The Topic: A Closer Look: Organizations working to lower the rates of opioid addiction in women Veterans that are homeless in the city of Augusta, Georgia and the overall state of Georgia.
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Clearly articulate a topic that will be the focus of your study and build a rationale that supports the need for further investigation of this topic. Your ability to make a case for your selected topic will involve you being able to clearly and succinctly articulate what is known about the topic, what isn’t known and what the consequences are for not studying this topic.
You will also need to include a reference list that includes at least 10 references.
FIRST PARAGRAPH: Describe the specific topic to be studied. This should include a brief synthesis of the most current literature on the topic.
SECOND PARAGRAPH: describe the significance of this topic human services. Include a statement about the practical implications of your project. What will be the impact of this project on your organization of community of interest?
The Topic should be correctly formed:
The Topic should be appropriate for the specialization.
The Topic should use appropriate language for key concepts/phenomena.
The type of action proposed should be clearly specified.
The community of interest/organization and target population should be named.
The concepts should be appropriately focused.
Use current (within 5-7 years), scholarly, PRIMARY resources to support statements. Textbooks are not primary resources. Theses and dissertations are not considered peer-reviewed published articles.
Write a brief statement that fully describes the problem being addressed. Existing literature and key findings should be summarized to support the project. The problem to be addressed should be explicitly stated, not implied.
FIRST PARAGRAPH: Write a brief statement that fully describes the problem being addressed. This paragraph introduces the problem that is informing the research and warrants the need for this study.
SECOND PARAGRAPH: Identify the need for the study (which is related directly to the problem presented in the first paragraph). It must clearly identify a gap in current practice, service, process, policy or programs. It must clearly identify the need for the research and the desired outcome.
In simplified terms, the research problem should take this form:
The research literature on _________ indicates that we know ________, we know __________, but we do not know ______________.
The Research Problem should be correctly stated:
Existing literature and key findings should be summarized and used to support your rationale.
Gaps or problems should be clearly identified and formulated
The Research Problem should be explicitly stated, not implied.
Use current (within 5-7 years), scholarly, PRIMARY resources to support statements.
Include a literature review matrix using 15 articles. Keep in mind that when you have selected your resources that you identify information that addresses (1) the significance of the problem, and (2) Existing research about the problem (what has been done or what is recommended).
Project Problem Background
Provide a brief SUMMARY of your review and synthesis of the research literature on the topic. This should include citations from at least 15 articles but should indicate that you have performed a full review of the literature (minimum of 20 articles) on the topic. This should be demonstrated by providing a statement about the body of existing literature on the topic, then, summarizing recent research findings on the topic, highlighting the findings that are most relevant to your proposed study, demonstrating how your proposed research could add to the existing literature on the topic. Be sure to provide appropriate in text citations and include references in the reference section.
This section should contain a brief synthesis of your review of the literature on the topic of your proposed study.
This section should contain three to five (3-5) paragraphs and a minimum of 10 citations from peer reviewed journal articles and academic books.
Project Problem Background
The goal of this section is to show your ability to articulate the main themes that were presented through your review of the literature. Your work in this section will be the product of your literature review, and you will work to summarize how the current literature supports the proposed topic. Keep in mind that your main objective in this section is to describe the themes that were found in the literature and presented this information as supporting evidence for your topic.
Need for the Project and Evidence to Make Change
In this section, you will be asked to describe the specific practical implications that may result from this research. You will be tasked to identify how results from this inquiry can be used by any or all of the following stakeholders: Population being studied, professionals from whom this topic pertains, the organization that is the focus of this study and /or the wider community itself.
Your assignment needs to be presented using correct APA format and following the example you have been provided for this assignment. Then analyze and synthesize the information you found. Consider the following as you are searching for sources:
The incidence or prevalence of the problem or gap.
National data and quality/regulatory expectations related to the problem or gap.
The impact of the problem or gap on individuals, families, communities or societies.
Financial implications of the problem or gap.
Cultural differences; human services policy; service availability; and safety, legal, or ethical implications of the problem or gap, if pertinent.
you will be asked to construct an annotated bibliography and complete sections 2.3, 2.4, and 2.5 of your DPP. Here are the sections that you will address in your assignment:
Theoretical Foundation
The goal of this section is to briefly describe the primary theoretical basis for the study. Describe the major theory (or theories) that will serve as the lens through which you will view the research problem and research questions. Please make sure that you include seminal research as part of your support for your selected theory. The theoretical foundation should be a theory from your discipline that supports your topic. You will need to show how the constructs of your selected theory support the topic and problem being researched. If more than one theoretical foundation is selected, then you will need to provide a clear explanation of how the theories can be integrated and will support the topic being researched.
Research Positionality
In this section, you will need to identify your role in your research. The goal of any research is to create a neutral environment where information can be collected that truly represents the problem being investigated. Identifying your role and the influence this could have is important as you work to set up your research plan. For this section, you will identify yourself as an insider/collaborator (work or volunteer with the organization) or an outsider, collaboration w/insiders (no affiliation, but working with stakeholders within the organization). In this section, you will define your role, position and how your positionality will impact your research study.
Practical Implications
The goal of this section is for you to talk about the impact that your potential finding will have. You want to focus this section on identifying how the organization or site that you have focused on the practical implications of your work
A good research question focuses on a particular group (population). This is the who in your research question.
Good research questions identify an intervention, item of interest, setting or risk factor that will be the focus of the research. When looking to identify one of these areas, it is good to ask yourself:
Is the intervention aimed at the individual or the overall environment?
What would you like to do about your issue, problem, or opportunity?
Is there a policy option available to address the problem?
Good research questions look to make some comparison. You want your research question to look at comparing the present state with a desired state. For your doctoral project, the desired state is the state you would like to see at the completion of your project. Your research question should identify the outcomes you are looking for.
Lastly, your research question should identify a length of time that you are looking to observe within the allotted time you are looking to observe a change.
In your initial post to this discussion, share the research questions you have identified to guide your research. Identify the parts of your problem that align with each of these state tips above. Lastly, use the following format to create your question(s):
In ______________ (population), how does______________ (intervention/area of interest) compared to desired state ___________ (desired state) effect ____________ (outcome) within ____________ (time)?
3.1 Purpose of the Study
State the purpose of the study. This section will consist of 2 well developed paragraphs.
FIRST PARAGRAPH: In this paragraph, state the purpose of your study and the need that it addresses. In addition, include a summary of the intended outcomes of your work. The purpose of the study will be to answer the research question in order to solve problem or need you have identified.
SECOND PARAGRAPH:
In this paragraph, you will address the benefits of your findings and how your findings will contribute information to benefit your organization or identified site. The goal of this section is to identify the intended outcome of this study and identify the benefits.
Note:
Describe the purpose using the language of your specific study, topic, research problem, and research question.
REMEMBER:
Your second paragraph should include the following elements:
1. How will this project benefit your organization/sponsoring site?
2. How might the outcomes or findings be sustained after project completing?
3. Why would your organization support this project?
4. What potential benefits exist for the organization as a results of your project findings?
5. What potential benefits exist for the identified population?
6. If the organization elects to continue what you have started, how will you as the project leader transition from the project after completion and allow it to continue on its own? What is your plan?
Make sure the following elements are clear:
a. Target Population or problem
b. Intervention (What you are planning to investigate or implement as a policy/process or program).
c. Comparison
Outcomes to be measured
3.2 Research Question(s)
List the primary Research Question and any Sub-Questions that the proposed study will address.
Your Research Question (s) should be correctly formed:
The Research Question(s) should be aligned with your Research Problem, the Research Topic, and the Dissertation Title.
There should be separate Research Question(s) and/or subquestions identified for each intended analysis.
The Research Question(s) should be phrased in a way that it can be answered by the intended methodology and analyses.
REMEMBER:
List the research questions and any sub questions.
The research question(s) should: identify the specific variables to be explored, use language consistent with the research design or approach and clearly identify the population being studied
This research plan will be guided by your research question
3.3 Project Title
Your Project Title should be correctly formed:
Your title should be aligned with your Research Problem and Research Question , (use the same terminology for all).
The title should reflect the key variables or constructs to be studied.
The title should reflect the method to be employed in the research.
The Title should be concise (12 words or less).
Briefly describe the project research design, describe the setting, what data needs to collected, how data will be collected, and the analysis to be used. For example, the methodology might be participatory action research using a case study design. Data collection strategies might include: use of validated instruments, interviews, and review of archival data.
4.2a Quantitative Measures and Instruments
List and describe each variable and the data collection instrument or measurement tool you will use to collect these data. This includes standardized questionnaires, demographic data and surveys, etc. List and describe each data collection instrument or measurement tool you will use. See Appendix A for an example of a completed chart.
Attach a copy of each instrument you plan to use as an appendix to your capstone research form.
Variable Type Variable Name Survey/Questions/Calculations Variable Level of Measurement Instrument Name Reliability Estimates
4.2b Qualitative Constructs and Interview Guide
List and describe each qualitative construct and the data collection method you will use to collect these data. Include alignment of data collection source with the concept. See Appendix B for an example of a completed chart.
Attach a copy of the interview guide you plan to use
as an appendix to your Research Plan.
Data Source Specific Data Source Constructs of Interest Specific Interview Question
4.3 Pilot & Field Tests
Describe any pilot test or field test that may be required. Field tests must be done for qualitative interview questions developed by the learner.
a. A field test with experts requires no IRB review.
b. Standardized instruments are strongly recommended. Designing your own quantitative instrument is NOT recommended and requires a pilot test to establish reliability and validity. A pilot test requires IRB review and approval.
4.4 Data Analysis
List each research question or sub-question. Then detail the actual data analyses to be conducted to address that specific question.
Describe analysis procedures for each data source including: audiotapes, transcripts, videotape, field notes, photos, descriptive analysis, other quantitative analysis.
Describe all methods and procedures for data analysis including:
a. Organization of raw data (transcription, calculation of scaled variables, reliability)
b. Management/processing/preparation of data
c. Method of qualitative analysis and description of any statistical analyses
d. Storage and protection of data
4.5 Sample Size
For each data source, describe the sample size, and provide references to support sample size decisions.
4.6 Assumptions
Identify the key (A) theoretical, (B) topical, and (C) methodological assumptions of the project.
4.7 Limitations
Evaluate the weaknesses of your project at this time. Indicate areas to be improved before starting your project and areas that cannot be improved. Give reasons for not redesigning to address any of the limitations identified.
