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101 Golden Nuggets for Preparing a Qualitative Dissertation
- Linda Dale Bloomberg - Bloomberg Associates, Institute for Learning Innovations and Adult Development (ILIAD)
Courses:
Intermediate/Advanced Qualitative Research | Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods | Qualitative Health & Nursing Research | Qualitative Inquiry | Qualitative Inquiry | Qualitative Research in Education | Qualitative Research in Education | Research Methods in Criminal Justice | Research Methods in Social Work | Research Methods in Sociology | Study Skills | Thesis & Dissertation Guides
Intermediate/Advanced Qualitative Research | Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods | Qualitative Health & Nursing Research | Qualitative Inquiry | Qualitative Inquiry | Qualitative Research in Education | Qualitative Research in Education | Research Methods in Criminal Justice | Research Methods in Social Work | Research Methods in Sociology | Study Skills | Thesis & Dissertation Guides
April 2025 | 440 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
The 101 "nuggets of understanding" that comprise this book shed light on the required content of a qualitative dissertation. They help readers navigate through the iterative, recursive, and often messy dissertation process, from its inception to a successful completion right from the planning stage, through data collection and analysis, all the way to writing up, presenting, and publishing. Each nugget is posed in the form of a question, as if in conversation with the reader, and will hopefully stimulate critical thinking, reflection, and dialogue. This book is the place to turn to for quick (though not simplified) answers to key questions based on the latest developments in the field of qualitative research. It will motivate doctoral students or prospective doctoral students to seek and consult additional relevant texts and resources in order to delve deeper into the many issues involved in preparing for a qualitative dissertation.
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Part 1: Qualitative Research Methodology: Background and Context
1. In what ways do qualitative research and quantitative research differ, and what are the defining features and principles of qualitative research?
2. How has the field of qualitative inquiry evolved over time, and what is critical qualitative research?
3. What is implied by rigor in qualitative research, and what does it mean to conduct a rigorous qualitative study?
4. What are the criteria of trustworthiness or legitimation regarding qualitative research, and how do these issues compare with quantitative research standards?
5. How do I best understand the concept of researcher–as–instrument and the centrality of reflexivity on the part of the researcher?
6. What is meant by positionality, and how do researchers’ subjectivity and power dynamics play out in the research process?
7. What are the key ethical considerations in conducting qualitative research?
8. What is qualitative secondary research, and what are the benefits, limitations, and ethical implications with this type of research?
9. What constitutes a qualitative dissertation?
10. What are the similarities and key differences between the PhD and EdD degrees, and how do the differences play out in the dissertation?
Part 2: Planning and Gearing Up for Doctoral Research
11. I have heard that writing a qualitative dissertation is a long and iterative process. What should I expect to best prepare myself for the dissertation journey?
12. How does one manage masses of data to be most efficient and practical throughout the dissertation process?
13. How should I start thinking about planning my time and resources?
14. What would be a realistic timeline in which to complete my dissertation, and how can I remain practical about this?
15. In what ways are journaling and writing memos such integral aspects of the qualitative dissertation process, and why are these activities necessary?
16. What, if at all, is the value of developing a collegial peer support system?
17. How do I go about choosing suitable advisors and dissertation committee members?
18. What is the value of the feedback cycle with regard to dissertation advisement?
19. What are the general standards of good practice among advisors and students?
20. What are the responsibilities among a doctoral student and their advisors?
21. What are some of the most important aspects of academic integrity, and because plagiarism is a serious academic offense, what are some strategies to avoid this?
22. What are the ethical implications of incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) in conducting your research?
Part 3: Laying the Groundwork for Your Study
23. The dissertation process seems long and involved. What is the actual starting point of any qualitative dissertation research?
24. Once I have decided on a broad area of interest, how do I go about developing and refining a researchable topic?
25. How do I move from identifying a research topic to developing and articulating a viable research problem that meets PhD or EdD program requirements?
26. How do I go about developing and honing my research problem statement?
27. What is the purpose statement, and how do I articulate this?
28. How do I develop effective and relevant research questions that address the research purpose?
29. What does alignment imply when it comes to qualitative research?
30. What are the differences between methodology and research methods?
31. What is meant by methodological congruence, and what are the implications of this for my study?
32. What are the actionable strategies used to address the trustworthiness of a qualitative study?
Part 4: Choosing an Appropriate Qualitative Research Design
33. What are the most common qualitative research designs (traditions or genres), and what are the key differences among these?
34. With all the different options available, how do I go about choosing the most appropriate qualitative research design for my study?
35. What are the key characteristics of case study design, and how do I conduct a case study?
36. What is ethnography, and how is an ethnographic study conducted?
37. What are the basic tenets of phenomenology, and how is a phenomenological study conducted?
38. What is grounded theory, and what does a grounded theory study entail?
39. What is narrative inquiry, and how does one go about conducting this type of research?
40. What is action research, and what is involved in an action research study?
41. What is entailed in setting up and conducting a mixed methods research design?
Part 5: Preparing and Writing the Dissertation Research Proposal
42. What exactly is the research proposal, and what is its function and purpose?
43. How do I go about developing my research proposal, and what are the key components of a qualitative dissertation proposal?
44. What are some of the most important guidelines regarding academic writing?
45. What are the general format and style requirements for writing a qualitative dissertation?
46. What is Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, and why is this necessary?
47. What are the procedures, requirements, and expectations regarding contacting the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and submitting the necessary documentation?
48. What is the difference between Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and site permissions, and what are some of the details surrounding online site requirements?
Part 6: Conducting the Research: Data Collection
49. What is the research sample, and how is this different from the target population?
50. How do I go about selecting my research sample, and how large does my sample size need to be to reach saturation?
51. What kinds of information will I need from the research site and research sample?
52. What is the difference between anonymity and confidentiality when it comes to protecting the privacy of research participants?
53. What are the ethical concerns specifically with regard to research that is conducted by collecting data online?
54. What are the most commonly used methods of data collection in qualitative research?
55. What is meant by triangulation, and why is this integral to qualitative research?
Part 7: Conducting the Research: Data Analysis and Interpretation
56. What is qualitative data analysis all about?
57. What advice is there for student researchers to best prepare themselves for the huge task of data analysis?
58. There is a lot of talk about qualitative data analysis software (QDAS). What types of programs are available, and are these preferable to conducting a manual, old-fashioned analysis of my data?
59. What are the main differences among inductive, deductive, and abductive analysis?
60. What are codes, what is the procedure for coding my data, and what are some useful coding guidelines?
61. What is meant by thematic analysis, and what are some useful guidelines in developing themes?
62. How can I best understand the concept of data saturation?
63. What are content analysis and discourse analysis, and how do these methods fit with qualitative analysis?
64. What are visual data, and how is analysis of visual data conducted?
65. In what ways does data analysis differ from interpretation of findings?
66. Once I have developed themes, how would I then go on to describe and interpret my study’s findings?
67. How and in what ways do analysis and interpretation differ among qualitative research designs?
68. What are the limitations of my credibility in the analytic and interpretive process? After all, I bring my own perspectives, experiences, and hence assumptions, subjectivity, and biases!
69. How do I ensure and address cultural integrity in my research?
70. What is the rationale for conducting an audit trail to demonstrate trustworthiness, how does one go about this, and what is the ultimate value in my dissertation?
Part 8: Writing and Presenting Your Research
8.1: Introduction to the Study
71. What is the overall purpose of the study’s introductory chapter, and what are the key components and quality markers of this chapter?
72. In what ways is the research problem expected to inform the development of research purpose and research questions, and how is a qualitative research problem evaluated?
73. In the introduction to the dissertation, the researcher lays out the rationale and significance of the study. What is the difference between these two concepts?
8.2: The Literature Review
74. What are the function and purpose of the literature review in a qualitative dissertation, and what are the quality markers?
75. What is the scope of the literature review in the dissertation? In other words, how extensive is the review meant to be?
76. Conducting a scholarly literature review requires skill and expertise. What abilities does this demand of the researcher, and what are some best practice guidelines?
77. There are many different types of literature. What are these types, and what are the distinctions among them?
78. What should I know about and be aware of with regard to online resources?
79. What are annotated bibliographies, and what purpose do these serve?
80. How do I start preparing for the literature review, and how can I break down the stages that constitute the literature review process?
81. What is the idea of synthesis vis-à-vis the literature review write-up, and how is synthesis different from summary?
8.3: Theoretical or Conceptual Framework
82. So much is made of the theoretical or conceptual framework. What are these frameworks, and what are the main differences between them?
83. What are the function, application, and value of the theoretical or conceptual framework in the qualitative dissertation?
8.4: Reporting the Study’s Methodology
84. What is the purpose of the methodology chapter in a dissertation, and what are the quality markers of this chapter?
85. What are the key components of the methodology chapter, and how should this chapter be structured?
8.5: Reporting the Study’s Findings
86. What constitutes the dissertation’s findings chapter, and what are the quality markers of this chapter?
87. How are research findings presented in a qualitative dissertation, and does this presentation differ based on the selected research design?
88. I’ve read conflicting reports about the generalizability of qualitative research findings. How can I better understand this issue?
89. What are meant by limitations and delimitations in a qualitative research study, and what is the difference between these two concepts?
90. What are the qualitative researcher’s role and responsibility in ensuring transparency and criticality in reporting findings?
8.6: Presenting Analysis and Interpretations of Findings
91. What are the role and function of the analysis chapter of the dissertation, and what are the quality markers of this chapter?
92. How do I develop and present the interpretation of my research findings?
93. A lot is made about the notion of synthesis. What are the implications of synthesizing and integrating the findings with my study’s theoretical or conceptual framework?
94. What is the purpose and value of including a positionality statement?
8.7: Conclusions and Recommendations
95. How should I begin thinking about developing trustworthy conclusions, and how do I formulate my study’s conclusions?
96. How can I go about developing actionable recommendations, and for whose benefit are the study’s recommendations?
Part 9: Dissertation Defense Preparation and Beyond
97. As I near completion of my dissertation, what are some final tasks I need to address?
98. Will I have an opportunity to reflect on my research and findings?
99. What is the essential purpose of the dissertation defense?
100. As I approach my dissertation defense, how can I best prepare myself for this milestone event, and what are some beneficial pre-defense strategies that I should know about?
101. Following the defense and all necessary revisions to my dissertation, what opportunities can I pursue regarding publishing and presenting my research?
102. BONUS NUGGET: Finally, I have heard the mantra that “the best dissertation is a DONE dissertation.” However, how does one actually evaluate the quality of a completed qualitative dissertation?
Afterword
References
Index
102. BONUS NUGGET: Finally, I have heard the mantra that “the best dissertation is a DONE dissertation.” However, how does one actually evaluate the quality of a completed qualitative dissertation?
Afterword
References
Index
An invaluable book for any novice qualitative researcher!
Nova Southeastern University
Bloomberg has produced a text unlike others in the field that truly serves students by meeting them where they are in the process and providing "just in time" learning that is steeped in work of seminal authors in qualitative research. This is a resource I would recommend as dissertation chair for any student embarking on their doctoral journey.
University of Portland
This text is a much-needed resource to aid doctoral candidates in thinking through, designing, and conducting qualitative research for their dissertation. It is clear, concise, and breaks down a complex process into manageable nuggets.
Kennesaw State University
With a supportive 'coaching' tone, this book offers insights into reducing stress during the dissertation journey, by knowing what to expect, how to plan for the work, and how to self-critique on the organization of the dissertation components. Readers will have a clear idea about what the dissertation process entails, how to make preparations for the rigor of doctoral work, and how to sustain the journey of months or years without burnout.
Stony Brook University
I recommend this text for both students and faculty. This text is written in easy-to-understand language and answers pertinent questions often posed by doctoral students.
Southeastern University
Sage College Publishing
