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    Mission Creep and Headings in A Dissertation: Research: Recipes For Success. Seattle, WA: Dissertation Success LLC

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    JeremiahOmwoyo
    This document discusses two common issues novice researchers face: mission creep and understanding heading structure. [1] Mission creep occurs when the goals and purpose of the study outlined in the proposal do not align with or are inconsistent with the methodology. [2] The document also explains the five levels of headings used in APA style dissertations, with each subsequent level being more indented with formatting becoming italicized at lower levels. [3] Proper use of headings creates signposts to guide the reader through the important content and ensures consistency within the dissertation.

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    Mission Creep and Headings in A Dissertation: Research: Recipes For Success. Seattle, WA: Dissertation Success LLC

    Uploaded by

    JeremiahOmwoyo
    90 views2 pages
    This document discusses two common issues novice researchers face: mission creep and understanding heading structure. [1] Mission creep occurs when the goals and purpose of the study outlined in the proposal do not align with or are inconsistent with the methodology. [2] The document also explains the five levels of headings used in APA style dissertations, with each subsequent level being more indented with formatting becoming italicized at lower levels. [3] Proper use of headings creates signposts to guide the reader through the important content and ensures consistency within the dissertation.

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    Mission Creep

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    Mission Creep

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    This document discusses two common issues novice researchers face: mission creep and understanding heading structure. [1] Mission creep occurs when the goals and purpose of the study outlined in the proposal do not align with or are inconsistent with the methodology. [2] The document also explains the five levels of headings used in APA style dissertations, with each subsequent level being more indented with formatting becoming italicized at lower levels. [3] Proper use of headings creates signposts to guide the reader through the important content and ensures consistency within the dissertation.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    90 views2 pages

    Mission Creep and Headings in A Dissertation: Research: Recipes For Success. Seattle, WA: Dissertation Success LLC

    Uploaded by

    JeremiahOmwoyo
    This document discusses two common issues novice researchers face: mission creep and understanding heading structure. [1] Mission creep occurs when the goals and purpose of the study outlined in the proposal do not align with or are inconsistent with the methodology. [2] The document also explains the five levels of headings used in APA style dissertations, with each subsequent level being more indented with formatting becoming italicized at lower levels. [3] Proper use of headings creates signposts to guide the reader through the important content and ensures consistency within the dissertation.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    Mission Creep and Headings in a Dissertation

    By Marilyn K. Simon and Jim Goes

    Includes excerpts from Simon & Goes (2013), Dissertation and Scholarly
    Research: Recipes for Success. Seattle, WA: Dissertation Success LLC
    Find this and many other dissertation guides and resources at
    www.dissertationrecipes.com

    Mission Creep is a common mistake for novice researchers. This is when you

    start off focused on a specific purpose for the research, and then you start to promise

    more than your study can deliver. You must constantly review the document for

    consistency and alignment of the various proposal elements. Any time you mention the

    goals, intent, purpose, aim, or objectives of the study, there must be alignment and

    consistency with the methodology, problem, and true purpose of the research. When

    you edit your work, do a search for these terms and make sure that everything is in

    accord. For example, in a phenomenological study, you cannot determine a relationship

    of any sort – that is not what phenomenology is about. Make certain that your mission

    is clear and consistent, and all elements of your proposal are aligned and make sense.

    Another common problem for new researchers is in understanding heading

    structure. In a dissertation, we use different levels of headings. The number of headings

    depends upon the length and organization of your manuscript. Regardless of the

    number of headings, however, always begin with level 0 heading (for Chapters) and

    proceed to level one, level two, etc. Most universities want you to use specific headings

    in formatting your dissertation. Headings are signposts that focus the reader on the

    most important content in your writing. Provided that they are well structured, headings
    make scholarly documents easier to write and easier to read. Each heading should

    accurately describe or signal the focus of the information beneath it.

    There are 5 heading levels in APA. The 6th edition of the APA manual revised

    and simplified previous heading guidelines. Regardless of the number of levels, always

    use the headings in order, beginning with level 0. Please consult the APA 6th

    Publication Manual (Chapter 3, Section 3.03) for examples and further explanation.

    APA Headings
    Level Format
    0 Centered, not bold, Upper and Lowercase Heading. Use for Chapter 1, 2, etc.
    1 Centered, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Headings
    2 Left-aligned, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading
    3 Indented, boldface, lowercase heading with a period. Begin body text after the period.
    Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase heading with a period. Begin body text after the
    4
    period.
    Indented, italicized, not bold lowercase heading with a period. Begin body text after the
    5
    period.

    At the final proofreading stage, make sure not to strand a heading at the bottom

    of a page. The information in the heading must be in accord with the content. In

    reviewing early proposal drafts, we often find there is information in one heading

    (problem statement) that really belongs in other sections (such as the background of the

    problem). Always remember that a dissertation reflects a high level of scholarship and

    research conducted. Make certain that the manuscript is concise and precise, and

    contains no redundancies or conflicting information.

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