Daystar University Thesis and Dissertation writing Process like many universities in Kenya such as KU, UoN, Strathmore involves a rigorous process that we will outline below from Development and Approval of Thesis/Dissertation Topic to the Thesis/Dissertation format

1.0 Thesis and Dissertation Writing Process

1.1 Development and Approval of Thesis/Dissertation Topic and Concept Paper

Topics should be original, clear, researchable, specific, objective, and relevant to the area of study.

The topic should highlight the purpose of the study in a concise and logical manner. To ensure uniformity in research proposals, students must adhere to the following guidelines:

a. The topic of investigation should reflect a concern in an existing organization, institution, project, intervention, or research consumption.

b. Related topics between students, whether conducted in the same or different organizations, should be avoided.

c. The subject of investigation should be new, original, and not a replica of another person’s work.

d. All topics must be ratified by the school board to avoid duplication.

e. For PhD students, after topic approval, a concept paper should be developed and presented to a panel of PhD faculty in an open forum attended by PhD students.

f. The department may float niche research areas by consideration for graduate students.

g. Departments can suspend or retire repetitive topics done in similar areas within a period of time to allow graduate students to be creative and innovative in researching new areas.

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1.2 Development and Approval of Thesis/Dissertation Proposal

A graduate student should first identify a problem before formulating a topic. The problem should be an area of interest within the student’s area of study. Broadly, a problem is an unresolved issue that exists in literature, theory, or practice that leads to a need for the study.

1.3 Thesis/Dissertation Format

A thesis consists of five chapters:

Introduction and Background
Literature Review
Research Methodology
Data Presentation, Analysis, and Discussion of Findings
Conclusions and Recommendations

This structure is the standard format; however, some areas of study may require alternative formats. In such cases, detailed guidelines will be provided by the respective disciplines.

Preliminary Pages

1. Title Page: This page must include the title of the dissertation at the top, followed by the name of the candidate, the submission statement, and the date of submission at the bottom.
2. Approval Page: This page should contain the names and signatures of the supervisors and school Dean and HoD/Coordinator approvals.
3. Author’s Declaration of Originality Page: This page should include the candidate’s declaration and signature.
4. Copyright Page: (Not titled) Students are entitled to claim copyright ownership.
5. Acknowledgements: This section consists of the candidate’s expression of gratitude and recognition of support. It should not exceed 150 words.
6. Dedication (Optional): A personal note from the candidate.
7. Table of Contents: An organized list of the document’s sections and chapters.
8. List of Tables: Where applicable, the candidate should include a list of tables appearing in the thesis/dissertation.
9. List of Figures: The candidate should include a separate list of figures.
10. List of Abbreviations and Acronyms: Provide a list of abbreviations or acronyms used in alphabetical order. On the first mention, the acronym should be written in full, followed by the acronym in brackets.
11. Abstract: This is a concise summary, restricted to a maximum of 500 words. It should include:
12. - A brief description of the problem.
  - The main objective.
  - Relevant theories.
  - The place of study.
  - The population and design of the study.

1.4 Content of a Thesis/Dissertation Proposal

A) CHAPTER ONE: Introduction and Background to the Research Problem

a. Introduction: This section defines the main problem or research question. It includes an abstract and a brief introduction to the research topic. The section should conclude with an introduction to the chapter.

b. Background to the Research Problem: This involves presenting the need for the research, including the historical background of the subject under study.

c. Statement of the Problem: This should specifically address the problem being studied, supported by relevant literature. The problem should be clearly identified as a gap that needs to be addressed.

d. Purpose of the Study (General Objective): A precise statement of the purpose of the study, limited to no more than two sentences.

e. Objectives of the Study: A breakdown of the study’s purpose into specific, measurable tasks. These should typically range between three and four objectives.

f. Research Questions: These are directly derived from the objectives.

g. Hypotheses: These are formulated based on the study’s objectives.

h. Rationale or Justification of the Study:
This section justifies the need for the study and how scholarship will benefit from it. Citations may be included where necessary.

i. Significance of the Study:
A statement identifying who will benefit from the study and in what ways. Key stakeholders should also be highlighted along with their contribution to scholarship.

j. Assumptions:
This section outlines the facts that are expected to remain true throughout the study period. For example, it may include the assumption that respondents will provide honest answers.

k. Scope of the Study:
This defines the boundaries of the research with proper justifications. The scope may include academic, geographical (e.g., schools in Nairobi County), or sectoral (e.g., NGOs or government organizations) restrictions.

l. Limitations and Delimitations of the Study:

Limitations: These are potential drawbacks or challenges beyond the researcher’s control that may impact the study’s results.
Delimitations: These are measures implemented to overcome the identified limitations.

m. Operational Definition of Terms:
Key terms specific to the research should be defined based on the literature in the relevant discipline and operationalized if necessary.

n. Chapter Summary:
This section provides a summary of the chapter and a brief overview of the remaining chapters.

B) CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

a) Introduction

b) Theoretical Review
This section presents the theories underpinning the study. The key features of the theory, its weaknesses, and its relevance to the study should be discussed. The anchor theory should be clearly identified and justified as to why it has been chosen. A minimum of three theories is recommended, with at least one theory for each study variable.

c) General Literature Review
All indicators or measures of each variable should be discussed in detail under separate subheadings. The discussion should be framed from a theoretical perspective.

d) Empirical Literature Review
This involves a review of current empirical literature relevant to the problem being investigated. It is based on existing literature, highlighting contradictions. It includes a discussion of what has been done by other researchers and the methods they used. For each study, the researcher should identify research gaps that enhance the problem statement.

e) Summary of Knowledge Gaps
This subsection summarizes all gaps identified in the reviewed literature. Along with a prose summary, a table should be included, showing:

Gaps by the author of the article
Area of study
Study findings (e.g., knowledge gaps, theoretical gaps, methodology gaps, contextual gaps)

f) Conceptual Framework
This section provides a figure that clearly depicts the relationships among the study variables. It should present the operationalization of the variables based on their dimensions, which will guide data collection. The hypotheses that the study will test should also be clearly documented and numbered in a standard way.

g) Discussion
This section explains the envisaged relationships among the study variables.

h) Chapter Summary
A summary of the key points discussed in the chapter.

C) CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Chapter three should include a detailed description of the study’s design and methodology. Selected research methods should be appropriate for addressing the research problems and questions identified in Chapter One. The reasons for choosing specific methods should be justified, and explanations provided for excluding alternative methods.

Suggested Sub-Divisions:

Introduction
A brief introduction to the methodology.
Philosophical Underpinnings
Refers to the foundational beliefs and assumptions that guide the research study design or theory.
Research Design
This section describes the type of study, such as descriptive, exploratory, experimental, or case study.
i. Only the designs relevant to the study should be described.
ii. Note that qualitative and quantitative approaches are not considered part of the research design itself but refer to data analysis methods.
Population of the Study
This refers to the universal group from which a target will be derived. For example, secondary schools in Nairobi County.
Target Population
The specific group to be studied within the population. For instance, secondary schools in Kibera, Nairobi County.
Sample Size
A subset of the target population, such as specific secondary schools in Kibera, Nairobi County.
Sampling Techniques
The method used to select the sample size. Only techniques relevant to the study should be described. This is not a literature review on techniques but should include methods like purposive sampling, random sampling, or stratified sampling.
Sampling Criteria
This includes the inclusion and exclusion criteria for selecting participants.
Data Collection Instruments
Describes the type of instruments to be used for data collection, such as questionnaires.
Types of Data
This section defines whether the data is primary, secondary, qualitative, or quantitative.
Data Collection Procedures
Explains how the research instrument will be administered to respondents.
Pretesting of the Research Instrument
Details how the instrument will be tested for accuracy and appropriateness before the main data collection.
Validity and Reliability
Discusses how the research instrument will ensure validity and reliability.
Operationalization and Measurement of Study Variables
This section should provide a matrix that outlines how each variable will be operationalized and measured.
Unit of Analysis
Defines the primary entity being analyzed in the study.
Data Analysis Plan and Data Management
A brief description of how the data will be analyzed and managed.
Diagnostic Tests
Explains the diagnostic tests used to validate the research methods and findings.
Ethical Considerations
Details the ethical issues addressed in the study, such as consent and confidentiality.
Chapter Summary
Summarizes the content of the chapter and highlights the key points.

D) CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

In Chapter Four, the researchers will conduct diagnostic tests, present data, analyze results, and discuss the overall findings of the research. All tables and figures must be aligned to APA standards (e.g., APA does not use pie charts or graphs). Discussions of findings should be presented objective by objective and link findings to the literature review and theories, while also considering the theoretical or conceptual framework outlined in Chapter Two.

Key Guidelines:

Conduct demographic features analysis.
Present organizational or target-specific information, such as history, management levels, and the number of employees.
Analysis should be guided by the study objectives or key research questions.
Follow the research instrument to organize the presentation and analysis.
Address all questions as per the research instrument.
Indicate both percentages (%) and frequencies (number of respondents) where relevant.
Use only relevant analytical tools, such as regressions and chi-square tests.
Support critical findings with literature and similar studies (not all findings need this).

Outline for Chapter Four:

Introduction
Data Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation
Discussion of Findings
Summary of Key Findings
Chapter Summary

E) CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Chapter Five should include conclusions and recommendations. Conclusions should be drawn from the study findings, explaining the extent to which the research questions have been answered. Recommendations should also be based on the findings, and the researcher should propose possibilities for further studies.

Format for Chapter Five:

a. Introduction
b. Conclusions
c. Recommendations (derived from the study)
d. Suggestions for Areas of Further Research (based on the current study)

Appendices:

These include: a. Research Tools (e.g., questionnaire, interview schedule, guide, standardized tools)
b. Timeline for data collection, analysis, and write-up (only in the proposal)
c. Estimated Budget, including sources of funding (only in the proposal)
d. Consent Forms, and assent forms if children are respondents in the study
e. Ethical Clearance Verdict
f. Research Permit

Length and Word Requirements:

Master’s Thesis
- The length shall typically range between 20,000-30,000 words (80-120 pages), excluding preliminary pages and references.
- However, the Senate may prescribe the standard number of words depending on the area of study.
PhD Dissertation
- The length shall typically range between 50,000-80,000 words (220-300 pages), excluding preliminary pages and references.
- The Senate may prescribe the standard number of words based on the field or area of study.

Note:
The structure, number of words, and length may vary depending on the field and area of study. It will depend on the specific discipline the student is pursuing.

DAYSTAR University Thesis/Dissertation Format

1.0 Thesis and Dissertation Writing Process

1.1 Development and Approval of Thesis/Dissertation Topic and Concept Paper

Struggling with your Proposal/Dissertation?

1.2 Development and Approval of Thesis/Dissertation Proposal

1.3 Thesis/Dissertation Format

Preliminary Pages

1.4 Content of a Thesis/Dissertation Proposal

A) CHAPTER ONE: Introduction and Background to the Research Problem

B) CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

C) CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Suggested Sub-Divisions:

D) CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Key Guidelines:

Outline for Chapter Four:

E) CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Format for Chapter Five:

Appendices:

Length and Word Requirements:

Strathmore Master’s Theses and Dissertations Guide: A Comprehensive Overview

CUEA – PROJECT/THESIS/DISSERTATION FORMAT

info@tobitresearchconsulting.com

+254728430728

Copyright ©

1.0 Thesis and Dissertation Writing Process

1.1 Development and Approval of Thesis/Dissertation Topic and Concept Paper

Struggling with your Proposal/Dissertation?

1.2 Development and Approval of Thesis/Dissertation Proposal

1.3 Thesis/Dissertation Format

Preliminary Pages

1.4 Content of a Thesis/Dissertation Proposal

A) CHAPTER ONE: Introduction and Background to the Research Problem

B) CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

C) CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Suggested Sub-Divisions:

D) CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Key Guidelines:

Outline for Chapter Four:

E) CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Format for Chapter Five:

Appendices:

Length and Word Requirements:

Strathmore Master’s Theses and Dissertations Guide: A Comprehensive Overview

CUEA – PROJECT/THESIS/DISSERTATION FORMAT

info@tobitresearchconsulting.com

+254728430728

Copyright ©

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