Page 122 - Postgraduate Catalog 2024-25

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The Doctoral Dissertation Requirement
Doctoral graduates are judged by the quality of their dissertation research. An Abu Dhabi University doctoral student is
expected to produce a dissertation that:
• Is based on original research that makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the discipline;
• Reflects the integration of practice and scholarly work;
• Addresses a problem of interest to current practitioners;
• Is of publishable quality; and
• Demonstrates expertise in a specialization area within the degree program, as well as competence in evaluating the
literature and practice of that area of specialization.
The research strategy, scope of the research and academic rigor should be consistent with the highest level dissertation
research that is expected in the discipline. Faculty members should direct students to research areas that will satisfy these
requirements and assure that research proposals and conceptual designs provide the foundations for high-quality work.
A dissertation is expected to consist of objective research; it is not an essay or a statement to support a position. The
following guidelines will assist in developing a dissertation:
• The purpose of the dissertation should be clear, achievable and consistent throughout.
• The concepts, ideas, and questions should be specific, clearly defined, relevant to the problem identified in the
dissertation, and of significant depth.
• The point of view from which the research is conducted should be of significant breadth, fair and objective, and clearly
stated.
• If empirical data are used, it should be defined, measured, collected, analyzed and interpreted with the highest level
of rigor.
• All assumptions made by the author of the dissertation should be clear, justifiable and consistent.
• Implications and consequences of the research should be completely and clearly articulated, realistic, and significant.
• Inferences and conclusions made by the author of the dissertation should be clear, supported by the research,
reasonable, consistent and of significant depth.
Selection of a dissertation research topic is a collaborative effort between the student and the prospective chairperson. A
student works independently to complete the dissertation, but must be in contact with the chairperson and the appropriate
committee member on a regular basis to assure that the work will satisfy the quality expectations of the University. Failure
to obtain the chairperson’s approval at appropriate stages of the research may result in a completed dissertation that is
not approved and requires substantial revision or selection of another topic.
One Publication Dissertation Requirement
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program at Abu Dhabi University (ADU) requires that a minimum of one
journal article must be accepted for publication in a scientific, refereed journal prior to the doctoral dissertation submission
to external reviewers for assessment. The publication must be based on data that are analyzed by the student and it must
be connected to the theme or themes of the dissertation. Publication in journals which are solely based on a submission/
acceptance pays model is not accepted as part of dissertation requirements. The article(s) are to be coauthored with one
or two members of the dissertation committee.

Details of Publication Requirements:
(a) The publication must be in a SCOPUS indexed journal ranked as Quartile 1 or Quartile 2 only. Journals indexed by SCOPUS
can be found at this link. https://www.scopus.com/sources?zone=TopNavBar&origin=NO%20ORIGIN%20DEFINED
(b) The impact factor of the journal must be at or above 1.20 (SNIP) based on SCOPUS Journal Rank (SJR).
(c) The article must be published in a reputable business journal from a known publisher (i.e., Elsevier Science Ltd, Sage

Abu Dhabi University | Postgraduate Catalog 2024 - 2025