RES 7100
Research Writing
3 credits

This course provides a solid foundation necessary for academic writing. Topics include formats, literature reviews, citations, problem statements, research proposals, research questions, hypotheses, critiques of journal articles, evaluation of dissertations and dissertation abstracts, and writing for journals. The culmination of the course is a research proposal for a small project. The proposal will include a problem statement, research question(s), a brief literature review, and the intended methodology for conducting the research.

RES 7106
Disciplined Inquiry I
3 credits

The main focus of this course is to help students become critical consumers of research literature and competent practitioners when it comes to testing their ideas in the somewhat messy world of applied research. In so doing, the basics of descriptive statistics and research design from a quantitative perspective will be addressed. (Note: this course is equivalent to EDD 7106.)

RES 7107
Disciplined Inquiry II
3 credits

This course delves into five qualitative research methods: biography, phenomenology, grounded theory, case study, and ethnography. Students will learn the distinguishing characteristics of each methodology and how each has been employed to answer typical research questions. Qualitative research studies will be analyzed and critiqued to ensure that students understand the strengths and weaknesses of each methodology. Students will pose a question suitable for qualitative inquiry, design a research study, and formulate a proposal for a small project using one of the qualitative methodologies. (Note: this course is equivalent to EDD 7107.)

RES 7110
Action Research
3 credits

This course advances the proposition that the action research approach is a useful paradigm in research methodology and a worthwhile model for dissertation and/or culminating project work. Historical, philosophical, and theoretical foundations will be discussed but practical application will be the primary focus simultaneously with learning. This is consistent with an action research approach. Collaboration and group work is also a hallmark of action research so students will demonstrate their ability to design, diagnose, plan, implement, observe, and reflect in cooperation with classmates. The various roles and skills necessary to be an effective action researcher will be discussed, as well as important issues related to empowerment, contextualization, ethical considerations, and validity.