RES 811 Module 1 DQ 1

RES 811 Module 1 DQ 1

RES 811 Introduction to advanced graduate studies and scholarship Course. Congratulations on being accepted to Grand Canyon University’s doctoral program! This is a big step in your academic career and you should be very proud. Recently, you wrote a letter of intent to the Doctoral College expressing your research interests. For this first discussion question, please share your passion and motivation by discussing the currently planned topic or research interest you would like to pursue.

How did your passion lead you to this topic or interest? How will that passion sustain you through your doctoral journey? Please include material from your letter of intent if you choose. (This response does not require research support.)

RES 811 Module 1 DQ 2

Many learners approach a doctoral program with great enthusiasm. However, enthusiasm and passion alone do not guarantee success. Often, learners want to begin the research process immediately without the proper skills in place to be successful. Although, passion is necessary, it is important that all learners develop a plan of action in order to be successful. All learners must make a transition from being a student completing assignments into a self-directed researcher. This requires students to be self-directed, to engage in reflective scholarly practice, and to be receptive to feedback and critique from peers and faculty.

How do these three practices support your development of a doctoral identity? What potential challenges to do you foresee with incorporating these practices into your routine? What adjustments will you need to make in order to overcome these challenges? (This response does not require research support.)

RES 811 Module 2 DQ 1

Doctoral learners must become information-literate individuals who are able to locate, identify, evaluate, and organize research. In Topic 8, you are required to find five empirical research studies from peer reviewed journals on your dissertation research interests. Discuss your process for conducting a search. What resources will you use to explore the literature in your field and how will you evaluate the quality of the articles selected?

RES 811 Module 2 DQ 2

 

Research is connected and personal and it is important for learners to recognize their subject position, in order to critically evaluate data, as well as communicate their subject position within a research study to minimize bias. Grand Canyon University supports academic and spiritual growth with the belief that the combination of the two will make a positive impact on scholarship and the individual.

How might worldview influence the role as a scholar and researcher? How can a worldview, Christian or otherwise, enrich research through a union of faith and academics? How might one handle perspectives, topics, and research that may challenge his or her worldview?

RES 811 Introduction to advanced graduate studies and scholarship Course

RES 811 Module 2 Assignment Annotated Bibliography: Doctoral Identity

Details:

Annotations are descriptive and critical assessments of literature that help researchers to evaluate texts and determine relevancy in relation to a particular research project. Ultimately, they are a note-taking tool that fosters critical thinking, demonstrates understanding, and evaluates the source material for possible later use.  In this assignment, you will read and annotate three articles.

General Requirements:

• Locate the articles by Baker and Pifer (2011), Gardner (2009), and Smith and Hatmaker (2014) in the Course Materials for this topic.
• This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
• Doctoral learners are required to use APA style for their writing assignments. Review the GCU APA Style Guide for Writing located in the Student Success Center. Note: A title page is required for this assignment, but a reference page is not required since the references are included with the annotations.
• Refer to the resource, “Preparing Annotated Bibliographies” located in the Student Success Center, for additional guidance on completing this assignment in the appropriate style. Use “Sample APA Annotated Bibliography” example in this resource.
• You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

Directions:

Read the articles by Baker & Pifer (2011), Gardner (2009), and Smith & Hatmaker (2014). These articles and the persistent links to them are located in the Course Materials for Topic 2.

Provide an annotated bibliography (750-900 words total, excluding the reference notes) of the articles. Including the following for each article:

1. A reference note formatted according to APA style guidelines. The reference note is not included in the total word count.
2. An annotation (250-300 words) of the article. Annotations are descriptive and critical assessments of peer reviewed articles. Annotations summarize the key concepts and evaluate the article for its strengths and weaknesses. Why was the study conducted? What was the population studied? What did the researcher(s) conclude? What other information about this study do you believe is unique or important to recall? Are there specific statements made by the author you wish to retain?

RES 811 Module 3 DQ 1

 

The primary method professors use to evaluate your ability to absorb and synthesize content is for you to write papers that demonstrate your understanding of various research topics, concepts, and frameworks. Doctoral level writing is distinct from other forms of communication you may have encountered. This shift in process and style helps learners to develop a doctoral identity that will foster productive relationships with faculty and committee members and, ultimately, contribute to a completed dissertation. Discuss how writing process and style help form a doctoral identity. What specific strategies and resources can you use to improve your academic writing?

RES 811 Module 3 DQ 2

 

A prepared student is a successful student. Usually, it starts with time management, organization, and dedication to the writing process, but also includes the successful execution of format and style. Applying APA style and formatting is the last step in the writing process, but is seems to be a source of great stress and anxiety for learners. APA style is not the research but rather the documentation of the research. What is the purpose of a style guide in scholarly communication? How can APA style enhance your communication with readers? What specific strategies and resources can you use to improve your skill in using APA style?

RES 811 Module 3 Assignment Synthesis Worksheet: Doctoral Identity

RES 811 Introduction to advanced graduate studies and scholarship Course

Details:

Synthesis is the act of creating something new from multiple existing entities. Synthesis of research, then, is creating a new idea from existing ideas. This assignment is designed to help you identify how themes can emerge from reading literature and how you can synthesize this information in a way that creates new knowledge. You will use your understandings of the Topic 2 readings to complete a synthesis worksheet.

General Requirements:

• This assignment will be used as a pre-writing activity for the synthesis paper in Topic 5.
• Locate and download “Synthesis Worksheet” from the Course Materials for this topic.
• Review the articles by Baker & Pifer (2011), Gardner (2009), and Smith & Hatmaker (2014) located in the Course Materials for this topic.
• This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
• Doctoral learners are required to use APA style for their writing assignments. Review the GCU APA Style Guide for Writing located in the Student Success Center.

Directions:

Complete the Synthesis Worksheet for the articles by Baker & Pifer (2011), Gardner (2009), and Smith & Hatmaker (2014). The completed worksheet will include the following sections:

1. An Introduction that introduces and provides context for the topic, presents three common themes that emerged from the readings, and provides organization for the paper with a thesis statement.
2. A description of the evidence to support three common themes that emerged from the articles. Since this is likely your first experience with this depth of synthesis, we have provided two of the themes found in the articles. Your task is to identify a third theme and to provide evidence from each article for all three common themes.
3. A conclusion where you will return to your thesis and provide evidence showing you successfully addressed your thesis statement. Discuss the connections that you made from the evidence and how each theme emerged from the central topic of doctoral identity.

RES 811 Module 4 DQ 1

 

While Caffarella and Barnett (2000) indicate that critique is the most influential element in helping learners produce a better writing product, critique can be an emotional event. Cameron, Nairn, and Higgins (2009) note that it proved helpful in their workshops to discuss the emotions that emerged as students prepared to give and receive feedback. What is the role of critique in the development of a researcher and scholar? In what ways can it positively contribute to a learner’s academic success? In what ways can it have a negative effect?

RES 811 Module 4 DQ 2

 

How do the voice and tone of doctoral writing differ from the voice and tone of writing at other academic levels? Explain your view. What are some ways that voice and tone can enhance the scholarly image of your writing? Explain. (This response does not require research support.)

RES 811 Module 5 DQ 1

 

Critical thinking is one of many vital skills that learners must develop in order to successfully examine research, analyze data, and complete a dissertation. Consider the characteristics and practices associated with the skill of critical thinking. Which of these are more or less beneficial or important than others? How does synthesis integrate into your view of critical thinking? (This response does not require research support.)

RES 811 Module 5 DQ 2

 

Saade, Morin, and Thomas (2012) describe critical thinking as the mental processes of discernment, analysis, and evaluation applied to information in order to achieve a logical final understanding and/or judgment. Describe your approach to breaking down information into component parts to better understand the characteristics of a statement, concept, or problem. How might outlining help to develop understanding? How do you know when to reach beyond previous experience and seek out other sources of information to enhance your understanding of the work in front of you? (This response does not require research support.)

RES 811 Introduction to advanced graduate studies and scholarship Course

RES 811 Module 5 Assignment Synthesis Paper: Doctoral Identity

Details:

In Topic 2, you were asked to read three articles on the topic of doctoral identity and to complete an annotated bibliography to demonstrate their understanding of the material. In Topic 3, you were asked to take this process a step further and identify themes found in the three articles and to complete a synthesis worksheet where the themes were supported by evidence from each article. In this assignment, you will build on your worksheet efforts and write a paper about the three themes. The narrative will not only present the evidence from the articles to support the identified themes, but also will provide an analysis for each theme by synthesizing the information collected.

General Requirements:

• Locate the Synthesis Worksheet you completed in Topic 3.
• Locate and download “Synthesis Paper Template” from the Course Materials for this topic.
• Review the articles by Baker & Pifer (2011), Gardner (2009), and Smith & Hatmaker (2014) located in the Course Materials for this topic.
• This assignment uses a rubric. Review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
• Doctoral learners are required to use APA style for their writing assignments. Review the GCU APA Style Guide for Writing located in the Student Success Center.
• You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

Directions:

Using the Synthesis Worksheet you completed in Topic 3 and considering the themes you developed and the feedback provided by your instructor, write a paper (1,000-1,250 words) that synthesizes the three articles. Your paper should include the following:

1. An introduction that introduces and provides context for the topic. This includes giving a brief description of each article and its purpose, identifying the three themes that emerged from your reading, describing how they will be discussed in the paper, and presenting a clear thesis statement.
2. Support for your identified themes with evidence from each article. Provide analysis of these findings to strengthen your narrative.
3. A discussion of the conclusions that can be drawn when the articles are taken together as a single entity. What is the overall message of the group of articles?

RES 811 Module 6 DQ 1

 

There are several unique characteristics of qualitative research that make it distinct from quantitative research. Describe the aspects of qualitative research and the elements of design that contribute to the rigor of the work. What actions of the researcher can compromise the integrity of the findings?

RES 811 Module 6 DQ 2

 

Validity and reliability are primarily quantitative research concepts. Morse, Barrett, Mayan, Olson, and Spiers (2002) argue that their exclusion from qualitative research design undermines the credibility and rigor of qualitative research conclusions. Were they correct in this assertion? Why or why not?

RES 811 Module 7 DQ 1

 

Doctoral learners becoming researcher/scholars must be able to produce original, written academic works and to evaluate the calibre and originality of their writing and the writing of others. At the same time, all research has its foundation in other research. How can you as a doctoral level researcher balance producing your own original research with recognizing and crediting the works you use as your research foundation?

 

RES 811 Module 7 DQ 2