2019-20 Capital Seminary & Graduate School Handbook

Appendix A – Typical Dissertation Outline

Preliminaries

  • Blank Front Cover Page (required, not counted, not numbered)
  • Copyright Page (required, not counted, not numbered)
  • Title Page (required, counted, not numbered—the title should be 15 words or less—degree is
  • Doctor of Philosophy—date is the month day and year of graduation on the final copy
  • Approval Page (required, counted, not numbered)
  • Dedication Page (optional, counted, not numbered)
  • Table of Contents (required, counted, numbered—accurate page identification required)
  • List of Abbreviations (required if used, counted, numbered—acronyms used)
  • List of Tables (required if used, counted, numbered—tabular data)
  • List of Figures (required if used, counted, numbered—figures, pictures, charts)
  • Preface (required, counted, numbered—helpful persons and sources, including copyright permissions and acknowledgment of Dissertation Committee members)

Chapter 1: Research Concern

  • Introduction to the Research Problem
  • Research Purpose
  • Research Questions
  • Research Hypotheses (Quantitative Research Designs Only)
  • Delimitations of the Study
  • Terminology
  • Research Assumptions
  • Procedural Overview

Chapter 2: Precednt Literature

  • Theological Underpinnings of the Study
  • Theoretical Underpinnings of the Study
  • Rationale for Study
  • Profile of the Current Study

Chapter 3: Methodological Design

  • Research Question Synopsis (Includes problem, purpose, and research questions and hypotheses)
  • Research Procedures

Chapter 4: A nalysis Of Findings

  • Data Analysis and Findings
  • Evaluation of the Research Design

Chapter 5: Conclusions

  • Research Purpose (verbatim restatement from chapter one)
  • Research Questions
  • Research Conclusions
  • Research Implications
  • Research Applications
  • Research Limitations
  • Further Research

References