Statement
The Key to Your Dissertation or
Research Project
Marilyn K. Simon, Ph.D.
Recipes for Success
The Heart of a Dissertation l l
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The heart of a doctoral dissertation IS the
PROBLEM STATEMENT. This is the place where most committee members go first to understand and assess the merits of a proposal or a dissertation.
After reading the problem statement, the reader will know why you are doing this study and be convinced of its importance. The reader will NOT be left with an unanswered: So What? question at the studies conclusion.
Recipes for Success
Select a Real Problem l l
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That which is not worth doing is not worth doing well Abraham Maslow
Simple curiosity is not a good enough reason to do scholarly research, i.e. research for research sake.
The fact that nothing like this has ever been done before might tell you something.
Recipes for Success
Selecting a Real Problem
You must know thoroughly the body of research and the techniques related to the chosen methodology. l Naivety might be a source of joy in an artistic field but is not the case in valued research efforts. l You must know:
What you are doing +
Why you are doing it! l Recipes for Success
Bias aside
truth is what we seek
Consider this, you who are engaged in investigation: If you choose to seek truth, cast aside: passion, accepted thought, and the inclination toward what you used to esteem, and you shall not be led into error.
Just the facts; watch out for bias.
Moses Maimonides; 12th Century scholar, philosopher, and physician. l Recipes for Success
According Mikijanis and Thomas: http://kancrn.kckps.k12.ks.us/guide/question.html> l
1. Do not use a problem in research as a ruse for achieving selfenlightenment.
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2. Do not look at a problem whose ony purpose is to compare two sets of data. Recipes for Success
According Mikijanis and Thomas:
Don ts: