Health Professions Division Dissertation Guide

35 knowledge that is the context for the study. It is used to demonstrate the potential for complexity of the phenomenon. Historical context can include the tracing of the historical background of the study focus, the tracing of the conceptual threads of the study, and the disciplinary perspective of the focus. The candidate’s personal knowledge or involvement with this topic is addressed by the experiential context. Content headings will be dependent on the particular phenomenon being studied. The subheadings within the chapter should reflect a logical pattern of knowledge content surrounding the focus of the study. Use the past tense when referring to studies from the literature. Remember the active voice is preferred. Be careful not to give a human quality to an inanimate object, which is anthropomorphism. Studies, findings, results, literature, research, theories, tables, or figures cannot explain, compare, deduce, explore, examine, assess, conclude, interpret, support, discuss, address, focus, highlight, provide, give, or determine anything. Objects have a limited vocabulary. They can find, show, indicate, demonstrate, and include. Only people or organizations can perform actions. Instead, have author doing the action, or use the passive voice. Remember to be clear when referring to the dissertation study and referring to studies that support the dissertation study . Chapter 2: Review of the Literature Use levels of heads as appropriate to present the information from the literature. Use the same information for the proposal and the final report Chapter Summary Succinctly review the chapter in no more than two paragraphs. Chapter 3: Methods Each chapter starts on a new page. Use the present and future tenses for the proposal. For the final report, use the past tense to discuss the process. The passive voice may be helpful here. Use the present tense to explain tables and figures. Chapter 3: Methods Research Design An emergent design is used for qualitative studies. The design can be either cross- sectional or longitudinal. Research Assumptions The research assumption is a statement that is presumed to be true without validation. By determining our assumptions, biases, understandings, and beliefs prior to the research, we are open to the possibilities. For example, the candidate assumes the following: • People can reflect on and share their experiences of deeply personal issues. • The investigator will maintain openness when interpreting new perspectives. • Individuals will report accurately and truthfully about themselves. • Reaching saturation validates the themes.