Homework: THEORIES OF INQUIRY
TOPIC: Research Topic: Identify and Defend
The product of a doctoral degree is a completed and defended dissertation. To begin developing the dissertation, scholars go to the literature, synthesize the information found there, and build arguments that support the need for a study. The literature, then, is the foundational building block of the dissertation. In this homework, you will analyze and synthesize the contents of several empirical articles to arrive at and defend a potential topic for your dissertation. Note that this potential topic will be refined through the iterative dissertation development process as additional scholarly literature is identified, read, and synthesized and the study honed to a manageable scope.
Directions:
Locate three peer reviewed, empirical articles related to the potential broad topic area of your dissertation.
Dissertation Topic: Factor Responsible for Poor Utilization of Mental Health Services in Texas
Remember, your topic area must align with your degree program. Select only articles that have been published within the last 2-3 years and that could logically be included in the literature review of your dissertation.
Write a brief description of the articles (250-300 words total) that includes the following information for each article:
1) A statement of what the authors studied.
2) A statement that generally describes the study participants.
3) A description of the study findings.
4) A statement of one limitation or future study idea identified in the article.
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
(1) The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
(2) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
(3) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
RESOURCES
Read Chapters 1 and 2 in:
Roberts, C. M. (2010). The dissertation journey: A practical and comprehensive guide to planning, writing, and defending your dissertation (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.