Overview
Hi! I just met with my dissertation chair, and after reviewing my proposal, she wants me to make significant revisions to Chapters 1–3. The changes are extensive, so I need you to go through the entire document carefully.
I will send you Chapters 1–3 with my chair's comments and track changes. Please review the entire document and make all necessary revisions based on her feedback. Specifically:
- Accept the track changes where appropriate.
- If my chair left comments, either make the requested revisions directly or respond by addressing the comment and resolving it.
- Make sure every comment has been addressed before returning the document.
- Ensure that all revisions are consistent throughout Chapters 1–3. If a change is made in one section, verify that the same change is reflected everywhere else in the document.
The biggest changes include:
1. Research Focus
- I will now focus on only one organization: 100 Black Men of Jackson.
- My study will use a single-case study design instead of multiple cases.
- The organization can be found here: https://www.100bmoj.org/collegiate100.
2. Target Population
- My target population is changing and needs to be updated throughout the entire dissertation.
- Participants will include:
- One Program Coordinator
- 5–6 Mentors (minimum)
- 5–6 Alumni Mentees (minimum)
- The alumni mentees must have completed the program within the past two years. Please ensure this eligibility criterion is included wherever participant selection, inclusion criteria, or recruitment procedures are discussed.
- Because the mentees will be program alumni, I will not be interviewing or collecting data from minors. This means all references to underage participants, parental consent, child assent, or procedures related to minors should be removed or revised accordingly. Please make sure the participant section, recruitment procedures, ethical considerations, informed consent process, and any other relevant sections reflect this change.
3. Research Questions
- My dissertation chair and I have already revised my research questions together, so those are finalized and do not need to be rewritten. Please use the revised research questions as the foundation for making the remaining changes throughout the document. Ensure that the purpose statement, methodology, literature review, and all other sections align with these updated research questions.
4. Data Collection
- My data collection methods have changed. I will be using only semi-structured interviews and document analysis.
- Please remove or revise any references to surveys, observations, focus groups, or any other data collection methods that are no longer part of my study.
- Ensure that the data collection procedures, instrumentation, trustworthiness strategies, and data analysis sections are all aligned with these two methods.
- Please also review all interview protocols and interview questions. The interview questions that were originally written for current student participants must be revised so they are appropriate for program alumni who completed the program within the last two years. The questions should encourage participants to reflect on their experiences in the program, discuss the impact the program has had since completing it, and describe how the mentoring experience influenced their educational, personal, leadership, or career development. Make sure the interview questions align with my revised research questions and the overall purpose of the study.
5. Chapter 3 – Methodology
- I am attaching the article "Designing Case Studies: Identifying Your Case(s) and Establishing the Logic of Your Case Study."
- My chair instructed me to begin reading Yin on page 47 and select one of the five rationales for a single-case design. Please incorporate the selected rationale into the Methodology section of Chapter 3 and ensure it aligns with my study.
- Continue reading after that section. Beginning on page 50, there is a discussion of holistic versus embedded case study designs. Please incorporate this discussion into the Methodology section of Chapter 3 and explain why the selected design is the most appropriate for my study.
Finally, please review the entire dissertation to ensure everything is aligned with these changes. This includes, but is not limited to, the title, purpose statement, problem statement, significance of the study, literature review, methodology, participant descriptions, sampling strategy, recruitment procedures, interview protocols, data collection, data analysis, ethical considerations, trustworthiness, and limitations. The document should consistently reflect that I am conducting a single-case study of the 100 Black Men of Jackson with participants consisting of one Program Coordinator, 5–6 Mentors, and 5–6 Alumni Mentees who completed the program within the last two years. The study should also consistently reflect that semi-structured interviews and document analysis are the only sources of data. Since the research questions have already been approved by my chair, they should serve as the guiding framework for all revisions.
My goal is to have a clean, cohesive draft that fully addresses my chair's feedback, with all comments resolved and the document ready for my next review. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me with this—I truly appreciate your attention to detail.