Dissertation and Dissertation Guidelines

Role of the Dissertation and Dissertation Research

"The doctoral dissertation should 1) reveal the student's ability to analyze, interpret, and synthesize information; 2) demonstrate the student's knowledge of the literature relating to the project or at least acknowledge prior scholarship on which the dissertation is built; 3) describe the methods and procedures used; 4) present results in a sequential and logical manner; and 5) display the student's ability to discuss fully and coherently the meaning of the results." (Taken from a policy statement by the Council of Graduate Schools entitled, "The Role and Nature of the Doctoral Dissertation.")

What is considered appropriate dissertation research varies widely among disciplines as well as fields.  There is general agreement that a doctoral research project should be original, substantial, significant and independently carried out.  In its most general sense, "original" describes research that has not been done previously or that creates new knowledge.  Members of the Dissertation Committee should encourage a student to explore a particular topic or project with the idea that the student will independently develop the dissertation.  Terms such as "substantial" or "significant" refer to the extent or depth of the research project.  (Taken from a policy statement by the Council of Graduate Schools entitled, "The Role and Nature of the Doctoral Dissertation.") 

Copyright and Scholarship

In addition to meeting the demands of the Dissertation Committee, the student must also comply with copyright law.  A dissertation will likely include quotations, pictures, charts, standard tests, or other materials developed by other authors.   The student needs to use appropriate citations and to consider the copyright implications of duplicating any of these materials in his/her dissertation.

Copyright law is not simple, but the law grants a right of "fair use" to the public.  The "fair use" law offers four factors to consider: (1) the purpose of the use, including a non-profit educational purpose; (2) the nature of the copyrighted work; (3) the amount of copying; and (4) the effect of the copying on the potential market for, or value of, the original work.  In applying these factors, most would agree that short quotations from published works in a scholarly dissertation are fair use. 

To be sure, check with the Library for more information about copyright law and how it applies to the doctoral dissertation.  One good manual regarding copyright law is available from: ProQuest Information & Learning (formerly know as UMI), Dissertation Services, P. O. Box 1346, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346. Website:  http://www.umi.com.

Dissertation Prospectus

All students who advance to the dissertation phase of the doctoral program at Lesley University must prepare a dissertation prospectus.

The prospectus should include the following:

• A statement of the research question or analytic topic that will be addressed. All key terms should be clearly defined so that there is no ambiguity about the goals of the dissertation;
• A statement of how the research question or analytic topic will be addressed, including an appropriate research design, description of research tools, description of research methods/analysis that will be utilized and/or an outline of the analytic argument that will be made. In addition, a student must obtain approval from the Human Subjects Committee if appropriate;
• A statement of your motivation for pursuing the dissertation topic and the anticipated contribution it will make to the field of educational studies.

The prospectus should be no longer than five pages and should be approved by all members of the student's Dissertation Committee and by the Director of the Ph.D. Program. Once approved, please send a copy of prospectus to the program office.

The prospectus must be completed and approved within six months (6) of a student's entrance into Phase III of the Ph.D.in Educational Studies Program.

Human Subjects in Research Policy

The Dissertation Committee approves the dissertation prospectus and can help the student determine if she or he requires the approval of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Committee on the Use of Human Subjects in Research at Lesley University before proceeding with data collection. 

"It is expected that all researchers will fulfill their obligations to protect the rights of human subjects.  Research that includes human subjects may be subject to review by the IRB  (1992, Human Subjects Policy, page 1)."  See the current policy (approved December 1992) for the list of instances requiring review board approval and which research is exempt from review.  (See the Appendix for Human Subjects Policy or the Lesley Human Subject Policy on the web at:

http://www.lesley.edu/provost/content/extras/core_handbook.pdf)

Effective January 1, 2004, each student must attach a doctoral program “Review of Research” form, signed by the committee, prior to data collection signifying that the research is exempt from further review or requires further review.  In cases where the Doctoral Study Committee or Dissertation Committee members request additional help in reviewing the dissertation proposal for human subject protection, each student will complete the Lesley University human subjects research proposal and submit it to the Provost’s office.  The IRB committee will convene and will review the request.  Notification of the IRB decision will be sent in writing to the student.  (See Appendix for Ph.D. Program in Educational Studies Review of Research Form.)

 

Final Committee Meeting

When the dissertation is complete, the student convenes a final Dissertation Committee meeting as the Oral Defense.  Once satisfied, committee members sign the Dissertation Approval Form.  The Dissertation Committee recommends to the Director of the Ph.D. Program that the students has successfully finished his/her dissertation by demonstrating: the use of appropriate research methodologies, originality in responding to the research questions posed in the dissertation, and, clarity, coherence, unity and supporting evidence in evaluating the hypotheses posed in the dissertation. 

A Public Presentation to the Lesley Community is required following the final committee meeting. 

Invitation to the Program Director

Students should submit a copy of the dissertation to the Program Director at least two weeks prior to the defense along with an invitation to attend.