Persevering Through the Prospectus Process By: Nicole Maxwell & Megan Nason

Our Babies: Baby Eli – 11 days old! Mackenzie – 3 years old!

Choose a Topic:  Make a list of topics that you are interested in studying.  Think about problems or issues in society that need addressed through further research.  Choose something that you are really PASSIONATE about!  Choose something that you can study within the context of your daily routine/life.

Begin to Explore the Literature:  Begin to find books and articles related to your topic.  Save them CAREFULLY in labeled files on your computer or in an electronic library such as ENDNOTE.  Keep a lit review chart or notes that includes important information for each book or article. (Ex: Authors, type of study, research questions, theories, methodology, data collection methods, findings, conclusions, etc.)

Think about WHERE and WHEN You Like to Write:  If possible, take one of your 1 hour writing seminars during the same semester that you take your Prospectus class.  Create a Weekly Writing Schedule – Carve out one or two times a week to WRITE!  Think about WHERE and WHEN you do your best writing.  STICK to your schedule!

Helpful Texts for Getting Started:  Roberts, C. M. (2004). The dissertation journey: A practical and comprehensive guide to planning, writing, and defending your dissertation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. (There is a 2 nd edition, but we’ll use the 1 st )  American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. (6 th Edition). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.  GSU Guide for Preparation of Prospectuses and Dissertations (2007).   GSU IRB Manual.  Required Educational Program on the Protection of Human Research Subjects.   Prospectus Announcement and Other Graduate Forms.

Chapter 1 - Introduction:  Remember when you sit down to write that it is your FIRST draft.  You can and will make changes later!  Just get your ideas down on the paper.  Find a few other dissertations on a similar topic and read their intro’s!

Chapter 1: Introduction  Background: What has led you to focus on this topic?  Problems: Overview of the Issues Surrounding your Topic  Purpose Statement and Research Questions  Theoretical Frameworks ***Roberts (2004) text is really helpful!

Chapter 2 - Literature Review:  Writing your introduction will help you to narrow down your focus  Make a quick sketch or outline of your headings/subtopics  You may decide later to narrow it down or change it around  Having a list of just the topics will help you to see the big picture  For each topic/heading in your lit review, choose 2 or 3 of the most salient studies to discuss in detail  At the end of each section, remember to make connections to how your study will address the GAPS or ADD to the literature on this topic  Read the lit review of one or two other dissertations!

Chapter 3 – Methodology:  In each of your Methodology courses, create a word document or keep notes about the methods that you might decide to use in your study  Read the methodology section of 1 or 2 dissertations that use a similar type of methodology  Find 2 or 3 texts related to your methodology and re-read relevant sections  Think about your research questions and the types of data sources that will help you best examine your questions  Create charts to show how your data collection methods match up to your research questions  If you are planning to conduct interviews, come up with interview questions (These will go in your APPENDIX.)

Data Collection Chart Example: Research Questions:Data Sources Addressing Sources: In what ways does participation in a teacher study group impact elementary teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, and understandings when teaching culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse students in a high-needs school? 1.Initial and Final Semi-Structured Interview Transcripts 2.Teacher Study Group Meeting Transcripts 3.Reflective Journal and Memos In what ways do teachers’ literacy practices shift as a result of engaging in teacher study groups focused on issues related to culturally, linguistically and economically diverse student populations? 1.Initial and Final Semi-Structured Interview Transcripts 2.Classroom Observation Field Notes 3.Teacher Study Group Meeting Transcripts 4.Reflective Journal and Memos 5.Artifacts 6.Photographs

Prospectus Defense:  ATTEND someone else’s prospectus defense!  Create a PRESENTATION that gives a brief overview of your:  Introduction  Purpose and research questions  Brief overview of related problems or issues  Theoretical Framework  Literature Review  Choose 1-2 studies under each topic/heading to highlight  Address a few of the most significant GAPS that your study will address  Methodology:  Brief overview of the methodology and method  Brief overview of setting & context  Data collection sources  Data analysis procedures

IRB:  Once you have successfully defended your PROSPECTUS, be prepared to get your IRB ready quickly  You may even want to start on it before you defend your prospectus  Make sure that you have completed your CITI training or that it is up to date!

Questions?