Running Head: DISSERTATION PROSPECTUS
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Dissertation Prospectus
Exploring the Reasons People Abuse Animals
Barbie Bittinger
Walden University
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Problem statement
Domestic animal abuse is a significant problem in the United States, however actual
rates of abuse are unknown. The animal abuse problem is more prevalent than the what is reported as it is estimated that the vast majority of domestic animal abuse cases are never reported or detected (Humane Society, n.d.). Animal mistreatment and negligence is a national
concern, and has also been found to be correlated with other violent crimes (cite). Brutality to
animals is defined as administering bodily pain, grieving, or at some extreme point the death
on an animal (Abubakar, Manzoor, & Iqbal, 2018). Due to the widespread prevalence of domestic animal abuse and correlation with other crimes, it is important to understand why people abuse animals and how can animal abuse be prevented and detected.
There are various notions of how cruelty on animals starts (Arluke, 2017). One of
them being abusers pre-established psychological state that consents them to begin mistreating animals and at some point, the situation might bring about the death of the animal (Sollund, 2017). Most of the cases are not detected, and many animal abusers tend to continue
with the act thus the rising instances (Altschuler, 2017). The focus of this research will be on
understanding why people abuse animals, and determining ways that animal abuse can be
prevented and detected. Findings from this research could help to inform policy(s) at various
levels that prevent and deter animal abuse.
Purpose
There are two primary purposes to this research. The first is to understand why people
abuse animals. The second purpose is to determine ways that animal abuse can be prevented
and detected. As mentioned previously, research shows that animal abuse is correlated with
other violent crimes and it is estimated that a vast majority of animal abuse goes completely
unreported (Humane Society, n.d.). This qualitative research study seeks to increase the
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understanding of these two important points, increase the body of literature on this topic, and
hopefully positively impact social change by informing policy(s) in this area.
Significance
This study will contribute to filling the gap on furthering the understanding of the reasons that people abuse animals, as well as better understanding how animal abuse can be prevented and detected. This study can make an original contribution by focusing on and reporting the knowledge of current field practitioners on these issues. This research can support
professional practice and practical application by revealing the reasons that people abuse animals, and determining ways to prevent and detect animal abuse through the lived experiences
of field practitioners and experts. As mentioned previously, animal abuse is a serious issue
not only because of the defenceless animals involved, but also the fact that animal abuse is
often correlated with other violent crimes. The research findings can lead to positive social
change by sharing the insights of field practitioners and experts. Determining the reasons and
circumstances in which people abuse animals is one of the first steps in proactively addressing this problem. Further, understanding how to increase prevention and detection is also an
important step in reducing animal abuse.
Background
Earlier studies on this issue were carried out and similar findings provided by studies
carried out by Arluke (2017), Sollund (2017) and Altschuler (2017). Common findings were
presented and similar trends noted in the animal abuse globally. The conclusions of the study
by Altschuler (2017) showed that most of the cases are not detected and many animal abusers
tend to continue with the act thus the rising instances. In a different study carried out on the
theme of animal abuse by Arluke (2017), a similar finding to the basis of animal abuse was
provided, i.e., the abuser's pre-established psychological state that consents them to begin
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mistreating animals and at some point, the situation might bring about the death of the animal.
Some of the resources that provide detailed information on the earlier studies carried
out by various teams on the issue of animal abuse are listed as follows:
Arluke, A. (2017). Just a dog: Understanding animal cruelty and ourselves. Temple
Altschuler, E. L. (2017). Animal-Assisted Therapy for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder:
Lessons from "Case Reports" in Media Stories. Military medicine, 183(1-2), 11-13.
Sollund, R. (2017). Causes for speciesism: Difference, distance, and denial. In Transnational Environmental Crime(pp. 75-96). Routledge.University Press.
Theoretical Framework
As observed from the statement of the problem, the incidences concerned with animal
abuse, cruelty, mistreatment, and brutality are alarming. Theoretically, two theories will be
used to inform the approach to this research. These theories are the routine activity theory and
the deterrence theory. These theoretical frameworks will be used to inform the research that
will answer the research questions of why people abuse animals and how animal abuse can be
prevented and detected.
The deterrence theory was developed from the work of Hobbes, Bentham, and Beccaria. The theory is made up of three fundamental components: Certainty, severity, and celebrity. It ascertains that the more severe a punishment is, the higher the probability that was rationally calculating individuals will desist from any given criminal act (Ascione & Ascione,
2010, p. 87). Based on this theoretical perspective, it alludes that if the animal abusers are
given this sentencing objective based on the theory, it would ultimately discourage the people
in conjunction with other animal offenders from committing animal brutality crimes. The
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idea regarding the deterrence theory is that the objective for sentencing an offender is that ensure that there is a reduction of the crime through the example of punishment or threat to the
population at large.
There exist two divergent views regarding the deterrence theory: Specific deterrence
and general deterrence. Specific deterrence is based on the assumption that in the case of animal abuse, the sentence is adjusted with a view of deterring the animal abuser before the
court and convincing the accused not to re-abuse the animal once again. On the other hand,
general deterrence refers to the act of inducing others who had an agenda of abusing animals
not to do so. Since animal abuse as a crime is fairly common, then a general deterrence would
work better to stop the act. In theory, the concept of denudation might be employed to curb
the activity (Ascione & Ascione, 2010, p. 74). In general sense, denudation refers to the act of
convincing the entire community or public that the offense in question is a typical true crime,
a far much serious crime whereby respectable individuals will shun from and not technical,
obsolete or minor. It informs every individual and reassures law-abiding that the relationship
between animal abuse and punishment it is taken into account as logical and just.
On the other hand, the routine activity theory coined in 1979 by Cohen and Felson
calls for three elements to prevail before the occurrence of a crime. These elements must be
prevalent before there is an occurrence of a crime: A target or suitable victim, a motivated offender having inherently criminal intentions in conjunction with the ability to act regarding
these inclinations and the absence of a potential guardian who might prevent the happening of
the crime. These fundamental elements must converge in time and space for a crime to occur.
The theory provides a macro perspective on animal abuse in the sense that it provides insights
on how the changes in economic and social conditions influence the overall animal brutality
and victimization rate (Beirne, 2016, p. 87). Based on the theory it can be postulated that
abusing animals as a crime is a “structurally significant phenomenon” which means that the
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violations are neither trivial nor random events. Therefore, it can be assumed that people
abuse animals since animals are there and that in the case animals would not have been present then this could not be happening.
This study will be theoretically based on deterrence theory and routine activity theories. The theory of deterrence explains how punishment can discourage repetition of crime as
observed in punitive behavior that results in cruelty against animals (Robert, Lebow & Stein,
1985). In exploring the motives of people abusing animals, this theory is useful in highlighting what behaviors relating to retaliation, control, prejudice and hostility in human beings influence animal abuse by the same people possessing those behaviors. On the other hand, application of routine activity theory explains in details how people select target animal victims
to abuse, their motivation and the impact of the absence of animal rights champions in promoting continued crime of animal abuse (Cohen & Felson, 1979). In essence, the environment under which these crimes against animals occur will be put into perspective. The contribution of these theories in considerations of Arluke (2017) assertion, greatly informs the
influencing activities, behaviors, and motives of inflicting pain, threatening, neglecting and
even killing animals thereby facilitating the dissertation critical analysis and recommendations. A qualitative exploratory data of individuals and law enforcement agents on animal
abuse presents a justifiable method of exploring the phenomena under this study with a slight
focus on quantitative data.
Research Questions
RQ1-Qualitative: Why do people abuse animals?
RQ2-Qualitative: How can incidents of animal abuse be detected?
RQ3-Qualitative: How can animal abuse be prevented?
Nature of the Study
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This is a qualitative research study and aligns with answering the research questions
which seek to understand some of the whys and hows regarding animal abuse. Use of qualitative method in collecting behavioral data is appropriate and yields accurate and reliable results (Wilson, 2018).
Possible Types and Data Sources
Individual interviews will be conducted with professionals from the veterinary field
and law enforcement officers with specific experience dealing with cases of animal abuse.
These individuals will have significant knowledge regarding animal abuse and can share their
experiences to inform this research and answer the research questions. Data collection will be
done using interview guides. Interview guides are appropriate in collecting qualitative data
that aims at exploring and describing a situation the way it is according to Wilson (2018). Using in a semi-structured interview, the research questions will be covered in depth and opinions of the respondents will be captured during the process of data collection.
Limitations, Challenges, Barriers
Some of the limitations, challenges, and barriers that may need to be addressed during
this study could include access to research participants. This student does know some people
who work professionally in the veterinary field and some law enforcement officers as well.
Any limitations, challenges, and/or barriers will be assessed, addressed ethically, and approached with best practices in research.
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
This study put into perspective the reasons as to why people abuse animals by carrying a detailed literature review. This chapter explored the existing knowledge of animal
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brutality. This brutality is presented through administering bodily pain, grieving, or at some
extreme point, the death of an animal and the influencing factors on human behavior that is
behind this phenomenon. The section comprises of a theoretical framework explicitly reviewing deterrence theory and routine activity theory as an explanation of such action. These theories are relevant and crucial in elucidating the behavioural aspect explored by this study regarding people and animal abuse. Further, this study reviewed animal abuse motivations to
elaborate on the statement of the problem. Additionally, empirical evidence from other studies for a better understanding of the issues presented in the study. A literature gap was established, therefore making a case justifying a more in-depth exploration of the topic. This chapter closes with a summary those points out the most significant sections.
Most people who abuse animals don't do it on purpose. They hurt animals because they
don't think about or realize what they are doing. Many of these people don't know that what
they are doing is cruel. For example, some people don't realize what kinds of shelter different
animals need. They may keep a dog in their yard with a doghouse that is on the ground and
gets flooded with water when it rains, or they keep their dog on a short chain all of the time.
Some people will try to keep their pet under control by using cruel types of discipline. They
may think that punishment and intimidation are the best ways to solve problems. Other people
are cruel because they don't pay attention. For example, someone might forget to give their cat
water for a few days or leave their dog in a car on a hot day with the windows rolled up. Often
these people know better, but they either forget or don't care enough to pay attention. Finally,
some people hurt animals even though they think they're helping them. For example, some
people have so many pets that they can't care for them all. These people are called hoarders,
and they take in so many animals because they love them. Unfortunately, they can't care for all
the animals they take in, and the animals end up living in a place that's cramped , dirty and
unhealthy. Nearly all of these people can learn to understand that they are being cruel through
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education and increasing their awareness of the needs of our animal neighbors. Since most of
the people who abuse animals make up this group, this means that most of the people who
abuse animals can be helped with basic education.
The next biggest group of animal abusers does it on purpose, but don't keep doing it for
a long period of time. For example, a group of kids may decide to throw rocks at a nest of baby
birds they happened to see, or they may hurt a stray cat in their neighborhood. These people
are usually young, and they hurt animals because they aren't thinking, or because they can't
stand up to their friends and peer pressure. The ones who are aren't really thinking might be
mad at someone else (like their parents) and kick their pet dog because they can't kick their
parents. Or they may think it's fun to watch an animal run away scared, without really thinking
about how the animal feels. The ones who are giving in to peer pressure might be trying to
show off to their friends. Or they may be with a group of friends who are all trying to impress
each other, and so they go along with what everyone else is doing. Intentionally hurting animals
for any reason is serious. In most states, those caught doing this will face harsher punishment
than those who hurt animals unintentionally. However, these people usually don't hurt animals
more than a few times. They learn to think about how others feel, and they learn to stand up
for themselves. This group can be helped through education and support, too.
The last group of people who hurt animals are the worst. These are people who intentionally hurt animals because they enjoy hurting things, or because it makes them feel powerful.
Many of these people would hurt other people if they could get away with it. They just choose
to hurt animals because animals are more helpless than people. Why do these people hurt animals? There are different reasons. A lot of these people want to have control over others. They
will hurt an animal because they think this means they control the animal. Or they may hurt the
animal to control another person. For example, a husband might hurt the
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family's pet to show his wife what he could do to her if she doesn't obey his commands. Someone else might make his dog kill other dogs because he thinks that makes him powerful. Others
simply enjoy pain and violence. Those who enjoy violence might also destroy inanimate objects as well as animals and people. All of the people in this last group suffer from serious,
psychological problems that will probably not go away on their own. They often need the help
of licensed professionals—like a psychologist. We are not 100% sure why people become like
this—most are probably born with their problems, but others can get their problems from brain
damage, poisonous environments, or by being treated badly themselves. Without help, the psychological problems these people have can haunt them for their whole lives. If you know anyone who you think may be like this, don't approach them yourself. Talk to a trusted adult, and
let the adult find someone to help these people. What You Can Do to Help Stop Animal Cruelty
Have you ever seen someone hurting an animal and felt like you couldn't do anything to stop
it? Well, read on—there are important ways that you can speak up.
Alleged link to human violence and psychological disorders. There are studies providing evidence of a link between animal cruelty and violence towards humans. A 2009 study
found that slaughterhouse employment increases total arrest rates, arrests for violent crimes,
arrests for rape, and arrests for other sex offenses in comparison with other industries.
A history of torturing pets and small animals, a behavior known as zoosadism, is considered one of the signs of certain psychopathologies, including antisocial personality disorder,
also known as psychopathic personality disorder. According to The New York Times, "[t]he FBI
has found that a history of cruelty to animals is one of the traits that regularly appears in its
computer records of serial rapists and murderers, and the standard diagnostic and treatment
manual for psychiatric and emotional disorders lists cruelty to animals a diagnostic criterion
for conduct disorders. A survey of psychiatric patients who had repeatedly tortured dogs and
cats found all of them had high levels of aggression toward people as well, including one patient
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who had murdered a young boy. Robert K. Ressler, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's behavioral sciences unit, studied serial killers and noted, "Murderers like this very
often start out by killing and torturing animals as kids.
Acts of intentional animal cruelty or non-accidental injury may be indicators of serious
psychological problems. According to the American Humane Association, 13% of intentional
animal abuse cases involve domestic violence. As many as 71% of pet-owning women seeking
shelter at safe houses have reported that their partner had threatened and/or hurt or killed one
or more of their pets; 32% of these women reported that one or more of their children had also
hurt or killed pets. Battered women report that they are prevented from leaving their abusers
because they fear what will happen to the animals in their absence. Animal abuse is sometimes
used as a form of intimidation in domestic disputes.
Cruelty to animals is one of the three components of the Macdonald triad, behavior
considered to be one of the signs of violent antisocial behavior in children and adolescents.
According to the studies used to form this model, cruelty to animals is a common (but not
universal) behavior in children and adolescents who grow up to become serial killers and other
violent criminals. It has also been found that children who are cruel to animals have often
witnessed or been victims of abuse themselves. In two separate studies cited by the Humane
Society of the United States, roughly one-third of families suffering from domestic abuse indicated that at least one child had hurt or killed a pet.
TV and Filmmaking
Animal cruelty has long been an issue with the art form of filmmaking, with even some
big-budget Hollywood films receiving criticism for allegedly harmful—and sometimes lethal—treatment of animals during production. Court decisions have addressed films that harm
animal such as videos that in part depict dog fighting.
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The American Humane Association (AHA) has been associated with monitoring American filmmaking since after the release of the 1939 film Jesse James, in which a horse was
pushed off a plank and drowned in a body of water after having fallen 40 feet into it. Initially,
monitoring of animal cruelty was a partnership between the AHA and officials in the Hays
Office through the Motion Picture Production Code. Provisions in the code discouraged "apparent cruelty to children and animals", and because the Hays Office had the power to enforce
this clause, the American Humane Association (AHA) often had access to sets to assess adherence to it. However, because the American Humane Association's Hollywood office depended
on the Hays Office for the right to monitor sets, the closure of the Hays Office in 1966 corresponded with an increase in animal cruelty on movie sets.
In addition, other animal welfare organizations worldwide have also monitored the use
of animals in film.
By 1977, a three-year contract was in place between the Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists which specified that the American Humane Association should be "consulted in the use of animals 'when appropriate'", but
the contract did not provide a structure for what "appropriate" meant, and had no enforcement
powers. This contract expired in 1980.
One of the most infamous examples of animal cruelty in film was Michael Cimino's
flop Heaven's Gate (1980), in which numerous animals were brutalized and even killed during
production. Cimino allegedly killed chickens and bled horses from the neck to gather samples
of their blood to smear on actors for Heaven's Gate, and also allegedly had a horse blown up
with dynamite while shooting a battle sequence, the shot of which made it into the film. This
film played a large part in renewed scrutiny of animal cruelty in films, and led to renewed
official on-set jurisdiction to monitor the treatment of animals by the AHA in 1980.
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After the release of the film Reds (1981), the star and director of the picture, Warren
Beatty apologized for his Spanish film crew's use of tripwires on horses while filming a battle
scene, when Beatty was not present. Tripwires were used against horses when Rambo
III (1988) and The 13th Warrior (1999) were being filmed. An ox was sliced nearly in half during production of Apocalypse Now (1979), while a donkey was bled to death for dramatic effect
for the Danish film Manderlay (2005), in a scene later cut from the film.
There is a case of cruelty to animals in the South Korean film The Isle (2000), according to its director Kim Ki-Duk. In the film, a real frog is skinned alive while fish are mutilated.
Seven animals were killed for the camera in the controversial Italian film Cannibal Holocaust (1980). The images in the film include the slow and graphic beheading and ripping apart
of a turtle, a monkey being beheaded and its brains being consumed by natives and a spider being chopped apart. Cannibal Holocaust was only one film in a collective of similarly themed
movies (cannibal films) that featured unstaged animal cruelty. Their influences were rooted in
the films of Mondo filmmakers, which sometimes contained similar content. In several countries, such as the UK, Cannibal Holocaust was only allowed for release with most of the animal
cruelty edited out.
More recently, the video sharing site YouTube has been criticized for hosting thousands
of videos of real life animal cruelty, especially the feeding of one animal to another for the
purposes of entertainment and spectacle. Although some of these videos have been flagged as
inappropriate by users, YouTube has generally declined to remove them, unlike videos which
include copyright infringement.
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) has contracted with the American Humane Association (AHA) for monitoring of animal use during filming or while on the set.[54] Compliance
with this arrangement is voluntary and only applies to films made in the United States. Films
monitored by the American Humane Association may bear one of their end-credit messages.
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Many productions, including those made in the US, do not advise AHA or SAG of animal use
in films, so there is no oversight.
2.2 Theoretical Review
2.2.1 Routine Activity Theory
Routine Activity Theory was put forward by Cohen and Felson in 1979 to explain
crime and crime changes (Grugan, 2017). The theory has helped us understand the aspect of
criminal behavior, and the motive fuelling it. According to Melander and Hughes (2018), this
theory argues that three prevalent elements meeting at a time and space convenient to perpetrate the crime must be all present. The three components include an offender who has criminal intentions, and the ability to commit the act, a targeted victim, and the absence of a crime
preventer. The crime intentions are generalized social activity patterns that both crime perpetrators and victims encounter in their day to day life.
In the context of animal abuse, this theory is useful in understanding why human beings target animals as victims as changes to their daily routines occur over time. Bunei and
Barasa (2017) elucidated the perception changes in the human mind as a result of routine activity changes that may adversely affect their view on surroundings, including other people
and animals. These changes, therefore, force people to confront new situations and may cause
prejudice, hatred, and cruelty towards subjects. Daily life situations encountered by individuals influence their crime rate and, consequently, that of the entire society (Lemieux, 2015).
Routine activity theory is, therefore, a clear elucidation of how macro and micro levels of situation models converge to explain why crime occurs (Nurse, (2016). With increased
and rapid changes in the social, economic lives of people across the globe, an increase in the
animal brutality can be viewed to be originating from the agreements of this theory. The situation model that claims the absence of a guardian who might prevent the crime from
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occurring is a fundamental pillar. it brings into focus the need for more animal rights crusaders to deter potential animal abusers from perpetrating the crime (Lowther, 2018).
2.2.2 Deterrence Theory
Deterrence theory was developed from the work of philosophers Cesare Beccaria and
Jeremy Bentham. The theory was developed from their belief that the motivation of people is
pleasure and pain avoidance (Raaijmakers, Loughran, de Keijser, Nieuwbeerta &
Dirkzwager, 2016). According to their argument, increasing the certainty, severity, and celerity on crime can reduce it. In essence, proponents of this theory believe the offenders' history
and punishments handed earlier are influential in determining whether the offense will be repeated or not. Therefore, the presence of punishment deters criminals from committing the
crime. People who commit or are likely to commit crimes are consequently discouraged from
such acts if other offenders are punished.
The cases of inflicting pain, suffering, or causing death to animals can significantly
reduce if an example is set by punishing offenders severely, swiftly, and with certainty. There
are, however, different perspectives and complexities of deterrence theory. General and specific deterrence perspectives are the most common among contemporary theorists. Specific
Terence addresses a particular case and offender in question to prevent them from committing
the same crime again by adjusting the punishment to suit that offense (Bhattacherjee &
Shrivastava, 2018). In the context of animal abuse, the suspect of animal abuse may be punished for that particular offense against the specific animal to discourage the offender form
re-abusing the same animal in the future.
General deterrence, on the other hand, is aimed at preventing others who had an
agenda of abusing any animal by way of punishing those found guilty of such an offense. Lianos and McGrath (2017) argued that denudation works better with the application of a
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general deterrence perspective. Denudation involves creating awareness about crime and conviction to the entire society that the crime is real and severe. Animal abuse, therefore, can be
seen as a severe crime, and the punishment administered to its perpetrators can be perceived
as logical and just by the general public.
2.3 Animal Abuse Motivations
There various possible reasons that act as motivation for people who abuse animals.
Offensive Behavioural traits may be a result of social, economic, or environmental changes
that affect people and make them brutal to victims (Seto, 2017). These traits may be either
consciously or subconsciously stored in the minds of criminals. This study explores human
retaliation behavior, human controlling behavior, prejudice against some animals as well as
hostile human characters against other human beings and their involvement in animal abuse.
2.3.1 Human Retaliation Behavior and Animal Abuse
People who have been angered by others or by animals may retaliate by doing the
same to animals and people under their reach (Newberry, 2017). This revelation may, therefore, explain why acts of violence are found in some people and not in others. This retaliation may mostly be targeted to the same animal that angered the owner but can sometimes be
targeted to any other animal. A person may, therefore, punish an animal excessively as a result of the animal's undesired behavior. However, selecting which animal to abuse may be
done randomly based on the situation.
According to the assertions of the routine activity theory, changes in one's social life,
such as those occasioned by physical or mental abuse, can result in people victimizing animals. Psychological illness-related issues such as depression can also cause some people to
mistreat animals. Levitt, Hoffer, and Loper (2016) observed that people usually give names of
people to pets, human food, and shelter and relate to them like human beings. However, when
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angered, they may retaliate by abusing the pets just like human beings. These punitive
measures taken by people are specific deterrence measures that result in cruelty against animals. Deterrence theory asserts that punishment discourages people from committing a crime
for fear of the pain and can be used to explain why individuals believe animals should also be
punished.
2.3.2 Human Controlling Behavior and Animal Abuse
A person intending to control an animal such as stopping a dog from backing may do
so in a cruel manner (Newberry, 2017). This act may cause pain to the animal even when it
was not intended to. Abusing pets outside the commonplace of residence may partly be explained by such a phenomenon since controlling an animal is common at home than outside.
It can also happen when an animal is caged or under the chain, thereby inflicting pain or suffering to the animal.
Most of the controlling behaviors are antisocial (Gullone, 2011). Antisocial behavior
involves the use of violence and aggression, disrupting individuals, and society at large. It
causes loss, mental or physical pain, and violates the rights of others. Animals may suffer acts
of aggression directly or indirectly in the hands of the people. Improper controlling of the animal results in punishing the animals, and one becomes an animal abuser in the process.
Ignorance is one of the behavioral causes of animal abuse. Levitt, Hoffer, and Loper
(2016) claimed that some individuals believe abuse is beneficial to the animal. Such violence
may be inflicted as animal training methods. Also, inappropriate housing that causes physical
or mental suffering to an animal is considered animal abuse. Unfortunately, such activities
may not be reported to the authorities most of the time.
2.3.3 Prejudice against Some Animals and Animal Abuse
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Prejudice is a biased view with unfounded truth against a subject (Peters, 2018). Believing some animals are harmful or associating them with something evil can be the root of
the violation of their fundamental rights. Some cultural beliefs may permit torture, maiming,
or even killing some animals. Randour ( 2014) claimed that people who perceive some animals as outgroups are likely to harm them. They hold negative perceptions about the animals
or species of animals and can, therefore, easily abuse them.
Essentially, prejudice may yield hatred and resentment towards the subject. For example, people who believe cats are satanic may kill them for such beliefs. Equally, holding favorable perceptions towards an animal or species of animals can result in good relationships
and protection of such animals. Since human behavior is influenced to a great extent by cultural beliefs, prejudiced views can pose a considerable risk to some animals and their future
existence if these views are not changed.
2.3.4 Hostile Human Characters Against Other Human Beings and Animal
Abuse
An attitude or feeling of rejection and subsequent intention to hurt people in retaliation can result from different sources (Díaz, 2019). Some hostile behavior may start from the
time people are young as a result of rejection, abuse, or even neglect. Inheriting these feelings
can cause resentment towards people and animals. Hostile people can be violent and unaccommodating.
Hostility towards people can be extended to animals hence violate their rights (Peters,
2018). According to Gullone (2011), antisocial behavior such as hostility towards other people is predictive of other adulthood problems such as failed relationships and crime. Where
an individual is hostile to people, there are high chances that the individual might also be hostile towards pets and other animals he interacts with. Animals under the care of violent or
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aggressive individuals may, therefore, suffer the acts of their caregivers just like the people
around them.
2.4 Empirical Review
Grugan (2017) argued that retaliating towards the animals kept by humans was significantly linked to animal abuse cases. The study concluded a significant number of cases of
animal abuse in all forms was perpetrated by caregivers mainly as a result of retaliation. The
views of Randour (2014) were similar after the study found that both pets got punished often
by their caregivers, pointing out punitive acts that could cause pain or injury to them.
Scheffer (2019) conducted a study to investigate the relationship between animal
abuse and domestic violence. The study concluded that people who perpetrate domestic violence are highly likely to abuse animals. This study elucidates the antisocial behavior in human beings and how they manifest in aggression, violence and cause pain to both fellow human beings and animals, especially domestic animals. The findings indicated a significant
number of people were in violent relationships, and their pets were facing similar physical
and mental torture challenges. The hostility of people was, therefore, highly associated with
animal abuse.
Newberry (2017) studied different motivations for animal cruelty. Among the factors
investigated were retaliation, human controlling behavior, and hostility of individuals. The
study used a qualitative approach to data collection and analysis. The results revealed retaliation behavior was the most significant motivation towards animal abuse. Additionally, the
findings revealed a substantial number of cases went unreported to animal protection bodies.
The results concurred with those of the study investigating pet abuse by the same researcher
as well as the research by Scheffer (2019).
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A similar study by Newberry (2017) examined the animal abuse in the context of domestic violence. The study collected data from private forums online, with specific themes
being identified. The results revealed the majority of the victims in the abusive relationships
opt to remain as a result of fear of their pet's safety. These findings have converged views that
both the animals and people living with violent partners are subject to antisocial behaviors.
The opinions of this study were in line with those of Scheffer (2019) underscoring the role of
hostility in animal abuse.
A study conducted by Díaz (2019) investigated the Emerging Attitudes towards Nonhuman Animals. It was done on a sample of students at a Spanish University. It concluded
that prejudice was significantly affecting the way the subjects viewed the animal. The views
towards animal groups that they were not closely interacting with were based on mere perceptions and not facts. This revelation was, therefore, an indication of how prejudice affects
people's relationships with both human and nonhuman animals. Similar views were held by
Alleyne and Parfitt (2017), who concluded perceptions influenced relationships and subsequent treatment of people and animals.
According to the findings of Arluke (2017), animal abusers start this behavior from
various points and triggers. The research further pointed out pre-existing psychological state
gives an okay to start the mistreatment. Altschuler (2017) concurred with the above findings
and claimed most of the criminals do not stop this behavior once they start it. The increase in
animal abuse thus was linked to continued abuse without deterrence or punishment to the
offenders. Randour ( 2014) claimed that hostility and controlling behavior towards animals
were highly related to hostility towards other people.
The reviewed empirical studies have identified the above motives as crucial in explaining the reasons of people abusing animals. People who have prejudice are highly likely
DISSERTATION PROSPECTUS
to harm other people and animals, as well. Hostility, controlling behavior, and retaliation was
equally identified.
2.5 Literature Gap
While a significant number of studies have been carried out addressing animal abuse
in general, few of them have looked with clarity as to the cause of the behavior. The increased
number of cases of animal abuse despite the existing interested stakeholders points to a
deeper problem that requires more profound exploration and practical recommendations to
reduce the effects. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the reasons motivating human beings to mistreat animals and even kill them from a social and legal perspective. It further
sought to create a more in-depth understanding of the existing policy and address the gaps
that exist in terms of reporting the crimes and bringing the perpetrators to justice. The researcher aimed to achieve the objectives by carrying a thorough investigation by collecting
primary data from the relevant experts, policy enforcers, and addressing the gap by issuing
practical recommendations that will prevent and deter animal abuse.
2.6 Summary
The literature reviewed has created insights into the reasons people engage in the act
of animal abuse. The routine activity theory was instrumental in elucidating people to engage
in animal abuse frequently, even without their knowledge. It further emphasizes the contribution of changes to the social, economic factors in shaping human psychology to engage in animal abuse. Deterrence theory, on the other hand, was crucial in understanding why people
punish animals and also why they are punished if they are cruel to them. The importance of
observing animal rights as people enjoy their privileges is underscored. The four thematic areas concerning the motives behind animal abuse highlight human psychological factors driving the agenda of cruelty against animals, whether intentionally or not. The empirical review
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generally points out to a general agreement of continued animal abuse in parts of the world.
The literature gap of insufficient knowledge addressing the inherent reasons people abuse animals and the possible measures to address the challenge justifies a more in-depth exploration
of the topic.
Chapter three: Research Methods
This chapter will cover the techniques used to gather and analyze data. The researcher
will use the study research questions to be the guide in the investigation. The main purpose that
is driving the study will be to understand why people abuse animals. This purpose will be
DISSERTATION PROSPECTUS
aligned with the main question. Further, the study will seek to determine the ways that animal
abuse can be prevented and detected. To adequately answer the question, a clear methodology
will be developed. According to Check and Schutt (2012), a research methodology is a plan of
action from designing to executing the research itself. The plan discussed in this chapter includes the research design, the paradigm, and the role of the researcher, sampling and sample
methods. Additionally, this section will describe the data collection procedures and data analysis methods. The chapter also discusses the research trustworthiness, participants’ rights protection, and exploratory study. Finally, the data analysis method used and presentation are elaborated as the chapter closes.
Research Design
This will employ a descriptive survey research design due to its suitability in building
a profile about why people abuse animals. It will be done by the use of an interview guide on
a sample of the population. Ponto (2015) described a research design as generally the framework, organization, or configuration of the relationships among variables of a study and the
plan of investigation used to obtain empirical evidence on those relationships.
Using systematic inductive methods, grounded theory is used in the current qualitative
research to build a theoretical understanding of the reasons why people abuse animals and how
to detect and stop it. This approach will consist of methodological principles that are flexible
and will involve entities befitting the inquiry as asserted by Ramalho, Adams, Huggard, and
Hoare (2015). In particular, the strategy hypothesized the qualitative methods involved in the
collection and analysis of raw data. The inductive theoretical entities encapsulated in the data
collection method will constitute the grounded theory logic with the data analysis forming the
empirical foundations of the culminating meaning in conclusion and recommendation. Using
the grounded theory, the collection and analysis of raw qualitative data will reflect on abstract,
focused, and conceptual deductions that will be elucidated in this study.
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The present study will take an inductive orientation, which is generally associated with
qualitative studies. An inductive approach, as described by Brannen (2017), is a strategy pertinent to qualitative data analysis that follows the predefined study objectives for efficient data
manipulation. In particular, it is an approach that exploits in-depth appraisal of raw data to
build themes, concepts, and models via interpretation achieved from the collected materials
Research Paradigm
This study will utilize the interpretivist qualitative paradigm as it is appropriate in understanding a case from the exploratory approach. The participants will give their views, experiences, perceptions, and reasons which subjectively explain why people abuse animals. Additionally, this paradigm will be consistent with the chosen research design. While the qualitative
approach asserts a positivist can explain all the phenomena from a qualitative perspective, this
research will be generalizing results to the entire population and draw conclusions from a constructivist approach rather than other paradigms that may not adequately address the reasons
why people abuse animals given different circumstances these cases occur.
Role of the Researcher
Sutton and Austin (2015) elucidated the role of the researcher. The researcher will act
as an observer and a participant at the same time. However, the researcher must be careful in
participating to avoid increasing the bias in the results by keeping personal thoughts, views,
and perceptions away from the study data collected. Additionally, there will be professional
engagement with the participants to ensure the correct data is captured and recorded. In this
study, there will be an objective participation by the researcher in the research process in addition to professional engagement with respondents. Administering interviews will be done by
the researcher hence playing a critical role in data collection.
The researcher will facilitate the research process by assessing the respondents'
thoughts, feelings, and views and recording them without distortion. The views of the
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participants will be equally considered in the final analysis which will be done according to the
best research practices. No conflict of interest that will be in this study as the researcher is not
engaged in any business or employment by any agency in animal protection or law enforcement
agencies.
Sampling
A sample, which is a representative of the entire population, will be drawn purposively. This
study will investigate 12 focusing on a few different groups of people, vet techs, veterinarians, shelter workers, and animal protection experts to get their views. However, a sample will
be drawn from this population purposively as per the assertions of Lohr (2019). A random approach will be used to determine who will be interviewed in those facilities and who will not
be in the sample. This sample will be appropriate to use since the interview method used for
data collection requires in-depth investigation thus increasing the sample may mean poor data
collection may result. Additionally, reducing it will give views of a very insignificant number
of participants.
Data Collection procedures
Data will be collected using the interviews. In design, the interviews will be developed
to have open-ended questions. The open-ended questions in the interview survey will be pertinent to this study because they will eliminate respondent bias and allowed participants to explore the study under their own terms. Since this study will seek to understand in-depth issues
that require additional questions by the researcher, interview guides will be the most appropriate tools to help probe respondents. In addition to responding to study questions, the researcher
can make observations on feelings, expressed attitudes and in-depth understanding of the phenomenon under study even without asking deeper questions. All responses will be recorded to
allow for a detailed review during the analysis. The data will be coded and transcribed using
categorization (Wicks, 2017). The categorization of responses will be based on their similarity
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to enhance accuracy. The objective of content analysis was to sort and assess all recorded responses and differentiate different levels of the content observed
Data Analysis
The collected data will be tabulated to organize and simplify the analytical processes
entailed in qualitative data (Sutton, & Austin 2015). In this research, content and thematic analytical models will be utilized. The objective of content analysis will be to sort and assess all
recorded responses and differentiate different levels of the content observed. Thematic analysis
will be entailed in defining themes and primary ideas from the different levels of observed
content, and latent content from the context information included in the analysis.
Trustworthiness
The researcher will uphold the highest levels of ethical standards during the study. The
data will be kept confidential and will not be altered to change the outcomes of the research.
The clients will be allowed to remain anonymous to ensure they are confident and truthful in
responding to the interview. The data will also be collected from the correct respondents hence
results can be believed to be valid. The respondents that will be included in the sample will be
required to give trustworthy information that can be verified. The data collected also will be
treated with integrity even as it moves from one form t another to avoid distortion. All the
sources will be acknowledged.
Protection of the Participant’s Rights
The respondents will be informed of their right to participate voluntarily or even decline
altogether if they do not wish to participate. Additionally, their responses will be used only for
the study and they cannot be victimized for the responses they give in this study. No right will
be violated. Permission will be sought from the university to collect, transmit and store the
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respondents’ data and responses. A consent form will be signed by participants to confirm they
participate in the study willingly without coercion or intimidation.
Exploratory Study
A pilot study will be carried on 5 respondents or 10 percent of the sample to test the
validity and reliability of the instrument. Validity will assess the extent of the interview guide
to measure what it is designed to measure including the objectives while reliability will reveal
its ability to give consistent results when administered to different samples of the same population.
Presentation of the Results
This study will be carried as an exploratory research using a survey that will draw out
patterns from concepts and give insights into the presentation. The analysis will aim to be illustrative and explanatory to the responses given by individuals. They will be presented in form
of tables, figures, and charts. The results will be generalized, comparable and summarized form
that will have meaning.
Summary
This study may require the researcher to have an assistant in the data collection process
to assist in recording and coding the results. Interviews might take longer than expected hence
the researcher must stick to objectives of the study and avoid diverging into other issues that
are not an integral part of the study. This study methodology is well aligned with objectives,
design, data collection and analysis tools as well as presentation.
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Altschuler, E. L. (2017). Animal-Assisted Therapy for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Lessons from “Case Reports” in Media Stories. Military medicine, 183(1-2), 11-13.
Arluke, A. (2017). Just a dog: Understanding animal cruelty and ourselves. Temple
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Cruelty: Theory, Research, and Application. Purdue University Press.
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Ponto, J. (2015). Understanding and evaluating survey research. Journal of Advanced Practitioner in Oncology, 6(2), 168–171.
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Saunders, M. N.K. (2016). Choosing research participants. In: Symon, G. & Cassell, C.
(Eds.). The Practice of Qualitative Organisational Research: Core Methods and Current Challenges. London: SAGE.
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Bunei, E., & Barasa, B. (2017). Farm Crime Victimisation in Kenya: A Routine Activity Approach. International Journal Of Rural Criminology, 3(2), 224-249.
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Ph.D. in Public Policy Dissertation Writing Guide to Assist in
Writing a QUALITATIVE Proposal and Dissertation.
The following template is a guide to insure that all of the checklist
requirements of the dissertation are adequately addressed. It is not your
proposal or dissertation. Each section of the dissertation checklist asks for
different information, which is reflected in each section of this template, and
no response to one section should be used for another. Most faculty members
ask students to put the instructions in blue font and their responses in black.
This allows the chair to efficiently review your work prior to creating a
complete draft.
This template allows for the orderly collection of the required information and
then the orderly flow of this required information into a finished, edited, and
complete document. The template is seeking content information, where the
finished proposal or dissertation will be an edited version of this template into
the proper University proposal/dissertation format.
Repeating the same information from one section to another or several others
only confuses the reader and does not allow for a smooth reading proposal
and/or dissertation. Each section of the template should be written with a
transition from the last section and transition into the new section. This helps
allow for the orderly flow. For example, take a look at the following sections:
116 Although you will be examining some aspect of a social problem, the research problem itself
focuses on some gap in the research-based literature that your work can help fill. Explain in
detail. Your Problem Statement section must identify that gap as your problem. 200 words 12 pt
Times New Roman (Here you will address a meaningful gap in the current research literature.)
117 Pinpoint the particular part of the wider research problem area your study will tackle. 200
words 12 pt Times New Roman (Here you will provide a concise statement that serves as the
connection between the problem being addressed and the focus of the study discussing the
research paradigm.)
118 What do you hope to discover from conducting this research?
In addition to the identified gap in the literature this study will also tackle wider aspects
of the research problem to include in particular ……………….Having identified the wider
aspects of the research problem it is hoped conducting this research will
discover…………
.
Finally, the template will allow the student to quickly complete the dissertation
checklist required at the proposal and dissertation submission stages because
each item on the checklist is easily found in the prepared document. Many
students find it more efficient to start with Chapter Two Literature Review.
Start by gathering data about your topic, theory, public policy, research
methods. This is not a linear process. Doctoral students must review copious
amounts of scholarly literature and seek information about topics where they
lack understanding. For example, if a student selects semi-structured
interview protocol they might need to read about interviewing insights and
skills. Another student might need to review a video about using Nvivio
software.
In addition please review this checklist when your dissertation draft is
complete.
Take care of the final details:
Do your chapters have the correct pagination and style for headings and subheadings?
Yes or No
Have you added to the Table of Contents and the list of Figures and Tables? Yes or No
Does your narrative develop logically within sections and between sections so that
answers are given for the research questions and the evidence presented is convincing?
Yes or No
Is the evidence presented in a way that is easy to access: tables, narratives, and so on
provide clear and accurate summaries of data and analysis? Yes or No
Are tables, charts, and figures self-descriptive, connected to and supported in the text,
and properly laid out and captioned? Yes or No
Is the language you have used straightforward and clear? Yes or No
Have you taken steps to ensure that your data collection and interpretation processes
are free of bias, inaccuracies, serious omissions, and so on? Yes or No
Is the chapter free of spelling and grammatical errors? Yes or No
Are your citations of the literature accurate and correctly formatted? Yes or No
Have you added the references in this chapter to the References at the end of the
dissertation? Yes or No
Table of Contents
(this TOC will still need to be adjusted and formatted to APA and Walden standards)
Chapter 1
(for example)
Introduction …………………………………………………………..…………………….. 1- 7
Alignment………………………………………………………………………………... 1
Background……………………………………………………………………………… 1- 3
Problem Statement Overview ………..………………………………………………..… 4
Purpose Overview ……………………………………………………………………….
4
Theoretical Framework Overview...……………………………………………………..
4
Nature of the Study Overview…………………………………………………………… 5
Assumptions Overview…………………………………………………………………..
5
Scope Overview………………………………………………………………………….
5
Delimitations Overview………………………………………………………………….
6
Limitations Overview……………………………………………………………………
6
Significance of the Study Overview…………………………………………………….
6
Why This Study is Needed……………………………………………………………..
7
Problem Statement In Detail………………………………………………………………. 8 - 10
The Problem Statement ………………………………………………….…..................
8
The Larger Problem This Research Addresses…………………………………………
8
Why this Problem Needs to be Addressed……………………………………………..
9
How the Research Problem Focuses on Some Gap in the Research-based Literature
that this Work Helps to Fill…………..………………………………………………..
10
Purpose in Detail……………………………………………………………………………11-13
The Wider Research Problem Area this Study will Tackle……………………………
11
Hopes for Discovery from Conducting this Research?.................................................. 11-12
The Direct and Logical Link of the Purpose and the Problem………….…………..… 12-13
The Direct and Logical Link to the Research Questions………………….…………..
13
Research Questions………………………………………………………………………. 14-15
The Research Question(s)……………………………………………………………..
14
How each Research Question is Answered………………………………………….. 14-15
Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………………………... 16-17
Theorist/Theory Influences for this Study……………………………………………
16
Theories Prompting Research Questions……………………………………………. 16-17
How the Theory Relates to the Study and Research Questions…………….………..
17
Nature of the Study…………………………………………………….……………….. 18-20
The Key Concept Being Investigated…………………………………………..……
18
What Guides the Research Design…………………………………………………...
18
The Value of the Ideas and/or Theories……………………………………………….
19
Rationale for the Selection Design………………………………………………….… 19-20
From Whom and How Date Collected and Analyzed…………………………………
20
Operational Definitions……………………………………………………………..….… 21-22
Key Terms Used in the Study………………………………………………………… 21-22
Assumptions……………………………………………………………………………… 23-24
Things Assumed to be True not Verified by This Study………………………………
23
Why the Assumptions are Necessary in the Context of this Study……………………. 24
Scope………………………………………………………………………………………25-26
What is Taken into Consideration in this Study……………………………………….
25
Included Samples, Date, Interpretive Schemes…………………………………………25-26
Transferability………………………………………………………………………….. 26
Delimitations……………………………………………………………………………… 27
Limitations…………………………………………………………………………………28-29
Weaknesses or Gaps in the Study……………………………………………………… 28
Biases that Influencing this Study……………………………………………………… 28
Steps Taken to Reduce the Impact of Limitations……………………………………… 28
What this Study does not do that could Legitimately be done…………………………. 29
Inherent Problems in Research Methodology………………………………………….. 29
Significance of the Study ………………………………………………………………… 30-31
How this Study Fills a Gap in the Present Literature…………………………………… 30
How the Profession Benefits…………………………………………………………… 30
The Impact of this Study for Social Change……………………………………………
31
Summary and Transition………………………………………………………………….. 32-33
Summary of Key Points in Chapter One……………………………………………….
32
Pointing Ahead………………………………………………………………………….
33
Chapter 2
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….
Problem and Purpose……………………………………………………………………..
Organization of the Literature Review…………………………………………………..
Literature Search Strategy…………………………………………………………………..
Summary of the Content of the Literature Review………………………………………
If Little Current Research………………………………………………………………..
Theoretical Framework Literature Review…………………………………………………
Theory Upon Which Study is Based……………………………………………………
Source of the Theory…………………………….………………………………………
Major Theoretical Propositions………………….………………………………………
Rationale for the Choice of Theory……….……..………………………………………
How the Selected Theory Relates to Study…..…………………………………………
Analysis of Theory Application…………………………………………………………
Literature Reviews Related to Theory…………………………………………………..
Content Literature Review…………………………………………………………………
Historical Perspective of Literature Review……………………………………………
How Literature Review Established the Relevance of the Problem……………………
How the Literature is Related to the Problem Statement………………………………
Themes and Trends Discovered in the Literature Review……………………………..
Summary of Articles Reviewed………………………………………………………..
Justification for Themes and Trends Discovered in the Literature Review……………
Synthesis of Articles of what is Known about the Themes and Trends…….…………
Synthesis of Articles of what is Controversial………………………..…….…………
Synthesis of Articles of what Remains to be Studies……………………….…………
Synthesis of Articles Related to Research Questions……………………….…….…………
Most Significant Findings to Justify Study…………………………………………………
Synthesis of Articles of what is Known about the in the Discipline Related to the Study…
Synthesis of Articles of what is Not Known about the in the Discipline Related to the Study.
How this Study will Fill a Gap in the Literature…………………………………………….
Methodology Literature Review………………………………………………………………
Literature Review of Related Methods…………………………………………………….
Description of Studies Related to Chosen Methodology…………………………………..
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………….
Most Significant Findings Justifying the Study……………………………………………
Summary of What is Known and Not Know Related to this Study……………………….
Summary of How Study Fills a Gap in the Literature……………………………………..
Transition…………………………………………………………………………………..
Chapter 3
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….
Purpose of Study…………………………………………………………………………
Research Design………………………………………………………………………….
Type of Qualitative Methodology………………………………………………………..
Role of the Researcher……………………………………………………………………
Setting and Sample…….…………………………………………………………………
Data Collection Procedures………………………………………………………………
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………….
Trustworthiness………………………………………………………………………….
Protection of Participant’s Rights……………………………………………………….
Exploratory Study……………………………………………………………………….
Presentation of Results…………………………………………………………………..
Research Design……………………………………………………………………………
Restatement of Research Questions…………………………………………………….
Central Concept…………………………………………………………………………
Best Research Method ……………..…………………….…………………………….
Justification for Research Method………………………………………………………
Role of the Researcher………………………………………………………………………
Researcher’s Role Defined………………………………………………………………
Researcher’s Role in Data Collection……………………………………………………
Personal or Professional Relationships Between Researcher and Participants………….
Researcher Biases…………………………………………………………..……………
Applicable Ethical Issues………………………………………………………………..
Setting and Sample………………………………………………………………………….
Location of Data Gathering……………………………………………………………..
Population for Study……………………………………………………………………
Sample Determination…………………………………………………………………..
Sampling Methods………………………………………………………………………
Sample Size……………………………………………………………………………..
Participant Eligibility……………………………………………………………………
Characteristics of Sample……………………………………………………………….
Participants Identified, Contacted, and Recruited……………………………………..
Data Collection……………………………………………………………………………
Data Collection Instruments……………………………………………………………
Legal and/or Historical Documents……………………………………………………
Sufficiency of Data Collection Instruments……………………………………………
Published Data Collection Instruments………………………………………………..
Appropriateness of Data Collection Instruments………………………………………
Content Validity of the Data Collection Instrument…………………………………..
Context Specific Issues to the Population Regarding the Instrument…………………
Self Developed Collection Instruments Bases for Development………………………
Self Developed Collection Instruments Content Validity……..………………………
Pilot Study Procedures………………………………………………………………..
Pilot Study Relationship to Main Study………………………………………………
Information Collected for each Research Question…………………………………..
How Participants Exit the Study……………………………………………………..
Follow up Procedures for Participants……………………………………………….
Data Analysis……………………………………………………………………………
Types of Data Collected………………………………………………………………
Sorting/Coding of Data……………………………………………………………….
Software for Data Analysis…………………………………………………………..
Treatment for Discrepant Cases……………………………………………………..
Trustworthiness………………………………………………………………………….
Credibility……………………………………………………………………………
Transferability……………………………………………………………………….
Dependability……………………………………………………………………….
Confirmability………………………………………………………………………
Intra and Intercoder Reliability……………………………………………………..
Protection of Participant’s Rights/Ethical Issues……………………………………...
Formal Steps of Protection…………………………………………………………
Institutional Permissions……………………………………………………………
Recruitment Materials Ethical Concerns…………………………………………..
Data Collection Ethical Concerns………………………………………………….
Agreements…………………………………………………………………………
Data Treatment……………………………………………………………………..
Conflict of Interest…………………………………………………………………
Pilot Study…………………………………………………………………………….
Presentation of Results………………………………………………………………..
Summary………………………………………………………………………………
Chapter 4
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….
Review and Purpose of Research Questions………………………………………………
The Process……………………..…………………………………………………………
Overview………………………………………………………………………………………
Summary of Pilot Study (if used)……..……………………………………………………
Summary of the Setting……………………………………………………………………
Summary of the Demographics……………………………………………………………
Summary of the Data Collection…………………………………………………………..
Summary of the Data Analysis…………………………………………………………….
Summary of the Evidence of Trustworthiness…………………………………………….
Summary of the Results of the Study……………………………………………………..
Pilot Study (if used)…………………………………………………………………………..
Description…………………………………………………………………………………
Impact to Main Study……………………………………………………………………..
Setting………………………………………………………………………………………..
Demographics…………………………………………………………………………………
Data Collection……………………………………………………………………………….
Participants………………………………………………………………………………..
Location, Frequency, and Duration of Data Collection…………………………………..
Recorded Data……………………………………………………………………………
Variations in Data Collection…………………………………………………………….
Unusual Circumstances in Data Collection………………………………………………
Interview Findings…………………………………………………………………………..
Results………………………………………………………………………………………
Discrepant Cases…………………………………………………………………………
Tables…………………………………………………………………………………….
Data Analysis………………………………………………………………………………..
Larger Representations from Coded Information……………………………………….
Description of Emergent Codes and Themes……………………………………………
How Qualities of Discrepant Cases Factored……………………………………………
Evidence and Trustworthiness………………………………………………………………
Implementation of Credible Strategies…………………………………………………...
Implementation/Adjustment to Transferability…………………..………………………
Implementation/Adjustment to Dependability…………………………………………..
Implementation/Adjustment to Consistency/Conformability……………………………
Summary……………………………………………………………………………………
Answers and Findings to Research Question One……………………………………….
Answers and Findings to Research Question Two (if used)….………………………….
Answers and Findings to Research Question Three (if used)…………………………….
Answers and Findings to Research Question Four (if used)………..…………………….
Answers and Findings to Research Question Five (if used)..…………………………….
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………..
Chapter 5
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..
Purpose and Nature of Study…………………………………………………………..
Why and How Study was Done………………………………………………………..
Summary of the findings……………………………………………………………...
Interpretations of the Findings…………………………………………………………….
Conclusion to Research Question One………………………………………………..
Conclusion to Research Question Two (if used)……………………………………...
Conclusion to Research Question Three (if used)……………………………………..
Conclusion to Research Question Four (if used)………………………………………
Conclusion to Research Question Five (if used)............................................................
Limitations……………………………………………………………………………….
Recommendations……………………………………………………………………….
Implications for Social Change………………………………………………………….
Reflection of the Researcher (for Qualitative Studies Only)…………………………….
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….
Chapter 1
Introduction
(Includes a brief overview capturing the highlights of the first chapter. It contains
twelve sections (101-112) depicting a short paraphrase of what the reader will
find in more detail as the chapter progresses. Overall this introduction needs to
capture the highlights of the first chapter, prepare the reader for the whole study,
and include highlights from the most significant literature on the topic. )
101 Begin – Here you will briefly describe the topic of the study, why the study needs to be
conducted, and the potential social implications of the study. Start this section with the following
opening paragraph explaining the alignment of your study. In short, here is what alignment is
asking:
1. What is the problem that needs to be addressed in one sentence? (problem statement) Then, 2.
Why does this problem need to be addressed in one sentence? (purpose) Then, 3. What
question(s) need(s) to be answered to shed light on a potential solution/course of action to either
correct or improve this problem? (research question(s)) 4. Which theory will your dissertation
expand the knowledge or allow for a new dimension of such theory in one sentence? (theoretical
framework) 5. Which methodology will this study be using and why, in one sentence? (nature of
the study) Finally, 6. Explain the social implications of your study in one sentence.
This should take approximately 150 words in 12 pt Times New Roman (checklist code 1I1)
102 Background - Describe all aspects of the selected problem statement including the history of
the problem, its emergence, any solutions offered in the past, stakeholders, it jurisdiction, etc.
This should take approximately 200 words in12pt Times New Roman (checklist code 1I2)
After the background the reader will briefly want to know more about the introduction to this
chapter. Here you will briefly paraphrase the next nine sections (103 – 111). You may wish to
begin along the lines of – As an overview:
103 Problem Statement An Overview
Begin - In one sentence, what is the problem that needs to be addressed? 2. In one sentence,
describe the larger problem that your research questions address. 3. In one sentence, provide
evidence that the problem is current, relevant, and significant to the discipline. 4. In one
sentence, explain why this problem area need to be addressed? 5. In one sentence explain how
this problem builds upon or counters previous research findings focusing primarily on research
conducted in the last five years. 6. Finally, explain in one sentence how the research problem
itself focuses on some gap in the research-based literature that your work can help fill.
This should take approximately 100 words in12pt Times New Roman (checklist code 1I2)
104 Purpose of the Study An Overview
Begin - In one sentence pinpoint the particular part of the wider research problem area your
study will tackle. 2. In one sentence, what do you hope to discover from conducting this
research? 3. In one sentence, describe the direct and logical link of the purpose and the problem.
4. Finally, in one sentence explain the direct and logical link to the research question(s).
This should take approximately 100 words in12pt Times New Roman (checklist code 1I2)
105 Theoretical Framework An Overview
Begin- In one sentence who (which theorist/theory) influences your thinking for this study? 2. In
one sentence, which theories or ideas have prompted your research questions? 3. Finally, in one
sentence, explain how the theory relates to the study approach and research questions.
This should take approximately 100 words in12pt Times New Roman (checklist code 1I2)
106 Nature of the Study An Overview
Begin – In one sentence, describe the key concept and/or phenomenon being investigated in this
study. 2. In one sentence, explain what guides your research design? (In this particular template
– The qualitative method guides my research design because….) 3.In one sentence, explain what
is particularly valuable about this methodology why? 4. In one sentence, provide a concise
rationale for the selection of the qualitative approach for this study. 5. In one sentence, state from
whom and how data are collected. 6. Finally, in one sentence, explain how the data will be
analyzed.
This should take approximately 100 words in12pt Times New Roman (checklist code 1I2)
107 Assumptions An Overview
Begin – In one sentence, what are the things you assume to be true but will not verify in this
study? In one sentence, describe the reasons why the assumption(s) was/were necessary in the
context of the study.
This should take approximately 100 words in12pt Times New Roman (checklist code 1I2)
108 Scope An Overview
Begin – In one sentence, what will be taken into consideration in your study? 2. In one sentence,
what sample, data, interpretive schemes do you plan to include? 3. Finally, in one sentence
explain the potential transferability aspect of your study.
This should take approximately 100 words in12pt Times New Roman (checklist code 1I2)
109 Delimitations An Overview
Begin – Explain, in three sentences, who or what will be left out of your study and why?
This should take approximately 100 words in12pt Times New Roman (checklist code 1I2)
110 Limitations An Overview
Begin – In one sentence, what are the weaknesses or gaps in your study? 2. In one sentence,
describe any biases that could influence this study’s outcomes. 3. In one sentence explain how
the biases are to be addressed. 4. In one sentence, which steps do you plan to take to reduce the
impact of a limitation(s)? 5. In one sentence explain, what will your study not do that could
legitimately be done? 6. Finally, explain the inherent problems in your choice of selection
processes or research methodology?
This should take approximately 100 words in12pt Times New Roman (checklist code 1I2)
111 Significance of the Study An Overview
Begin – In one sentence, explain how your study will add to or fill in a gap in the present
literature about your topic? 2. In one sentence, explain how your profession will benefit? 3. In
one sentence, explain the type of impact your study can make beyond your professional world to
the larger world in relation to Social Change?
This should take approximately 100 words in12pt Times New Roman (checklist code 1I2)
112 Then, end the introduction section with why this study is needed.
This should take approximately 100 words in12pt Times New Roman (checklist code 1BG3)
Problem Statement
113 Clearly state the research problem in no more than four sentences. 100 words 12 pt Times
New Roman (PS1)
114 Describe the larger problem that your research questions address. 300 words 12pt Times
New Roman (Here you will provide evidence of consensus that the problem is current, relevant,
and significant to the discipline. PS2)
115 Why does this problem area need to be addressed? 300 words 12pt Times New Roman
(Here you will frame the problem in a way that builds upon or counters previous research
findings focusing primarily on research conducted in the last five years. PS3)
116 Although you will be examining some aspect of a social problem, the research problem itself
focuses on some gap in the research-based literature that your work can help fill. Explain in
detail. Your Problem Statement section must identify that gap as your problem. 200 words 12 pt
Times New Roman (Here you will address a meaningful gap in the current research literature.
PS4)
Purpose of the Study
117 Pinpoint the particular part of the wider research problem area your study will tackle. 200
words 12 pt Times New Roman (Here you will provide a concise statement that serves as the
connection between the problem being addressed and the focus of the study discussing the
research paradigm. POS1)
118 What do you hope to discover from conducting this research? 200 words 12 pt Times New
Roman (Here you will begin with a description of the intent of the study, such as to describe, to
compare, to explore, to develop, etc. POS2)
119 The purpose of your study should have a direct and logical link to its purpose and it should
be clearly and directly stated. Clearly explain. 200 words 12 pt Times New Roman (Here you
will describe the concept/phenomenon of interest. POS3)
120 Explain the direct and logical link to the research questions. 200 words 12 pt Times New
Roman
Research Questions
121 Research questions - (The research questions drive the whole dissertation, so make for a
good starting point. You may develop one overarching question with several sub-questions that
your research will address or simply a question or series of questions. Avoid questions that can
be answered by a simple yes or no. Keep your questions clear and direct. Make sure they are free
from bias.) 200 words 12 pt Times New Roman (RQ1)
122 Indicate briefly how you will go about answering each of the questions—what quantitative,
qualitative, or mixed methods approaches will you use? 200 words 12 pt Times New Roman
Theoretical Framework
Answering your research questions does not begin with a blank slate; your research is always
part of a larger discussion. Ideas, theories, and even philosophies will guide your study. In this
section you will spell those out:
123 Who influences your thinking? 300 words 12 pt Times New Roman (Here you will identify
and define the theory or theories and provide the origin of source.) TF1
124 What theories or ideas have prompted your research questions? 300 words 12 pt Times New
Roman (Here you will state concisely the major theoretical propositions and/or major
hypotheses with a reference to a more detailed explanation in Chapter 2.) TF2 (for qualitative
studies, the contextual lens; for quantitative studies, a description of the body of research that
supports the need for the study) as derived from the literature with more detailed analysis in
Chapter 2.
125 Here you will explain how the theory relates to the study’s approach and research questions.
TF3 300 words 12 pt Times New Roman
Nature of the Study (including research questions)
126 Briefly describe the key concept and/or phenomenon being investigated. 100 words 12 pt
Times New Roman NS2
127 What guides your research design? What categories will you use in data collection and
interpretation? 300 words 12 pt Times New Roman
128 What is particularly valuable about these ideas or theories and why? 300 words 12 pt Times
New Roman
129 Provide a concise rationale for the selection of the design/tradition you will be using in this
study. 200 words 12 pt Times New Roman NS1
130 [Here you will also briefly summarize (from whom and how data are collected and data will
be analyzed) NS3] 200 words 12 pt Times New Roman
Operational Definitions
131 A Some of the key terms in your study will likely be found in the literature or everyday
conversation and will often have a wide array of meanings. Thus, provide concise definitions of
key concepts or constructs. D1
131B Any terms central to your study that you are using in a particular way should be defined
the way you need for your study. In other words, define terms used in the study that have
multiple meanings (e.g., socioeconomic status, educator, health science professional, etc.) Do not
include common terms or terms that can easily be looked up in a dictionary. D2
131 C If your definition is supported in the literature, summarize that support. It is sometimes
helpful to say what your use of a term does not include. This requires you to include citations
that identify support in the professional literature for the definition or operation definition. D3
Once your terms are defined, use them consistently that way throughout the dissertation.
(Use this page also for your operational definitions and any summaries required. If the content
takes less than the two pages, complete the amount required and leave the remainder of the
page(s) as in the template. Do not eliminate the second page. 12 pt Times New Roman)
Assumptions
132 What are the things you assume to be true but will not verify in this study? 300 words 12 pt
Times New Roman (Here you will clarify aspects of the study that are believed but cannot be
demonstrated to be true. Include only those assumptions that are critical to the meaningfulness of
the study. A1)
These may relate to your population, sample, research methodology, the conceptual framework
or theoretical base, the nature of the problem you are studying, or some other item related to the
study.
133 Describe the reasons why the assumption(s) was/were necessary in the context of the study.
A2 200 words 12 pt Times New Roman
Scope
134 What will be taken into consideration in your study? 200 words 12 pt Times New Roman
(Here you will describe the specific aspects of the research problem that are addressed in the
study and why the specific focus was chosen. SD1
135 What sample, data, interpretive schemes do you plan to include? 200 words 12 pt Times
New Roman (Here you will define the boundaries of the study by identifying populations
included. SD2)
136 Address potential transferability. 100 words 12 pt Times New Roman SD3
Delimitations
(These are the boundaries of your study. As the scope describes what will be
taken into account, the delimitations describe what is of necessity or choice not
going to be taken into account.)
137 Who or what will be left out and why? 300 words 12 pt Times New Roman (Here you will
define the boundaries of the study by identifying populations excluded and theories/conceptual
frameworks most related to the area of this study that were not investigated. SD2)
Limitations
138 What are the weaknesses or gaps in your study? 200 words 12 pt Times New Roman [Here
you will describe the limitations of the study related to design and/or methodological weaknesses
(including issues related to limitations of transferability and dependability.) L1]
139 Describe any biases that could influence this study’s outcomes and how they are to be
addressed. 200 words 12 pt Times New Roman L2
140 Which steps do you plan to take to reduce the impact of a limitation(s)? 200 words 12 pt
Times New Roman (Here you are describing any reasonable measures to address the imitations.
L3)
141 What will your study not do that could legitimately be done? 200 words 12 pt Times New
Roman
142 What are the inherent problems in your choice of selection processes or research
methodology? 200 words 12 pt Times New Roman
Significance of the Study
143 How will your study add to or fill in a gap in the present literature about your topic? 200
words 12 pt Times New Roman (Here you will identify potential contributions of the study that
advance knowledge in the discipline. This is an elaboration of what the problem addresses and
the filling of the gap. SG1)
144 How will your profession benefit? 200 words 12 pr Times New Roman (Here you will
identify potential contributions of the study that advance practice and/or policy. SG2)
145 What kind of impact can your study make beyond your professional world to the larger
world in relation to Social Change? 300 words 12 pt Times New Roman (Here you will describe
the potential implications for positive social change that are consistent with and bounded by the
scope of the study. SG3)
Summary and Transition
146 Summarize again the key points of the first chapter, especially as they revolve around the
research questions. 200 words 12 pt Times New Roman (Here you will summarize the main
points of the chapter. SU1)
147 Point ahead to what is coming in the rest of the chapters. 100 words 12 pt Times New
Roman (Here you will provide a transition to Chapter 2 SU2)
References for Chapter One
Chapter 2
(In this chapter you will be discussing three types of literature reviews. First, will
be the literature you reviewed to determine which theory you used in your
theoretical framework. Second, will be the literature you reviewed to determine
the gap in the literature and the problem. Third, will be the literature you reviewed
to determine which methodology you used for your chosen methodology.)
Introduction
201 Begin by restating the problem and the purpose, in brief. This should take approximately
100 words in12pt Times New Roman (checklist code 2I1)
202 Detail the organization of the literature review. (Explain how the chapter is organized
according to the paragraph listed under Chapter 2 above.) This should take approximately 100
words in12pt Times New Roman (checklist code 2I3)
Literature Search Strategy
203 Summarize the content of the literature review. Include how you went about finding the
literature in your review by first describing the strategy used for searching the literature. Then,
second, include a listing of the databases, journals, and engines you searched/used and the
keywords you used to gather your data for the theory first, then the gap in the literature and
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