I continue to struggle with finding an Introduction that I'm happy with. I am on my NINTH revision.
So as not to delay any further, I sent to Dr. Z a partial introduction (includes significance and justification of the study, the limitations, and the definitions of key operational terms), all of the Methodology chapter (chapter 3) and all of the results (chapter 4). It also has an appendix attached to it.
I'll wait for Dr. Z's comments before I start the conclusions/implications chapter (chapter 5). For now, I've got about 25,000 words and 104 pages. Need more...
When I get/make the time, I continue to work on the second version of the proposal. This morning, I was able to rewrite my study Limitations/Delimitations section and pared down my Operational Definitions of Key Terms.
This dissertation almost seems doable now. Let's hope that this light at the end of the tunnel isn't the headlight of an oncoming train!
Dr. Cheryl Lynch gives a quick (and I mean, quick) lecture on scope and limitations on YouTube.
I also found good descriptions of limitations vs. delimitations at the Baltimore County Public Schools website:
Limitations are shortcomings, conditions or influences that cannot be controlled by the researcher; they place restrictions on methodology and conclusions. They might influence the results found in the study. Limitations can be found in the analysis, the nature of self-reporting, the instruments utilized, the sample, and time constraints.
Delimitations are choices made by the researcher. They describe the boundaries that the research set for the study. Delimitations define the parameters of the investigation. In educational research the delimitations will frequently deal with such items as population/sample, treatment(s), setting, and instrumentation.
I also like How to structure the Research Limitations section of your dissertation by Laerd Dissertation. This might be better for the actual dissertation rather than the proposal, however.
