Research Question Assignment

reetings, writer, The request for this assignment includes a task to be completed, which mirrors an outline for a dissertation focus. The assignment should be 14 pages (technically, 7 pages for the qualitative research and 7 pages for the quantitative research as well), in APA 7th edition format. All sources, if applicable, must be within the last 5 years to date. Please ensure all occurrences are within the United States; no foreign countries allowed. Please adhere to the assignment directions, attached to the files area of this request. Again, this will be a mixed study analysis, so please follow the correct dissertation instructions for each study, NOT capstone. RESEARCH QUESTION ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS OVERVIEW Though the expectations of a capstone and dissertation project differ in some respects, both project formats require a research question. A well-formulated research question: • Is stated clearly and in the form of a question; • Is specific and restricted in scope; • Is feasible (i.e., can the researcher obtain the data necessary to answer the question?); • Does not pose an ethical or moral problem for implementation; • Focuses on what is to be investigated (whether a practical problem in a capstone project or a theoretical problem in a dissertation). In this assignment, students will submit (and if necessary, revise) their research question(s), previously presented as part of their Research Plan Review Assignment submission. Please note that these assignments objectives will differ depending on if you are doing a quantitative or qualitative dissertation project, or a capstone project. Only complete the assignment section that aligns with your chosen research format. Quantitative Dissertation Research Question(s) For this assignment, students will be asked to specify and clearly define both their dependent variable (DV) and independent variable (IV). Note that in some cases your study might have other variable types (e.g., moderator or mediator variables). If you have these other variable types, you should define these as well. • A dependent variable (DV) is the outcome you intend to explain. For a capstone, the DV may represent the presumed outcome or effect of a proposed project, program, or policy intervention. For a dissertation, the DV may represent a phenomenon relevant to your chosen discipline for which you will offer a causal explanation. • An independent variable (IV) is the factor you believe influences or causes a change in the dependent variable. In a capstone, the IV may represent the project, program, or intervention being evaluated. In a dissertation, the IV may represent the key factor, policy, or condition you hypothesize has an effect on your chosen phenomenon. You must be able to describe both your dependent variable and independent variable clearly and concisely. Each should be presented in one sentence. The DV description should not contain causal assumptions, while the IV description should identify the primary factor(s) expected to impact the DV. To effectively study your variables, you will need to conceptualize, operationalize, and measure both. • Conceptualizing a variable requires the researcher to explain and justify their definition or understanding of that variable. This may involve referring to how other researchers have conceptualized the variable and addressing alternative conceptualizations. • Operationalizing a variable requires specifying the means by which the variable will be measured. This involves choosing indicators, scales, or measurement systems and justifying why they are appropriate. • Measuring a variable requires detailing the process by which data will be gathered and analyzed. This may involve drawing on previous research practices and explaining how the measurement aligns with your study’s objectives. INSTRUCTIONS • Complete the Title Page, specifying your chosen academic program and stating whether you are writing a capstone or a dissertation. • The assignment should state your research question and variables. The research question should be presented in one sentence. If your project requires more than one research question state those also. The assignment should offer a full explanation of how the research question meets criterion for a good social science-based research question. This should include an explanation of why the research question is appropriate for your chosen program, and research topic within your program. • The variables should be presented in one sentence. • The assignment should offer a full explanation of how the variables were conceptualized, operationalized, and measured. o Explain and justify your choices for how you conceptualized your variables. o Explain and justify your choices for how you operationalized your variables. o Explain and justify your choices for how you proposed to measure your variables. • Assignment should be submitted in current APA format. • Assignment should include at least six (6) scholarly citations from peer reviewed academic sources. • The assignment should be no fewer than seven (7) pages in length. This page count should not include Title Page and References (which must be a part of your submission). This page count should not include other supplementary information or appendices that are not required. Qualitative Dissertation Research Question(s) For this assignment, students will be asked to specify and clearly define the central phenomenon of interest and any key contextual factors that may influence participants’ descriptions or experiences. While qualitative research does not frame variables in terms of independent and dependent categories as quantitative research does, it is important to identify the phenomenon being studied (comparable to a dependent variable) and the factors or conditions that shape or influence that phenomenon (comparable to independent variables, moderators, or mediators). • The central phenomenon represents the experience, process, or issue you intend to explore. For a capstone, the phenomenon may reflect the practical issue a program, policy, or intervention seeks to address. For a dissertation, the phenomenon may represent an important area of lived experience or professional practice in your chosen discipline. • Contextual factors are the conditions, influences, or settings that may shape how participants describe their experiences of the phenomenon. These may include organizational policies, cultural expectations, or situational constraints relevant to your research topic. You must be able to describe your central phenomenon clearly and concisely in one sentence. You should also describe any contextual factors you anticipate will play a role in shaping the experiences you explore. To effectively study your central phenomenon and contextual factors, you will need to conceptualize, operationalize, and describe how you will measure the phenomenon: • Conceptualizing a phenomenon requires the researcher to explain and justify how they are defining or understanding the experience, process, or issue being studied. This may involve referring to how other researchers have conceptualized the phenomenon and addressing alternative perspectives. • Operationalizing a phenomenon in qualitative research means specifying the ways in which the phenomenon will be examined through data collection methods such as interviews, focus groups, observations, or document analysis. • Describing measurement in a qualitative design involves outlining how data will be gathered (e.g., semi-structured interviews, focus groups, open-ended surveys) and analyzed (e.g., thematic analysis, content analysis). This may involve discussing how rigor and trustworthiness will be established through strategies such as member checking, triangulation, reflexivity or audit trails. INSTRUCTIONS • Complete the Title Page, specifying your chosen academic program and stating whether you are writing a capstone or a dissertation. • The assignment should state your research question and central phenomenon. • The research question should be presented in one sentence. • If your project requires more than one research question, state those also. • The assignment should offer a full explanation of how the research question meets the criteria for a good social science-based qualitative research question. • This should include an explanation of why the research question is appropriate for your chosen program and your research topic within that program. • The central phenomenon should be presented in 5-9 sentences. • The assignment should offer a full explanation of how the central phenomenon was conceptualized, operationalized, and will be measured. • Explain and justify your choices for how you conceptualized your central phenomenon. • Explain and justify your choices for how you operationalized your central phenomenon (e.g., through interviews, focus groups, observations, or document analysis). • Explain and justify your choices for how you proposed to study your central phenomenon, including data collection and analysis methods. • If applicable, identify contextual factors (such as organizational conditions, cultural influences, or situational constraints) that may shape how participants describe their experiences. • Explain and justify your choices for how you conceptualized these factors. • Explain and justify your choices for how you operationalized them in the context of your qualitative research design. • Assignment should be submitted in current APA format. • Assignment should include at least six (6) scholarly citations from peer-reviewed academic sources. • The assignment should be no fewer than seven (7) pages in length. • This page count should not include the Title Page and References (which must be part of your submission). • This page count should not include other supplementary information or appendices that are not required. Note: Though students are permitted to use their own previously submitted work on this assignment, submissions will otherwise be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool. Capstone Central Question(s) For this assignment, students will be asked to refer to their problem and purpose statements to identify a central question and relevant sub-questions that would gather data necessary to propose a solution to a specific problem within a specific location or context. The sub-questions should be narrower than the central question. The sub-questions should also be tailored to at least three specific research or data gathering methods (which may include interviews, focus groups, surveys, document analysis, observations). Finally, the sub-questions should be crafted so as to allow for the gathering of a body of information broad and deep enough to support a plausible and reasonable solution to the problem defined. INSTRUCTIONS • Complete the Title Page, specifying your chosen academic program and stating whether you are writing a capstone or a dissertation. • The assignment should state your central question along with site or context for the research. • The central question should be presented in one sentence. • If your project requires more than one central question, state them also. • The assignment should offer an explanation of how the central question and sub-questions promise to gather information necessary to propose a solution to the problem posed. • The assignment should include an explanation of why the central question is appropriate for your chosen program and your research topic within that program. • Assignment should be submitted in current APA format. • Assignment should include at least six (6) scholarly citations from peer-reviewed academic sources. • The assignment should be no fewer than five (5) pages in length. • This page count should not include the Title Page and References (which must be part of your submission). • This page count should not include other supplementary information or appendices that are not required. Note: Though students are permitted to use their own previously submitted work on this assignment, submissions will otherwise be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.