Steps for the Dissertation
Curriculum & Instruction Ed.D.
OVERVIEW
As the culminating scholarly experience, the dissertation serves as a performance assessment of the doctoral candidate’s ability to conduct original scholarship on an important question in education, and to present and interpret the findings in a clear, logical, and appropriate form. A dissertation makes an important contribution to the professional body of knowledge in the area of study. The dissertation document describes the research conducted, reports the results obtained, shows the relationship of the research to the scholarly work that preceded it, and shows the significance the research has in furthering understanding of the issues under investigation.
A dissertation can take different formats. The most common format is to conduct a single study to address the stated research questions. An alternative is an article-based format, which includes producing separate articles for publication (three articles are common). The article-based dissertation is highly recommended for students who foresee research and publishing as a major part of their career and/or those who seek full-time employment as a professor. Students should discuss the options with their advisor.
DISSERTATION CREDITS (EDU 693)
Following Admission to Candidacy (see the Comp Exam & Candidacy page), a candidate may register for dissertation credit; one should consult with the dissertation committee chair to determine the how many credits should be taken in a given term. Students in the Ed.D. C&I program are required to complete at least nine (9) credits of EDU 693. No matter how many 693 credits a student has earned, s/he must be enrolled in at least one credit hour of 693 in the dissertation defense semester.
Once initially registered for dissertation credit, the student must be in continuous enrollment (fall and spring semesters) until the dissertation is completed. A student will receive a grade of “IP” (in progress) each semester until the dissertation is completed. Upon successful completion of the dissertation, the advisor will enter a grade of “P” (passing) for EDU 693 credit(s) one is taking that semester, and then the Registrar’s Office will convert all previous 693 credits graded as IP to P. If an unexpected emergency arises, the candidate may request a leave of absence.
Be sure to read about the role of the Dissertation Chair and the Supervisory Committee
STEPS TOWARD THE DISSERTATION
The Beginning
In some ways, your dissertation actually starts at the time of admission to the program. All the learning that happens in the courses, and as you complete assignments, should help build in some way toward your eventual study. This does not mean that you’re building pieces of a puzzle that must all fit together at the end. Rather, think of what you’re doing, as you go along, as assembling a set of tools. We hope you find usefulness in all of those tools you collect. Many of them (not all) will help you build your study and dissertation.
The Comp Exam the first time you’ll use those tools for a major project. What you build for the Comp Exam, no matter its format, IS a piece that you’ll use in large part as one aspect of your dissertation.
The Prospectus
Following the Comp Exam, you will create a prospectus (aka “pre-proposal”) for your advisor and committee. The prospectus is a relatively short document (perhaps 5-10 pages) that outlines your research questions, why you’re asking them (a review of literature that you probably completed as part of the Comp Exam), the theoretical basis upon which the questions are built, what kind of data you will collect (methods/procedures), your thoughts on analysis, and any limiting or delimiting factors you will contend with. You will also create a timeline for completion. Your supervisory committee (your advisor + two other faculty) will look at that document, provide feedback, and then you are cleared to create your larger research proposal. An meeting can be scheduled, but one is not required. Again, this description is primarily applicable to a traditional, chapter-based dissertation. Article-based dissertations (or design-based dissertations) may look different with respect to the content, format, and timing of the pre-proposal and proposal.
See an example template and outline for the prospectus
The Dissertation Proposal
Following the prospectus, and in consultation with the dissertation advisor and committee, a candidate develops a full dissertation proposal. It must follow guidelines of the latest Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. A template for the proposal will be shared with students at the time they need it, but it generally has three chapters (which are all used as part of the dissertation, even though they will be redacted to some degree):
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- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Literature Review
- Chapter 3: Methodology
Document Outline & Description of Parts
List of Proposal Sections and Suggested Length of Sections
Rubric for Faculty Rating of Proposal
With permission of the dissertation advisor, the candidate disseminates the proposal to the members of the supervisory committee. It is the committee’s responsibility to ensure that the candidate is prepared and that there is agreement among committee members regarding each aspect of the proposal before the presentation meeting is held. Upon agreement between the candidate and committee members, a date for a proposal defense is selected and the candidate notifies the program coordinator of the scheduled date. The “defense” should really be more of a conversation between the student and the committee, as the goal is to help the student refine their research ideas and methods, not to “test” them on it. The proposal meeting is not public.
The candidate is responsible for providing the program coordinator with an electronic copy of the committee-approved proposal (including a 100 word abstract) at least two weeks in advance of the proposed meeting. The program coordinator will apprise all graduate faculty of the meeting, post the time and site, and disseminate the abstract electronically. Once agreement is reached and the committee approves the proposal, a Dissertation Contract is signed and added to the student file.
Institutional Review Board Applications
Any research involving human subjects, whether or not it is tied to the dissertation study, must be reviewed by Boise State University’s Institutional Review Board. A student who is doing such research under the auspices of the Ed.D. program must work with her/his advisor on the application. If the IRB application is being submitted so that the student can collect data to be used for the dissertation study, the strongly preferred method is that the application would be submitted only after the final research proposal is approved (if submitting an “Exempt” or “Expedited” application, the decision on the IRB application is typically received within seven working days). If the study necessitates data collection before the scheduled proposal defense, or if the IRB application is complicated and could potentially take time (a “Full” application may take more than 30 days for approval), the student should seek guidance and approval from the advisor and committee. If changes to the study are required by the committee following the proposal defense, it may be necessary for the student to submit an addendum to revise the IRB application if it has already been approved.
Frequent Questions about the Proposal
What is the Research Proposal? It is a substantive, formal document in which the student provides a written rationale / justification for her or his dissertation topic.
What are its contents? It is typically comprised of at least three parts (introduction, literature review, and a description of a proposed research or design methodology (which includes a timeline). The format and length must be specifically discussed with the advisor before a student begins the process of writing the proposal.
When can the document be started? The proposal development officially starts after a student has successfully completed the comprehensive examination (though some students may start developing it informally before the comp exam).
When is it due? This is up to the student’s advisor, but it is generally expected that the proposal will be due not later than the semester before the final dissertation is submitted. The due date varies based on the agree reached with the advisor. There will at least be enough time built into the process so that the advisor can give feedback on early drafts before the final document is due. It is reasonable to expect at least two weeks for any feedback cycle. The final proposal draft must be submitted to the committee no later than two weeks before the defense date.
When can the proposal be defended? Again, this is up to the student’s advisor, who will communicate with the committee. Generally speaking, proposal defenses will only be scheduled during the fall or spring semesters, though a summer defense meeting is possible IF (and only if) the advisor and committee members agree to make themselves available (there is no obligation on their part given faculty contracts are from mid-August to mid-May).
Who contributes to the proposal? The proposal is like the comp exam in that it is a formal step in the doctoral process, but unlike the comp exam in that one can consult others, especially the advisor, as the document is assembled. The writing is expected to be the student’s own. Students can re-used portions of their comp exam or other writing they have done to complete the proposal.
What happens when the proposal is completed? Once the student assembles the proposal, it is submitted to each member of the search committee. The committee then has a timeline to submit feedback (generally two to three weeks, depending on schedules). The conversation about the feedback can happen either synchronously or asynchronously; this is left to the committee chair. There will be a formal decision about the proposal:
Approved
Move ahead with study as planned
Approved with revisions
Minor revisions: move ahead on the study, though revise some portions of the proposal
Major revisions: study cannot move ahead until the revisions are approved by the committee
Not Approved
The study cannot go forward as planned. The advisor and committee will discuss whether or not it is appropriate to grant the student a chance to revise and resubmit, or change direction entirely.
Adjourned
This is not a “failure” of the proposal itself. This decision will be noted if the technology fails, or if the student or members cannot be present due to extenuating circumstances, etc. The defense will be re-scheduled.
What is the relationship of proposal development to “Dissertation Hours” (EDU 693)? A student can register for EDU 693 hours (11 total credit hours are required) AFTER s/he has completed ALL doctoral core, research core, cognate hours, and elective hours. The “Innovative Experience” can be completed concurrently with the first EDU693 credits in which a student enrolls, but not afterwards.
How soon can the dissertation be composed and defended following a successful research proposal defense? It depends. The amount of time a student needs to complete her or his study or design project very much depends on a number of factors. As stated earlier, it is very uncommon for a dissertation to be defended in the same term as the research proposal. In general terms, a student should not expect to defend a dissertation sooner than three months after the proposal is approved. This time simply accounts for data collection, or design iterations, and revisions to drafts by the advisor.
It is expected that the student will be enrolled in EDU 693 for each semester s/he is working toward the proposal and final dissertation defense. During the semester in which a student defends the dissertation, s/he will enroll for at least one hour of EDU 693.
Dissertation Style and Format
The candidate has the responsibility of assuring that all elements of the dissertation conform to appropriate standards as specified in the Graduate College Standards for Preparation of Theses and Dissertations, and in the current edition of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Guidelines and formatting recommendations can be found through the Graduate College website.
Because the doctoral program emphasizes educational innovation, variations to traditional dissertation styles and formats will be considered. However, innovative dissertation formats and styles, as with all dissertations, must be approved by the candidate’s committee and the Graduate College.
Although there may be exceptions, many dissertations are structured in a five-chapter format, commonly appearing as:
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- Chapter 1: Introduction
- Chapter 2: Literature Review
- Chapter 3: Methodology
- Chapter 4: Results
- Chapter 5: Discussion
The Dissertation Defense
The purpose of the dissertation defense is to provide an opportunity for the educational community to engage with candidates in thoughtful dialogue and discussion regarding issues raised from the research. The defense is a public event (for the first 30 to 50 minutes), and all graduate faculty in the university will be invited to attend.
Following approval by the Dissertation Advisor, the dissertation committee must receive the completed dissertation at least two weeks prior to the scheduled date of the defense.
SCHEDULING YOUR FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION
- Be sure that you have submitted all required Graduate College forms. If you’re unsure of their status, please contact us: coed-rdp@boisestate.edu
- Make sure that you have applied for graduation (via the student dashboard)
- Email your advisor, all committee members, and the Graduate Faculty Representative assigned to you to set in a date and time and format (online, hybrid, or in-person) for your dissertation defense.
- After 1-3 are done, please complete the College of Education’s Dissertation Defense Scheduling Form. Please do this at least three weeks in advance of the oral defense (earlier if the information is available).
If you are doing a hybrid or online-only defense, we’ll provide you with a Zoom link.
The program coordination team will complete a similar form for the Graduate College once we have your information. We will also notify the graduate faculty and students in the doctoral programs of the time, date, and location of your dissertation defense.
The Final Oral Examination (aka “Dissertation Defense”)
- The program coordination time will ensure that a Graduate Faculty Representative will attend the defense. The GFR is a non-voting attendee who begins the proceedings and oversees the entire defense process to ensure that Graduate College policies are followed and that the student has recourse for any disputes that may arise (which is exceedingly uncommon).
- The dissertation advisor chairs the defense
- The candidate presents a ~20 minute presentation to all in attendance. It should include:
- Background of study
- Brief review of relevant literature
- Research question(s)
- Methodology
- Findings
- Discussion
- Implications and Recommendations
- The oral defense includes a 20 to 50 minute question & answer session with attendees.
- A private portion of the defense includes more in-depth questioning of the candidate (the GFR attends)
At the conclusion of the discussion, the student will exit the room (physical or virtual) and the committee will decide whether the dissertation is (a) approved as is, (b) approved with minor revisions—to be reviewed by the Dissertation Chair, (c) approved with major revisions—to be reviewed by the entire committee, or (d) not approved. The GFR will transmit the decision to the Graduate College.
As per the policy stated in the Graduate Handbook, the result of a final oral examination can only be reported as pass (a, b, or c) or fail (d). The determination of pass or fail is by a vote of the voting members of the defense committee with a simple majority determining the outcome. If the committee has an even number of members, then a “pass” must have at least three members who vote that way. A tied vote (2 pass, 2 fail) results in a failed oral defense.
Upon final revisions, it is the responsibility of the dissertation chair to read and sign an approval sheet indicating that the dissertation meets the standard of the program. The final copy of the dissertation is then submitted to the Graduate College.