3ProspectusTitleStudent NameName of program – Name of .docx

3
Prospectus
Title
Student Name
Name of program – Name of specialization
A00000000
Prospectus: Title
Problem Statement
Insert the text of your problem statement here. Follow the
guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in
the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this
section.
Purpose
Insert the text of your purpose statement here. Follow the
section.
Significance
Insert the text of the purpose and significance of your study
here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the
sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for
more on writing this section.
Background
Insert the text of the background of your study here. Follow the
section.
Framework (Conceptual or Theoretical)

Insert the text of the framework of your study here. Follow the
section.
Research Question(s) and Hypotheses (if applicable)
Insert your research questions and hypotheses (if applicable)
here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the
Nature of the Study
Insert the text of the nature of your study here. Follow the
section.
Possible Types and Sources of Data
Insert the text of possible types and sources of data here.
Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample
prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on
writing this section.
Limitations, Challenges, and/or Barriers
Insert the text of information on limitations, challenges, and/or
barriers that may need to be addressed when conducting this
study. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the
References
Insert your reference list here. Refer to the sample in the
Dissertation Prospectus guide for an example of this section.
Assignment 2-3 Paragraphs
Reading: Article - EnablingorDisabling_Kauffman_etal.pdf

Enabling or Disabling?
On page 386 of the reading, two cases are presented. Address
the following Questions.
1. What are the two extremes presented by these cases?
2. Do either of the two cases raise questions or create concern
for you considering you will be full participants in IEP
meetings?
Next Respond to both classmates (4-6 Sentences)
· Do you agree or disagree?
· Why or why not
· Make sure to give feed back to what they have written
Classmate #1
Thomas is identified as emotionally disturbed. He is then
assigned to a resource class to help him with organization skills
and extra academic skills. It seems that no matter what Thomas
really needs the counselor is set on him being in some sort of
“resource class” which in this case is one that will add no value
to his condition or his education.
Bob is a student with Asperger’s whose mother is involved in
his everyday activity and that of his teachers. She has an
opinion (as the mother of a student should have) as to what his
accommodations should and should not be. She is involved to
the point of threatening the very people that we must assume
have her son’s best interest at heart.
The two extremes as I see them in these cases are Thomas has
NO parent involvement and Bob has way too much parental
involvement. Thomas’ meeting was with two people within the
school and Thomas. This meeting was to decide how to deal
with the schedule of a student identified as EMOTIONALLY
DISTURBED and there were no parents there! The meeting for
Bob had thirteen people from all levels of the school system

(assuming Bob and his Mother were there) and its agenda was
driven by Bob’s Mother that did not want to consider legal
accommodation but rather the accommodation she felt was best.
An IEP meeting with no parent must be postponed (this one was
not described as an “IEP” meeting, but it was one) and another
scheduled when a parent can attend. Regarding Bob, an IEP
meeting should not have thirteen people in attendance! That
many people put too much pressure on the mother that is
already defensive. It would not allow adequate time for the
experts (the counselor and the autism specialist) to make a case
and allow the mother time to make a fully informed decision.
Classmate #2
The two extremes presented on page 386 of the article are about
two different types of students and how they were
accommodated by their respected schools. Thomas, deemed as
"emotionally disturbed", was assigned to be in a resource class.
This type of class was designed to help students improve their
organizational skills or their academics. He refused to keep up
the required daily planner or do any homework, so after a
meeting with other adults and the principal, the guidance
counselor decided that Thomas would not be required to do any
work for the class. There was also Bob, a high school freshman
with Asperger's Syndrome. He was taking three honors classes
and two Advanced Placement classes, and had a very concerned
mother who contacted the school about his
accommodations frequently. After a meeting with his IEP team,
five of his seven teachers, the principal, an autism specialist,
and many others, his mother demanded that Bob have no
homework assignments. There was a strong disagreement made
between the purpose behind the homework, and why Bob would
not be put in lower academic classes. Talk about a stressful
conflict between the school and a parent!
Yes, both of these cases raise a lot of concern for me as a future
teacher participating in IEP meetings. As a future band director,
a lot will be required from my students. From traveling to
concerts to performing- there are a lot of events the students

must attend that require hard work! The latter case is especially
concerning because it seemed as if Bob had no say in what was
going on in his academic schooling. His mother was choosing to
take control. It reminds me of something that is mentioned often
in the music field: there are going to be a lot of parents trying
to tell you how to do your job.
There is also the fact that in both of these cases, in my humble
opinion, the correct solution to the problem was not reached.
The focus should be on what is going to best suit the individual
student and their needs, not what the parent feels or letting a
student get away with whatever they want. There is a balance
that must be achieved when serving students with special needs,
and we must encouraged the highest level of success possible.
Please be sure to (1) consult the Walden Prospectus Guidelines
on the content of each section, and (2) keep
your document to 5 pages, plus the cover and references. You
will be graded down if your document is longer than
this. Learning to write concisely is an important part of writing
a dissertation!
Annotated Outline
Title
Start with “Prospectus” and a colon, and then include the title
as it appears on the title page. Double-space if over one line of
type and center it at the top of the page.
Problem Statement
Provide a one-paragraph statement that is the result of a review
of research findings and current practice and that contains the
following information: 1. A logical argument for the need to
address an identified gap in the research literature that has
current relevance to the discipline and area of practice. Keep in
mind that a gap in the research is not, in and of itself, a reason
to conduct research. Make sure to clarify the problem that led
you to the gap. 2. Preliminary evidence that provides
justification that this problem is meaningful to the discipline or

professional field. Provide three to five key citations that
support the relevance and currency of the problem. These
references need not all be from peerreviewed journals but
should be from reputable sources, such as national agency
databases or scholarly books, and should ideally be from the
past 5 years.
Purpose
Present a concise, one-paragraph statement on the overall
purpose or intention of the study, which serves as the
connection between the problem being addressed and the focus
of the study. • In quantitative studies, state what needs be
studied by describing two or more factors (variables) and a
conjectured relationship among them related to the identified
gap or problem. • In qualitative studies, describe the need for
increased understanding about the issue to be studied, based on
the identified gap or problem. • In mixed-methods studies, with
both quantitative and qualitative aspects, clarify how the two
approaches will be used together to inform the study.
SIGNIFICANCE
Provide one or two paragraphs, informed by the topic in the
problem statement, that describe the following: 1. How this
study will contribute to filling the gap identified in the problem
statement: What original contribution will this study make? 2.
How this research will support professional practice or allow
practical application: Answer the So what? question. 3. How the
claim aligns with the problem statement to reflect the potential
relevance of this study to society: How might the potential
findings lead to positive social change?
Background
Provide a representative list of scholarship and findings that
support and clarify the main assertions in the problem
statement, highlighting their relationship to the topic, for
example, “this variable was studied with a similar sample by
Smith (2013) and Johnson (2014)” or “Jones’s (2012)
examination of industry leaders showed similar trends in the
same key segments.” Some of these resources may have already

been mentioned in the first sections of the prospectus and can
be included here, also.
Framework
In one paragraph, describe the theoretical/conceptual
framework in the scholarly literature that will ground the study.
Base this description on the problem, purpose, and background
of your study. This theoretical or conceptual framework
informs, and is informed by, the research question(s) and helps
to identify research design decisions, such as the method of
inquiry and data collection and analysis.
Research Question(s)
List the question or a series of related questions that are
informed by the study purpose, which will lead to the
development of what needs to be done in this study and how it
will be accomplished. A research question informs the research
design by providing a foundation for
generation of hypotheses in quantitative studies, • questions
necessary to build the design structure for qualitative studies,
and a • process by which different methods will work together
in mixed-methods studies.
Nature of the Study
Using one of the following terms as a subheading; provide a
concise paragraph that discusses the approach that will be used
to address the research question(s) and how this approach aligns
with the problem statement. The subheadings and examples of
study design are as follows: • Quantitative—for experimental,
quasiexperimental, or nonexperimental designs; treatment-
control; repeated measures; causal-comparative; single-subject;
predictive studies; or other quantitative approaches •
Qualitative—for ethnography, case study, grounded theory,
narrative inquiry, phenomenological research, policy analysis,
or other qualitative traditions • Mixed methods, primarily
quantitative—for sequential, concurrent, or transformative
studies, with the main focus on quantitative methods • Mixed
methods, primarily qualitative—for sequential, concurrent, or
transformative studies, with the main focus on qualitative

methods • Other—for another design, to be specified with a
justification provided for its use.
Possible Types and Sources of Data
Provide a list of possible types and sources of data that could be
used to address the proposed research question(s), such as test
scores from college students, employee surveys, observations of
a phenomenon, interviews with practitioners, historical
documents from state records, deidentified medical records, or
information from a federal database. Sources of information that
support and clarify the problem belong in the Background
section. If you are thinking about collecting data on a sensitive
topic or from a vulnerable population, an early consultation
with the IRB ([email protected]) during your prospectus writing
process is recommended to gain ethics guidance that you can
incorporate into your subsequent proposal drafts and research
planning
Limitations, Challenges, and/or Barriers
Include any other relevant information, such as challenges or
barriers that may need to be addressed when conducting this
study.
References
On a new page, list your references formatted in the correct
style (sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association, modeled at the end of this guide) for
all citations within the Dissertation Prospectus.
Prospectus:
How Online Doctoral Students Develop a Dissertation Problem
Statement Problem Statement Conducting a supervised
independent research project is a unique feature of completing a
doctoral degree (Lovitts, 2008; Luse, Mennecke, & Townsend,
2012). Contrary to the commonly held belief of a 50% all-but-
dissertation (ABD) rate, only approximately 20% of doctoral
students are unable to complete the dissertation after finishing
their coursework (Lovitts, 2008; Wendler et al., 2010). The
challenge of the dissertation is not a new phenomenon in higher

education, but what is new is the growing number of students
who complete their academic programs online (Allen & Seaman,
2007; Kumar, Johnson, & Hardemon, 2013). Although many
students are ultimately successful in defining the central
argument for a doctoral capstone, how this process occurs in a
distributed environment has not been well researched.
Highlighted in the book on doctoral education by Walker,
Golde, Jones, ConklinBueschel, and Hutchings (2009) is the
need to develop more “pedagogies of research” (p. 151) to
support teaching graduate students to be scholars. Although a
modest body of scholarship exists on research training in
traditional programs, emerging research suggests that the online
environment offers some unique challenges and opportunities
for doctoral students (Baltes, Hoffman-Kipp, Lynn, & Weltzer-
Ward, 2010; Kumar et al., 2013; Lim, Dannels, & Watkins,
2008). Of the many aspects of a research project, development
of the problem statement is arguably a key step because it
provides the rationale for the entire dissertation (Alvesson &
Sandberg, 2013; Luse et al., 2012). 3
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of
the process by which doctoral students in online programs
arrive at a viable problem statement for their dissertations. To
address this gap, the approach will use the mixed-methods
paradigm and will be primarily qualitative. Assessments of the
quality of problem statements will be used in conjunction with
interviews to develop an understanding of students’ strategies
for formulating problem statements.
Significance
This research will fill a gap in understanding by focusing
specifically on development of problem statements by students
in online doctoral programs. This project is unique because it
addresses an underresearched area of higher education (Gardner
& Barnes, 2014) among a group of learners that has expanded
over the past decade (Bell, 2011). The results of this study will
provide much-needed insights into the processes by which

increasing numbers of new scholars work through the beginning
phase of their research. Insights from this study should aid
doctoral committees and academic programs in helping students
to succeed in their final projects, thus supporting eventual
degree attainment. Education has long been a force for social
change by addressing inequities in society. Because a broad
range of students attends online institutions, supporting their
successful attainment of a terminal degree allows for increased
diversity in the types of individuals in key academic and
scholarly leadership positions.
Background
Selected articles relating to doctoral education and the process
of learning to be a researcher are described here: 4 1. Baltes et
al. (2010) and Bieschke (2006) provided information on
research selfefficacy, which has been shown as a key predictor
of the future research of doctoral students. 2. Gelso (2006),
Holmes (2009), Hilliard (2013), and Kim and Karau (2009)
provided different views of strategies to support the
development of scholar practitioners during the capstone
experience. 3. Ivankova and Stick (2006) and Kumar et al.
(2013) offered models that align well with the possible
methodologies used in this study and that involved online
students. 4. Research by Lim et al. (2008) addressed the role of
research courses in an online program. 5. Lovitts (2008),
Gardner and Barnes (2014), and Werner and Rogers (2013) gave
different views of the transition from student to researcher. 6.
Articles focusing on the student experience of learning to
conduct research include Ismail, Majid, and Ismail (2013);
Spaulding and Rockinson-Szapkiw (2012); and Stubb, Pyhältö,
and Lonka (2014).
Framework
The theoretical base for this study will be Perry’s (1970) theory
of epistemological development. Because this theory addresses
ways of knowing in adults, Perry’s theoretical work has been
used extensively in all aspects of higher education, albeit more
frequently with undergraduates than with doctoral students. The

approach provides details on cognitive-structural changes that
emerge as a result of development and learning. Further,
subsequent research and application of Perry’s theory offer
guidance on 5 ways to facilitate academic development, thus
allowing for insight into the pedagogical challenge of the
dissertation (Gardner, 2009).
Research Questions
1. RQ1–Qualitative: For students with a high-quality problem
statement at the dissertation stage, what themes emerge in their
reports of the process that they used to develop it? 2. RQ2–
Quantitative: Based on objective ratings by doctoral faculty, are
significant differences evident in the overall quality of problem
statements as students progress through the dissertation
process? Nature of the Study The nature of this study will be
mixed-method with a qualitative focus. Qualitative research is
consistent with understanding how students approach the work
of creating a successful dissertation problem statement, which is
the primary focus of this dissertation. Keeping the focus on how
students make sense of their dissertation research should be
consistent with Perry’s (1970) epistemological expectations at
this point in their development (Gardner, 2009). To elucidate
how a viable research problem emerges, objective ratings of
student work products will be examined across time. This
quantitative analysis should help pinpoint the amount of growth
from the beginning to end of the project.
2. Possible Types and Sources of Data
1. Problem statements written at four key points in a doctoral
student’s career: the premise, the prospectus, the proposal, and
the dissertation writing stage.
2. Ratings of problem statements by an expert panel of doctoral
faculty. 6
3. Interviews with a representative group of doctoral graduates
who have successfully defended their dissertations and whose
work was highly ranked by faculty.
4. A measure of epistemological development, consistent with
Perry’s (1970) theory, as a possible covariate.

5. Interviews or surveys of doctoral faculty who have helped
students to succeed, as a possible source for triangulation. 7
References
Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2007). Online nation: Five years of
growth in online learning. Needham, MA: Sloan-C. Alvesson,
M., & Sandberg, J. (2013) Constructing research questions:
Doing interesting research. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.
Baltes, B., Hoffman-Kipp, P., Lynn, L., & Weltzer-Ward, L.
(2010). Students’ research self-efficacy during online doctoral
research courses. Contemporary Issues in Education Research,
3, 51–58. Bell, N. (2011). Graduate enrollment and degrees:
2000 to 2010. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools.
Bieschke, K. J. (2006). Research self-efficacy beliefs and
research outcome expectations: Implications for developing
scientifically minded psychologists. Journal of Career
Assessment, 14, 77–91.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1069072705281366 Gardner, S. K.
(2009). The development of doctoral students: Phases of
challenge and support. ASHE Higher Education Report, 34, 1–
127. Gardner, S. K., & Barnes, B. J. (2014). Advising and
mentoring doctoral students: A handbook. San Bernardino, CA:
CreateSpace Independent Publishing. Gelso, C. J. (2006). On
the making of a scientist-practitioner: A theory of research
training in professional psychology. Training and Education in
Professional Psychology, S, 3–16.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/1931-3918.S.1.3 Hilliard, A. T.
(2013). Advising doctorate candidates and candidates’ views
during the dissertation process. Journal of College Teaching &
Learning, 10, 7–13.
Running Head: DISCRIMINATION
1
DISCRIMINATION
4

Annotated bibliography: Discrimination Against People
Affected with HIV/AIDS
Beyrer, C., Baral, S. D., Collins, C., Richardson, E. T.,
Sullivan, P. S., Sanchez, J., ... & Wirtz, A. L. (2016). The
global response to HIV in men who have sex with men. The
Lancet, 388(10040), 198-206.
The authors examine the high burden of HIV infection in low,
middle- and high-income countries. The focus population in the
article is the gays, bisexual and other men who have sex with
other men. The article puts focus on the efforts that need to be
made for the discovery of a way to stop the spread of HIV. The
groups are discriminated against in the health care institutions
and by other people in the society. Many of these countries are
against the men who have sex with men in the society. The
article proposes the use policy to curb the spread of HIV among
the men who have sex with men without discriminating them.
Dahlui, M., Azahar, N., Bulgiba, A., Zaki, R., Oche, O. M.,
Adekunjo, F. O., & Chinna, K. (2015). HIV/AIDS related
stigma and discrimination against PLWHA in Nigerian
population. PloS one, 10(12), e0143749.
The authors examine the discriminatory issues that the people
living with HIV face alongside stigma. The article gathered the
relevant information that was obtained from National
Population Commission. The collection of data was enhanced

through conducting interviews among households. The article
established that almost half of the population of the people
living with HIV were discriminated and had stigma. It was
founded that the only the educated population had few issues of
discrimination of people living with HIV. The article indicates
that education is the key to solving discrimination among the
people living with HIV by creating awareness.
Earnshaw, V. A., Bogart, L. M., Dovidio, J. F., & Williams, D.
R. (2015). Stigma and racial/ethnic HIV disparities: moving
toward resilience.
The authors examine the role that stigma plays in the racial
health disparities among the people living with HIV. The article
provides mechanisms that can be used in the HIV related
disparities in risk, incidence and screening. The authors try to
establish the various things that can be employed for reduction.
The model that they used was the HIV Disparities Model that
described the way societal stigma that was related to race. The
article provides the intervention on modifiable strength based
moderators that would have the effect of reducing the
discrimination of people with HIV. The article concluded that
individual level can improve and enhance social support to the
people living with HIV.
Paudel, V., & Baral, K. P. (2015). Women living with
HIV/AIDS (WLHA), battling stigma, discrimination and denial
and the role of support groups as a coping strategy: a review of
literature. Reproductive health, 12(1), 53.
The authors particularly focus on the women living with HIV
and examine how these women are discriminated and
stigmatized. The article indicates that the women who are living
with HIV are blamed to be the dormant source of HIV. The
article uses systematic literatures that are included in the review
purpose. The women that live with HIV were discriminated by
being shunned and treated differently by physicians and some
family members. The women sought refuge among support
groups for the intervention of discrimination and stigma. The
article concludes that support groups need to be offered as a

crucial support for victims of HIV.
Rueda, S., Mitra, S., Chen, S., Gogolishvili, D., Globerman, J.,
Chambers, L., ... & Rourke, S. B. (2016). Examining the
associations between HIV-related stigma and health outcomes in
people living with HIV/AIDS: a series of meta-analyses. BMJ
open, 6(7), e011453.
The authors examine the range between stigma and health
focusing on the HIV-related stigma. This was done using a
comprehensive search of the literature that employed
independent reviewers. The article extracted relevant data from
relevant papers that were included in the study of the health
impacts on people living with HIV. The authors used meta-
analysis to pool out other findings not found in the literatures of
people living with HIV. The article presents an evaluation of
the mechanisms that are involved in HIV and health. The
finding is that the people living with HIV are discriminated and
this has detrimental effect on their health.

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