Prepare a report describing your research plan, using all that you learned so far in this course.
Compile the Methodology Plan report to include the following elements as discussed and drafted in previous modules. Be sure to revise each element according to faculty feedback. Be sure to utilize the EdD Dissertation Content Guidelines as a guide to organization and structure of your
Introduction to the topic of your Problem of Practice (a problematic situation) (1.5 to 2 pages). The introduction:
Creates a compelling need for your topic of research and identifies the problematic situation
Confirms there is existing scholarly interest in this problematic situation by citing three or more academic sources such as theory or research studies.
Problem Statement (1-2 paragraphs) as discussed in previous modules so as to include citations to support the general and specific problem, and what we know and don’t know about this problem.
Purpose of Study (1-2 paragraphs) which should flow from your problem.
Describes the purpose of the proposed research (how the research will address the problem you have identified through the literature). This should be the first mention of your proposed research. (Open this section with ‘The purpose of this study is to …’
Introduce the research methodology (methodological approach) and why the selected approach is a good fit for addressing the Problem of Practice.
Research Questions
Create a research question (or more than one) aligned with your purpose that will help you investigate your problem of practice (you may bullet these) and fulfill your purpose.
The research question(s) should be stated appropriately for qualitative or action research (Do not include quantitative questions at this time. Qualitative RQs only!).
Research Design and Methods. Detail your research design (include all of the following in essay format) and the rationale for your choices. Review some Chapter Three writings from recent, excellent dissertations that are using your proposed approach. How were these sections handled?
Methodology: Elaborates on your rationale for why your chosen methodology (Action Research, qualitative case study, phenomenology, etc..) is the best fit for addressing your research problem.
Participant Selection: Describes who the participants are, how many participants, and how they will be selected. You may need to include site selection here. Justify your decisions (e.g., number of participants) with a rationale and by referring to similar research projects.
Data Collection: Lists data collection instruments and procedures (e.g., interviews, analytic memos, open-ended questionnaires, documents, and records)–describing and justifying each data collection type. Tell us how each data collection type will help you to answer your research question(s).
Data Analysis: Includes the data analysis methods that will be used (For example, you might describe constant comparative method with initial coding followed by identifying major categories).
Ethics and Trustworthiness (Rigor): Determines methods for conducting ethical and rigorous qualitative or action research. How will you protect your participants from unnecessary risk? What benefit will they get? You have read about how rigor is established differently in qualitative research through trustworthiness (rigor in qualitative research) by addressing transferability, credibility, dependability, and confirmability. The methods (or steps) you plan to implement to achieve trustworthiness (or rigor) may be threaded through the subsections above (participant selection, data collection, data analysis) but you should write a separate sub-headed section to summarize your approach and steps to ensure ethical and rigorous research.
Support: Provide support for your decisions in all sections above by citing specialized methodology texts and articles, including but not limited to your texts and other required resources (see the course syllabus for sources organized by the approach and the ACU Library’s Resources for Researchers (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Reference list in APA format.
