Dissertation Help: Bringing Your Ideas in line with Your Research Methodology

TheMerge Between…

Ideas and Structure

Structure is Static – Similar for Every Thesis, Every Discipline

1. Overview – 1. Your context2. The problem situation3. How problem is defined by

yourself and others

2. Review of Literature1. How your ideas develop

out of and add on to those in “the literature”

2. How others have researched similar or tangential problem situations

3. Methodology1. How you will measure your

problem situation

Your reader needs to know…

Putting the Ideas in: General

Chapter

Overview 1. Why is this idea/problem situation worth studying? 2. What data do you have that shows its importance?

Review of Literature

1. What are the important ideas (4-5) from your reading on your topic?

2. What is the theoretical significance of topic?3. Gaps?4. Looking at the research you read for your lit – what

methodologies were included?5. What are the three important lessons you want your

reader to remember from other people’s research?

Methodology

1. How did those ideas help form your study?2. How did these gaps affect your choices of topic or

methods?3. Did you use the same structures or different – why?4. How do those lessons influence what you are doing

SHAKER, G. (2008). OFF THE TRACK: THE FULL-TIME NON TENURE-TRACK FACULTY EXPERIENCE IN ENGLISH. DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, INDIANA UNIVERSITY, ANN ARBOR, MI USA.

First Example: Qualitative

Overview Chapter

Problem: a) move to FTNT has been studied but from quantitative view of careers and satisfaction – b) this study fills a gap as it brings in the depth of qualitative work

Data: Results from The Contingent Faculty Index underscore the turn from tenure. At Harvard University 1,291 faculty were tenured and tenure-eligible and an additional 1,072 (45%) were FTNT. At New York University …At Pennsylvania State University, …These figures indicate the startling scope of FTNT faculty employment at some of the nation’s best known institutions.

1. Why is this idea/problem situation worth studying?

2. What data do you have that shows its importance?

Review of Literature

1. Job experience: satisfaction, career path, gender issues & their effects

2. Lit provides context and comparitive data for this study – but this study aims to uncover the human cost of the phenomenon

3. Set up (subtle) for phenomenology4. A) contentuous nature of tenured appt.

B) Non-tenure is seen as diverse reasoning, C) Academic culture not one thing, D) Set up for dual market theoretical base

1. What are the important ideas (4-5) from your reading on your topic?

2. What is the theoretical significance of topic?

3. Gaps?4. Looking at the

research you read for your lit – what methodologies were included?

5. What are the three important lessons you want your reader to remember from other people’s research?

Methodology

1. Paradigm is phenomenological2. + Gaps = choice of methods3. Different structure than

previous – by choice and due to gaps

4. Those lessons influence the questions to be asked

1. How did those ideas help form your study?

2. How did these gaps affect your choices of topic or methods?

3. Did you use the same structures or different – why?

4. How do those lessons influence what you are doing

Results

1. How do these ideas “hook” your data together in a contiguous conversation?

CHARFF, M. (2005). A STUDY OF THE DYADIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MANAGERS AND VIRTUAL EMPLOYEES. DOCTOR OF BUSINESS, UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA, USA.

Third Example: Mixed Methods

Overview Chapter1. Virtual work

environments continue to grow, demanding different places for people to interact/different ways for managers to affect change

2. Data from Teleworkers Association show 24 million virtual workers in US.

3. The problem is that, in the limited ability to meet with people employee development and performance feedback become more difficult

1. Why is this idea/problem situation worth studying?

2. What data do you have that shows its importance?

Review of Literature 1. LMX = leader

member exchange & a variety of work issues

2. Virtual Teams3. Learning

organizations4. Feedback loops5. Important

message is that these things change in a virtual world & there are gaps in our understanding of these changes

1. What are the important ideas (4-5) from your reading on your topic?

2. What is the theoretical significance of topic?

3. Gaps?4. Looking at the

research you read for your lit – what methodologies were included?

5. What are the three important lessons you want your reader to remember from other people’s research?

Methodology1. Exploring the

patterns of perceived feedback effectiveness and best practices for communicating feedback to virtual employees

2. 7 point Likert instrument which had been used in previous studies of LMX

3. Qualitative questions investigated best practices.

1. How did those ideas help form your study?

2. How did these gaps affect your choices of topic or methods?

3. Did you use the same structures or different – why?

4. How do those lessons influence what you are doing

Results

1. How do these ideas “hook” your data together in a contiguous conversation?

News/Events

Opening up group/fun/sharing space on the DoctoralNet Site

Upcoming Conferences (Saturdays and Sundays) Bigmarker & Hangouts:Saturday 28th – Bigmarker – How to select the most promising research problem – 11AM ESTSunday 29th – Hangout – Is your literature really working? Will it save you when you need it? – 10AM ESTSaturday Oct 5th – Bigmarker - How to formulate your research questions 11AM ESTSunday Oct 6th – Bigmarker – Building answers with research: Action Research / Doctoral Dissertations – 10AM EST