Criteria for Assessment of Dissertation Proposals

1. Introduction and Statement of the Problem:

• Does the introduction provide a general overview of the issues surrounding the study?
• Is the problem under investigation clearly stated?
• Is evidence used to demonstrate the significance of the problem?
• Is evidence used to indicate the feasibility of the study?
• Is there a description of ethical issue?
• Are important terms defined?
• Are assumptions clearly stated?

2. Background and Review of the Literature:

• Is the study grounded in a larger body of research?
• Is the review current and representative of work in the area?
• Are related studies examined critically and gaps identified?
• Does the review provide a clear rationale of the study?
• Is the review well organized, using sub-sections where appropriate?

3. Research Questions/Hypotheses:

• Do the research questions/hypotheses develop a specific focus for the study?
• Do the research questions/hypotheses support the problem statement and background sections?
• Are the research questions worded so as to imply responses more complex than “Yes/No”?

4. Methodology and Limitations:

• Is the research design described clearly and appropriate for the study?
• Are the sample and participants fully described?
• Is the sampling plan appropriate for the study?
• Are data gathering procedures fully explicated and appropriate for the study?
• Are analytical procedures fully explicated and appropriate for the study?
• Is the technical merit of instruments described clearly?
• Are issues related to limitations and/or trustworthiness satisfactorily identified and addressed?
• Do the sampling, data collection, and analytical procedures appropriately match the problem statement and research questions?
• Are the instruments or interview guides acceptable and appropriate for the study?

5. Other Concerns:

• Does the proposal demonstrate a high quality of written expression?
• Is the potential cohesive and coherent?
• Does a consistent conceptual framework and/or paradigm unite the problem statement, research questions, and methods section?
• Is the tone of the proposal impartial, unbiased, and scientific?
• Are applicable support documents (appendices) included and satisfactory?
• Is an appropriate style (e.g. APA style) used correctly and consistently?
• Does the proposed study adhere to conventional wisdom related to ethics?
• Does the abstract summarize the contents of the proposal clearly and accurately?