Question 3: Research Methods and Critique

The ability to read, understand, critique, and integrate research studies and to design a study to address a gap in the research literature is a vital tool for a doctoral student. As you write your dissertation, you may be reading hundreds of studies, many of which you will evaluate as part of a coherent literature review.

Select five empirical articles from peer-reviewed journals that:

Part 1

  1. Describe each study, including:
  1. Critically evaluate each study: Does the author make a compelling case for the meaning and significance of the findings?

Part 2

Write a literature review that explains what is known and not known about the phenomenon based on a critical evaluation of the five studies.

Part 3

Develop a research question that addresses one of the unknowns you identified in Part 2 and sketch a quantitative or qualitative study that can answer the question about what is unknown and contribute to theory (in some sense of theory you discuss in Question 1).

Address:

Draw on the additional resources for this course for guidance in understanding the concepts (e.g., internal validity, threats to validity, and operationalization) needed to address this question.