Briefly explain why the study is being undertaken and what main questions or foreshadowed problems will be addressed.
INTRODUCTION This chapter introduces and provides an overview of the research that is to be undertaken. Parts of Chapter 1 summarize your Chapters 2 and 3, and because of that, Chapter 1 normally should be written after Chapters 2 and 3. Dissertation committee chairs often want students to provide a 5-10 page overview of their proposed “dissertation research” before undertaking a full literature review and detailed development of the methodology. Some may call this a “prospectus” and some may call it a first draft of Chapter 1. Whatever the terminology, the final draft of your Chapter 1 is to include accurate summaries of the final drafts of your Chapters 2 and 3. It is important to undertake preliminary examinations of the literature before finalizing the “problem” and research questions of your proposed research. (These terms are defined below.) Exploration of the literature sometimes reveals that your initially-chosen focus has already been extensively researched. Contradictory results may offer you an opportunity to do research that clarifies the reasons for the contradictions. If the results consistently support or contradict your expectations, you will probably have to find other research questions that have not yet been well researched. Note: The items listed below are not intended to be headings in the dissertation, but simply outline the elements that are included in a typical dissertation. 1-A. Overview: Briefly explain why the study is being undertaken and what main questions or foreshadowed problems will be addressed. Do this in a general manner, because it will be done more specifically in the following sections. 1-B. Statement of the Problem: Discuss the problem to be addressed in the research— the gaps, perplexities, or inadequacies in existing theory, empirical knowledge, practice, or policy that prompted the study. The problem may be a theory that appears inadequate to explain known phenomena, the lack of empirical data on a potentially interesting relationship between X and Y, or a common practice that appears ineffective. First state the problem generally, and then state the specifics that your research will address. In quantitative research, the specifics will include the constructs studied. That your favorite reading program is rarely used in schools does not constitute a problem; widespread impaired reading in inner-city elementary schools is a problem. That your favorite conjectures are not represented in prevailing theory does not constitute a problem; that the theory does not explain applicable phenomena is a problem. That a certain group has been omitted from prior studies can indeed constitute a problem, because theory, policy and practice have not been shaped by knowledge of that group. Problems usually have underlying causes that may be well-known or the subject of speculation. They also have consequences that are often apparent. You should briefly discuss these causes and consequences. 1-C. Purpose The purpose of research is to acquire knowledge to address the problem or certain aspects of it. Quantitative research tries to fulfill that purpose by answering questions and/or testing hypotheses. Qualitative research tries to fulfill that purpose by starting with foreshadowed problems, conjectures, or exploratory questions. Mixed-methods research may use both approaches.