PhD Prospectus ChecklistThe following checklist, like the PhD Pr.docx

PhD Prospectus Checklist
The following checklist, like the PhD Prospectus Guide,
provides guidance to support prospectus development. Included
are the basic expectations for the content of the prospectus from
the annotated outline in the Guide. Please refer to the Guide for
additional information on how the prospectus will be submitted
and evaluated. The PhD Prospectus Rubric standards and a Site-
Naming Self-Check are included at the end of this checklist.
Not all checklist items may be relevant to your particular study;
please consult with your chair for guidance.
· Instructions for students:
· Indicate on the checklist the page number where each heading
is located.
· Respond to comments from the committee in each comment
history box. Do not delete previous comments—just add your
response in the appropriate space.
· Upload this checklist into Taskstream with your prospectus
document for each prospectus review.
· Instructions for the chair, second committee member, and
Program Director Designee:
· Provide specific feedback in the comment history column. Do
not delete previous comments—just add your response in the
appropriate space.
· If you made detailed comments are included on the prospectus
draft (using track changes and comments), you can refer to the
draft rather than restate comments in the checklist; upload both
documents into Taskstream during rubric completion.
· Committee chairs should indicate their acceptance of each
item by checking the appropriate checkbox by each checklist
item.
Date: (click here and type today’s date )

Student’s Name:
Student ID:
School: (click here and pull down to select school name )
Committee Chairperson:
Second Committee Member:
PhD Program Director/Designee:
Prospectus Checklist
Checklist Items
Page #
Comment History
Title Page
Present your Title –12 words or fewer; include topic, variables
and relationship between them, and most critical key words.
Chair comments: (click here)
Second Member comments: (click here)
Student comments: (click here)
☐Chair accepts items as complete.
Include your name, program of study (specialization if
applicable) and Student ID. Use the PhD Prospectus Template.
Problem Statement
State the problem by presenting a logical argument for the need
to address an identified gap in the research literature. Must be
relevant to your discipline (program of study).

Provide evidence from scholarly sources that the problem is
current, relevant, and significant to your discipline (3-5 key
citations).
Purpose
Present a concise statement that serves as the connection
between the problem being addressed and the focus of your
study (1 paragraph).
Clarify the methodology, and
· If quantitative, include the variables of interest and the
proposed associations under study;
· If qualitative, describe the need for increased understanding of
the concept/phenomenon of interest; and
· If mixed-methods, clarify the above and how the 2 approaches
will be used together to inform the study.
Significance
Identify a) how your study will contribute to filling the
identified gap (the original contribution this study will make) b)
how your research will support professional practice or allow
practical application (the So What? question), and c) how your
findings might lead to positive social change (1-2 paragraphs).

Background
Provide (a) the keywords or phrases that you searched and the
databases used; and (b) a list of scholarship and findings that
support and clarify the main assertions in your problem
statement. Highlight their relationship to the topic (5-10
annotated articles; most published within the last 5 years).
Framework (Conceptual or Theoretical)
Describe (and cite) the theoretical/conceptual framework from
scholarly literature that will ground your study (1 paragraph).
Ensure alignment with your problem, purpose, and background.
Explain how each theory and/or concept relates to the study
approach and research questions.
Research Question(s) and Hypotheses (if applicable)
List the question(s) that will lead to what needs to be done and
how it will be accomplished. Your questions must align with
your study purpose and include the variables or concepts and
how they will be examined.

Ensure your research questions inform 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
Provide 1 paragraph that discusses the approach (research
design) that will be used to address your research question(s)
and how this approach aligns with the problem statement and
purpose.
· 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—for sequential, concurrent, or transformative
studies

Possible Types and Sources of Data
Present a list of possible types and sources of data that could be
used to address your proposed research question(s). Sources
might include test scores, surveys, observations, interviews,
historical documents, deidentified records, or secondary data
(identify sources).
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.
Limitations, Challenges, and/or Barriers
Provide information, such as limitations, challenges, and/or
barriers that may need to be addressed when conducting this
study. These may include access to participants, access to data,
separation of roles (researcher versus employee),
instrumentation fees, etc.

References
On a new page, list your references formatted in APA style.
Dissertation Prospectus Rubric Quality Indicators
Comment History
Complete
Does the prospectus contain all the required elements?
Comments: (click here)
Meaningful
Has a meaningful problem or gap in the research literature been
identified?
Justified
Is evidence presented that this problem is significant to the
discipline and/or professional field?
Grounded
Is the problem framed to enable the researcher to either build
upon or counter the previously published findings on the topic?
Original
Does this project have potential to make an original

contribution?
Impact
Does this project have potential to affect positive social
change?
Feasible
Can a systematic method of inquiry be used to address the
problem; and does the approach have the potential to address
the problem while considering potential risks and burdens
placed on research participants?
Aligned
Do the various aspects of the prospectus align overall?
Objective
Is the topic approached in an objective manner?
Partner Site Masking Self-Check
Walden capstones typically mask the identity of the partner
organization. The methodological and ethical reasons for this
practice as well as criteria for exceptions are outlined here (link
to posted guidance).
☐ Check here to confirm that you will mask the identity of the
organization in the final capstone that you publish in ProQuest.
☐ If you perceive that your partner organization’s identity

would be impossible to mask or if there is a strong rationale for
naming the organization in your capstone, please check this box
so that your Program Director can review your request for an
exception. If granted, that exception must be confirmed by the
IRB during the ethics review process. The IRB will also ensure
that your consent form(s) and/or site agreement(s) permit
naming the organization.
1
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.

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