Module 3 – SLP

Revising the DSP Research Proposal (Revise Chapter 1)

Chapter 1 – Introduction

Your Chapter 1 – Introduction will be a narrative that details the major components of your proposed research, developed at a relatively early stage of your doctoral program. The introduction guides your preparation of the full-blown DSP Research Proposal, and will serve as a roadmap for continued refinement of your thinking as you progress into the DBA doctoral program.

The Chapter 1- Introduction should be 15-20 double-spaced pages, APA 7th edition formatted. Include a title page and reference list (not included in page count). The title page should include a working title for your dissertation. Develop the working title after you’ve completed the prospectus and have developed and selected your established Research Question(s).

In the body of Chapter 1, DO include headings for each section. Use complete sentences and paragraphs to craft the body each section.

Introductory Section (Your Prospectus should not have a heading for the introductory section, per APA 7th edition)

After you’ve completed the sections below, craft and introductory section that:

Tells the reader what this document is about
Tells the reader how the document is organized

A. Research Problem or Opportunity

Address the following question:

Describe the Problem or Opportunity your research will address. Why is it important to explore this problem or opportunity? Write 2-4 carefully considered paragraphs. Include 5-10 different sources from the literature in your discussion.

For A1 – A3 Research Problem or Opportunity

Your proposed research must encompass all of the following:

A problem or opportunity that is of interest to you
A direct connection to your field of study (i.e., computer science or management)
A direct connection to your concentration

A1. How does your proposed research reflect a problem or opportunity in your field? Write 3-5 carefully considered paragraphs making the connection between your proposed research and your field. Include 5-10 different sources from the literature in your discussion.

A2. How does your proposed research reflect a problem or opportunity in your Concentration? Write 3-5 carefully considered paragraphs making the connection between your proposed research and your concentration. Include 5-10 different sources from the literature in your discussion.

A3. How does your proposed research reflect a problem or opportunity that is of interest to you? Write 3-5 carefully considered paragraphs making the connection between your proposed research and your personal interest in this topic. Include 5-10 different sources from the literature in your discussion.

B. Key Literature

There are several types of literature that will appear in your literature review:

Contextual Literature – recent literature that helps the researcher define, and the reader understand, the setting in which the research will occur. This literature may be found in peer reviewed literature, and may also be found in industry and trade publications, as well as the popular (credible) press.

Seminal literature – Conceptual or Research-based – typically peer- reviewed articles or scholarly books developed at the beginning of a field, recognized as relevant either historically and/or currently. A sign of relevance is that others cite this literature in their work.

Recent Literature – Conceptual or Research-based – typically peer reviewed articles or scholarly books published within the last five years, recognized as relevant in the field. A sign of relevance is that others cite this literature in their work.

B1. Context

Write 2-3 paragraphs about the Context of your proposed research, utilizing 5-10 different sources.

B2. Seminal Literature

Write 2-3 paragraphs about your proposed research topic, utilizing 5-10 different sources from the peer-reviewed, seminal literature.

B3. Recent Literature

2-3 paragraphs related to your proposed research topic utilizing 5-10 different sources from the peer-reviewed, recent literature.

C. Gap in Literature

One of the outcomes of your literature review and preparation thus far is to identify what is called “a gap in the body of knowledge.” The gap indicates where research has not been done yet. Your research in the area of this “gap” will yield a small, but valuable “contribution to the body of knowledge.”

After the work you’ve done so far, what is the “gap in the body of knowledge” you have identified?

D. Assumptions and Biases

As you develop your literature review, you will identify contextual, seminal theoretical/research-based literature, and recent theoretical/research-based literature. Through this process, you will confirm or identify a gap in the body of knowledge – an area that has not been researched. You will also begin to clarify your overarching research question. As part of the process, you must become aware of the assumptions and biases you bring to the proposed research. Your biases and assumptions should become more apparent as you pick and choose amongst the possible literature sources you find, how you place them in your literature review, and the emphasis you give to certain viewpoints represented in the literature.

Reflect on the biases you bring to your proposed research. List at least five biases. Do not list assumptions about how you will conduct your research, nor how you expect others to respond. This section should be dedicated to the assumptions, biases and other pre-conceived notions you have about the phenomenon you plan to study. Conclude your prospectus y with a brief discussion and summary.

E. Research Question(s)

For this exercise you will practice developing research questions related to the topic you have been developing in your Research and Writing courses and through supplemental

Part I – Before you develop your question review and list 10 examples of research questions you think are well-conceived from published dissertations (ProQuest Database). Include the citations for each dissertation in your reference list

Part II – Using your draft literature review and other notes develop ONE research question that contains:

What? Or How?
Region
Industry or Sector
Organizational Context
Theoretical context
Methodological Context
Review the examples of actual research questions in other dissertations

Examples of research questions from actual dissertations:

How does the implementation of Appreciative Inquiry, applied virtually, impact the LNOC’s (Libyan National Oil Corporation) awareness of its effect on air quality?” Elmabrok, F. ·

What leadership style do ARPC (Air Reserve Personnel Center – Denver) managers prefer to use? Sampayo, J.

How do organizational leaders plan and develop an IT infrastructure strategy in a rapidly changing IT environment? Waheed, M. · ”

What is the employees’ perspective of engagement in a pharmaceutical/biotech organization?” Trivedi, M. · ”

Based on the lived experiences of management master graduates from both online and ground programs, what are the similarities and differences in their experiences with employers when job and promotion seeking?” Goodloe, A.

Methods Exploration

Although you won’t solidify your research design until you’ve completed the work involved in developing a great Literature Review, there are some key elements you can begin to determine now within the body of Chapter 1. One of the first things you need to think through is “Based on your exploration of your topic in the literature so far, where does your proposed research fall on the continuum of Exploratory to Mature research?”

Please find and review the following article:

Edmondson, A.C. & McManus, S.E. (2007). Methodological fit in management field research. Academy of Management Review. Vol. 32. No. 4 This article may not be in the library but is widely accessible on the WWW.

Based on your review of the article, “Where on the Scientific Continuum is your research?” What are the indicators that your research is located at this point on the continuum?
Based on where your proposed research falls on the continuum*, what method(s) are appropriate? Please explain WHY this/these methods are appropriate and relate your explanation back to the continuum.

Summary

Please present a brief recap of your Chapter 1. Include a discussion of what you learned as you developed your Prospectus. Present a discussion of next steps you will take over the next three quarters – how will you: a) continue to develop your mastery of the literature, b) develop the components of chapter one of a dissertation, and c) further develop your ideas about your research design and methods.

Please submit your assignment.

SLP Assignment Expectations

The students’ submission should adhere to the required deliverable length. The primary focus for this assignment is both a reflection from a personal and academic perspective regarding academic research and a discussion of what direction it is leading the students toward in their completion of their dissertation. Specific practices should be identified from the individual student’s experiences surrounding the academic research process, and furthermore, the successful identification of not only credible resources, but credible academic resources that are relevant and pertinent to the dissertation topic itself should be discussed.

Module 3 – Background

Revising the DSP Research Proposal (Revise Chapter 1)

Required Reading

Edmondson, A. C., & McManus, S. E. (2007). Methodological fit in management field research. Academy of Management Review, 32(4), 1155-1179.

Optional Reading

Yin, R. K. (2009). Introduction. In Case study research: Design and methods, Fourth Ed. (pp. 3-23). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Inc.

Flyvbjerg, B. (2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study research. Qualitative Inquiry, 12(2), 219-245. Available in the Trident Online Library, Sage Research Methods database.

Gagnon, Y. (2010). Stage 1: Assessing appropriateness and usefulness. In The case study as research method: A practical handbook (pp. 11-18). Québec [Que.]: Les Presses de l’Université du Québec. Available in the Trident Online Library, EBSCO ebook Collection.

Case Study Design

We continue with an exploration of case study design. This section begins with a consideration of research questions and units of analysis, followed by the role of implicit or explicit theory in driving the research, considerations of quality (validity and reliability), and ending with the selection of single vs. multiple case study designs and mixed methods.

Yin, R. K. (2009). Designing case studies. In Case study research: Design and methods, Fourth Ed.(pp. 24-65). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Inc.

Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13(4), 544-559. Retrieved from http://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1573&context=tqr

Gagnon, Y. (2010). Stage 2: Ensuring accuracy of results. In The case study as research method: A practical handbook (pp. 19-36). Québec [Que.]: Les Presses de l’Université du Québec. Available in the Trident Online Library, EBSCO ebook Collection.

Farquhar, J. D. (2012). Quality in case study research. In Case study research for business (pp. 100-112). London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Gibbs, G., Clark, D., Taylor, C., Silver, C., & Lewins, A. (n.d.). Welcome to Online QDA. Retrieved November 25, 2016, from http://onlineqda.hud.ac.uk/

Moeller, J. D., Dattilo, J., & Rusch, F. (2015). Applying quality indicators to single-case research designs used in special education: A systematic review. Psychology in the Schools, 52(2), 139-153.

Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.