The proposal for dissertation research is submitted after the student has successfully passed their preliminary examination. The cover sheet for the proposal may be picked up in the COE Office of Graduate Studies or accessed at http://www.education.purdue.edu/gradoffice/Docs/word_doc/PROPOSAL_FOR_DISSERTATION_RESEARCH.doc. The original cover sheet for the proposal must be signed by the student's committee and submitted to the COE Office of Graduate Studies after the proposal has been approved by the student's committee.
- Purpose - The dissertation proposal is a formal proposal for a dissertation project; the purpose of the proposal is twofold:
- to ensure that a candidate has a concrete, specific and workable plan for the dissertation, and
- to allow the advisory committee to offer constructive suggestions for improving the student's dissertation project before it is underway.
- Developing a Proposal - The proposal may be started at any time prior to the dissertation, but it is typically completed after a student has passed the written and oral portions of the preliminary examinations. The development of a formal proposal should begin only when a student, in consultation with the major professor, is confident the idea to be proposed is workable and of such importance that it merits the consideration of the examining committee. Most important, the idea should be one the student has a genuine interest in pursuing. In most cases, formal data collection should not begin until after the dissertation proposal has been approved by all members of the advisory committee.
- Format: Please see the section titled “Dissertation Proposal Recommendations.”
- Approval of the Proposal - The committee will consist of a minimum of four (4) members of the graduate faculty. At least two academic sessions* devoted to research and writing must elapse between the preliminary and final doctoral examinations. The proposal should be approved first by the major professor and then delivered to the remaining members of the examining committee at least two (2) weeks prior to a meeting scheduled to discuss its merits. The proposal meeting should be called by the major professor, who should notify the other members of the examining committee and the candidate of the time and place of the meeting. The proposal meeting should not be combined with any other meeting such as the preliminary examination. Further, the proposal meeting should not be called until the major professor believes the student is ready to defend the proposal. Students may request informal feedback on a draft of the proposal from advisory committee members prior to scheduling the formal proposal meeting. For the proposal to be approved, at least three (3) members (no more than one dissenting vote) must approve the proposal or approve the proposal with suggested changes. The cover page of the proposal should be signed by all approving committee members and a copy of the proposal should be filed with the College of Education Office of Graduate Studies within one week after the proposal meeting.
*Refers to fall, spring and summer.
Dissertation Proposal Recommendations:
The format for the dissertation proposal may vary depending upon the type of study being proposed and the methodology to be employed. The specific format for the proposal should be worked out in consultation with the major professor. The dissertation proposal should include the following components in some form. The proposal is typically twenty to twenty-five pages in length.
Title Page
A one-page cover sheet that includes relevant information (name, title, committee members). The form for the title page can be obtained from the COE Office of Graduate Studies or on line at: http://www.education.purdue.edu/gradoffice/Docs/word_doc/PROPOSAL_FOR_DISSERTATION_RESEARCH.doc.
Opening Section/Rationale
The primary function of the opening section of the proposal is to build a rationale for the proposed study. In this section, the purpose of the study is explained and its relationship to the relevant scholarship is described. In addition, this section establishes the theoretical framework for the study. The opening section of most proposals will include the following components in some form:
Introduction/Statement of Purpose: A brief description of the project and its main purpose. In some proposals, this section may take the form of an abstract.
Statement of the Problem: A detailed discussion of the problem to be addressed by the proposed project in the context of the current state of scholarly understanding of the issue in question. This section clearly established the need for the proposed project.
Background/Review of Literature: A review of the research and scholarship that informs the proposed study. This section links the project with the body of knowledge in which it is grounded. Although this review is not expected to be as extensive as the review in the dissertation itself, it should be thorough enough to demonstrate the connections between the proposed study and related scholarship and empirical research.
Theoretical Framework: A discussion of the theoretical framework of the proposed study. This section established a theoretical orientation for the study and sets forth the assumptions on which the study rests.
Research Questions and /or Hypotheses: A clear statement of the research question(s) and/or hypotheses on which the proposed study will be based. These should grow out of the statement of the problem and the review of the relevant literature.
NOTE: In some proposals, the statement of the problem, the review of the literature, and the theoretical framework could be combined.
Methods
This section describes the research methods to be employed in the proposed study. It should establish the appropriateness of the chosen methods for addressing the questions identified in the previous section. Proposals for quantitative studies may require detailed discussion of specific research techniques; proposals for qualitative studies may require a rationale for the methods to be employed and discussion of how methods may evolve from the particular problem to be addressed. The following elements may be included in this section, depending upon the type of study being proposed:
Design of the study
- Subject(s)/Participant(s) to be studied (including criteria for selection, sampling techniques, description of setting)
- Techniques for gathering and managing data
- Techniques for analyzing, interpreting, and/or presenting data
- Role of researcher
In addition, this section should include discussion of the limitations for the proposed methods.
NOTE: Proposed studies may require Human Subjects approval (please see Human Subjects Instructions available in HOVD 307); approval by public/private school personnel or administrators may also be required in some cases.
Proposed Outline and Timetable for Dissertation
An annotated outline of the dissertation and a timetable for the project. The outline included in this section should be detailed enough to convey an adequate sense of what shape the dissertation might take. The timetable should include estimated completion dates for data collection, data analysis, and drafting of the dissertation.
Writing Style
APA, Chicago Style or other styles approved by the committee may be used as long as these meet requirements stated in, "A Manual for the Preparation of Graduate Theses," available from the Thesis Format Office in YONG 170.
Bibliography
Full bibliographic citations for articles, books, monographs, etc. referred to in the proposal.
NOTE: A copy of the approved dissertation proposal, with signatures (major professor and committee members) on the title page, must be placed on file in the COE Office of Graduate Studies prior to the beginning of the dissertation research.
[Curriculum and Instruction Faculty April 10, 1992 (approved with suggested edits)]
[Curriculum and Instruction Graduate Committee December 15, 1992 (incorporated edits)]
The proposal for dissertation research is submitted after the student has successfully passed their preliminary examination. The cover sheet for the proposal may be picked up in the COE Office of Graduate Studies or accessed at http://www.education.purdue.edu/gradoffice/Docs/word_doc/PROPOSAL_FOR_DISSERTATION_RESEARCH.doc. The original cover sheet for the proposal must be signed by the student's committee and submitted to the COE Office of Graduate Studies after the proposal has been approved by the student's committee.
Policy:
The purpose of a proposal meeting is for the student to (a) present his/her dissertation proposal, (b) provide a rationale for the study, (c) engage in a discussion with committee members, and (d) obtain an agreement with the committee about the final study.
The dissertation proposal consists of a relatively complete critical review of the literature providing a theoretical rational for the study, research hypotheses/questions, and methodology
The student submits the dissertation proposal to his/her advisor.* The advisor determines when the proposal is ready to be presented to the committee.
All committee members participate in the proposal discussion. If a member cannot be present at the meeting, he/she provides feedback to the student's major advisor.
The approved dissertation proposal, signed by all committee members, is filed in the COE Office of Graduate Studies.
*Co-advisors when committee is organized.
Recommendations:
It is important for the student to consult with all committee members, verbally or in writing, about the topic and research questions/hypotheses prior to writing the dissertation proposal. The student should consult with the advisor on how to do this task.
It is recommended that the student and advisor set a proposed timeline and procedure for the proposal and dissertation study. Important markers include:
- First draft of the proposal given to the major advisor
- Review of first draft by the major advisor
- Subsequent drafts and reviews of the proposal
- Proposal meeting scheduled
- Proposal distributed to committee members at least 2 weeks before the scheduled Proposal meeting
- Approved proposal filed in the COE Office of Graduate Studies
- Data collection
- Data analysis
- First draft of dissertation given to the major advisor (by chapter or entire dissertation, as determined by advisor)
- Review of first draft by the advisor
- Subsequent drafts and reviews
- Final defense meeting schedules
- Dissertation distributed to committee members at least 2 weeks before the scheduled meeting
- Final defense
Considerations:
It is typical to write several drafts of a dissertation proposal under the major advisor's guidance before the proposal will be ready to discuss with the committee. The student should allow plenty of time for this process.
A proposal developed for EDPS 630 may be a preliminary step in the development of the dissertation proposal.
The major advisor will estimate how long a thorough review of each draft will take him/her. The process typically takes several weeks.
Final examination weeks may not be good times for committee discussion of a dissertation proposal.
Most faculty are unavailable for proposal meetings during summer sessions.
The student should schedule a proposal meeting 4-6 weeks in advance. Committee members need at least 2 weeks to read a dissertation proposal prior to the meeting.
[Approved by the Department of Educational Studies Faculty September 17, 1998]
Policy on Co-Chairs of Committees:
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A student entering a graduate program will be appointed a temporary Major Professor (a graduate program advisor who is a faculty member in program area). This advisor will monitor the student's academic progress.
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It is desirable that a student file a Plan of Study by the end of the first year in the program. At this time the student is responsible for designating a Major Professor, who may or may not be the person initially assigned to be the temporary Major Professor.
a. A simple majority of a student's committee must be Purdue faculty in the student's program with regular certification approved by the Graduate School.
b. One member of the student's committee must be from the student's related area. (Department Policy)
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A student who is ready to begin working on the dissertation must designate a Major Professor to serve as the chair of the dissertation committee (thesis advisor). This person may be the existing Major Professor or a different faculty member. The thesis advisor takes over primary oversight of the student's progress in the program and dissertation. The student's dissertation committee is chaired by the designated Major Professor (thesis advisor).
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The practice of having co-chairs for a Master's or Doctoral committee is not advantageous nor desirable except in the specific instances that follow:
a. A co-chair who reflects the student's matriculation in a different program area or department (e.g., if a student is admitted to a program area in Educational Studies but is doing research that is cross-disciplinary and has a major component in another department, such as Curriculum & Instruction).
b. Co-chairs in the same department at different campuses or institutions may be advisable in cases where the student's thesis advisor relocates.
c. Co chairs within the same program area are acceptable if the faculty and student can agree to a clear delineation of responsibilities (
in writing) at the time that the co-chairs are determined.
d. In the event that a student's committee is co-chaired, the signature of both co-chairs is required on all committee documents (e.g., dissertation proposal, changes to the plan of study, thesis examination documents, etc.).
e. Program areas may propose exceptions to this policy, which will be reviewed for approval by the Curriculum and Graduate Committee.
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The student may change the Major Professor / Dissertation Committee Chair / committee members at any time assuming that the new Major Professor / Dissertation Committee Chair / committee members have agreed to the change.
(Department policy, Approved August 15, 2007)
