A1PHD Course & Workshop 701. Topic Selection.

Course 701.
Topic Selection

By Dr. Bill Lemoine

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(c) A1PHDPROPOSALWRITING.COM, 2009. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

701. Introduction
 This course helps you state the basis for your
doctoral dissertation proposal.
 Within 2 days you will have specified 3 things:
statement of the problem you are studying;
pertinent current literature and research or
rationale; and, specific objectives, hypotheses or
questions directing the study—all interrelated.
 You will have refined your proposal topic with
clear, concise statements and a well-defined
direction for the study. 2
2

Agenda
 Topics
 (1) Statement of the Problem
 (2) Pertinent Research or Rationale
 (3) Objectives, Hypotheses, Questions

3

Overview(1)
• Focused on your topic--word, phrase or
sentence--you will write a paragraph or
two clearly and briefly relating the purpose
of your study. Each thought, word,
sentence and paragraph of the problem
Text Te Text
statement will explain the topic and
xt
introduce the pertinent research Text
Text Text to follow.

Text Te Text
xt
4

Overview(2)
• Using the problem statement as a frame of
reference, clearly state the bases of your
study: summarize underlying research
specifying its content, methods and
findings; reveal majorText
problems Text
or
Te
omissions that the experts find including
xt
problem concepts; review the extent of the
bibliography you considered; and, indicate
Text Text
the new knowledge your study can Text
produce. Text Te Text
xt
5

Overview(3)
• Summarize from the literature the precise
items of your study by stating measurable
objectives, testable hypotheses, or specific
questions indicating your study outcomes:
focus the reader’s attention;Te Text
Text relate research
variables; imply the methods to be
xt
followed; relate to the problem statement.
Text Text

Text Text Text
Te
xt
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Topic One:
Statement of the Problem
 Doctoral students start with an area or
interest to them, their topic.
 Starting the doctorate, I was interested in
the impact on school funding of
community programs conducted in the
public schools.
 So I read the literature of the community
schools movement and school system
financing to gauge the linkage.

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Statement, continued (2)
 What emerged was a proposed research
topic based on a lack of research indicating
strength of school system funding
influenced by various kinds of community
programming.
 So the problem statement became one of
taking the most important “proposed” or
“supposed” connections and making the
connections concrete.

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 The topic “Community Schools Budget
Influence” became the proposal topic,
“Community Education As A Factor Influencing
Community Support for the Public Schools.”
 The problem statement in 3 paragraphs indicated:
(1) the importance of funding public schools in
times of crisis; (2) the movement of schools to
increase public participation in programs and
planning; and, (3) linking community
involvement and increased financial support for
school budget referenda.
 Write three paragraphs explaining your proposed
topic, including...
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 The purpose of the study, or circumstances
surrounding your topic.
 The importance or significance of your expected
research outcomes.
 Generalizability of findings beyond the study.
 Introduce the research literature section.
 Briefly, but completely, delimit the study
providing a frame of reference for evaluating the
balance of the study.

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Topic Two:
Pertinent Research & Rationale
 Take the Problem Statement and back up your
assertions with quotes from Pertinent Research.
This includes a summary of conclusions from
previous research, an explanation of your point
of view, rationale for your own approach,
revealing prior theory you will use, expand or
adapt.
 For example, community participation takes
many forms, state laws, school board mandates,
local policies. School finance depends on these
and professional interests, training and attitudes.
Linking participation and finance required
definitions of all these factors within and among
schools and districts. 11

Research, continued (2)
 National community schools advocacy literature
defined community involvement variables; state
department of education policies defined them
operationally; data collection by state
departments defined the data already available
and collectable, so these definitions were
explained in the proposal.
 School district finance and data collection are
defined by educational unit; so public school
districts with similar budget referendum laws
were identified within a particular state and
revealed in the literature section.
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 Other important influences on school systems
and public participation were identified:
community, district and school size; expenditure
levels; socioeconomic status of citizens; election
turnout; competing municipal service
expenditures; and community wealth. Operant
definitions were written for all variables.
 All influences on community budget support
were related in a model of factors.
 All definitions were displayed in a table of
operational definitions including sources of data
for them.

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 Clarify your theoretical and practical bases for
the study.
 Summarize the research, including
– (1) primary and secondary sources;
– (2) empirical, not advocacy, studies;
– (3) five most pertinent research studies;
– (4) study uniqueness (if not replication);
– (5) scope that’s not too general or narrow;
– (6) closest studies available, if not research.

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 Relate problems with prior research
indicated by the experts; discuss major
problems resolved by your study.
 Relate how extensive is the bibliography
you have studied: indicate your mastery of
relevant issues; discuss the references
used.
 Finally indicate how this study will expand
knowledge in the references you revealed.

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Topic Three. Objectives,
Hypotheses or Questions
 Bring your study back to the purpose you
stated in the problem statement as defined
in the research review with objectives,
hypotheses or questions: (1) focus reader’s
attention on specific questions; (2) relate
your variables in hypotheses; (3) imply
your methods and procedures; (4) clarify
the problem statement; (5) list them in
order(of importance, chronology, or other).
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Objectives, continued (2)
 Demonstrate your faithfulness to expert
definitions; state outcomes for each item.
 Hypotheses indicate testable relations; specify
directions of causation; make your predictions of
the outcomes; relate rubrics or criteria for
making real judgments.
 Use operation definitions already revealed; base
them on the pertinent research or rationale.
Clarify new definitions.
 Clarify the importance of the objectives,
hypotheses and questions to introduce the study
procedures.
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Summary
 Now your proposal has appeal for the reader,
your problem is of concern, your outcomes
provide solutions, and you are closely aligned
with prior expertise.
 There may be new methods for old problems,
there may be new products to be developed, and
your results are worthy of consideration.
 In original objectives or methods you may
involve participants, materials or equipment not
often used before. Your study is now justified.
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Where to Get More Information
 Other training sessions
 List books, articles, electronic sources
 Consulting services, other sources

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A1PHD Course & Workshop 701. Topic Selection.

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