Prof writing & proposal Devel(DSRT)

Practical Connections Assignment for DSRT 837

Ben Huelskamp

Introduction

Approaching this course I had one goal: work on developing a research topic and

question for my dissertation. When I learned that my goal was not something that would or could

come out of this course I was tempted to drop the course and focus on other things. I am glad I

decided to stay in the course because it allowed me to begin delving into research methodologies

and identifying mentor texts that may inform my eventual dissertation. Applying the content and

experience of this course, I can identify four main areas of learning with direct applications to

the work I do in my career, including critical analysis of journal articles, engaging across

research methodologies, structuring a scholarly paper or article, and career exploration as a

professional in higher education.

Critical Analysis of Journal Articles

We each approach how we read scholarly articles with one of many strategies between

reading the article in its totality to skimming the abstract and then deciding whether or not to

read further. I tend towards a strategy of skimming the entire article and then reading the

experimental sections and the discussion of the findings. This course challenged me to critically

examine an article by locating key information throughout and using that information for

whatever project on which I may be working.

Engaging Across Research Methodologies

A major shared experience in this course was discussing our writing with other students.

With some strong opinions about the “best” or “easiest” research paradigm—qualitative,

quantitative, or mixed methods—we were able to have spirited discussions about our projects

and the ways in which we hoped to structure those studies. As is often the case in higher

education administration, there is always a quantitative camp with its numerical, but rather cold

data, and a qualitative camp with its broad and lived, but difficult to apply results.

Structuring a Scholarly Paper or Article

Though a life-long writer who feels confident in his ability to write many types of papers

and essays, I learned quite a bit about what goes into each section of a well-structured and well-

executed piece of academic writing, particularly our critical examination of literature reviews

and data analyses. While I will, more than likely, only write one dissertation in my life, I’ve

noticed recently that the literature reviews in the journal articles I read are structured in a very

similar way to the literature review we crafted in this course.

Career Exploration as a Professional in Higher Education

As a busy professional I have far less time to write professionally and no time to do much

in the way of research. This course has been a good reminder of the research I am interested in

completing and has made be think more about how I can do some of that work in the future. I

probably shouldn’t say this in a UCumberlands assignment, but this course has spurred me to

consider whether I want to stay in a professional doctoral program while working or if I want to

move to a full time doctoral program and then into a research and teaching career. While I am far

from a decision on that potential change, it is something that I began thinking about over the last

eight weeks because of this course.

Summary

Though I initially took this course at this point in my studies because I hoped to clarify

my research topic for my dissertation, I have learned fundamental skills which are connected to

and which inform my professional practice.