Introduction

This is a qualitative phenomenological study intended to explore the lived experiences of pulpit ministers’ wives through their roles in and out of the church and the connection it has with stress in the southwest area of Texas. Research continues to show that the pulpit ministers’ wives have experienced stress in their supportive role in which they complement the roles of their husbands, especially when dealing with members of a church for their spiritual and emotional upbringing (Rosendahl & Rosendahl, 2020). Rosendahl and Rosendahl (2020) argue that pulpit ministers’ wives (PMW) are stressed because their roles in the church determine the success or faultier of their husbands. Similarly, Ajayi (2019) argued that PMW have several tasks including organizing stressing church events like wedding, baptism events, women’s’ ministry overseer and taking part in administrative roles to perform in support of her husband’s calling. Though these roles are vital, they are stressful (Ajayi, 2019).  (Ajayi, 2019) concluded there is a need for further research to learn about the lived experience of PMW and how their experiences relate to stress. Knight (2019) also states ministers’ wives experience stress in balancing church and family work and have family obligations just like the other women in the church and balancing the two activities fuels development of stress. Knight (2019) stresses the need for further research with the primary purpose to understand the link between the PMW lived experiences and stress development. According to a study by Chan and Wong (2018), PMW are vulnerable to stress because they are mandated to support their husbands’ pastoral role as well as their obligations outside the church.

 

As researchers of pastors and pastors’ wives have documented, there is a need to explore the role of pastors’ wives and the connection to stress. This qualitative phenomenological study will explore the lived experiences of pulpit ministers’ wives through their roles in and out of the church and the connection it has with stress.

Criteria	Learner Self-Evaluation Score (0-3)	Chair Evaluation Score (0-3)	Reviewer Score (0-3)
Introduction This section briefly overviews the research focus or problem, why this study is worth conducting, and how this study will be completed. The recommended length for this section is two to three paragraphs.
1.       Dissertation topic is introduced along with why the study is needed.	2.0	2	2
2.       Provides a summary of results from the prior empirical research on the topic.	2.0	2	2
3.        Using results, societal needs, recommendations for further study, or needs identified in three to five research studies (primarily from the last three years), the learner identifies the stated need, called a gap.	2.0	2	2
4.       Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.	2.0	2	2
NOTE: This Introduction section elaborates on the topic from the 10 Strategic Points. This Introduction section provides the foundation for the Introduction section in Chapter 1 of the Proposal.
Reviewer Comments:

 

Background of the Problem

Luedtke and Sneed (2018) purport that PMW have an enormous role in both their domestic and religious positions but, their voices are not always heard. This issue contributes to their stress and little research has focused on lived experiences of pastors’ wives, while the experiences of pastors are well-represented in research by Luedtke and Sneed (2018). The pulpit ministers’ dual role leads to an overload of chores for the PMW. Therefore, the work overload makes wives very committed since they try to ensure all duties are effectively complete Luedtke & Sneed (2018).

Luedtke and Sneed (2018) conducted a study on the experiences of nine Wesleyan PMW. The lived experiences of the PMW when carrying out their church and family roles were examined to determine whether these experiences fueled stress. The study revealed that the positions of the PMW in the church contributed to stress.

Understanding the stressful plight of pulpit ministers’ wives stems from the research on the relationship between the domains of Church work and Church family (Tsionou & Konstantopoulos, 2015). Despite past work showing that the two were mutually exclusive, growing research points out that the two are interdependent (Tsionou & Konstantopoulos, 2015). The two domains were believed to have a negative consequence. Still recent research indicates that the work-family as in church and church family interface could have a positive side (Tsionou & Konstantopoulos, 2015), such that what is perceived as stress resulting from the relationship of pulpit ministers’ wives and their husbands could be seen as a benefit by some of the wives.

Luedtke and Sneed (2018) revealed that despite the stress that comes with the role of the PMW, some of the wives treat the stress positively and continue with their tasks. Though these findings are beyond the scope of the current study, they offer significant insights into understanding the lived experiences of the PMW, which forms the basis of the present study. Luedtke and Sneed (2018) went a step further. They determined that for many of the wives of pulpit ministers, the stressors (performance expectations and loss of identity, loneliness, low income, sacrifice of time) are well received through the willingness to continue with the hardships of being wives of pulpit ministers. This study will use the PMW in the Church of Christ in Southwest Texas, to explore their lived experiences and stress.

Criteria	Learner Self-Evaluation Score (0-3)	Chair or Score (0-3)	Reviewer Score (0-3)
Background of the Problem This section uses the literature to provide the reader with a definition and statement of the research gap and problem the study will address. This section further presents a brief historical perspective of when the problem started and how it has evolved over time.   The recommended length for this section is two-three paragraphs.
1.       Includes a brief discussion demonstrating how literature has established the gap and a clear statement informing the reader of the gap.	1.5	2	2
2.       Discusses how the “need” or “defined gap” has evolved historically into the current problem or opportunity to be addressed by the proposed study (citing seminal and/or current research).	2.0	2	2
3.       ALIGNMENT: The problem statement for the dissertation will be developed from and justified by the “need” or “defined gap” that is described in this section and supported by the empirical research literature published within the past 3-5 years.	2.0	2	2
4.       Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.	2.0	2	2
NOTE: This Background of the Problem section uses information from the Literature Review in the 10 Strategic Points. This Background of the Problem section becomes the Background of the Study in Note; this section develops the foundation for Chapter 1 in the Proposal. It is then expanded to develop the comprehensive Background to the Problem section and Identification of the GAP sections in Chapter 2 (Literature Review) in the proposal.
Reviewer Comments:

 

 

Theoretical Foundations/Conceptual Framework and Review of the Literature/Themes

Theoretical foundations/conceptual framework.

(Baldwin, 2005). This theory is built on two concepts; appraisal and coping. The appraisal concept is introduced to the emotion and adaptation of stress. Lazarus stress theory, stress results from one’s interaction with the immediate environment. Emotional and physical strain is only experienced if the external pressures exceed the available coping resources (Baldwin, 2005). The concept of appraisal captured in the Lazarus stress theory reveals that the cognitive processes are involved in understanding the development of stress. In evaluating the significance of the specific encounter to one’s well-being, mental efforts are required. These appraisals depend on several situational and personal factors, including the previous meetings with stressing environment, values, and goals.

The PMW equally appraise the encounters’ significance while conducting their roles in the church (Biggs, Brough & Drummond, 2017). In the PMW case, stress will only be reported if the demands of the roles they play exceed their ability to cope with these demands (Baldwin, 2005). The Lazarus stress theory serves an appropriate foundation for this study because the impact of stress on the lived experiences of PMW is the core of this study. Understanding the emotional and physical strain of one’s interaction with their immediate environment and how that impacts lived experiences through the lens of the Lazarus stress theory will allow the researcher to present conclusions and implications rooted in theory.

 

Person-environment fit theory

(Ewards, Caplan & Harrison,1998). This theory focuses on the impacts caused by the interaction between attributes of an individual and the surroundings. According to this theory, both individuals and the environment influence each other interchangeably (Ewards, Caplan & Harrison,1998).

The degree in which an individual is affected by the environment determines the level of satisfaction, motivation, and person’s behavior. In this context, dissatisfaction and lack of motivation may result in stress (Ewards, Caplan &Harrison, 1998). Person-environment fit theory is essential because it forms a basis whereby rationale is provided if a particular intervention is recommended (Ewards, Caplan & Harrison, 1998). This may occur due to pastoral activities. Therefore, an unfavorable environment leads to stress (Ewards, Caplan, and Harrison, 1998).

 

• The role of a PMW

The role of a PMW can produce stress in the process of undertaking their role McCain (2016)

• Family obligations of PMW

Family obligations of PMW can become stressful when trying to balance family obligation and church. Dual role makes it hard to perform home chaos and church duties. Being overloaded with task with no one available to help them may make them stressful (McCain, 2016).

 

 

• The influence of stress on the social emotional capacity among PMW

The influence of stress on the social emotional capacity among PMW can become evident due to the pedestal society put them on and the standards expected Luedtke and Sneed (2018).

• Perceived religious beliefs and practices by PMW relation it has with stress

Perceived religious beliefs and practices such as praying and reading scriptures by PMW can be a factor of helping them deal with stress Luedtke and Sneed (2018).

Criteria	Learner Self-Evaluation Score (0-3)	Chair or Score (0-3)	Reviewer Score (0-3)
Theoretical Foundations and/or Conceptual Framework This section identifies the theory(s) or model(s) that provide the foundation for the research. This section should present the theory(s) or models(s) and explain how the problem under investigation relates to the theory or model. The theory(s) or models(s) guide the research questions and justify what is being measured (variables) as well as how those variables are related (quantitative) or the phenomena being investigated (qualitative).   Review of the Literature/Themes This section provides a broad, balanced overview of the existing literature related to the proposed research topic. It describes the literature in related topic areas and its relevance to the proposed research topic findings, providing a short 3-4 sentence description of each theme and identifies its relevance to the research problem supporting it with at least two citations from the empirical literature from the past 3-5 years.   The recommended length for this section is 1 paragraph for Theoretical Foundations and a bulleted list for the Literature Themes section.
1.       Theoretical Foundations section identifies the theory(s), model(s) relevant to the variables (quantitative study), or phenomenon (qualitative study). This section should explain how the study topic or problem coming out of the “need” or “defined gap” in the Background to the Problem section relates to the theory(s) or model(s) presented in this section. (One paragraph)	2.0	2	2
2.       Review of the Literature Themes section: This section is a bulleted list of the major themes or topics related to the research topic. Each theme or topic should have a one-two sentence summary.	1.5	2	2
3.       ALIGNMENT: The Theoretical Foundations models and theories need to be related to and support the problem statement or study topic. The sections in the Review of the Literature are topical areas needed to understand the various aspects of the phenomenon (qualitative) or variables/groups (quantitative) being studied; to select the design needed to address the Problem Statement; to select surveys or instruments to collect information on variables/groups; to define the population and sample for the study; to describe components or factors that comprise the phenomenon; to describe key topics related to the study topic, etc.	2.0	1.5	1.5
4.       Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.	2.0	1.5	1.5
NOTE: The two parts of this section use information about the Literature Review and Theoretical Foundations/Conceptual Framework from the 10 Strategic Points. This Theoretical Foundations section is expanded upon to become the Theoretical Foundations section in Chapter 2 (Literature Review). The Theoretical Foundations and the Literature Review sections are also used to help create the Advancing Scientific Knowledge/Review of the Literature section in Chapter 2 (Literature Review).
Reviewer Comments:

 

Problem Statement

It is not known how pulpit ministers’ wives (PMW) encounter and manage stress in their role as a pulpit minister’s wife.  The unit analysis of in this current study will be a in a group of PMW in the Southwest area of Texas. The population of interest affected by this problem is best described as 15 pulpit minister’s wives (PMW) in the Southwest area of Texas, They will range from new pulpit minister’s wives (PMW} to the ministry 1 to 5 years, medium 6 to 12 years to seasoned wives 15 years and above. This qualitative study will investigate how stress is encountered and managed. This study will be carried out by interviewing the PMW with a series of open-ended questions. A study by McCain (2016) revealed that wives of pulpit ministers are stressed and are expected to perform many stressful tasks in churches where their husbands have been commissioned and duties outside of the church, these roles are often a source of stress as well as a source of motivation. The stressors the PMW deal with are lack of acceptance by congregants,  managing their professional burden, personal, family needs, and the challenge of nurturing their spiritual and physical family lives (McCain, 2016). Research also show PMW experience stress in the form of confusion, conflict with others, task overload, and ambiguity on issues dealing with personal health (McCain, 2016). There is limited research concerning the stress and how it is mamaged with the wives of pulpit ministers in the Church of Christ because of the stressful demands of ministerial work (Chan & Wong, 2018). There is a need for further research in this area because most past researches have focused mostly on pulpit ministers (McCain, 2016). Participants must be pulpit ministers wives of the Church of Chris and they must live in the Southwest area of Texas.

Criteria	Learner Self-Evaluation Score (0-3)	Chair or Score (0-3)	Reviewer Score (0-3)
Problem Statement This section includes the problem statement, the population affected, and how the study will contribute to solving the problem. The recommended length for this section is one paragraph.
1.       States the specific problem proposed for research with a clear declarative statement.	2.0	2
2.       Describes the population of interest affected by the problem. The general population refers to all individuals that could be affected by the study problem.	2.0	1.75
3.       Describes the unit of analysis.   For quantitative studies, the unit of analysis needs to be defined in terms of the variable structure (conceptual, operational, and measurement).	1.5	.5
4.       Discusses the importance, scope, or opportunity for the problem and the importance of addressing the problem.	1.5	2	2
5.       The problem statement is developed based on the need or gap defined in the Background to the Study section.	2.0	2	2
6.       Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.	2.0	2	2
NOTE: This section elaborates on the Problem Statement from the 10 Strategic Points. This section becomes the foundation for the Problem Statement section in Chapter 1 and other Chapters where appropriate in the proposal.
Reviewer Comments:

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore how pulpit ministers’ wives (PMW) encounter and manage stress in their role as a pulpit minister’s wife . The kind of stress considered here is that of PMW when discharging their mandates in and out of churches. Previous studies concerning other congregants reveal that PMW are called upon to perform stressful duties equated to those of their spouses (McCain, 2016). The phenomenon considered for this study is the effect of stress, how it is encountered and how it is managed in the lived experiences of PMW. Interviews will be used and will consist of open-ended questions to explore perceived stress of PMW and how they manage it. The lived experiences will be based on the different roles they play as wives of pulpit ministers.

Criteria	Learner Self-Evaluation Score (0-3)	Chair or Score (0-3)	Reviewer Score (0-3)
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This section reflects what the study is about, connecting the problem statement, methodology & research design, target population, variables/phenomena, and geographic location. The recommended length for this section is one paragraph.
1.       Begins with one sentence that identifies the research methodology and design, target population, variables (quantitative) or phenomena (qualitative) to be studied, and geographic location.	2.0	2
2.       Quantitative Studies: Defines the variables and relationship of variables. 3.       Qualitative Studies: Describes the nature of the phenomena to be explored.	2.0	1.5	1.5
4.       Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.		1.5	1.5
NOTE: This section elaborates on the information in the Purpose Statement from the 10 Strategic Points. This section becomes the foundation for the Purpose of the Study section in Chapter 1 and other Chapters where appropriate in the proposal.
Reviewer Comments:

Research Questions and/or Hypotheses

Phenomenon: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore how stress affects the lived experiences of pulpit ministers’ wives in the Church of Christ in southwest Texas. This study will focus on the importance of the lived experience of PMW and how it relates to stress and how they manage it. This study will explore the significance role and practices involving their church obligation, and their family obligation in and out of the church and its relation to stress. Research shows that lived experiences related to stress can lead to escalation of anxiety and have a profound effect on mental health (O’Connor & Casey, 2015).  The research questions to be answered by the current study are:

RQ 1: What are the lived experiences of pulpit ministers’ wives involving their church obligations?

RQ 2: What are the lived experiences of pulpit ministers’ wives involving their church obligations?

RQ 3: How is stress manifested in the lives of PMW?

RQ4: How do Pulpit Minister’s wives manage stress in their role?

Criteria	Learner Self-Evaluation Score (0-3)	Chair Score (0-3)	Reviewer Score (0-3)
Research Question(s) and/or Hypotheses ·         The recommendation is a minimum of two research questions, along with related hypotheses and variables is required for a quantitative study. ·         Also recommended is a minimum of two research questions, along with the phenomenon description is required for a qualitative study. ·         Put the Research Questions in the appropriate Table in Appendix B based on whether the study is qualitative or quantitative.   The recommended length for this section is a list of research questions and associated hypotheses (quantitative)
1.       Qualitative Studies: States the research question(s) the study will answer and describes the phenomenon to be studied. 2.       Quantitative Studies: States the research questions the study will answer, identifies and describes the variables, and states the hypotheses (predictive statements) using the format appropriate for the specific design and statistical analysis.	2.0	2
3.       Alignment: The research questions are based on both the Problem Statement and Theoretical Foundation model(s) or theory(s). There should be no research questions that are not clearly aligned to the Problem Statement.	2.0	1.75	1.75
4.       Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.	1.5	1.5	1.5
NOTE: This section elaborates on the information about Research Questions) & Hypothesis/variables or Phenomena from the 10 Strategic Points. This section becomes the foundation for the Research Question(s) and/or Hypotheses section in Chapter 1 in the proposal.
Reviewer Comments:

 

Advancing Scientific Knowledge and Significance of the Study

The focus of previous research has been the lived experiences that pulpit ministers face and the degree of mental health literacy among the pulpit ministers. Studies by Chan Wong (2018), Luedtke and Sneed (2018), and McCain (2016), provide details concerning stress and the lived experiences of the PMW and how they manage it. This research will explore how stress affects the lived experiences of PMW.

Previous studies have endorsed the fact that the tasks carried out by the wives of pulpit ministers in their lived experiences lead to stress (have a positive statistical relationship) (Luedtke & Sneed, 2018).  This study will focus on PMW, to address the gap in the literature of limited focus on the lived experiences of PMW. The current study will seek to determine whether the lived experiences of PMW lead to stress while carrying out tasks in and out of the church or leads to fulfillment although stressful as proposed by the Lazarus and environment fit theories (Baldwin, 2005). As argued by Vander et al. (2012), the church operates on the assumption that the whole family of the pulpit minister has been hired, including the wife of the pulpit minister. The results obtained from this study can be used to determine how the lived experience of PMW is related to stress. This study is important because there is limited research concerning the stress that PMW in the Church of Christ face due to the demands of ministerial work (Chan & Wong, 2018).

Significance of the study

 

 

Criteria	Learner Self-Evaluation Score (0-3)	Chair Score (0-3)	Reviewer Score (0-3)
ADVANCING SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE and SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This section reiterates the gap or need in the literature and states how the study will address the gap or need and how the research will contribute to the literature, The recommended length for this section is one to two paragraphs, providing a brief synopsis of each criterion listed below, which will be expanded in the proposal.
1.       Clearly identifies the “gap” or “need” in the literature that was used to define the problem statement and develop the research questions. (citations required)	2.0	1.5	1.5
2.       Describes how the study will address the “gap” or “identified need” defined in the literature and contribute to /advance the body of literature.  (citations required)	1.5	1.5	1.5
3.       Describes the potential practical applications from the research. (citations required)	2.0	1	1
4.       Identifies and connects the theory(ies) or model(s) that provide the theoretical foundations or conceptual frameworks for the study. (citations required)	1.5	.5	.5
5.       Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.	2.0	1.5	1.5
NOTE: This section builds on information about the Literature review and Theoretical Foundations sections in the 10 Strategic Points. This section becomes the foundation for the Theoretical Foundations section in Chapter 2
Reviewer Comments

This research aims to explore how pulpit ministers’ wives (PMW) encounter and manage stress in their role as a pulpit minister’s wife . (yisi,2016). Since it is not possible to quantify the relationship between stress, how it is manifested and managed in the lived experience of PMW, the researcher must use qualitative data collection methods such as interviews (yisi,2016). Quantitative is not the best methods because it deals with numbers and large populations and does not deal with the lived experience (Surbhi ,2016).  Surbhi (2016) states quantitative offer an indirect, summative evaluation of the usability of a site through metrics such as task-completion rate, task time, or satisfaction ratings and are typically used to track the usability of a system over design iterations. Surbhi (2016) also states quantitative research uses rational or statistical observations to draw conclusions. Its purpose is to establishing cause and effect relationship between two variables by using mathematical, computational and statistical methods therefore, it will not work for this research

Qualitative methods deal with non-numeric data and the current study is based on human participants who will explain their lived experiences and stress. When conducting a qualitative method, the researcher has to establish conducive dialogues with the study participants to obtain credible responses. In this study the researcher will ask open-ended questions which will provide an opportunity for the participants to explain how they relate their lived experiences with stress. In the process of explanations, the respondents will reveal their thoughts about the position they hold and their work in and out of the church and their perceptions of the interactions with other church members (Moustakas,1994). The researcher will rely on the participants’ opinions, including their thoughts and individuals’ ability to manage the external pressures from the church-family roles (Moustakas, 1994). Equally, it is impossible to quantify one’s ability to withstand the church-family role pressures, which would otherwise cause stress, because it helps to understand the views and perceptions of different.  Qualitative approach is the best because it helps to understand the views and perceptions of different people.

 

Criteria	Learner Self-Evaluation Score (0-3)	Chair or Score (0-3)	Reviewer Score (0-3)
Rationale for Methodology The Rationale for Methodology section clearly justifies the methodology the researcher plans to use for conducting the study. It argues how the methodological choice (quantitative or qualitative) is the best approach to answer the research questions and address the problem statement. Finally, it contains citations from textbooks and articles on research methodology and/or articles on related studies to provide evidence to support the argument for the selected methodology.   The recommended length for this section is one paragraph.
1.       Identifies the specific research methodology for the study.	2.0	2	1
2.       Justifies the methodology to be used for the study by discussing why it is an appropriate approach for answering the research question(s) and addressing the problem statement. 3.       Quantitative Studies: Justify in terms of the problem statement and the variables for which data will be collected. 4.       Qualitative Studies: Justify in terms of problem statement and phenomenon.	2.0	1.5	1
5.       Uses citations from seminal (authoritative) sources (textbooks and/or empirical research literature) to justify the selected methodology. Note: Introductory or survey research textbooks (such as Creswell) are not considered seminal sources.	2.0	2	2
6.       Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.	2.0	2	2
NOTE: This section elaborates on the Methodology and Design in the 10 Strategic Points. This section becomes the foundation for the Research Methodology in Chapter 1 of the Proposal and the basis for developing Chapter 3, Research Methodology.
Reviewer Comments:

This Research will be exploring and seeking ideas used in the ongoing developments or processes while exploring a lived experience. Narrative analysis focuses on wide scope of the study; that is, it goes beyond the focus of lived experiences and also involves qualitative analysis which leads to consumes more time. Information collected under this design requires more details on the experience consequently leading to multiple interviews to determine how the PMW experiences would evolve (Wang and Geale, 2015). Descriptive design is more appropriate when the key interest of the research is to investigate the experiences using the description of the participants. According to Sandelowski (2000), descriptive design does not provide deep analysis or interpretation of the lived experiences of the participant. Case study is not the best choice because it is used to explore the perspectives. It is more focused on the processes, it is not the best design when exploring the lived experiences (Yin, 2014) therefore, phenomenology is the best choice of all the qualitative design options.

The focus of this study is on the commonality of stress faced by PMW and how they manage it in the Church of Christ in the South West area of Texas. The study will be carried out by probing common issues revolving around the lived experiences within the PMW. The participants will be selected based on the following requirements. First, the participant must be a member of the Church of Christ in the South West area of Texas. Secondly, the participant must also be a spouse to a pulpit minister of the congregation. Lastly, the participant must be willing to participate in the study. An email will be sent containing an overview of the study, the purpose of the study, and the nature of their participation.

A copy of the informed consent document will be attached as approved by Grand Canyon University.  The data collection tool will be interviews. Interviews will be conducted face to face live, skype or other available media video methods. The length of the interview must be general enough in time to for the participants to provide full and adequate answers (Finlay, 2009). For full transparency, the PMW will be interviewed and given access to see the transcript as written to give input or deletion or addition of interview (Giorgi, 2009). Direct interviews with the participants will be conducted to further understand the PMW lived experiences and stress.

 

Criterion Score	Learner Self-Evaluation Score (0-3)	Chair or Score (0-3)	Reviewer Score (0-3)
Nature of the Research Design for the Study This section describes the specific research design to answer the research questions and why this approach was selected. Here, the learner discusses why the selected design is the best design to address the problem statement and research questions as compared to other designs. This section contains a description of the research sample being studied, as well as, the process that will be used to collect the data on the sample.   The recommended length for this section is two to three paragraphs and must address each criterion.
1.       Identifies and describes the selected design for the study.	2.0	2	1
3.       Quantitative Studies: Justifies the selected design based on the appropriateness of the design to address the research questions and data for each variable. 4.       Qualitative Studies:	1.7	2	1
5.       Briefly describes the target population and sample for the study.	2.0	1.5	1.5
6.       Identifies the sources and instruments that will be used to collect data needed to answer the research questions.	2.0	1.5	1.5
7.       Briefly describes data collection procedures to collect data on the sample.	1.2 Not Sure of the question	1.5	1.5
8.       Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.	2.0	1.5	1.5
NOTE: This section also elaborates on the Design portion of the Methodology and Design section in the 10 Strategic Points. This section provides the foundation for Nature of the Research Design for the Study in Chapter 1.
Reviewer Comments:

 

Research Materials, Instrumentation, OR Sources of Data

The current research will utilize interviews to explore how stress is manifested and managed in the lived experience of PMW. The designated questions will be open ended allowing opportunity for the research participants to explain their responses (Moustakas, 1994).

 

The researcher will collaborate and ask them to review the research questions to help corroborate or denounce the findings or theories. This will contribute towards a better understanding of the study (Avella, 2016).

The open- ended questions in interviews will explore how pulpit ministers’ wives (PMW) encounter and manage stress in their roles. Due to the CDC guidelines of COVID-19 the interviews will be in skype, or other forms of telecommunication and also audio-recorded to allow for future reference where transcriptions will be done.

 

Criterion Score	Learner Self-Evaluation Score (0-3)	Chair or Score (0-3)	Reviewer Score (0-3)
RESEARCH MATERIALS, INSTRUMENTATION, OR SOURCES OF DATA This section identifies and describes the types of data that will be collected, as well as the specific research materials, instruments, and sources used to collect those data (tests, surveys, validated instruments, questionnaires, interview protocols, databases, media, etc.).   The recommended length for this section is one to two paragraphs.  Note: this section can be set up as a bulleted list.
Quantitative-  Instruments/Research Materials: Provides a bulleted list of the instrumentation and/or materials for data collection. Describes the survey instruments or equipment/materials used (experimental research), and specifies the type and level of data collected with each instrument. Includes citations from original publications by instrument developers (and subsequent users as appropriate) or related studies.			1
Qualitative – Sources of Data: Describes the structure of each data collection instrument and data sources (tests, questionnaires, interview protocols, observations databases, media, etc.).	? 2.0	1	1
Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.	1.6	1	1
NOTE: This section elaborates on the Data Collection from the 10 Strategic Points. This information is summarized high level in Chapter 1 in the proposal in the Nature of the Research Design for the Study section. This section provides the foundation for Research Materials, Instrumentation (quantitative) or Sources of Data (qualitative) section in Chapter 3.
Reviewer Comments:

Data Collection

This study will rely on direct interviews. The interviews will contain open ended questions about the respondent’s lived experiences and stress. The questions will elicit responses to explore how stress is manifested in the lives of pulpit ministers’ wives (PMW) and how they manage stress in their roles in and out of the church as PMW.

The respondents will email the informed consents back before consideration of interview. Direct interviews will be conducted to further offer insights in understanding the limited area of the lived experiences of the PMW and how the manage stress.

 

• For this study, only one tool is required to collect data. The tools to be used are demographic questions and semi-guided in-depth interviews. Age, race and time as a minister wife can have an impact on the study (Giorgi,1985).
• The population size in this research will involve 15 PMW from the Southwest region of Texas. (Chan and Wong 2018).
• The researcher will obtain IRB Approval

 

• The researcher will protect the integrity of participants by preparing Consent Forms that will explain the full process to disclose full transparency
• The researcher will obtain a list of potential participants on-line, phonebook or in person from Minister’s wives in the Church of Christ located in the Southwest area of TX(Chan & Wong, 2018)
• The researcher will recruit participants through letters, email, skype, text and in-person
• After Consent Form is signed it will be returned to the researcher
• The researcher will schedule interviews which will consist of setting a time and place comfortable/agreed by the participant and researcher. This may be in person or via media such as skype, or other media accessibility.
• Due to COVID-19, CDC guidelines of will be implemented in case of in-person interviews
• To help improve accuracy, member checking will be part of helping with internal validity Britt et al. (2016), (Kvale,1996)
• The researcher will audio record interviews and will be the interviewer
• The interview will consist of semi-structured open-ended questions
• The interviews will last approximately 60 minutes and not exceed 90 minutes

Criteria	Learner Self-Evaluation Score (0-3)	Chair or Score (0-3)	Reviewer Score (0-3)
DATA COLLECTION AND MANAGEMENT This section details the data collection process and procedures so that another researcher could conduct or replicate the study. It includes authorizations and detailed steps. The recommended length for this section is a bullet or numbered list of data collection steps that should not exceed one page.
Quantitative Studies: Lists steps for the actual data collection that would allow replication of the study by another researcher, including how each instrument or data source was used, how and where data were collected, and recorded. Includes a linear sequence of actions or step-by-step of procedures used to carry out all the major steps for data collection. Includes a workflow and corresponding timeline, presenting a logical, sequential, and transparent protocol for data collection that would allow another researcher to replicate the study. Data from different sources may have to be collected in parallel (e.g., paper-and-pen surveys for teachers, corresponding students, and their parents AND retrieval of archival data from the school district). A flow chart is ok—”linear” may not apply to all situations Qualitative Studies: Provides detailed description of data collection process, including all sources of data and methods used, such as interviews, member checking, observations, surveys, field tests, and expert panel review. Note: The collected data must be sufficient in breadth and depth to answer the research question(s) and interpreted and presented correctly, by theme, research question, and/or source of data.	2.0	1.75	1.75
Describes the procedures for obtaining participant informed consent and for protecting the rights and well-being of the study sample participants.	2.0	1	1
Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.	2.0	1	1
NOTE: This section elaborates on the Sample and Location and Data Collection in the 10 Strategic Points. This section provides the foundation for the Data Collection Procedures section in Chapter 3 in the proposal. And it is summarized high level in Chapter 1 in Nature of the Research Design for the Study in the Proposal.
Reviewer Comments:

This study is a qualitative phenomenological study. The researcher will be using Color codes will help recognize and organize the differences in the respondents, roles and responses. This study will be using the themes and coding method by Saldana (2013).  The codes are used for identifying important information in the data analysis so the researcher can assign codes to the data (Braun and Clarke, 2006). Codes will come from the interviews so the researcher can analysis the data to get to the theme. The researcher will pick up key points while interviewing the participants and use the information or certain words to create codes (Braun and Clarke, 2006).

According to Colazzi, the phenomenology data analysis model involves theoretical patterns and defines the procedure used in investigation (Wirihana et al. 2018). phenomenology is the best research design because labels the essence of lived human experiences. Inductive ). Thirdly, generate themes; after creating codes, patterns in the themes will be identified.

Braun and Clarke (2006) method of thematic analysis will be used in the study. Thematic analysis involves identification, analyzing and reporting patterns that exists within data. This is a minimal organizer which helps to describe the research data in detail as well as going further to interpret diverse aspects of the research topic/ area of study. “The range of various thematic analysis will be highlighted to a number of decisions regarding it as a method” (Braun and Clarke 2006). Thematic analysis differs from other analytical method like thematic disclosure analysis, thematic decomposition analysis, IPA and grounded theory which aims to identify the patterns in data the thematic analysis is not wed to historical like the IPA and grounded theory hence it can be used to various theoretical framework. The thematic analysis method to be used is constructionism which examines the ways in which various events realities, meanings and experiences in the society ((Braun and Clarke 2006).

Irrelevant codes will be discarded. In case the process encounters problems, the themes will be split and combined or create new ones. In addition, themes will be reviewed, this will ensure that the themes are useful, and data is represented accurately. Lastly, the themes  will be defined and named. This will help to formulate the meaning of each theme hence helping to understand the data.

The following are steps that will be followed for data analysis in this study:

1. The researcher will systematically read the transcribed interviews. This will help to acquire the sense of the participants or their experiences (Poland, 2002).

2. The researcher will identify important statements which are relevant to the phenomenon from the transcripts (Poland, 2002).

3. The researcher will develop an informative meaning of each statement. The researcher will read the research guideline several times to ensure the original description is maintained (Poland, 2002).

4. The interpretative meaning will be set into clusters, which leads themes to develop. The researcher will ensure that there is validation, and the repetition of themes is avoided (Vaismoradi,2016).

5. Integration of themes will be carried out to form a comprehensive description. The theme clusters will be referred back to the procedures for verification.

6. A brief statement of the comprehensive depiction will be produced and provide an important identification statement.

7. A brief statement of the comprehensive explanation will be presented to the participants to substantiate the conclusions and develop the essence statement.

 

Criteria	Learner Self-Evaluation Score (0-3)	Chair or Score (0-3)	Reviewer Score (0-3)
DATA ANALYSIS PROCEDURES This section provides detailed steps for the analytic procedures to be used to conduct data analysis. The recommended length for this section is one to two paragraphs, can also be presented in bulleted format.
Describes in detail the relevant data collected for each stated research question and/or each variable within each hypothesis (if applicable).   Quantitative Studies: “In detail” means scales (and subscales) of specified instruments AND type of data for each variable of interest. IMPORTANT: For (quasi) experimental studies, provide detailed description of all treatment materials per treatment condition, as part of the description of the independent variable corresponding to the experimental manipulation.		1.5	1
What: Describes, in detail, statistical and non-statistical analysis to be used and procedures used to conduct the data analysis. Quantitative Studies: (1) describe data file preparation (descriptive statistics used to check completeness and accuracy; for files from different sources, possibly aggregating data to obtain a common unit of analysis in all files, necessarily merging files (using the key variable defining the unit of analysis); (2) computation of statistics for the sample profile; (3) computation of (subscales and) scales; (4) reliability analysis for all scales and subscales; (5) computation of descriptive statistics for all variables of interest in the study (except those already presented in the sample profile); (6) state and justify all statistical procedures (“tests”) needed to generate the information to answer all research questions; and (7) state assumptions checks for all those statistical procedures (including the tests and / or charts to be computed).   Qualitative Studies: This section begins by identifying and discussing the specific analysis approach or strategy, followed by a discussion of coding procedures to be used. Note: coding procedures may be different for Thematic Analysis, Narrative Analysis, Phenomenological Analysis, or Grounded Theory Analysis.	1.6	1.5	1
Why: Provides the justification for each of the (statistical and non-statistical) data analysis procedures used in the study.	2.0	1.5	1.5
Show Steps that Support Evidence Quantitative analysis – states the level of statistical significance for each test as appropriate, and describes tests of assumptions for each statistical test. Qualitative analysis – evidence of qualitative analysis approaches, such as coding and the theming process, must be completely described and included in the analysis /interpretation process. Clear evidence from how codes moved to themes must be presented.	1.5	1.5	1.5
Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.	1.6	1.5	1.5
NOTE: This section elaborates on the Data Analysis from the 10 Strategic Points. This section provides the foundation for Data Analysis Procedures section in Chapter 3 in the proposal.
Reviewer Comments:

Ethical Considerations

This (IRB) is the central law for any researcher as it relates to procedure, U.S. federal regulations, and ethical study codes (GCU, 2018). It is crucial to follow GCU regulations therefor the researcher will follow the IRB application and regulation step procedure directly and acquire dissertation proposal approval (D-35 Form) by both the Peer Review and the Dissertation Committee. If the requirements do not meet IRB standards set by GCU, the College of Doctoral Studies will not approve a dissertation manuscript (GCU, 2018).

This researcher will advise participants of anonymity, privacy and confidentiality. A document of informed consents will be given, explained and signed confirming consent before participation. There will be no coercion of participants or engaging in activities that breed conflict of interest. The interviews will be given with understanding and sensitivity. The researcher will follow the confidentiality clause meaning the identities of the participants will not be disclosed by this researcher to any sources. The participants will be given a transliterated copy of the complete interview for their review to appeal any changes the want revised or removed. This will be achieved through data cleaning. When data clean, information on the respondent data such as names and the address or any sensitive information will be removed from the final data input (Rahm, and Do, 2000).

Criteria	Learner Self-Evaluation Score (0-3)	Chair or Score (0-3)	Reviewer Score (0-3)
Ethical Considerations This section discusses the potential ethical issues surrounding the research, as well as how human subjects and data will be protected. It identifies how any potential ethical issues will be addressed.   The recommended length for this section is one paragraph.
1.       Describes site authorization process, subject recruiting, and informed consent processes.	2.0	1.5	1
2.       Describes how the identities of the participants in the study and data will be protected.	2.0	1.5	1
3.       Discusses potential ethical concerns that might occur during the data collection process.	1.5	1	1
4.       ALIGNMENT: Ethical considerations are clearly aligned with, and relate directly to the specific Data Collection Procedures. This section also identifies ethical considerations related to the target population being researched and organization or location, as described in the Purpose Statement section.	1.6	1	1
Section is written in a way that is well structured, has a logical flow, uses correct paragraph structure, uses correct sentence structure, uses correct punctuation, and uses correct APA format.	2.0	1.5	1.5
NOTE: This section does not include information from any of the 10 Strategic Points. This section provides the foundation for the Ethical Considerations section in Chapter 3 in the proposal.