The white paper, authored by James C. Rice and Scott A. McCalla, introduces a five-element evidence chain designed to bridge the gap between professional experience and academic rigor. The model requires researchers to identify an observed condition, a normative standard, an issue, an associated effect, and a final research problem. This sequence is intended to prevent students from building studies around subjective explanations, favoring instead a disciplined progression from performance gaps to actionable inquiry.
University of Phoenix Outlines Lean Six Sigma Method for Dissertations
Doctoral researchers at the University of Phoenix can now utilize a new framework that adapts Lean Six Sigma logic to structure dissertation problem statements. By applying the Define and Measure phases of the DMAIC process, the approach forces students to ground their research in verifiable evidence rather than personal assumptions.
Central to this methodology is the distinction between a practical problem and an academic knowledge gap. While the former focuses on the discrepancy between current performance and a standard, the latter identifies what remains unresolved in existing literature. By utilizing objective evidence from the previous five years—except where historical benchmarks are necessary—researchers can maintain methodological transparency. The authors emphasize that this framework acts as a procedural constraint, ensuring that dissertation development remains an open process that avoids premature causal conclusions.
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