to update page numbers only.
d. Left click OK.
e. The page numbers will update automatically.

Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations
First Heading
Insert summary, conclusions, and recommendations here. Refer to the rubric for guidance on the content of sections in this chapter.

References
Insert References here. Examples of some common types of references follow; see APA 6.22 and Chapter 7 for more details.
These sample entries are tagged with the “APA Reference” style tag, which means the line spacing and hanging indent are automatic. Apply the “APA Reference” style tag to your entries.
Pay special attention to italics, capitalization, and punctuation. The style tag does not govern those aspects of the entry.
Periodical (journal)
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (1994). Title of article. Title of Periodical, xx(x), xxx-xxx.
Online periodical (journal)
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (1994). Title of article. Title of Periodical, xx(x), xxx-xxx. doi: xxxxxx
Nonperiodical (book)
Author, A. A. (1994). Title of work. City of Publication, ST: Publisher.
Chapter in a book
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (1994). Title of chapter. In A. Editor, B. Editor, & C. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xxx-xxx). City, ST: Publisher.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition, Chapter 7, includes numerous examples of reference list entries. For more information on references or APA style, consult the APA website or the Walden Writing Center website.

Appendix A: Title of Appendix
Insert appendix here. Appendices are ordered with letters rather than numbers.
The appendices must adhere to the same margin specifications as the body of the Project. Photocopied or previously printed material may have to be shifted on the page or reduced in size to fit within the area bounded by the margins.
If the only thing in an appendix is a table, the table title serves as the title of the appendix; no label is needed for the table itself. If you have text in addition to a table or tables in an appendix, label the table with the letter of the appendix (e.g., Table A1, Table A2, Table B1, and so on). These tables would be listed in the List of Tables at the end of the Table of Contents.
If you include in an appendix any prepublished materials that are not in the public domain, you must also include permission to do so.

Curriculum Vitae
Include a copy of your curriculum vitae—your academic resume—here. The CV may be done in either basic outline form or full-sentence form. The CV must conform to the margin specifications of the rest of the document, be included in the pagination, and be listed in the TOC.

Congratulations! This is the end of your Project! Be sure to delete this text!

i

Abstract

[
Project

Title]

by

[your official name]

MA
, [university],
20
X
X

BS
, [university], 20
X
X

Project

Submitted in Partial
Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

[name of
program
]

Walden University

[last month of quarter you plan to graduate]
20
X
X

i

Abstract
[Project Title]
by
[your official name]

MA, [university], 20XX
BS, [university], 20XX

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
[name of program]

Walden University
[last month of quarter you plan to graduate] 20XX

Qualitative Dissertation Checklist

· The following provides guidance for reporting on qualitative studies.

· All items may not be relevant to your particular study; please consult with your chair for guidance.

· The checklist items may not necessarily be in the order that works best for your dissertation. Please consult with your committee; however, the checklist should work well in the absence of other considerations.

· Instructions for Students:

· Indicate on the checklist the page number (use the actual document page number, not the MS Word pagination) where the appropriate indicator is located.

· Respond to comments from the chair and/or URR comments in the comment history box. Do not delete previous comments(just add your response and use some means to clearly identify your remarks (different font/bold/italics/color).

· Instructions for the chair and/or URR

· Provide specific feedback in the comment history column. Do not delete previous comments(just add your response and use some means to clearly identify your remarks (different font/bold/italics/color).

· If you made detailed comments on the draft (using track changes and comments), you can make reference to the draft rather than restate everything in the checklist comment history section.

Date: (click here and type today’s date ()      

Student’s Name:      

Student ID (for office use only) —      

School: (click here and pull down to select school name () FORMDROPDOWN

Committee Members’ Names:

Chairperson      

Member      

University Research Reviewer      

Front Matter

Checklist Items

Comment History

Title [Insert Dissertation Title]

Most important conceptual issue investigated.

Qualitative tradition applied.

Participant group to which the study applies.

Abstract

Describe the research problem and why it is important.

Identify the purpose of the study.

State the theoretical foundations and/or conceptual frameworks, as appropriate.

Summarize the key research question(s).

Describe, concisely, the overall research design, methods, and data analysis procedures.

Identify key results, conclusions, and recommendations that capture the heart of the research (for the final study only).

Conclude with a statement on the implications for positive social change.

Checklist Items

Comment History

Chapter 1
Pg/NA
				Introduction
Describe the topic of the study, why the study needs to be conducted, and the potential social implications of the study.
	Preview major sections of the chapter.
Background
Briefly summarize research literature related to the scope of the study topic.
Describe a gap in knowledge in the discipline that the study will address.
End the section on why the study is needed.
Problem Statement
State the research problem.
Provide evidence of consensus that the problem is current, relevant, and significant to the discipline.
Frame the problem in a way that builds upon or counters previous research findings focusing primarily on research conducted in the last 5 years.
Address a meaningful gap in the current research literature.
Purpose of the study Provide a concise statement that serves as the connection between the problem being addressed and the focus of the study and contains:
The research paradigm.
The intent of the study (such as describe, compare, explore, develop, etc).
The concept/phenomenon of interest.
Research question(s)
State the research questions.
Theoretical and / or Conceptual Framework for the Study (Studies must include either a theoretical foundation or a conceptual framework section (studies may include both))
Theoretical Foundation
Identify the theory or theories and provide the origin or source.
State concisely the major theoretical propositions and/or major hypotheses with a reference to more detailed explanation in chapter 2.
Explain how the theory relates to the study approach and research questions.
Conceptual Framework This applies to qualitative and some epidemiological studies (as well as some other quantitative studies)
Identify and define the concept/phenomenon that grounds the study.
Describe concisely the conceptual framework (for qualitative studies, the contextual lens; for quantitative studies, description of the body of research that supports the need for the study) as derived from the literature with more detailed analysis in chapter 2.
State the logical connections among key elements of the framework with a reference to a more thorough explanation in chapter 2.
State how the framework relates to the study approach and key research questions as well as instrument development and data analysis where appropriate.
Nature of the study
Provide a concise rationale for selection of the design/tradition.
Briefly describe the key concept and / or phenomenon being investigated.
Briefly summarize the methodology (from whom and how data are collected and how data will be analyzed).
Definitions
Provide concise definitions of key concepts or constructs.
Define terms used in the study that have multiple meanings (e.g., socioeconomic status, educator, health service professional, etc.). Do not include common terms or terms that can easily be looked up in a dictionary
Include citations that identify support in the professional literature for the definition or operational definition.
Assumptions
Clarify aspects of the study that are believed but cannot be demonstrated to be true. Include only those assumptions that are critical to the meaningfulness of the study
Describe the reasons why the assumption(s) was/were necessary in the context of the study.

Scope and Delimitations

Describe specific aspects of the research problem that are addressed in the study and why the specific focus was chosen.

Define the boundaries of the study by identifying populations included and excluded and theories/conceptual frameworks most related to the area of study that were not investigated.

Address potential transferability.

Limitations

Describe limitations of the study related to design and / or methodological weaknesses (including issues related to limitations of transferability and dependability).

Describe any biases that could influence study outcomes and how they are addressed.

Describe reasonable measures to address limitations .

Significance

Identify potential contributions of the study that advance knowledge in the discipline. This is an elaboration of what the problem addresses.

Identify potential contributions of the study that advance practice and/or policy (as applicable).

Describe potential implications for positive social change that are consistent with and bounded by the scope of the study.

		Summary
Summarize main points of the chapter.
Provide transition to chapter 2.

Checklist Items

Comment History

Introduction

Preview major sections of the chapter.

CHAPTER 2
			Pg /NA
Restate the problem and the purpose.
Provide a concise synopsis of the current literature that establishes the relevance of the problem.
Literature Search Strategy
List accessed library databases and search engines used.
List key search terms and combinations of search terms (with more detailed search terms located in an appendix if appropriate).
Describe the iterative search process by explaining what terms were used in what database to identify germane scholarship.
In cases where there is little current research, and few(if any) dissertations and/or conference proceedings, describe how this was handled.

Theoretical Foundation (as appropriate)

Name the theory or theories.

Provide origin or source of the theory.

Describe major theoretical propositions and/or major hypotheses, including delineation of any assumptions appropriate to the application of the theory.

Provide a literature and research based analysis of how the theory has been applied previously in ways similar to the current study.

Provide the rationale for the choice of this theory.

Describe how and why the selected theory relates to the present study and how the research questions relate to, challenge, or build upon existing theory.

Conceptual Framework (As appropriate)

Identify and define the concept/phenomenon.

Synthesize primary writings by key theorists, philosophers, and / or seminal researchers related to the concept or phenomenon.

Provide key statements and definitions inherent in the framework.

Describe how the concept or phenomenon has been applied and articulated in previous research and how the current study benefits from this framework.

Literature Review Related to Key Variables and/or Concepts Provide an exhaustive review of the current literature that includes the following information:

Describe studies related to the constructs of interest and chosen methodology and methods that are consistent with the scope of the study.

Describe ways researchers in the discipline have approached the problem and the strengths and weakness inherent in their approaches.

Justify from the literature the rationale for selection of the variables or concepts.

Review and synthesize studies related to the key concepts and/or phenomena under investigation to produce a description of what is known about them, what is controversial, and what remains to be studied.

Review and synthesize studies related to the research questions and why the approach selected is meaningful.

Summary and Conclusions

Concisely summarize major themes in the literature.

Summarize what is known as well as what is not known in the discipline related to the topic of study.

Describe how the present study fills at least one of the gaps in the literature and will extend knowledge in the discipline.

Provide transitional material to connect the gap in the literature to the methods described in chapter 3.

Checklist Items

Pg /NA

Comment History

Introduction

CHAPTER 3

Restate study purpose as described in chapter 1.

Preview major sections of the chapter.

Research Design and Rationale

Restate research questions exactly as described in chapter 1.

State and define central concept(s) / phenomenon (a) of the study.

Identify the research tradition.

Provide rationale for the chosen tradition.

Role of the Researcher

Define and explain your role as observer, participant, or observer-participant.

Reveal any personal and professional relationships researcher may have with participants, with emphasis on supervisory or instructor relationships involving power over the participants.

State how any researcher biases and / or power relationships are or will be managed.

Other ethical issues as applicable (these could include doing a study within one’s own work environment, conflict of interest or power differentials, and justification for use of incentives) and the plan for addressing these issues.

Methodology (needs to be described in sufficient depth so that other researchers can replicate the study)

Participant Selection Logic

Identify the population (if appropriate).

Identify and justify the sampling strategy.

State the criterion/a on which participant selection is based.

Establish how participants are known to meet the criterion/a.

State number of participants / cases and the rationale for that number.

Explain specific procedures for how participants will be identified, contacted, and recruited.

Describe the relationship between saturation and sample size.

Instrumentation

Identify each data collection instrument and source (observation sheet, interview protocol, focus group protocol, video-tape, audio-tape, artifacts, archived data, and other kinds of data collection instruments).

Identify source for each data collection instrument (published or researcher produced).

If historical or legal documents are used as a source of data, demonstrate the reputability of the sources and justify why they represent the best source of data.

Establish sufficiency of data collection instruments to answer research questions.

For published data collection instruments

Who developed the instrument and what is the date of publication?

Where and with which participant group has it been used previously?

How appropriate is it for current study (that is, context and cultural specificity of protocols/instrumentation) and whether modifications will be or were needed?

Describe how content validity will be or was established.

Address any context- and culture-specific issues specific to the population while developing the instrument.

For researcher-developed instruments

Basis for instrument development (Literature sources, other bases (such as pilot study).

Describe how content validity will be / was established.

Establish sufficiency of data collection instruments to answer the research questions.

Procedures For Pilot Studies (as appropriate

Include all procedures for recruitment, participation, and data collection associated with the pilot study and the main study.

Describe the relationship of the pilot study to the main study (e.g., what is the purpose of the pilot study?)

Include the IRB approval number (completed dissertation).

Procedures For Recruitment, Participation, and Data Collection (for students collecting their own data)

For each data collection instrument and research question, provide details of data collection.

· From where data will be collected? · Who will collect the data? · Frequency of data collection events. · Duration of data collection events. · How data will be recorded? · Follow-up plan if recruitment results in too few participants.

Explain how participants exit the study (for example, debriefing procedures).

Describe any follow-up procedures (such as requirements to return for follow-up interviews).

Data Analysis Plan

For each type of data collected identify:

· Connection of data to a specific research question. · Type of and procedure for coding. · Any software used for analysis. · Manner of treatment of discrepant cases.

Issues of Trustworthiness

Credibility (internal validity): Describe appropriate strategies to establish credibility, such as triangulation, prolonged contact, member checks, saturation, reflexivity, and peer review.

Transferability (external validity): Describe appropriate strategies to establish transferability, such as thick description and variation in participant selection.

Dependability (the qualitative counterpart to reliability): Describe appropriate strategies to establish dependability, such as audit trails and triangulation.

Confirmability (the qualitative counterpart to objectivity): Describe appropriate strategies to establish confirmability, such as reflexivity.

Intra- and intercoder reliability (where applicable).

Ethical Procedures

Agreements to gain access to participants or data (include actual documents in the IRB application).

Describe the treatment of human participants including the following (include actual documents in the Institutional Review Board (IRB) application):

· Institutional permissions, including IRB approvals that are needed (proposal) or were obtained (for the completed dissertation, include relevant IRB approval numbers).

· Ethical concerns related to recruitment materials and processes and a plan to address them.

· Ethical concerns related to data collection/intervention activities (these could include participants refusing participation or early withdrawal from the study and response to any predicable adverse events) and a plan to address them.

Summary

Describe treatment of data (including archival data), including issues of:

· Whether data are anonymous or confidential and any concerns related to each.

· Protections for confidential data (data storage procedures, data dissemination, who will have access to the data, and when data will be destroyed).

Other ethical issues as applicable (these issues could include doing a study within one’s own work environment; conflict of interest or power differentials; and justification for use of incentives).

Summary of main points of the chapter.

Transition to chapter 4.

Checklist Items

Pg /NA

Comment History

Introduction

Chapter 4

Review briefly the purpose and research questions.

Preview chapter organization.

Pilot Study (If Applicable)

Describe the conduct of the pilot study.

Report any impact of the pilot study on the main study (for example, changes in instrumentation and /or data analysis strategies).

Setting

Describe any personal or organizational conditions that influenced participants or their experience at time of study that may influence interpretation of the study results (for example, changes in personnel, budget cuts, and other trauma).

Demographics

Present participant demographics and characteristics relevant to the study.

Data Collection

State number of participants from whom each type of data were collected.

Describe location, frequency, and duration of data collection for each data collection instrument.

Describe how the data were recorded.

Present any variations in data collection from the plan presented in chapter 3.

Present any unusual circumstances encountered in data collection.

Data Analysis

Report process used to move inductively from coded units to larger representations including categories and themes.

Describe the specific codes, categories, and themes that emerged from the data using quotations as needed to emphasize their importance.

Describe qualities of discrepant cases and how they were factored into the analysis.

Evidence of Trustworthiness

Credibility: Describe implementation of and / or adjustments to credibility strategies stated in chapter 3

Transferability: Describe implementation of and / or adjustments to transferability strategies stated in chapter 3

Dependability: Describe implementation of and / or adjustment to consistency strategies stated in chapter 3

Confirmability: Describe implementation of and / or adjustment to consistency strategies stated in chapter 3.

Results

Address each research question (chapter may be organized by research question or patterns or themes).

Present data to support each finding (quotes from transcripts, documents, etc.).

Discuss discrepant cases/ nonconfirming data as applicable.

Include tables and figures to illustrate results, as appropriate, and per the current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

Summary

Summarize answers to research questions.

Provide transition to chapter 5.

Checklist Items

Pg /NA

Comment History

Introduction

CHAPTER 5

Concisely reiterate the purpose and nature of the study and why it was conducted.

Concisely summarize key findings.

Interpretation of the Findings

Describe in what ways findings confirm, disconfirm, or extend knowledge in the discipline by comparing them with what has been found in the peer-reviewed literature described in chapter 2.

Analyze and interpret the findings in the context of the theoretical and/or conceptual framework, as appropriate. · Ensure interpretations do not exceed the data, findings, and scope.

Limitations of the Study

Describe the limitations to trustworthiness that arose from execution of the study. These should be used to revise what was written in chapter 1 for the proposal.

Recommendations

Describe recommendations for further research that are grounded in the strengths and limitations of the current study as well as the literature reviewed in chapter 2. · Ensure recommendations do not exceed study boundaries.

Implications

Positive Social Change

· Describe the potential impact for positive social change at the appropriate level (individual, family, organizational, and societal/policy).

· Ensure implications for social change do not exceed the study boundaries.

Describe methodological, theoretical, and/or empirical implications, as appropriate.

Describe recommendations for practice, as appropriate.

Conclusion

Provide a strong “take home” message that captures the key essence of the study.

Checklist Items

Comment History

APA Form and Style Check

Citations and Referencing

All citations have been crosschecked to ensure that there are corresponding references (and that there are no references that do not have associated citations).

All sources are cited correctly per APA formatting requirements (for example, studies listed in alphabetical order by first author; no first names of authors).

Grammar, Spelling, and Syntax

The paper has been thoroughly checked for grammar , spelling, and syntax errors.

For the final dissertation, the dissertation has been checked for correct verb tense representing a completed study.

Headings

Headings are used, consistent with the Walden Dissertation Template , to make sections of thought distinct.

Use of the Writing Center Template

The Writing Center Dissertation Template (APA, 6th edition) was used to construct the proposal and/or dissertation so that all formatting is correct.

I.

Abstract Title page

II. Abstract

III. Title Page

IV. Table of Contents

V. Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study

a. Background

i. Summarize literature from your prospectus, annotated bibliography and articles you found in this course that points to a gap in the research that is worthy of further study

b. Research Problem

i. State the research problem in terms of the gap in the research literature

ii. Frame the problem in terms of how further research could be of benefit

c. Purpose Statement

i. Use the template to present your statement that includes

1. Target group/individual/organization/event of interest

2. Phenomenon of interest

3. Terminology that indicates the approach to be used

d. Research Questions

e. Conceptual or Theoretical Framework

i. Present the framework that you have revised from your prospectus

VI. Chapter 2: Research Plan

a. Research Design: Choice of Approach

i. Describe the Phenomenon of Interest

ii. Description of Approach

iii. Rationale for Chosen Approach

b. Role of the Researcher

i. Reveal any personal and professional relationships you have with the participants

ii. State how biases will be managed

c. Participant Selection

i. Describe the target group of interest

ii. Describe the sampling strategy and ideal sample size (if you were to conduct this as a real study)

iii. Describe the criterion for sample selection (if you were to conduct this as a real study)

iv. Describe how participants were be contacted and invited for this effort

d. Instrumentation

i. The Interview Guide

1. Describe the basis for development (literature, theory, personal experience) of the interview questions)

2. Describe efforts to insure content validity and credibility

ii. Describe other data sources (e.g., journal, notes, video)

1. Describe how and how

e. Procedures for Data Collection.

i. Please include a narrative of

1. Where/how the data were collected

2. Duration of data collection events

3. How data were recorded

4. How the participants were debriefed

5. Ethical procedures to protect the participants during the recruiting, data collection and debriefing process.

f. Data Analysis Plan

i. Repeat the purpose and research question

ii. Describe the plan that best fits the chosen approach

iii. Describe examples of codes and categories you developed

iv. Describe considerations for choosing QDA software

g. Issues of Trustworthiness

i. For each dimension of trustworthiness describe (a) what you did [if anything]; and (b) what other strategies could be considered if this was your dissertation

ii. Credibility

iii. Transferability

iv. Dependability

v. Confirmability

VII. Chapter 3: Summary and Reflections

a. Introduction

i. Restate research purpose and question

b. Reflection on Social Change

i. Discuss the relevance of your proposed research to Walden’s mission of social change

c. Reflection on Course Learning

i. Reflect on what was learned about conducting qualitative research

d. Next Steps

i. Consider your next steps in preparation for the dissertation

VIII. References

I.

Abstract Title page

II.

Abstract

III.

Title Page

IV.

Table of Contents

V.

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study

a.

Background

i.

Summarize literature from your prospectus, annotated bibliography and articles
you found in this course that points to a gap in the research
that is worthy of
further study

b.

Research Problem

i.

State the research problem in terms of the gap in the research literature

ii.

Frame the problem in terms of how further research could be of benefit

c.

Purpose Statement

i.

Use the template to present your statement t
hat includes

1.

Target group/individual/organization/event of interest

2.

Phenomenon of interest

3.

Terminology that indicates the approach to be used

d.

Research Questions

e.

Co
nceptual or Theoretical Framework

i.

Present the framework that you have revised from your prosp
ectus

VI.

Chapter 2: Research Plan

a.

Research Design
: Choice of Approach

i.

Describe the Phenomenon of Interest

ii.

Description of Approach

iii.

Rationale for Chosen

Approach

b.

Role of the Researcher

i.

Reveal any personal and professional relationships you have with the
participants

ii.

State how biases will be managed

c.

Participant Selection

i.

Describe the target group of interest

ii.

Describe the sampling strategy and ideal sample size

(if you were to conduct
this as a real study)

iii.

Describe the criterion for sample
selection

(if you were to conduct this as a real
study)

iv.

Describe how participants
were

be contacted and invited

for this
effort

d.

Instrumentation

i.

The Interview Guide

1.

Describe the basis for development (literature, theory, personal
experience) of the intervie
w questions)

2.

Describe efforts to
insure content validity and credibility

ii.

Describe other data sources (
e.g.,
journal
,

notes
, video
)

I. Abstract Title page
II. Abstract
III. Title Page
IV. Table of Contents
V. Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study
a. Background
i. Summarize literature from your prospectus, annotated bibliography and articles
you found in this course that points to a gap in the research that is worthy of
further study
b. Research Problem
i. State the research problem in terms of the gap in the research literature
ii. Frame the problem in terms of how further research could be of benefit
c. Purpose Statement
i. Use the template to present your statement that includes
1. Target group/individual/organization/event of interest
2. Phenomenon of interest
3. Terminology that indicates the approach to be used
d. Research Questions
e. Conceptual or Theoretical Framework
i. Present the framework that you have revised from your prospectus
VI. Chapter 2: Research Plan
a. Research Design: Choice of Approach
i. Describe the Phenomenon of Interest
ii. Description of Approach
iii. Rationale for Chosen Approach
b. Role of the Researcher
i. Reveal any personal and professional relationships you have with the
participants
ii. State how biases will be managed
c. Participant Selection
i. Describe the target group of interest
ii. Describe the sampling strategy and ideal sample size (if you were to conduct
this as a real study)
iii. Describe the criterion for sample selection (if you were to conduct this as a real
study)
iv. Describe how participants were be contacted and invited for this effort
d. Instrumentation
i. The Interview Guide
1. Describe the basis for development (literature, theory, personal
experience) of the interview questions)
2. Describe efforts to insure content validity and credibility
ii. Describe other data sources (e.g., journal, notes, video)