We are now going to explore the prospectus. This is a fairly
new requirement, having only been required in the last year. The information I
will be discussing comes from the Prospectus
Guide, available through the research center. Let's consider, what is the
prospectus? It is a brief (around 10-12 pgs.) plan for your dissertation; it is a
rough map of where you are going.
What is it used for? Besides as a guide for your
dissertation, it has several other uses. 1) It is evaluated by your program
director to insure that your proposal is appropriate for your program and it is
of doctoral quality. Appropriate for your program means that you have the
necessary training to do the project. Thus, if you are proposing a study on a
topic that you did not study in your doctoral program, you need to provide
evidence of your training in the field. Doctoral quality generally means that
it is not a simple correlation study or a replication of others' work, and that your study will contribute new
information to the field. 2) It will often be used to recruit your committee
members. They will use the prospectus as an example of your writing and your
ability to discuss complex issues.
Be aware that although the Prospectus Guide suggests that you only need brief responses, you
will generally be required to go into more depth. Program Directors typically
require more literature review and more detailed methodology than is indicated
in the Guide.
Next time we take a look at the Prospectus cover page and
Problem Statement. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to
discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your
ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu
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