Assignment: Foundations for Research
Question I
Almost all organizations or industries conduct research to improve a product or process. When most people think of research, they tend to think of something like searching for a cure for cancer. However, research is everywhere and touches us in many ways. It contributes to things as trivial as where the next McDonalds will pop up and as important as determining the safe stopping distance for vehicles approaching a flashing school bus that is dropping off children.
Share an example of how research has impacted the world around you. Explain how the research either informed or impacted you and/or your decisions and actions.
Question II
Reflect on a case that you are aware of in which "bad" research yielded harmful results. What do you feel led to the outcome? What do you think should have been done differently?
Question III
Reflect on two authors whose nonfiction works you admire or respect and could possibly use as sources in a research study. This could be due to their style of writing or their experience (as related to your occupation or a research project). Do you think your personal opinion of an author or his or her work can bias the contents of a literature review? Explain your rationale.
Question IV
Imagine that you are advising a fellow student about how to prepare his or her proposal for a presentation for the institutional review board (IRB). What approach or steps would you advise him or her to take or emphasize to ensure his or her best chances of gaining IRB approval?
Question V
Reflect on your interest in conducting research up to this midpoint of the course. Note what research, if any, you would like to do as a part of a career, and explain the rationale of your choice.
Question VI
If you were a member of an institutional review board, what would you do to ensure that ethics are not being compromised in the proposed research process?
Question VII
Reflect on research that you are aware of that has impacted your personal or professional life in one way or another. Briefly give a synopsis of the research; how it affected you; and, as the consumer, what follow-on research you would find beneficial.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
i) The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
ii) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
iii) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.