Alignment of Prospectus Sections through Abstract Development
Using the Abstract Guidelines (both Word and PPT versions) and the annotated outline in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide, draft a one-page abstract of your Prospectus draft as if it were an abstract of your three-chapter Proposal. Think of it as a short overview and summary of your Prospectus. Obviously, you will not be able to include research findings, but an abstract for your Prospectus will provide a blueprint for the abstract for your Proposal. In this Discussion, you will review your Historical Alignment Tool (HAT) matrix that you developed in Week 5.
You will also evaluate two of your colleagues' Dissertation Prospectus abstracts.
This Discussion provides another opportunity to examine the alignment of all components of your Prospectus, in order to support the creation of your dissertation Prospectus, as you continue to document both the developmental evolution of and the alignment among the problem statement purpose, potential significance, research question, theoretical framework, research design and methodology ("method of inquiry"), data collection and analysis method, and implications for positive social change. As discussed in Week 5, to do this well often takes a number of iterations as you research, gather, digest, and analyze new information about your research topic.
Continued use of theHAT will provide iterative documentation of your rationale for making key research design/methodology decisions. The HAT should be updated after each Ph.D. residency and at the end of every quarter, to (a) validate your choices, or (b) explain how new knowledge or thoughts have informed changes in your dissertation research design and methodology.
Read a selection of your at least two of your colleagues' postings, reviewing their abstracts.