Preface

For a number of years, we (the “Doctors LaGrow”) have worked as adjunct professors in the Caulfield School of Education at Saint Peter’s University. We have both taught a wide variety of courses in the program and enjoyed helping students advance in both the master’s degree and doctoral degree programs. As students have had regular exposure to both of us, they have frequently asked us to serve as mentors or readers for their dissertations, an offer we are always honored to receive.

Before 2025, neither one of us had taught either of the Dissertation Seminar courses. However, we became very familiar with the strengths and weaknesses our students displayed in writing the early drafts of their dissertations by the time they were ready to share them with their committee members. In many cases, patterns emerged. We observed consistent areas that we believed could be strengthened if students were provided more specific guidance and instruction in the formative stages of writing. We began to discuss how we could develop resources to assist students in understanding the parts of a dissertation and strengthen the first drafts of their writing, to hopefully lessen the need for revision and rewriting in later stages.

As luck would have it, Dr. Anna Cicirelli asked us each to teach a section of GE-871 Dissertation Seminar I in the summer of 2025 (sessions that were ultimately combined into one session). This gave us the opportunity and impetus to consider what and how students at Saint Peter’s University need to learn about dissertation writing when they first dive into the process. The course experience was intense but rewarding. As we guided the students on developing the first chapters of their dissertations, we concurrently began drafting the first version of this text and shared our progress with them for guidance as well as feedback.

There are a great many books and websites about academic research writing. It would have been easy to select a textbook, and simply suggest that students read existing materials and go forward in that way. But the volume of resources available is a part of the problem. If students are pointed to a giant tome about research writing, how do they best filter and apply all of that information? How do they select what is important and relevant to them in their writing process? How do they know which parts of the process are adopted and emphasized by Saint Peter’s? To use an analogy, attempting to learn everything there is to know about research writing is like drinking from a fire hose. What’s important? Where do you start?

Thus, the stage is set. This book is designed to specifically support your work in your Dissertation Seminar I course as you begin to shape and articulate your research study—developing the first two chapters of your dissertation under the guidance of your professor. It is focused specifically on the Caulfield School of Education’s process and practices. It is your companion, providing a step-by-step approach to the foundational chapters of your dissertation.

GE-871 Dissertation Seminar I is a pivotal course. It marks the transition from broad academic preparation to focused scholarly inquiry. During this course, you will identify a research-worthy problem in education, frame meaningful and researchable questions, explore relevant literature, and begin to ground your study in a theoretical or conceptual framework. By the end of the course, you should have well-developed drafts of Chapter One (Introduction) and Chapter Two (Literature Review)—not as final products, but as solid foundations for feedback, revision, and future development with your committee.

Each chapter of this textbook is organized to help you think like a researcher and write with clarity and confidence. It demystifies the core elements of Chapters One and Two, explains their purpose and structure, and offers examples, strategies, and checklists tailored specifically to the applied research focus of educational leadership. Whether your study examines policy, institutional effectiveness, governance, student persistence, or any other of a number of pressing challenges in higher education, this guide is written to support both your academic goals and your professional context.

Importantly, this book is not meant to replace the role of your course professor, advisor, dean, dissertation mentor, or committee. Rather, it works alongside them—offering a structured reference point to support your learning as you write. At the end of Dissertation Seminar I, you will formally select your dissertation mentor and committee. The drafts you develop here will be shared with them and will shape the conversations and decisions that follow.

You are not expected to have everything figured out by the end of this course. But you are expected to begin—with integrity, curiosity, and commitment. This guide book will help you take those first steps, providing structure and support as you begin to shape your original contribution to the field of higher education.

Welcome to Dissertation I. Let’s begin the journey together!