Assignment:
Reading Research Assignment Instructions
Part 1 - Identifying Relevant Literary Artifacts by Reading an Abstract
Generally, students start reading an article at the beginning and read it straight through to the end. Reading in a linear fashion is not the most efficient approach to evaluate academic literature. Researchers take a more strategic approach in order to quickly sort articles and identify what sources are relevant to their project.
Read only the abstract of each of the articlesin the Topic Resources for Topic 2. Using only the information from the abstract, choose the one article that is most relevant to your program and emphasis area. Address the following based solely on what you read in the abstract.
Using only the information from the abstract, EXPLAIN how this article is most relevant to your program and emphasis area.
PROGRAM - ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP
EMPHASIS AREA- ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
1. Provide the full APA reference for the article you chose.
2. Paraphrase the problem being addressed in the study.
3. Summarize the main points of the study.
4. State your initial thoughts about what you read. What ideas did it give you about the topic?
5. Describe how the abstract influences a researcher's decision to delve deeper into the article.
Part 2- Reading Strategically to Improve Efficiency
Read the entirety of the article you selected in the order listed below. Take notes on the sections as you go being certain to answer the questions before moving on to read the next section. Include your notes and answers to the questions in this document for submission.
1. Findings and Conclusions: What are the main findings from the topic? Why are they important? How does reading the conclusion first help a researcher determine if a source is relevant enough to continue to read?
2. Methodology: What is the methodology (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods)? Who/what comprised the population? What was the sample size? How was the sample determined? How did the researcher(s)collect data (instruments, surveys, interviews, etc.)? How does reading the methodology section help a researcher better understand the context for the study?
3. Literature Review: How does the literature review provide a logical discussion of the background of the problem being investigated? Did the author(s) do a good job of explaining the context you need to understand the problem being addressed? Explain. What seems to be the purpose of the literature review section of a study?
4. Introduction: How did the author(s)create an argument for why the study needed to be completed? What were the issues that led the author to investigate this problem?
5. Discussion: How do the author(s) address their research questions? Why might a researcher read this section last?
Part 3 - Gathering Additional Resources
When researchers read academic literature, they have "a thumb on the back page."That is, they keep the reference section readily accessible while reading the article.This technique allows them to investigate the reference page of the study while reading the article. This is one way of gathering additional resources that could be used for their own research projects.
Complete the following steps for this part of the assignment and include your answers in this document for submission.
1. Return to the article you selected and find a source cited in the literature review. Then, find the corresponding reference on the reference page. Copy the full APA reference for the source to your document for submission.
2. Look up the article title in the GCU Library. Was the article available to read?
3. Look up the title in Google Scholar (scholar.google.com).Is the article available? Using Google Scholar, find two articles that cited this source. If the article is not available, identify two alternatives provided by Google Scholar.
4. How does this technique help you understand that the research process is ongoing? How does this technique help you to locate more current literature?
Part 4 - Reflection
Write a reflection (250 to 500 words) about your interaction with the reading strategy presented in this assignment. Address the following items and your reflection in this document for submission:
1. How is this approach different from your current reading strategy?
2. How was it uncomfortable?
3. How can you begin to incorporate into your practice?
4. Why is it important to read literature in this fashion?
5. Was there a moment when you had enough information about the article to stop reading and move on to another article?
Readings:
Management, Social Sustainability, Reputation, and Financial Performance Relationships: An Empirical Examination of U.S. Firms
By Robert Sroufe and Venugopal Gopalakrishna-Remani