Evaluation of Literature and Problem Statement in Assigned Journal Articles

Understanding research studies published in peer-reviewed journals

Discussion, you will evaluate the use of literature and problem statements in assigned journal articles in your discipline to understand what it means for a research study to be justified, grounded, and original. You will use the Use of Literature Checklist, the Problem Statement Checklist, and the Litmus Test as guides for your post. With these thoughts in mind, refer to the Journal Articles document for your assigned articles for this Discussion. If your last name starts with A through L, use Article A.

If your last name starts with M through Z, use Article B. Follow the prompt below for your program. Week 3: Literature and Problem Statement Envision that on a table before you are the many photos that you took to create the panorama of the Grand Canyon discussed earlier. You begin aligning each picture and find that most of the pictures overlap in some way as they combine to create the larger panorama. In a similar way, the review of literature in a peer-reviewed research article is a representation of the larger body of research on a topic, and some of that research may overlap. Now imagine that you find two photos that don’t quite align—there is a space, or gap, between the photos.

For your panorama of the Grand Canyon, this is not welcome; however, for your research, this is exactly what you are seeking. Indeed, a gap in your area of research interest is an opportunity for you to contribute to the overall picture of your discipline and, thus, the dialogue of the professional community. Now, building on the philosophy of science and theory introduced in previous weeks, you will spend several weeks engaging in discussions that are grounded in empirical examples. These discussions will serve to further develop your research mindset such that you will hone your critical thinking skills in evaluating components of research studies and analyzing their alignment. This week, you will focus your attention on the use of the literature and problem statements. Learning Objectives Students will: Evaluate use of literature in research studies published in peer-reviewed journals Evaluate problem statement in research studies published in peer-reviewed journals Explain criteria for a research study that is justified and grounded in the literature Explain criteria for a problem that is original Apply APA Style to writing Learning Resources Required Readings Babbie, E. (2017). Basics of social research (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Chapter 15, “Reading and Writing Social Research” Document: Journal Articles (Word Document) For the Discussion, download this document, refer to the assigned journal articles for your program, and find these articles in the Walden Library. Document: Use of Literature Checklist (PDF) This checklist serves as a guide for your evaluation. Please do not respond to the checklist in a Yes/No format in writing your Discussion post.

Using the Use of Literature Checklist, the Problem Statement Checklist, and the Litmus Test as guides for evaluation

Document: Problem Statement Checklist (PDF) This checklist serves as a guide for your evaluation. Please do not respond to the checklist in a Yes/No format in writing your Discussion post. Walden University: Center for Research Quality. (2015c). Litmus Test for a Doctoral-level research problem. Retrieved from Required Media Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2016b). Literature review [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author. Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 8 minutes. Dr. Patton speaks about the role of literature in the research process. Week 3: Literature and Problem Statement Envision that on a table before you are the many photos that you took to create the panorama of the Grand Canyon discussed earlier. You begin aligning each picture and find that most of the pictures overlap in some way as they combine to create the larger panorama. In a similar way, the review of literature in a peer-reviewed research article is a representation of the larger body of research on a topic, and some of that research may overlap. Now imagine that you find two photos that don’t quite align—there is a space, or gap, between the photos.

For your panorama of the Grand Canyon, this is not welcome; however, for your research, this is exactly what you are seeking. Indeed, a gap in your area of research interest is an opportunity for you to contribute to the overall picture of your discipline and, thus, the dialogue of the professional community. Now, building on the philosophy of science and theory introduced in previous weeks, you will spend several weeks engaging in discussions that are grounded in empirical examples. These discussions will serve to further develop your research mindset such that you will hone your critical thinking skills in evaluating components of research studies and analyzing their alignment. This week, you will focus your attention on the use of the literature and problem statements. Learning Objectives Students will: Evaluate use of literature in research studies published in peer-reviewed journals Evaluate problem statement in research studies published in peer-reviewed journals Explain criteria for a research study that is justified and grounded in the literature Explain criteria for a problem that is original Apply APA Style to writing Learning Resources Required Readings Babbie, E. (2017). Basics of social research (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Chapter 15, “Reading and Writing Social Research” Document: Journal Articles (Word Document) For the Discussion, download this document, refer to the assigned journal articles for your program, and find these articles in the Walden Library. Document: Use of Literature Checklist (PDF) This checklist serves as a guide for your evaluation.

Envisioning a gap in research as an opportunity for contributing to the professional community

(Producer). (2016b). Literature review [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author. Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 8 minutes. Dr. Patton speaks about the role of literature in the research process. Week 3: Literature and Problem Statement Envision that on a table before you are the many photos that you took to create the panorama of the Grand Canyon discussed earlier. You begin aligning each picture and find that most of the pictures overlap in some way as they combine to create the larger panorama. In a similar way, the review of literature in a peer-reviewed research article is a representation of the larger body of research on a topic, and some of that research may overlap. Now imagine that you find two photos that don’t quite align—there is a space, or gap, between the photos.

For your panorama of the Grand Canyon, this is not welcome; however, for your research, this is exactly what you are seeking. Indeed, a gap in your area of research interest is an opportunity for you to contribute to the overall picture of your discipline and, thus, the dialogue of the professional community. Now, building on the philosophy of science and theory introduced in previous weeks, you will spend several weeks engaging in discussions that are grounded in empirical examples. These discussions will serve to further develop your research mindset such that you will hone your critical thinking skills in evaluating components of research studies and analyzing their alignment. This week, you will focus your attention on the use of the literature and problem statements. Learning Objectives Students will: Evaluate use of literature in research studies published in peer-reviewed journals Evaluate problem statement in research studies published in peer-reviewed journals Explain criteria for a research study that is justified and grounded in the literature Explain criteria for a problem that is original Apply APA Style to writing Learning Resources Required Readings Babbie, E. (2017).

Basics of social research (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Chapter 15, “Reading and Writing Social Research” Document: Journal Articles (Word Document) For the Discussion, download this document, refer to the assigned journal articles for your program, and find these articles in the Walden Library. Document: Use of Literature Checklist (PDF) This checklist serves as a guide for your evaluation. Please do not respond to the checklist in a Yes/No format in writing your Discussion post. Document: Problem Statement Checklist (PDF) This checklist serves as a guide for your evaluation. Please do not respond to the checklist in a Yes/No format in writing your Discussion post. Walden University: Center for Research Quality. (2015c). Litmus Test for a Doctoral-level research problem.