Date of Award:

5-2014

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Human Development and Family Studies

Department name when degree awarded

Family, Consumer, and Human Development

Committee Chair(s)

Ryan Seedall

Committee

Ryan Seedall

Committee

Dave Robinson

Committee

Kay Bradford

Abstract

Over the past 60 years, the field of marriage and family therapy (MFT) has experienced tremendous growth due largely to many charismatic pioneers in the field. These pioneers performed various research studies but lacked a focus on quality empirical research. Over the past 20 years, many MFT researchers have started to perform these studies, which in turn, have pointed the field in a positive direction in terms of research excellence. Doctoral dissertations offer unique and valuable insights into the current state of research as a field as well as give us a better idea of how we are doing at balancing our efforts for both clinical and research excellence.

A content analysis was performed on all 157 doctoral dissertations from 19 COAMFTE-accredited Ph.D. programs between the years of 2005 and 2008. This was gathered through the ProQuest thesis and dissertation database. The study focused on describing who was doing the research, what was being researched, and how research was being performed and shared with the world. Results showed that women consisted of two-thirds (n = 106) of the dissertations finished within the timeframe. Findings also suggest a significant lack of dissertations being published (16.5%; n = 26) with downward trends from 2005 to 2008. Trends show an increase in qualitative research and a noticeable lack of process research. Of all the dissertations produced within 2005 and 2008, almost one in five dissertations lacked explicit clinical application in the study. Ways to improve the amount of clinically relevant research are discussed. Suggestions are made as to the role of advisors in the publication process as well as to improve the quantity of dissertations published in COAMFTE-accredited doctoral programs.

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