Research Methods

  
PART A
Required Reading
Academic Writing at the Doctoral Level
Trident Writing Workshop (2016). Available in MyTLC under My Resources or at https://mytlc.trident.edu/index.php?page=workshop&action=eng095
Writing Style Guide. Trident University International. Available in MyTLC under My Resources or at https://mytlc.trident.edu/files/Writing-Guide_Trident_2014.pdf
Deegan, A. (2016). Graduate Writing Handbook. Trident University International. Available in MyTLC under My Resources or at https://mytlc.trident.edu/files/GRADUATE_WRITING_HANDBOOK.pdf
The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Tips and Tools. Resources available at http://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/
Murray, N. (2008). Writing up your university assignments and research projects: A practical handbook Open University Press. Chapter 6: What are the different components of a research project?. Available at Trident Library.
Find an eBook or a Book Chapter in Trident’s Digital Library.
Applied Research
Banerjee, S. and Morley, C. (2013). Professional Doctorates in Management: Toward a Practice-Based Approach to Doctoral Education. Academy of Management Learning & Education. 12(2) 173-193. Available at http://www.grad.usf.edu/inc/linked-files/academics/Curriculum/Professional-Doctorates-article.pdf 
Preston, J. C. (2014). Online Doctoral Programs: Can They Produce the Business Scientists and Leaders Needed for the 21st Century?. International Journal of Leadership and Change, 2(1), Article 5. Available at http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=ijlc
Optional Reading
How to Read Journal Articles
Cherry, K. (n.d.). How to read (and understand) a psychology journal article. About.com. Retrieved June 22, 2011, from http://psychology.about.com/od/psychologystudytips/p/read_articles.htm
Literature Review
School of Education, Indiana University Bloomington (2013). How to recognize plagiarism. Retrieved from https://www.indiana.edu/~istd/
Cornell University Library (2013). Distinguishing scholarly from non-scholarly periodicals: A checklist of criteria. Retrieved from http://guides.library.cornell.edu/content.php?pid=318840&sid=2609009
CQ University Library (2013). Evaluating books, journals, journal articles and websites. Retrieved from http://libguides.library.cqu.edu.au/content.php?pid=88010&sid=654786
Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries (2017). Evaluating information found on the Internet. Retrieved from http://guides.library.jhu.edu/c.php?g=202581&p=1334997
Cummings, S. R., Browner, W. S., & Hulley, S. B. (n.d.). Conceiving the research question. Retrieved from http://www.cii.org.ar/epidemiology/Conceiving%20the%20Research%20Question.pdf
Mongan-Rallis, H. (2014) Guidelines for writing a literature review. Retrieved from http://www.duluth.umn.edu/~hrallis/guides/researching/litreview.html
University of North Carolina (2017). Literature Reviews. Retrieved from http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/literature-reviews/
The George Washington University (2007). Tools for Preparing Literature Reviews. Retrieved May 2014 from http://www2.gwu.edu/~litrev/
In this assignment we will discuss the similarities and differences between Doctor of Philosophy program in Business Administration and the Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.) which is the program you are pursuing.
In order to complete this assignment, review this video on comparing and contrasting.
Here you have an example adapted from Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2012) “Research Methods for Business Students” 6th edition, Pearson Education Limited.
  

Fundamental/Theoretical research

Applied research
 
Purpose

Expand knowledge of phenomena related to business and   management.
Results in universal principles relating to the process   and its relationship to outcomes.
Findings of significance and value to society in general.

Improve understanding of particular business or management   problem.
Results in solution to problem.
New knowledge limited to problem.
Findings of practical relevance and value to manager(s) in   organization(s).
 
Context

Undertaken by people based in universities.
Choice of topic and objectives determined by the   researcher.
Flexible time scales.

Undertaken by people based in a variety of settings   including organizations and universities.
Objectives negotiated with originator.
Tight time scales.
Sample table: Differences between fundamental and applied research
Case Assignment
After reading the required background material and finding at least two other resources on your own, write a 5-7-page paper discussing the topic:
Applied Research in Business
In your paper, you should answer the following questions using your own evaluation and critical thinking.
Compare and contrast theoretical (fundamental) research and applied research.
Discuss in more detail the characteristics of Applied Research in the context of a D.B.A. program.
Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5-7 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
When you write your paper, make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
Use evidence from your readings to justify your conclusions.
Be sure to cite at least five credible resources.
Make sure to reference your sources of information with both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper, including pages 11-14 on in-text citations. Another resource is the “Writing Style Guide,” which is found under “My Resources” in the TLC Portal.
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
Assignment-driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in text citations and the reference list.
Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.
PART B
In the Module 1 SLP, we will discuss the characteristics of well written papers at the doctoral level.
Review the required readings listed in the Background material. You have three resources developed for Trident University students at different levels (undergraduate and graduate). You have probably seen some of these resources in the Doctoral Student Orientation course.
Make sure you review the material developed at Trident as well as the Videos in the section Tips and Tools from http://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/.
For example, the following video covers the topic of Understanding Assignments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=Oc6kyGkMVzY 
After reading the required background material and finding at least two other resources on your own, write a 3-4-page paper (without counting the cover page and the page with references) discussing the topic:
The characteristics of academic writing at the doctoral level.
In your paper, you should answer the following questions using your own evaluation and critical thinking.
What are 10 steps you think students should follow to write a paper at doctoral level at Trident University?
How do you plan to ensure your papers are well written?
What kind of tools or resources will you use to improve academic writing?
What are the characteristics of a well written paper at the doctoral level?
SLP Assignment Expectations
Length: The written component of this assignment should be 3-4 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.
Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.
Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.
As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:
Answer the assignment questions directly.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.
Use evidence from your readings to justify your conclusions.
Be sure to cite at least five credible resources.
Make sure to reference your sources of information with both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper, including pages 11-14 on in-text citations. Another resource is the “Writing Style Guide,” which is found under “My Resources” in the TLC Portal.
Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:
Assignment-driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.
Critical Thinking/ Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.
Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.
Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in text citations and the reference list.
Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.