Logic of Dissertation Checklist

DEVELOPING A LOGICAL ARGUMENT THROUGHOUT A DISSERTATION Student’s name:

Building towards the focus of the data collection instruments

Chapter Element of logic Content in this dissertation title title: (keywords in the central question)

1: central question central question: Intro- (substantive topic, duction stated in general terms)

substantive aim substantive aim: (substantive topic, specific context)

theoretical aim theoretical aim: (concepts guiding investigation of the substantive topic)

methodological aim methodological aim: (design and methods to address the substantive topic) 2: review questions: review question(s), substantive aim: Review substantive aim of (issues related to Literature the substantive topic)

review questions: review question(s), theoretical aim: theoretical aim (selecting the theoretical framework and defining concepts)

3: review questions: review question(s), methodological aim: Research methodological aim Design (issues relating to the methodology and methods)

research questions: research questions: substantive aim (reflecting answers to the review questions)

1 Focusing the data collection instruments

Chapter 3: Research Design: data collection instruments Tick

Do the data collection instrument items contribute to answering the research questions related to the substantive aim? Do the data collection instrument items employ the concepts of the theoretical framework?

Is there any reference to the inclusion of the data collection instruments, and possibly to raw data, in the appendices?

Focusing the presentation of the findings

Chapter 4: Presentation of Findings Tick Do the findings for each data collection instrument item contribute to answering a research question related to the substantive aim? Are the findings given for the items relating to each research question in turn?

Focusing the discussion of the findings

Chapter 5: Discussion of Findings Tick Does the discussion show how the answers the findings give to the research questions contribute to achieving the substantive aim? Are the implications explored of these answers to the research questions for the literature on the substantive topic that has been reviewed? Does the discussion consider how the strengths and limitations of the theoretical framework affected the findings? Does the discussion examine how the strengths and limitations of the data collection methods affected the findings?

Drawing conclusions

Chapter 6: Conclusions and recommendations Tick Is a conclusion drawn about the extent to which the research questions were answered and the substantive aim achieved? Is a conclusion drawn about the extent to which the theoretical aim was achieved through employing the theoretical framework to guide the investigation of the substantive topic? Is a conclusion drawn about the extent to which the methodological aim was achieved through the research design and about any ways in which the research design might have been improved? Is a conclusion drawn about how the findings from the specific context investigated in the research contribute to answering the broader central question addressed in the dissertation? Are any recommendations for different audiences supported by reference to the evidence of findings and, if appropriate, literature reviewed?

Signposting throughout the dissertation to highlight the logic of the overall argument developed

All chapters, reference list Tick Is it stated at the end of the introductory chapter how the argument to answer the central question will be developed in the remaining chapters? Is there an introduction to each of the other chapters indicating what will be covered in each section? Is there a statement at the end of each of the other chapters except the conclusion indicating how the logic of the overall argument will be taken forward in the next chapter? Are all references to literature in the text accurately listed in author alphabetical order in the reference list so that readers may, in principle, find these references? Are all appendices clearly labelled so that their contribution to the development of the overall argument is clear?