Dissertation Proposal Guidebook

By David C. Gardner, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, and Grace Joely Beatty, American Training and Research Associates, Inc., Methuen, Massachusetts. This no-nonsense manual of dissertation proposal writing has been tested and refined in workshops for doctoral and master's candidates. It begins with a step-by-step approach to the selection of a manageable topic. This section contains examples of good and bad research topics and a lucid explanation of directional, non-directional and null hypotheses. Eighteen examples of key proposal elements, taken from proposals and dissertations that were approved by rigorous committees, highlight the second section. Chapters cover the introduction, background and problem statement, research questions, significance of the problem, limitations and assumptions, definitions, hypotheses, methodology, and data analysis procedures. Experimental, quasi-experimental and survey designs are all represented. The final portion of the text presents practical tips on how to get the proposal accepted.