You do not need IRB approval for a class activity.
Interview two participants (in-person) who have an understanding of the content of your research topic/problem. Refer to the interview requirements below: 
Explain the purpose of the interview to the participants by using the appropriate introduction.

Each interview must be audio recorded and timed.

Transcribe your interviews (word-for-word). Within the transcriptions, highlight any areas you think might be thematic or represent emerging patterns.Write a 350- to 500-word reflection about what you learned, what challenges you had, and how you felt about the data you were able to obtain.
College of Doctoral Studies
Dissertation Guide
A Comprehensive Dissertation Development and Alignment Handbook
*Please note: This document is subject to changes, which will be recorded in Appendix
B: Document Change Log. Students and faculty should check back for changes and
download the current version often.
(Last Updated 8/4/2021)
Copyright 2021 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.
Overview……………………………………………………………………………………………………………4
The Dissertation Process………………………………………………………………………………4
The Dissertation Committee………………………………………………………………………….7
Topic Selection and Alignment to the Degree Program………………………………………..9
Method and Design Selection and Alignment to Research Objectives…………………10
Overview of Methods and Designs ………………………………………………………………10
Research Design Selection and Alignment ………………………………………………………..14
Qualitative Design Selection and Alignment …………………………………………………14
Action Research ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 14
Appreciative Inquiry …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17
Case Study………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19
Delphi Method Technique…………………………………………………………………………………………… 21
Ethnography………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 22
Grounded Theory……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 23
Narrative Inquiry ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 25
Needs Assessment ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 27
Phenomenology ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 28
Program Assessment ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 30
Quantitative Research Design Selection and Alignment ………………………………..32
Correlational Research……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 32
Experimental and Quasi-experimental Research ………………………………………………………….. 34
Ex Post Facto (Causal Comparative) …………………………………………………………………………… 36
Factor Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 38
Q-Methodology ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 39
Mixed-Method Research and Alignment ………………………………………………………41
Method and Design Selection Summary ……………………………………………………………43
Doctoral Phase 1: The Prospectus ……………………………………………………………………44
Alignment of the Prospectus Elements ………………………………………………………..46
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Doctoral Phase 2 – Précis ………………………………………………………………………………..47
Doctoral Phase 3 – Dissertation Chapter 2: Literature Review ……………………………52
Doctoral Phase 4 – QRM: Proposal …………………………………………………………………..56
Alignment of the Proposal Elements ……………………………………………………………61
Proposal Assessment Rubric ………………………………………………………………………62
Institutional Review Board (IRB)…………………………………………………………………..62
Doctoral Phase 5 – QRF: Dissertation Chapters 4 & 5: Dissertation…………………….63
Alignment of the Dissertation Elements……………………………………………………….69
Dissertation Assessment Rubric………………………………………………………………….70
Oral Defense ……………………………………………………………………………………………………71
Final Dissertation Editing………………………………………………………………………………….72
Structure of a Dissertation…………………………………………………………………………..72
Elements in an APA Paper …………………………………………………………………………..73
College of Doctoral Studies Dissertation Format Requirements…………………….76
Appendix A: Dissertation Template …………………………………………………………………..82
Appendix B: Document Change Log ………………………………………………………………. 112
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Table of Contents
Overview
This guide provides comprehensive information on University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies
practitioner program dissertation development steps and criteria. The overview section describes the
dissertation process and dissertation team. The Topic Selection and Alignment to the Degree Program
section describes each of the practitioner degree programs offered at the College of Doctoral Studies and
discusses potential areas for research. The Method and Design Selection and Alignment to Research
Objectives describes the research methods and provides a brief overview of the various associated
designs to assist in comparison and selection between the different designs.
The Research Design Selection and Alignment provides detailed information regarding the designs to
assist in understanding their applicability in research and provide resources for further understanding of
the designs.
In addition, this document describes the five phases of the dissertation process and provides guidance
on development and alignment of the prospectus and the dissertation chapters associated with each of
the five phases. The Dissertation Criteria Assessment (DCA) is a developmental and progression
feedback tool used to monitor students in meeting dissertation assessment criteria throughout the
Doctoral Journey Life Cycle and Dissertation Phases. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Oral
Defense sections briefly describe these important dissertation journey milestones, and the Final
Dissertation Editing (FDE) section describes the dissertation formatting requirements. Finally, Appendix
A: Dissertation Template provides a template for the full dissertation, including information andstrategies
on completion of each section of the dissertation.
The practitioner programs are situated within our
Scholar-Practitioner-Leader™ (SPL) model and
aligned to our mission of developing doctoral
leaders who conduct research for creative action
and guide diverse organizations through effective
decision-making.