This document includes preliminary guidelines for Chapter One of the dissertation. It is important that you work with your committee chair to make a final decision about Chapter One, as different types of research may call for a variety of components.

The primary purpose of Chapter One is to introduce the dissertation to the reader. Chapter One should provide the reader a brief overview of the dissertation with just enough detail to enable the reader to decide whether to read the remainder of the work. Chapter One is usually 10 to 15 double-spaced pages.

Chapter One should include:

A general Introduction in which the writer briefly provides a context for the study begins the chapter. This section may include a brief overview of the literature that highlights a few of the most important facts, ideas or theories that are presented in depth in Chapter Two. The purpose of including such statements in Chapter One is to provide the background from practice and / or research, and the theoretical foundation for the study.

The Statement of the Problem describes the specific research problem the student intends to investigate in his or her study. The description of a broad societal or educational problem that may relate to the research problem is not appropriate in this section. The more general societal or educational issues should be addressed in the section entitled Significance of the Study. This section may conclude with a brief, clear statement of what the researcher intends to accomplish by conducting the study.

Research Questions, when required by the study design, should relate directly to the problem. The questions should be somewhat general and relatively few in number, but sufficiently explicit to enable the derivation of interview or survey questions or hypotheses in Chapter three.

The Significance of the Study should describe possible individuals, groups, or organizations that might benefit as a result of the research. This section may also address how the research might address conflicts or weak points in the existing literature, and explain possible contributions of the study. For example, the results of the study may contribute to a better understanding of the issues, identify a gap in the existing body of knowledge, suggest or devise methods or solutions to problems identified in the study, and point out possible consequences or implications of such methods and solutions. In the significance of the study, the writer has the responsibility to point out not only institutional, local or regional significance, but also possibilities for adaptation to national or global levels, as well as implications for related areas or fields.

Terms that are used in a specialized manner should be defined in order to ensure that the reader understands their use throughout the study. This can be handled within the text when only one or two words require definition. When there are more than two words, however, it is helpful to present the specific definitions in a separate section entitled Definitions of Terms in Chapter One.

Delimitations and Limitations may be required to clarify the study. Delimitations provide information about the population to which the results of the study may be generalized. Limitations are presented to acknowledge weaknesses or limiting conditions of the study design that cannot be controlled by the researcher.

Chapter One concludes with a brief overview of the organization of the paper. Chapter One included … Chapter Two presents … through the final chapter.