Research & Summaries Question

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Description

Academic researchers focus on expanding the body of research-based knowledge so that decisions made and actions taken in a field provide the best possible knowledge. This knowledge must be of the caliber to provide decision-makers and practitioners with the ability to make the best decisions possible. Part of learning how to conduct solid research is to judge the value of the topic and research gap involved itself. The Litmus Test is designed by Walden to help you determine just that—the quality and value of the topic you are about to research. Because of that, this week you will use the Litmus Test to determine whether a dissertation topic you are considering is acceptable as a Walden dissertation. It contains questions to help you evaluate the appropriateness of different aspects of the study you are considering. In this Discussion, you will be applying the requirements of the Litmus Test to your chosen dissertation topic and considering those strengths and weaknesses in relation to your topic and those of your colleagues.

To prepare:

Review the Litmus Test. Consider the educational-social problem and gap in research knowledge you are planning to use for your dissertation, evaluating it against the four criteria in the Litmus Test: Is it justified, grounded in the literature, original, and amenable to scientific study?

Post the following:

Post to the Discussion your potential dissertation topic and your analysis of each point in the Litmus Test in relation to it. Post any concerns or questions you have in relation to your topic and the Litmus Test with which your colleagues might help you or about which your classmates might contribute insights or considerations. Ask any questions you have about the purpose of these four criteria for a PhD dissertation topic.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: MAKING IT REAL

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Description

As you make your way through the readings and resources for this week’s Discussion, you begin to realize that social and political forces as well as scientific curiosity shaped the development of modern qualitative research. These readings also make it clear that qualitative research is not a single, homogenous endeavor. Rather, qualitative researchers:

come from a variety of disciplines,

engage their objects of study from multiple perspectives,

  • present their results in numerous formats,
  • extend scientific knowledge beyond the confines of the experiment or survey,
  • engage the audience to be self-reflective, and
  • potentially illuminate opportunities for social change.
  • This week’s course of study provides you with a contextual understanding of qualitative research, which will form the foundation for understanding the methods and rationale. These will also help you begin a thoughtful process for considering the choice of qualitative research as your methodology for your doctoral research.
  • For this Discussion, you will explore the foundations and history of qualitative research methods. You also will consider the unique characteristics that distinguish qualitative research from other forms of inquiry.To prepare for this Discussion:

Review the Learning Resources related to qualitative research and consider the reasons researchers choose qualitative research methods for exploring a phenomenon of interest.

Use the Course Guide and Assignment Help in the Learning 

Resources to help you search for other books, encyclopedias, or articles that introduce and describe qualitative research.Consider the statement:Qualitative researchers study people in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them.Using the Learning Resources and other academic sources you found, expand on this simple statement. In 3–4 paragraphs, explain several dimensions of this paradigm that make qualitative research interesting and unique. Be sure to use the terminology you are learning (including but not limited to “phenomena”, “constructivist,” and “naturalistic”), and provide historical context.Be sure to support your main post and response post with reference to the week’s Learning Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA style.

LEARNING RESOURCES
Required Readings

Ravitch, S. M., & Carl, N. M. (2021). Qualitative research: Bridging the conceptual, theoretical, and methodological (2nd ed.) Sage Publications.

Yob, I., & Brewer, P. (n.d.). Working toward the common good: An online university’s perspectives on social change. Download Working toward the common good: An online university’s perspectives on social change. 1-25.

Walden University Library. (n.d.). Course guide and assignment help for RSCH 8310Links to an external site.. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/rsch8310