Paper 4: Research Problem and Rationale

20 points

Overview

This paper requires students to establish a research focus. It serves as a precursor to a statement of research problem that would be appropriate for a dissertation proposal or dissertation. As with all other papers in this course, the Research Problem and Rationale has a thesis and supporting arguments that are intended to persuade the reader. This time, however, the topic is your own research. Most important, this paper requires extensive literature support to demonstrate how you have situated your thinking in established theory and empirical research.

Many of the articles and books we have provided for this course may be useful to you in your development of this paper. It is also true that what we have provided will miss the mark for many topics that interest our students. Students should expect to spend at least some time during the semester searching for sources relevant to their own research interests. A good strategy would be to explore the reference lists of articles and books we have assigned to check for sources that seem to come closest to your research focus.

Task

1. Write an introduction that orients the reader to the type of research you wish to conduct. The introduction must include a question (or set of questions) that guides your thinking about your topic. This could be a viable research question, but we are not yet holding you to that standard. The introduction must also include a thesis statement that explains why it is important to conduct a study within your topic.
2. The body of your paper begins with a statement of purpose, answering the question: What is it you wish to learn about your topic? The purpose may be supported with literature citations if others have pursued or recommended a similar purpose, but it may not be possible or appropriate to support the purpose with literature.
3. The majority of the body should focus on significance, the “so what?” question that all researchers must answer. It is usually helpful to think in terms of research (or academic) significance and practical significance. How would your study contribute to both scholarship and practice?
4. The final portion of the body should be a listing of potential research questions that flow logically from your statement of purpose and significance. Be inclusive and imaginative. This is a list you should want to carry forward and refine for portfolio 3 and beyond.
5. Conclude your paper with a restatement of your thesis and brief discussion of the implications of your potential study. Be sure to include discussion of gaps in the literature you have been able to locate and read up to this point. What should be the next steps in your work?
6. Your literature review should be no more than about 8 pages, and must include citations and a reference list in APA format.