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Dissertation Proposal and Research

Developing the Dissertation Proposal
The content of the dissertation proposal will vary with the preference of the committee. The basic rule for the proposal is that the members of the committee should be provided adequate information to judge:

• The significance of the problem,
• Scope of the study, and 
• appropriateness of the methodology.

The committee will want to evaluate data collection processes and tools and the anticipated analyses procedures. The proposal should contain, at a minimum:

• The problem statement, 
• how the problem area is one that has personal and career relevance for the student, 
• how the problem issue will have continuing significance for organization development,
• research questions, hypotheses, and objectives,
• justification for the problem, 
• a brief review of literature, and
• a detailed discussion of the methodology.

Approval of the Dissertation Proposal
It is the responsibility of the chair to convene a meeting of the members of the dissertation committee to review the proposal. The doctoral candidate may be expected to communicate with all committee members to find a time when all can meet. The purposes for this meeting are to ensure that:

• the problem is significant and relevant to the field of organization development, 
• the scope of work is appropriate for a doctoral dissertation, and
• the methodology is appropriate.

Doctoral candidates should deliver the dissertation proposal to each committee member at least two weeks in advance of the meeting to allow sufficient time to review it. During the meeting, any concerns or suggestions for improvements will be discussed and expected modifications, will be specified in writing. Depending on the nature of revisions, the committee may elect to discuss the revised proposal. Additionally, student and chair may be required to make the necessary minor modifications. The approval of all the members of the committee is required, and is granted by their signatures on the dissertation approval form. In the event that the doctoral candidate and chair determine that major changes in the study are desirable after the original proposal has been approved, the dissertation committee members must be assembled to approve these changes.

Starting the Research
To begin the formal research doctoral candidates must:

• Develop a dissertation proposal in cooperation with their dissertation committee chair.
• Work with the dissertation chair to enroll other members of the dissertation committee.
• Obtain approval of the dissertation proposal by the members of the dissertation committee.
• Submit the appropriate materials to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) (if applicable).
• Receive permission from the IRB to begin research.
  Note: The department faculty expects the dissertation to be written in accordance with the style set forth in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), latest edition.

Institutional Review Board
Each candidate who does research involving human subjects is required by university and federal policies to complete an application and supply support materials to the university's Institutional Review Board. The committee will use the application and supporting materials to review:

• The rights and welfare of the individual(s) involved,
• the appropriateness of the methods used to secure informed consent and
• the risks and potential benefits of the investigation.

University policy prohibits the initiation of research prior to attaining the approval of the Institutional Review Board. Those who conduct research before receiving permission to use human subjects in their research may not be allowed to register their study with the graduate school.