I have uploaded the assignment description in a word document. Please use references that already have
data collected and data sets available within the past 1 year (2012 to present) from a reputable
source such as: WHO or Demographic Health Surveys or any other reliable data collecting website. All
references should be no more than 2 years old ( 2011 to present). Topic of interest: radiation
exposure-(nuclear, bioterrorism, electromagnetic, nuclear test sites, nuclear power plant facilities,
fukushima, japan, hiroshima, chernobyl, uranium miners, non-ionizing, ionizing, high and low
frequency, electrical devices, medical devices, security scanners, computers, cell phones, household
products, microwaves, power lines, medical radiation, accidents, incidents, emergencies, surveillance
systems), that impacts climate control, air quality, food quality, water quality, occupational health
and safety, and cancer in babies, teens, adults, elderly, and pregnant women, men, women, and all
ethnicities around the world global and how to protect people and the environment from radiation- life
expectancy, signs, sympotoms, cause, effects, prevention, interventions, innovations, cutting edge
technological advances and revolutionary solutions. Please create a unique topic that creates a social
change and follows these guidelines:
1. Complete?
Does the prospectus contain all the required elements? Refer to the annotated outline to see
the required parts of the Dissertation Prospectus document.
2. Meaningful?
Has a meaningful problem or gap in the research literature been identified? In other words,
is addressing this problem the logical next step, given the previous exploratory and
confirmatory research (or lack thereof) on this topic? It is not acceptable to simply replicate
previous research for a Ph.D. degree.
3. Justified?
Is evidence presented that this problem is significant to the discipline and/or professional
field? The prospectus should provide relevant statistics and evidence, documentable
discrepancies, and other scholarly facts that point to the significance and urgency of the
problem. The problem must be an authentic “puzzle” that needs solving, not merely a topic
that the researcher finds interesting.
4. Grounded?
Is the problem framed to enable the researcher to either build on or counter the previously
published findings on the topic? For most fields, grounding involves articulating the problem
within the context of a theoretical base or conceptual framework. Although many approaches
can ground a study in the scientific literature, the essential requirement is that the problem is
framed such that the new findings will have implications for the previous findings.
5. Original?
Does this project have potential to make an original contribution? Addressing the problem
should result in an original contribution to the field or discipline.
Dissertation Prospectus
6. Impact?
Does this project have potential to affect positive social change? As described in the
Significance section (see annotated outline), the anticipated findings should have potential to
support the mission of Walden University to promote positive social change.
7. Feasible?
Can a systematic method of inquiry be used to address the problem? The tentative
methodology demonstrates that the researcher has considered the options for inquiry and has
selected an approach that has potential to address the problem.
8. Aligned?
Do the various aspects of the prospectus align overall? The nature of the study should align
with the problem, research questions, and tentative approaches to inquiry.
9. Objective?
Is the topic approached in an objective manner? The framing of the problem should not
reveal bias or present a foregone conclusion. Even if the researcher has a strong opinion on
the expected findings, the researcher must maximize scholarly objectivity by framing the
problem in the context of a systematic inquiry that permits multiple possible conclusions.
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Assignment
Title Page
The recommended title length is 12 words to include the topic, the variables and relationship
between them, and the most critical keywords. Double-space the title if over one line of type and
center it under the word Prospectus.
Title
The title as it appears on the title page, double-spaced if over one line of type and centered at the
top of the page. The title follows the word Prospectus and a colon.
Problem Statement
Provide a one- to two-paragraph statement that is the result of a review of research findings and
current practice and that contains the following information:
1. A logical argument for the need to address an identified gap in the research literature that
has relevance to the discipline and area of practice.
2. Preliminary evidence that provides justification that this problem is meaningful to the
discipline or professional field. Provide three to five key citations that highlight the
relevance and currency of the problem.
3. The overall purpose or intention of the study.
• In quantitative studies, state what needs be studied by describing two or more factors
(variables) and a conjectured relationship among them related to the identified gap or
problem.
• In qualitative studies, describe the need for increased understanding about the issue to
be studied, based on the identified gap or problem.
• In mixed-methods studies, with both quantitative and qualitative aspects, clarify how
the two approaches will be used together to inform the study.
• For other approaches, clarify why an alternative approach is needed and useful for this
project.
Significance
Provide one to two paragraphs, informed by the topic in the problem statement, which
describe(s):
Dissertation Prospectus
1. How this study will contribute to filling the gap identified in the problem statement—What
original contribution will this study make?
2. How this research will support professional practice or allow practical application—
Answer the So what? question.
3. How the claim aligns with the problem statement to reflect the potential relevance of this
study to society—How might the potential findings lead to positive social change?
Background
Provide a representative list of scholarship and findings that support the main assertions in the
problem statement, highlighting their relationship to the topic (e.g., “This variable was studied
with a similar sample by Smith (2010) and Johnson (2008),” or “Jones’s (2011) examination of
industry leaders showed similar trends in the same key segments.”).
Framework
In one paragraph, describe the theoretical base or conceptual framework in the scholarly
literature that will ground the study. Base this description on the problem, purpose, and
background of your study. This theory or framework informs, and is informed by, the research
question(s) and helps to identify research design decisions, such as the method of inquiry and
data collection and analysis.
Research Question(s)
List the question or a series of related questions that are informed by the study purpose, which
will lead to the development of what needs to be done in this study and how it will be
accomplished. A research question informs the research design by providing a foundation for:
• Generation of hypotheses in quantitative studies,
• Questions necessary to build the design structure for qualitative studies, and a
• Process by which different methods will work together in mixed studies.
Nature of the Study
Using one of the following terms as a subheading, provide a concise paragraph that discusses the
approach that will be used to address the research question(s) and how this approach aligns with
the problem statement. The subheadings and examples of study design are:
• Quantitative—for experimental, quasiexperimental, or nonexperimental designs;
treatment-control; repeated measures; causal-comparative; single-subject; or predictive
studies.
• Qualitative—for ethnography, case study, grounded theory, narrative inquiry,
phenomenological research, or policy analysis.
• Mixed Methods, primarily quantitative—for sequential, concurrent, or
transformative studies, with the main focus on quantitative methods.
Dissertation Prospectus
Page 5
• Mixed Methods, primarily qualitative—for sequential, concurrent, or transformative
studies, with the main focus on qualitative methods.
• Other—for other designs, to be specified with a justification provided for its use.
Possible Types and Sources of Information or Data
Provide a list of possible types and sources of information or data for this study, such as test
scores from college students, employee surveys, observations of children, interviews with
practitioners, historical documents from state records, deidentified medical records, or
information from a federal database.
Possible Analytical Strategies
Provide some possible ways to organize and analyze the results obtained by the research
strategies detailed previously. A few examples of possible analytical strategies include multiple
regression, content analysis, and meta-analysis.
Other Information
Provide any other relevant information, such as challenges or barriers that may need to be
addressed when conducting this study.
References
Include references formatted in the correct style (APA sixth edition, modeled at the end of this
guide) for all citations within the Dissertation Prospectus
