RES 861 All Discussion Question Week 1 to 8

RES 861 Module 1

Module 1 Discussion Question 1: What is your dissertation topic? Will your study use an inductive or a deductive approach? Why? Given the choice of an inductive or a deductive approach, which research method and design most closely align to your chosen approach? Explain.

Module 1 Discussion Question 2: In the final week of RES-850, you submitted a list of 10 references to studies related to your dissertation topic. Choose two of the empirical studies from that list and post the references and persistent links for the studies. Identify the research method and research design used in each of those studies. Did the research method and research design align to each study’s problem, purpose, research questions, and hypotheses/phenomena? Why or why not? How does the concept of alignment apply to your dissertation literature review? Explain.

RES 861 Module 2

Module 2 Discussion Question 1: Refer to the two studies you addressed in the second discussion question in Topic 1. Did the studies use inductive or deductive research methods? Explain. Why did the researcher choose induction or deduction for the study? (Note: you may have to infer this from the information given to justify the research design and method) Do you believe the choice of induction or deduction was correct for the study? Why or why not?

Module 2 Discussion Question 2: Refer to the two studies you addressed in the second discussion question in Topic 1. What data collection methods, instruments, samples, or settings were NOT used? Why do you believe the researchers chose to avoid these methods, instruments, samples, or settings? What potential gaps do these omissions create? What specific gaps did the researcher identify as recommendations for future studies? How does this information inform your dissertation study?

RES 861 Module 3

Module 3 Discussion Question 1: Some literature reviews read as “book reports” that simply provide a string of summaries of the articles reviewed. How is synthesis different than summarizing? How does developing and employing the skill of synthesis improve the quality of the literature review? Explain.

Module 3 Discussion Question 2: Every household has a junk drawer (or some similar place) that serves as the “catch all” for items that have no designated place. Go to your junk drawer and randomly retrieve three items. Write a one-paragraph summary of each item separately. Then write a one-paragraph synthesis that compares and contrasts the three items. Post the three summaries andthe single-paragraph synthesis of the summaries. What challenges did you experience in synthesizing the three objects? What questions do you have about synthesis techniques?

RES 861 Module 4

Module 4 Discussion Question 1: To implement a “doable” dissertation study, the doctoral learner must transition from a topic of interest to identifying gap in the extant research. That is, the dissertation problem must emerge as a gap from prior research. Discuss the gap you have identified for your dissertation study and the research that outlines the gap for your study. How is your dissertation topic justified by prior research? Explain.

Module 4 Discussion Question 2: The Background of the Problem section in Chapter 2 identifies, based on prior research, the gap or need that informs the topic and problem statement for the research study. Discuss the research gap you have identified for your dissertation study. How does this gap inform the problem statement of the study? How does the problem statement, in turn, inform the theoretical foundation you select for the study? How do the problem statement and theoretical foundation inform the development of content for the study’s literature review?

RES 861 Module 5

Module 5 Discussion Question 1: Part of the Background to the Problem section of Chapter 2 highlights the historic context of the problem under study. Discuss the problem for your dissertation study. What are the key elements that provide the historic context to the study? How does the research literature create or support that historic context?

Module 5 Discussion Question 2: The Background of the Problem section identifies the gap or need based on prior research that informs the topic and problem statement for the research study. Post a draft (minimum 1 page) of your Background to the Problem section of your study. (Note: This will be used in the Topic 7 assignment.) What challenges did you encounter in creating this section? Explain. What additional information do you need to improve this section?

RES 861 Module 6

Module 6 Discussion Question 1: Why it is appropriate to provide the theoretical foundation for your problem statement? How does a theoretical foundation specifically link to the problem statement for the study? What are two of the theories or models that comprise the theoretical foundations for your study? Why do you believe these are relevant to the study?

Module 6 Discussion Question 2: How do the results of research studies advance or impede theories or models? Give examples using the two theories or models you identified in the previous discussion question in this Topic. How do you expect that the results of your dissertation study may advance knowledge of this theory or model? Explain.

RES 861 Module 7

Module 7 Discussion Question 1: What is meant by the cyclical or iterative nature of the literature review? How does this concept affect your work on the literature review and its subsequent incorporation into your dissertation prospectus and proposal?

Module 7 Discussion Question 2: State four terms related to your proposed dissertation topic that could be entered into a search engine to generate a list of potential scholarly sources. Using the terms you identified, search the GCU Library for 5 sources (including three dissertations) that could support your proposed dissertation topic. (Note: These sources can be included in your Topic 8 assignment.) You may need to experiment with search options and word combinations. Post the reference list generated by your search. What search strategy was most successful at yielding valid, academic sources?

RES 861 Module 8

Module 8 Discussion Question 1: How do the variables or phenomenon addressed in your study inform the method, design, research questions, and data collection instrument to be used? What are two instruments that might be used to gather data for your study? Why do you believe these instruments will gather the appropriate data to answer the research questions and address the problem?

Module 8 Discussion Question 2: Between now and the beginning of the dissertation sequence, no additional input on the literature review will be given to you. You have approximately one year to draft the literature review so it is prepared when you enter the dissertation phase. Create and post a project plan that describes how you will complete a full draft of your literature review in the time available. How will you stay current with the literature over the next number of years until you complete the dissertation?