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A Dissertation
In case you don't already know--a dissertation, at least in clinical psychology, is one of the degree requirements for a Ph.D. In general, dissertations involve a comprehensive literature review followed by some sort of proposal for a new research study, data collection, and a report of the findings. Of course, there are other details involved, but that is the short version. One important step is that all proposals are reviewed by a committee that ensures that they are safe and useful.
My dissertation began this same way. I searched through all the literature and found that little had been done in the area of reactions to violence, attitudes about violence, and involvement in the criminal justice system. Well, to be more clear about it, a lot has been done in those individual areas, but not much had linked them together the way I planned to do.
The project is now complete.