Discussion Post
Question A
There are a few misconceptions about peer reviewed research that learners have when beginning a doctoral program. Many learners believe things such as the following:
a) A published research article is the final word on a subject.
b) Published research is without shortcomings and limitations.
c) All published articles are of equal quality.
d) All authors are experts on the subject they are researching.
e) All journal publication opportunities are benevolent.
With these misconceptions in mind, describe how you currently perceive scholarly literature. How have your perceptions changed given the information presented in your textbook on this topic? How do you know if the research is objective, accurate, authoritative, current, and relevant? How comfortable are you with critiquing research? What is peer-review and how it is relevant to the integrity of scholarly literature?
Question B
Writing at the graduate level can appear intimidating, but in reality, scholarly writing consists of foundational writing techniques that encourage readers to establish an original academic voice that is grounded in research. Scholarly writing includes a careful citation of sources that demonstrates engagement with the topic's relevant literature. As you can see, scholarly writing is rooted in research and not general assumptions and/or prejudices you may have concerning a topic. We want you to take a position in your writing, but if it is not supported by existing research, then it is simply an unsupported opinion. This is why a literature review is a critical component of research.
Take a look at the samples below:
a) I believe that daily drinking of alcohol must be stopped because it will lead to major health problems and premature death in young people and adults.
b) Daily drinking of alcohol should be avoided because it can lead to social and health issues, as well as premature death (Root, 2018). There must be more awareness created to inform people of the dangers of alcohol.
c) According to Larson (2017), alcohol abuse is a condition that is affecting families directly or indirectly in the United States (Wilson, 2017). The numbers have continued to steadily increase for the past 10 years (Smith, 2019). The number of alcohol related deaths with young people are disheartening. According to Silk (2020), the number of accidental deaths involving motor vehicles is "200% greater" than it was 10 years ago, even though there have been concerted efforts to raise awareness through state sponsored media campaigns, as well as legal deterrents, such financial penalties and incarceration (p. 164). At the same time, the number of alcohol related illnesses has increased leading to premature deaths in adults. Worth (2018) has noted a spike in liver disease with adult males from 45-60 years old. The increase in deaths from both populations are preventable and is an issue that must receive more attention to ensure the health and safety of young people and adults using alcohol.
In the examples above, how is original thought developed and transformed by the time the writer gets to the third draft? How does the addition of citations increase the credibility and establish the academic voice of the author? Explain.
The response should include a reference list. One-inch margins, Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space and APA style of writing and citations.