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