Application 1: Evaluating a Doctoral Study— Research Methodology

Application 1: Evaluating a Doctoral Study— Research Methodology

A well-defined research problem points to a method of investigation. For each method, an appropriate data collection technique should be applied. This week you will begin an evaluation of the doctoral study you selected from ProQuest, using the doctoral study rubric located at http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/osra/dba for comparison. Be sure you select a completed research study that includes data analysis and data collections sections, not an article. Consider the doctoral study problem and its relation to the research methodology and data collection methods employed in the study. Is there an appropriate relation between each element? Use appropriate references to the course readings about data collection methods to address the following questions:

What were the data collection methods used for the study? Justify why they were or were not appropriate.

Was the research design consistent with the methods chosen?

What additional items could the author have said about the data collection strategies?

Do you think the data needed to answer the research question(s) could have been collected differently—why or why not? What other methods would you recommend and why? If not, why not? This includes the data collection methods as well as how the methods were conducted or implemented.

How does the information compare the criteria in the Walden DOC study rubric.

Add any additional comments for evaluation not addressed above.

For all the questions above, remember to explain how you came to your conclusions. Support your answers with explanation or evidence drawn from the doctoral study and from course readings. Use the doctoral study rubric to grade the following elements:

The background

The problem statement

The purpose statement of the study

Central research question

Submit your assignment as a class paper using the Walden University APA Course Paper template located on the Writing Center website. Refer to this week's Learning Resources for a link to this template.

Important Note: New elements of this evaluation assignment will be coming up in Weeks 3, 5 and 6.The final evaluation and write-up will be due in Week 6. This week's assignment is due by Day 6.

Submit your assignment by Day 6.

Application 2: Small-Scale Qualitative Research Project—The Interview Guide

Qualitative research questions are open-ended, and typically restate the purpose of a study in specific terms. These questions should start with "what" or "how" instead of "why". While you are developing your Central qualitative research question, you might begin by considering what type of questions to ask. Keep in mind that your research question for this assignment should be one that can be answered, at least in part, by this interview. Questions that provoke a yes/no response are not permitted in a doctoral study interview guide.

For this Application:

Review this week's media resource regrading conducting interviews

Write your initial interview guide and post it for peer review by Day2 under this week's Discussion "Qualitative Research Question." Refer to the course readings to assist you to develop an appropriate interview guide.

Revise your interview guide as needed.

By Day 6 submit your completed final draft interview guide template to the Week 2 Application 2 submission area.

Submit your final interview guide to both the Submission link and Discussion board by Day 6.