Your major task for this course is to select a qualitative dissertation through the St. Thomas Library dissertation abstracts and fill out the checklists provided.
For the qualitative dissertation, there are three checklists that must be filled out. You can find the checklists in the Qualitative Dissertation Proposal Checklists file attachment on the page. The three checklists correspond to the first three chapters of a dissertation. This will accomplish two goals:
First, you will get an opportunity to see how dissertations are written.
Second, to discover what should be covered in a well-written dissertation.
Chapter 12 gives you an overview of the basic scheme of a research report. Be sure to:
Review the St. Thomas Internal Review Board Guidelines.
Upload the dissertation you chose when you submit your checklists.
Double check your checklists and make certain that they are completely filled out.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Qualitative Dissertation Checklist
Below is an example of how to approach filling out the checklists for a qualitative dissertation based on the structure provided in your course. Please note that this is a generic template, and you will need to fill it in with specific information from the dissertation you select from the St. Thomas Library.
Dissertation Title: [Insert Dissertation Title Here]
Author: [Insert Author’s Name Here]
Year: [Insert Year of Publication Here]
Chapter 1 Checklist: Introduction
1. Problem Statement
– Does the dissertation clearly articulate a specific problem or issue?
– Is the significance of the problem discussed?
2. Purpose of the Study
– Is the purpose of the study clearly stated?
– Does it align with the problem statement?
3. Research Questions
– Are the research questions explicitly stated?
– Do they guide the inquiry and align with the purpose of the study?
4. Theoretical Framework
– Is there a theoretical framework or lens that guides the study?
– Is its relevance to the research problem discussed?
5. Significance of the Study
– Does the author explain why this research is important?
– Are the potential contributions to the field identified?
6. Definitions of Key Terms
– Are key terms defined clearly for the reader?
7. Overview of Methodology
– Is there a brief overview of the qualitative methodology used?
– Does it indicate how data will be collected and analyzed?
Chapter 2 Checklist: Literature Review
1. Scope of the Literature Review
– Does the review cover relevant literature comprehensively?
– Is there a clear focus on studies related to the research problem?
2. Critical Analysis of Literature
– Does the author provide a critical analysis rather than just a summary?
– Are gaps in the existing literature identified?
3. Theoretical Framework Integration
– Is there an integration of the theoretical framework within the literature review?
– How does existing literature support or challenge this framework?
4. Research Gaps
– Are specific research gaps stated clearly?
– Is there a justification for why further research is needed?
5. Relevance to Current Study
– Does the literature review connect to the proposed study?
– Are implications for future research outlined?
Chapter 3 Checklist: Methodology
1. Research Design
– Is the qualitative research design (e.g., phenomenology, grounded theory) clearly stated?
– Does it align with the research questions and purpose?
2. Participants/Sample Selection
– Are the criteria for participant selection described?
– Is the sample size justified?
3. Data Collection Methods
– Are data collection methods (e.g., interviews, focus groups) outlined in detail?
– Is there a rationale provided for these methods?
4. Data Analysis Procedures
– Are the procedures for data analysis (e.g., thematic analysis) clearly described?
– Is there a discussion on how trustworthiness and credibility will be established?
5. Ethical Considerations
– Are ethical considerations discussed, including informed consent and confidentiality?
– Is there mention of approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
6. Limitations of the Study
– Are potential limitations acknowledged and discussed?
7. Summary of Methodology
– Is there a concise summary that encapsulates the methodology used in the study?
Final Steps
1. Review Internal Review Board Guidelines:
Make sure that you have reviewed the St. Thomas Internal Review Board Guidelines to ensure compliance for research involving human subjects.
2. Upload Dissertation:
After filling out all checklists, upload the selected dissertation along with your completed checklists as per your course requirements.
3. Double-Check Checklists:
Carefully review your checklists to ensure they are thoroughly filled out and reflect your understanding of the dissertation structure.
This template serves as a guide for completing your assignment. Be sure to fill in each section with specific information relevant to the dissertation you choose from the library, and follow any additional requirements provided by your instructor.
