Unit VIII Assignment

RCH 7301, Critical Thinking for Doctoral Learners 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VIII Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

2. Analyze a business research problem using academic scholarly journals. 2.1 Identify scholarly research studies that relate to a chosen topic.

3. Formulate a purpose statement that is aligned with a problem statement for a proposed research

project. 3.1 Explain the purpose of doing a study as a part of a concept paper.

4. Assess theoretical research methodologies in contemporary business scholarship.

4.1 Apply an appropriate research methodology to a conceptual study design. 4.2 Identify a theory/model to be used in business research.

6. Evaluate the responsibilities of business administration research.

6.1 Evaluate the challenges that could be encountered with a research study. 6.2 Explain the importance of a business research study.

8. Compose scholarly business research writing.

8.1 Synthesize material into concept paper form.

Course/Unit Learning Outcomes

Learning Activity

2.1 Unit Lesson Chapter 27 Unit VIII Assignment

3.1 Unit Lesson Chapter 27 Unit VIII Assignment

4.1

Unit Lesson Chapter 27 eBook Chapter: “Designing Data Collection Systems” Unit VIII Assignment

4.2 Unit Lesson Chapter 27 Unit VIII Assignment

6.1 Unit Lesson Chapter 27 Unit VIII Assignment

6.2 Unit Lesson Chapter 27 Unit VIII Assignment

8.1

Unit Lesson Chapter 27 eBook Chapter: “Designing Data Collection Systems” Unit VIII Assignment

UNIT VIII STUDY GUIDE Planning for Your Concept Paper and Dissertation Study

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Required Unit Resources Chapter 27: Writing up the Research in a Business Report In order to access the resource below, utilize the CSU Online Library to begin your research. Phelps, R., Fisher, K., & Ellis, A. (2007). Designing data collection systems. In Organizing and managing your

research. SAGE. https://dx-doi- org.libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/10.4135/9781849209540.n10

Unit Lesson

Definition and Purpose of the Concept Paper The concept paper is the culmination of doctoral coursework, and it is the first step toward a successful dissertation study. The concept paper proposes the doctoral student’s idea to an academic audience of experts, and the concept paper describes the main predicted avenues of inquiry for a research study. The concept paper comprises different written sections that work together, just as the sections of a dissertation fit together. However, it does not take the research any further. In that respect, the concept paper is a plan or, in metaphorical terms, a roadmap of the dissertation, but it is not a completed study. To review, the dissertation’s sections describe the problem that needs to be investigated; the design and method of the research study; the data gathered from the study and results; and, finally, the investigator’s conclusions that are drawn from the data and applied back to the original problem. While the concept paper is the precursor to the dissertation and is written with that end in mind, the concept paper has a special role to play in the dissertation process. The concept paper is a negotiated document, which means that the student will submit it, receive comments, and revise the concept paper to submit again. During the student’s draft of the concept paper, they should seek advice and input from Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) instructors and their DBA mentor. Everything that the doctoral student learns during coursework applies to the concept paper, which will go on to be relevant to the dissertation process. A concept paper provides the DBA audience with an overview of the doctoral student’s proposed plan of work. That includes a description of the general scope of the dissertation study, the study’s basic research questions, research methodology, and the overall significance of the proposed study. In other words, the concept paper explains what the doctoral student wants to study; how the student will study the topic; why this topic needs to be studied; and, in general terms, when the student intends to perform the work involved with the research. Also, the student might also need to explain where the research study will take place. To summarize, as preparation for the doctoral study, the concept paper acts as a proposal that is designed to accomplish the following goals:

• justify and plan (or contract for) a research project; • show how a proposed project contributes to existing research; and • demonstrate to the DBA chair and committee that the doctoral student understands how to conduct

discipline-specific research within an acceptable timeframe.

General Writing Advice for Starting the Concept Paper Some general advice about good writing habits is a place to start. As a scholarly researcher and writer, every doctoral student should abide by the following guidelines:

• establish a place that is dedicated to writing: and • commit to a writing schedule, preferably at the same time and place each day.

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The reason that we dedicate both a time and a place to writing is to train our minds through force of habit. When we go to our writing space at the scheduled time, our minds learn to concentrate on our writing task. Professional writers follow this type of regimen, and it is a proven factor for writing success. A writer who dedicates a time and a place to writing will find that ideas for the concept paper get organized in the background of the brain from day to day and come out when the writer sits down each day to work. To start the very first page of the concept paper, begin by freewriting. No one but the writer ever has to see this first draft. Another good strategy is to use a word processing program to document any writing, and then read it out loud. Finally, another best practice is to compose different parts of the proposal in different computer files or on different index cards to help with arranging and rearranging. For the contents of the concept paper, avoid starting out with the introduction. Instead, start with a more clear- cut section, such as the problem statement. The introduction is often easiest to write last, since writing the beginning requires knowing how the concept paper ends.

The Concept Paper’s Parts The concept paper worksheet, which is located in the suggested unit resources, shows the student each part of the concept paper to write. The parts are listed below.

• Proposed title • Purpose of the study • Problem statement • Background literature (10 sources) • Theory or theoretical model • The knowledge gap • Explanation of how the proposed study relates to the business administration field • Research questions and hypotheses • Methodology and research design • Target population for the study • Expected means of gaining cooperation of target population • Possible challenges in conducting the study • Significance of the study

Using the worksheet, the doctoral writer can focus on each part of the concept paper individually. A benefit of the approach is that the student can approach faculty members for advice before continuing through the worksheet, avoiding problems with design and alignment, and improving each part of the concept paper. This is like creating a detailed, thorough map of the terrain before heading off on an overnight hike. Breaking the concept paper down into its constituent parts and writing each one individually can help the doctoral student. Working on each single part provides solid, important practice for the dissertation. The CSU DBA program has a prospectus that students can use as the foundation of development for the dissertation study. The Concept Paper Prospectus offers specific questions for students to consider and write about as they develop their ideas. The prospectus is an alternative format that includes all of the elements of the concept paper, helping students to achieve both the content and the form requirements for a successful submission. You will gain experience using the prospectus in the assignment for this unit.

APA Formatting APA formatting is crucial to every piece of scholarly writing. Tutorials are available at the APA Style website, and doctoral students can invest in an APA Publication Manual (7th ed.), which is also available from the APA Style website. All writing should be clear, concise, and correct as a place to start. The purpose of APA is to ensure academic rigor in all scholarly writing. By learning the scholarly writing style that supports and uses APA, the doctoral student can show the foundation of scholarship and learning beneath the proposed research study. APA guides how every document appears on the page (e.g., 1-inch margins all around, double-spacing without extra space between paragraphs, specific fonts and font sizes). Additionally, APA helps the scholarly writer to form content in a way that is academically appropriate (e.g., in-text citations and reference citations, bias-free language, grammar).

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The APA (7th ed.) guidelines can also be found through the APA Style website. Every requirement is explained, so all doctoral students should bookmark the APA Style website, and refer to the Style and Grammar Guidelines section for guidance. DBA faculty rate student writing according to APA standards, so doctoral students can refer to the guidelines to find deep explanations of what is required in APA Style. Finally, to help students create their best written work, APA provides a Student Paper Checklist. The checklist offers points that students can review in comparison with their own academic writing and cross-reference applicable chapters in the manual. You can access the checklist on the APA Style website; access the Instructional Aids section, and select Handouts and Guides to review the checklist.

Dissertation Writing and Research Center: Resources The Dissertation Writing and Research Center (DWRC) is a part of the CSU DBA student’s menu in Blackboard. In the DWRC, the student will find links to the Write On! Group Work Sessions. The Write On! Group Work Sessions are designed to help doctoral students achieve scholarly writing competencies. Each Write On! session focuses on one scholarly writing topic. Some examples of Write On! topics are listed below:

• the concept paper, • comprehensive support, • review of literature, • the problem statement, • synthesizing sources (paraphrasing sources in APA), and • scholarly writing strategies.

In these sessions, a group of students, led by a DBA faculty member, works together to complete an activity on the topic, and everyone receives the writing aids used for the activity. Attendance is voluntary, and students may attend any group session as many times as they want. Students must sign up for each topic. Each group size is limited to 10 students. The DWRC offers templates that the doctoral writer can use for the concept paper. Besides the template for the concept paper, students will find templates for the problem and purpose statements (used in earlier units of this course) The DWRC not only provides copies of the resources available in this classroom but gives access to the Write On! schedule so students can gain real-time instruction on using them.

Conclusion The concept paper is a challenging part of the doctoral journey, but with assistance, support, and good writing habits, the student can write a strong concept paper that proposes a great dissertation study. Putting in the groundwork by studying the concept paper template and APA formatting and resources can make composing the dissertation itself a part of a process.