It can be helpful, then, to think of your prospectus or concept paper as a “blueprint” for the study to come. If the foundation is solid, it’s easy to continue to build on it as you develop your full dissertation chapters. This solid connection between the core elements of your study (beginning with the problem, purpose, research questions, theoretical framework, and design) is what’s referred to as alignment. The earlier you confirm that your study is optimally aligned, the smoother the research and approval process moving forward.

At QandQ, we are intimately familiar with this pre-dissertation stage at most online schools, including Walden University and Grand Canyon University’s respective prospectus processes, as well as other online schools that require pre-dissertation materials, such as Capella University, Northcentral University, University of Phoenix, and Argosy University.

In other words, regardless of the exact form your pre-dissertation materials take, we can assist you to ensure this document provides you with a firm foundation (as any blueprint should). We begin working with you by determining the best methodological approach, since it’s always best to begin by considering precisely how your study will be conducted, how the research questions should read, and how to conduct your data collection. Once we determine your methodology, we then help you develop your full prospectus or concept paper exactly according to your university’s guidelines.

• For doctoral candidates at the start of their dissertation journey, our complete support to develop your prospectus or concept paper begins with a call with one of our methodologists–experts in either quantitative or qualitative research, depending on your preference. The aims of this initial conversation are twofold: to discuss your goals for your doctoral research, and clarify what is realistic for you in terms of sample size and data collection to ensure a feasible research design.
• Either as the second step (or, in some cases the first step, for doctoral students who have already identified their topic and perhaps completed an initial draft) we complete extensive exploratory research to support a current and significant research gap in your discipline. Once we select or confirm a potential research gap that your study can address, we then develop the problem statement and theoretical framework for your review. As the cornerstone elements of your study, it’s important that these initial sections are confirmed before we develop the full “blueprint” of your research (purpose, research questions, and methodology).
• Once you’re ready to move forward with the suggested problem statement and theoretical framework, we develop your purpose section. From there, we ensure that the research questions, hypotheses, instrumentation, sampling plan, and proposed qualitative or statistical analysis maintain alignment and are completely feasible for you. As part of this process, we also confirm that the proposed methodology properly addresses the research questions.
• As a final step, we offer full support to complete the remainder of your concept paper, prospectus, or research plan. Typically 12 to 15 pages in length (although we’re extremely familiar with a broad range of prospectus and concept paper requirements), this document in its final version contains the full and approval-ready foundation for your study. We even provide editing services to ensure your work is presented according to your university’s templates and rubrics so that you’re approved faster and can easily expand this work into your full introduction chapter.