Dissertation Help this set of slides helps you bring your ideas in line with your research methodology. Part of a series at www.doctoralnet.com, our work enhances and supports the path to doctoral graduation for students and universities. More can be found on our help with designing research methodology here: http://promos.doctoralnet.com/dissertation-help-designing-your-research/

1. The
Merge
Between…
Ideas and Structure

2. Structure is Static – Similar for
Every Thesis, Every Discipline
1. Overview –
1. Your context
2. The problem situation
3. How problem is defined
by yourself and others
2. Review of Literature
1. How your ideas develop
out of and add on to
those in “the literature”
2. How others have
researched similar or
tangential problem
situations
3. Methodology
1. How you will measure
your problem situation
Your reader needs to
know…

3. Putting the Ideas in: General
Chapter
Overview 1. Why is this idea/problem situation worth studying?
2. What data do you have that shows its importance?
Review of
Literature
1. What are the important ideas (4-5) from your reading on
your topic?
2. What is the theoretical significance of topic?
3. Gaps?
4. Looking at the research you read for your lit – what
methodologies were included?
5. What are the three important lessons you want your reader
to remember from other people’s research?
Methodology 1. How did those ideas help form your study?
2. How did these gaps affect your choices of topic or methods?
3. Did you use the same structures or different – why?
4. How do those lessons influence what you are doing

4. SHAKER, G. (2008). OFF THE TRACK: THE FULL-
TIME NON TENURE-TRACK FACULTY
EXPERIENCE IN ENGLISH. DOCTOR OF
PHILOSOPHY, INDIANA UNIVERSITY, ANN
ARBOR, MI USA.
First Example: Qualitative

5. Overview Chapter
Problem: a) move to FTNT has been studied but
from quantitative view of careers and
satisfaction – b) this study fills a gap as it
brings in the depth of qualitative work
Data: Results from The Contingent Faculty Index
underscore the turn from tenure. At Harvard
University 1,291 faculty were tenured and
tenure-eligible and an additional 1,072
(45%) were FTNT. At New York University
…At Pennsylvania State University, …These
figures indicate the startling scope of FTNT
faculty employment at some of the nation’s
best known institutions.
1. Why is this
idea/problem
situation worth
studying?
2. What data do you
have that shows its
importance?

6. Review of
Literature
1. Job experience: satisfaction, career
path, gender issues & their effects
2. Lit provides context and comparitive
data for this study – but this study
aims to uncover the human cost of
the phenomenon
3. Set up (subtle) for phenomenology
4. A) contentuous nature of tenured
appt. B) Non-tenure is seen as
diverse reasoning, C) Academic
culture not one thing, D) Set up for
dual market theoretical base
1. What are the
important ideas (4-5)
from your reading on
your topic?
2. What is the
theoretical
significance of topic?
3. Gaps?
4. Looking at the
research you read for
your lit – what
methodologies were
included?
5. What are the three
important lessons you
want your reader to
remember from other
people’s research?

7. Methodology
1. Paradigm is phenomenological
2. + Gaps = choice of methods
3. Different structure than
previous – by choice and due
to gaps
4. Those lessons influence the
questions to be asked
1. How did those ideas
help form your study?
2. How did these gaps
affect your choices of
topic or methods?
3. Did you use the same
structures or
different – why?
4. How do those lessons
influence what you
are doing

8. Results
1. How do these ideas
“hook” your data
together in a
contiguous
conversation?

9. CHARFF, M. (2005). A STUDY OF THE DYADIC
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MANAGERS AND
VIRTUAL EMPLOYEES. DOCTOR OF BUSINESS,
UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA, USA.
Third Example: Mixed Methods

10. Overview Chapter
1. Virtual work
environments
continue to grow,
demanding
different places for
people to
interact/different
ways for managers
to affect change
2. Data from
Teleworkers
Association show
24 million virtual
workers in US.
3. The problem is
that, in the limited
ability to meet
with people
employee
development and
performance
feedback become
more difficult
1. Why is this
idea/problem
situation worth
studying?
2. What data do you
have that shows its
importance?

11. Review of
Literature 1. LMX = leader
member
exchange & a
variety of work
issues
2. Virtual Teams
3. Learning
organizations
4. Feedback loops
5. Important
message is that
these things
change in a
virtual world &
there are gaps in
our
understanding
of these changes
1. What are the
important ideas (4-5)
from your reading on
your topic?
2. What is the
theoretical
significance of topic?
3. Gaps?
4. Looking at the
research you read for
your lit – what
methodologies were
included?
5. What are the three
important lessons you
want your reader to
remember from other
people’s research?

12. Methodology
1. Exploring the
patterns of
perceived feedback
effectiveness and
best practices for
communicating
feedback to virtual
employees
2. 7 point Likert
instrument which
had been used in
previous studies of
LMX
3. Qualitative
questions
investigated best
practices.
1. How did those ideas
help form your study?
2. How did these gaps
affect your choices of
topic or methods?
3. Did you use the same
structures or
different – why?
4. How do those lessons
influence what you
are doing

13. Results
1. How do these ideas
“hook” your data
together in a
contiguous
conversation?

14. News/Events
Opening up group/fun/sharing
space on the DoctoralNet Site
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