Indent each new paragraph. Write an overview of your study here. You should provide the reader with an overview of what will be detailed in the study and Chapter One (thesis statement and thesis map). This statement will let the reader know what "universe" you are exploring. What is your topic? How is your approach different from other scholars? What are the significance and implications of your topic?

Indent each new paragraph. Write your background and problem statement here. The background section should lead naturally and logically from the overview section. It should tell the reader what precipitated your interest in the study. A historical description of the problem or situation that led to the issue at hand. For example, if you are studying the subject of teen pregnancies, it would be good to cite some specific locations (towns, counties, states) and numbers of cases, especially depicted in trends, that caused you to "sense" a need for further study.

For the Problem Statement, spell out the issues that will continue to befall someone, a particular community, or society if research is not conducted. It is similar to the background.

Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. The Purpose of the Study should start with a clear declarative sentence that specifies the problem presented for research. As with any research, the results are hoped to edify a particular community, state, institution, or society. Include the type of study in this section – quantitative, qualitative, etc. The Purpose of the Study is not a long section. Most of the sections in this chapter are relatively short compared to Chapters Two and Three. Discuss the link to the degree discipline in the purpose and significance of the study.

Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. In this section, you will connect the study's significance to organizations interested in this study, and you must connect to leadership or policy and how the study could impact decision-making or improvement of current practices.

Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. This section should start with a brief overview of the focus of the study and the rationale that leads to the research questions. The research questions should be numbered and listed. This paragraph should end with a transitioning statement linking to the research questions. For example, Three research questions guided this particular research, or The research addressed the following questions:

1. To what extent did the ……..

2. What differences exist between…….

Also, include a numbered list with the null and alternate hypotheses. Here is an example…

The following null and alternate hypotheses are representative of the correlating research questions for the study.

H01.

Ha1.

H02.

Ha2.

H03.

Ha3.

Note that the symbol for null hypotheses is the number zero, not the letter O. Also, use the subscript function in Microsoft Word for the null and alternate hypotheses symbols. See Table 6.5 in the APA Manual for further examples of statistical symbols.

When putting this section together, it should appear similar to the following example.

This research includes two main objectives: determining whether term length impacted student outcomes and identifying whether particular demographic or subject matter factors influenced success rates. To accomplish these goals, the study will address the following questions. Furthermore, the null and alternate hypotheses are provided for each research question.

1. Is there a statistically significant difference in course completion rates between students in 8-week and 16-week terms?

Ha4. There is a difference in completion rates between students in 8-week courses based on demographic factors (sex, age, prior academic experience, race/ethnicity, first-generation status, low-income status, full- or part-time status).

Indent each new paragraph. Write your next section here. The theoretical framework is presented in the early section of a dissertation and provides the rationale for conducting your research to investigate a particular research problem. Consider the theoretical framework as a conceptual model that establishes a sense of structure that guides your research. It provides the background that supports your investigation and offers the reader a justification for your study of a particular research problem. It includes the variables you intend to measure and the relationships you seek to understand. Essentially, this is where you describe a "theory" and build your case for investigating that theory. The theoretical framework is your presentation of a theory that explains a particular problem.

The theoretical framework is developed from and connected to your review of the knowledge on the topic (the literature review). This knowledge is likely how you initially formulated your research problem. You reviewed the literature and found gaps in the explanation of some phenomena. The theoretical framework allows you to present the research problem in light of a literature summary.

Your description of the variables of interest in the context of the literature review allows the reader to understand the theorized relationships. Begin by describing what is known about your variables, what is known about their relationship, and what can be explained thus far. You will investigate other researchers' theories behind these relationships and identify a theory (or combination of theories) that explains your major research problem. Essentially, your goal is to convey to the reader why you think your variables are related. Therefore, including previous research and theories supporting your belief is essential to defend your rationale. You apply the theory to your problem and state your hypotheses or predictions regarding potential relationships. You tell the reader what you expect to find in your research.