research

Section 1:

Individual: Literature Review and Literature Gap

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Assignment Content

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The literature review serves as an important purpose in any dissertation, research article, report or proposal. It supports the need for the study and convinces readers that the content area has been reviewed in depth, and there is clearly a research problem to be addressed and a gap in knowledge needing to be filled. A literature review should contain current and classic references, cite experts in field and synthesize the relevant literature while identifying the strengths and weaknesses of previous studies.

Consider a research interest within your degree program.

Select four recently published research articles related to your research interest; two quantitative and two qualitative research studies. You may substitute a mixed methods study for one of the qualitative or quantitative studies. Ensure that each of the studies you selected was published in a peer reviewed journal.

Review the Literature Review presentation to understand synthesis of literature.

Write a synthesized 1,400-to 1,750-literature review in which you compare and contrast the four scholarly research articles. Consider the following while constructing a logical and critical literature review:

· What is already known about the research topic you are interested in?

· What is not known about your topic; where is there a gap in the literature?

· What further research might be worth pursuing in this area?

Use the Research Plan Template attached to format your assignment according to APA guidelines. This week in the Research Plan Template you will be completing:

· the 'Literature Review and Literature Gap' section, and

· begin the reference page.

Note: Familiarize yourself with the Development of Research Foundations template and how each week's assignment, beginning this week, will be placed under the appropriate subheadings.

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Section 2

Discussion 1

Still Deciding on a Research Topic? 

Note: You might find the following YouTube video helpful if you are still undecided on a research topic as a foundation for upcoming assignments and the week 8 final document. I would like to add, you will need a topic to use for this class, but the topic does not need to be one associated with your actual dissertation. If you have a topic in mind for your dissertation, this class can provide a solid foundation for your research plan and precis. Yet, it is important to focus on the concepts and process, NOT writing your actual dissertation.

How to Choose a Research Topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9nh_IamYZM

What is your topic of interest and how does your topic relate to your program? What makes your topic “researchable”?

Discussion 2

Please view the following TedTalk given by Dan Ariely:

Beware Conflicts of Interest

https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_beware_conflicts_of_interest

What can you 'take' from the discussion to assist as you begin the literature review process?