EDUC 917 Advanced Qualitative Methods of Research

The doctoral dissertation is the final academic requirement for the Ed.D. This course is designed to equip the student with a deeper understanding of research design and data analysis as well as the skills and knowledge necessary for writing and publishing a doctoral dissertation.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

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Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the candidate will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the candidate is required to create a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must be 400–500 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the candidate is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 150–250 words. The candidate must support the each his/her assertations in the initial thread with at least three references in current APA format. For the replies, where applicable, the candidate should support his/her assertations with in-text citations and references in current APA format. (CLO: B, C)

Research Plan Assignments (5)

Research Plan: Setting and Participants Assignment

Using the Qualitative Dissertation Template as a guide, the candidate will submit a well-developed draft of the Setting and Participants sections of his/her research plan. In addition to composing this section, the candidate will provide the problem statement, purpose statement, research gap (at least one current source stating the need for the study), and research questions as a supplement to the section. This assignment will be formatted in current APA style. (CLO: C, D)

Research Plan: Data Collection Assignment

Using the Qualitative Dissertation Template as a guide, the candidate will submit a well-developed draft of the Data Collection sections of his/her research plan. The candidate will give a brief overview of the data collection approaches he/she listed within the Discussion: Sources of Evidence and Methods of Data Collection. In a subsection for each data collection approach, the candidate will also describe in detail how data will be collected in his/her study using each approach. The candidate should not provide a subsection for how the data will be analyzed, as that will be done in a separate assignment. In addition to composing this section, the candidate will provide the problem statement, purpose statement, research gap (at least one current source stating the need for the study), and research questions as a supplement to the section. This assignment will be formatted in current APA style. (CLO: C, D)

Research Plan: Analysis Assignment

Using the Qualitative Dissertation Template as a guide, the candidate will submit a well-developed draft of the Data Analysis of his/her research plan. Within a document that contains the Data Collection sections already produced within the previous assignment, the candidate will draft a data analysis section. Then, the candidate will discuss how he/she will synthesize all analyzed data into a cogent body of data to lead to theme development. This assignment will be formatted in current APA style.  (CLO: C, D)

Research Plan: Dissertation Trustworthiness Assignment

Using the Qualitative Dissertation Template as a guide, the candidate will submit a well-developed draft of the Trustworthiness sections of his/her research plan. The candidate will document the quality assurance of the study using rote language that is appropriate for most qualitative studies. The candidate will only discuss the aspects of each of the five subsections in the trustworthiness section that the candidate uses during the study (credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability, ethical considerations). In addition to composing this section, the candidate will provide the problem statement, purpose statement, research gap (at least one current source stating the need for the study), and research questions as a supplement to the section. This assignment will be formatted in current APA style. (CLO: C, D)

Research Plan: Chapter 3 Assignment

Using the Qualitative Dissertation Template as a guide, the candidate will submit a well-developed draft of the third chapter of his/her research plan utilizing the previously composed sections, as well as the remaining sections of Chapter 3. Some section already written by the candidate may require modifications. The candidate should be sure to implement all instructor feedback provided from the previous assignments for all sections already produced. The candidate will create every section based on the template and demonstrate mastery of the primary research design. There is no required length for the draft of Chapter 3, but each section outlined on the template must be completed in full. There is no minimum number of sources for the chapter, but all sources used must be scholarly (the candidate should keep in mind that the completed proposal will require minimum of 100 sources). This assignment will be formatted in current APA style. (CLO: D)

Design Text Assignment

The candidate must write a 3-4 page (excluding title, abstract, and reference pages) summary of the primary text selected corresponding with his/her research design. The summary will have four required sections that the candidate must provide.  A minimum of 3 sources must be cited (one of which includes the text selection), but the purpose of the paper is to demonstrate mastery of the material within the primary text and additional references will only be used minimally in support of the primary text.  The candidate must include a reference page of scholarly references in addition to the selected text. The paper must be submitted in current APA format. (CLO: C)

Peer Feedback on Data Collection Assignment

The candidate will review the data collection subsections of two fictional peers’ research proposals as if trying to replicate the study and offer suggestions to improve the clarity and specificity of the stated data collection procedures. The candidate should use the commenting feature in Microsoft Word to add his/her constructive feedback. The candidate should use the instructions in the Qualitative Dissertation Template as a guide and standard for the feedback he/she provides. A minimum of four feedback suggestions are required for each of the two Data Collection subsections. When providing feedback, the candidate should be sure to support his/her claims with evidence from a variety of sources. The student’s narrative style of feedback should follow current APA formatting requriements. (CLO: C, D)

IRB Training Modules Assignment

The candidate will complete training modules via the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program for future International Review Board (IRB) submissions. The candidate must successfully complete all 10 modules of the CITI certification to receive points for the assignment. Upon completion of all modules, the candidate will receive a certification to upload to Canvas. (CLO: E)

Quiz: SOE Doctoral Community

The quiz will cover the SOE Doctoral Community course information located in the SOE Doctoral Community Canvas course. This quiz will be open-book/open-notes, has 10 true/false questions, allows for one attempt, and has a 1-hour time limit. (CLO: A)

Quiz: Plagiarism Awareness

The quiz will cover the LU Academic Honesty Policy and the current APA Manual’s plagiarism policy. The quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 4 questions, allow for one attempt, and have a 1-hour time limit. (CLO: A)