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Research Methods Lab · Thesis and Dissertation Planner

Thesis and Dissertation Planner

Build your whole thesis or dissertation in four phases. Work through Chapters 1, 2 and 3 in order, then get help with your proposal presentation, your IRB application, and Chapters 4 and 5. Lock each phase when it’s done, and download everything as one Word document.

Your answers and uploads stay in this browser. Nothing is sent anywhere. The suggestions are a starting point for learning; confirm your design and analysis with your chair, committee and methodologist.

Your guideStart with step 1.3
Phase 1 · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 · Introduction

1.1Your project

The basics that frame every methods chapter.

I am writing a
Chapter 3 format
Follow your program's handbook. The EdD outline matches a common Doctor of Education structure based on APA 7.
Tip: start with "The purpose of this [quantitative / qualitative / mixed methods] study is to…"

1.2Background, significance and terms

These answers build your title, abstract and introduction.

Every term needs a citation.

1.3Approach

How your research question is worded points to the approach. Your choice here also shapes the design in Chapter 3.

My research questions mostly ask…

1.4Research questions

Add each research question. They appear in Chapter 1 with your hypotheses. For quantitative questions, describe the variables and the guide picks the test you’ll use in Chapter 3.

Phase 1 · Chapter 2

Chapter 2 · Review of literature

2.1Literature search and themes

These answers build your search description and the outline of your review of research.

Literature search: databases (choose any)
How studies were screened
Also
Phase 1 · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 · Methodology

3.1Participants, instruments and procedures

Sampling
Ethics and data protection (choose any)
Timeline (month and year)

1–3Your drafts

Built from your answers. Highlighted text marks what you still need to fill in. Edit in Word with your chair's template and your university's style guide.

Working with an advisor? Choose Save my plan and send the file. Advisors at licensed programs can review it in the Doc Lobe Advisor Edition. Save my plan also lets you continue on another device.

Phase 2 · Optional

Proposal presentation (PowerPoint)

2.1Upload your school's template

Use the PowerPoint template your program or chair gave you (.pptx or .potx). DocLobe reads its slide layouts, fonts, colors and any sample slides, then matches your Chapters 1–3 to each slide. The file stays on this device; nothing is uploaded anywhere.

2.2Slide-by-slide recommendations

Each card says which layout from your template to use, what goes on the slide (taken from your chapters) and what to say. Keep 3 to 5 short bullets per slide and put the detail in the speaker notes.

2.3Build it in PowerPoint

    Questions committees often ask at a proposal defense

      Phase 3

      IRB application

      3.1What goes into an IRB application

      Most of your IRB application comes straight from Chapters 1 and 3. These questions cover what the IRB needs that your chapters usually don't. Write for a reader outside your field: plain words, future tense ("Participants will…").

      Human subjects training (for example, CITI)
      Do you have authority over any participants? (for example, you teach, supervise or grade them)
      IRBs look closely at this because participants may feel they can't say no.
      How will participants give consent?
      Will you audio- or video-record anyone?
      Will participants be deceived or not told the full purpose at first?
      Review level you expect

      3.2Upload your school's IRB form

      Upload the blank IRB application from your school (Word .docx or a .txt file). DocLobe finds each question on the form and drafts a recommended answer from your chapters. For a PDF form, open it, select all the text, copy it, and paste it in the box below.

      3.3Recommended answers

      Upload or paste your form to see your school's questions matched to answers. Until then, the answers follow the sections most IRB forms use.

      Your form asksRecommended answer (edit before you submit)

      Attachments IRBs usually ask for

        3.4Informed consent draft

        Built from the required elements of informed consent (45 CFR 46.116). Your IRB may have its own template; if so, copy these answers into it.

        Phase 4 · After IRB approval and data collection

        Chapter 4 · Presentation of research

        4.1Who took part

        4.2Results for each research question

        Enter the numbers from your statistics output (SPSS, R, jamovi or Excel). DocLobe writes the APA results sentence and the decision about the hypothesis. For qualitative questions, list your themes.

        Phase 4

        Chapter 5 · Summary, implications and conclusions

        5.1What your findings mean

        For each question, say how the result compares with the studies in your Chapter 2. Interpretation belongs here, not in Chapter 4.

        5.2Implications, recommendations and conclusion

        4–5Your drafts

        Highlighted text marks what you still need to fill in.

        Learn with Team Robinson

        Learner’s Journey Labs: research, statistics and A.I.

        Subscribe on YouTube

        For a more detailed understanding of research, statistics and the use of A.I., watch these videos and subscribe to Team Robinson (@DrBrandiMathProf). Videos open on YouTube and need an internet connection.

        Sources behind the guide
        1. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
        2. Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum.
        3. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). SAGE.
        4. Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE.
        5. Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE.
        6. Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G*Power 3. Behavior Research Methods, 39(2), 175–191.
        7. Field, A. (2024). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS Statistics (6th ed.). SAGE.
        8. Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE.
        9. Peduzzi, P., Concato, J., Kemper, E., Holford, T. R., & Feinstein, A. R. (1996). A simulation study of the number of events per variable in logistic regression analysis. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 49(12), 1373–1379.