Investigating a Phenomenon of Interest Discussion Essay Assignment

Discussion: Investigating a Phenomenon of Interest

At this point in your PhD program, you may already be thinking about problems or questions that you would like to address through your dissertation research. If not, reflect on your professional and academic experiences. Which phenomena have captured your attention? Is there one, in particular, that you are eager to explore?

Investigating a phenomenon and building a theoretical foundation for research requires creative thinking, organization, and attention to detail. In this Discussion, you are encouraged to identify strategies or tools you may use to successfully navigate this process. Also in this Discussion, you begin to develop a broad, albeit tentative, theoretical foundation that may guide your study of a selected phenomenon. In addition, you consider how developing these theoretical elements would help you make a positive contribution in research, practice, education, and/or leadership.

While you are not required to select your dissertation topic right now, you are encouraged to use this Discussion and your work in this course as preparation for your dissertation research or other research related to your focus area.

To prepare

Review the strategies presented in the “Theoretical Foundation for Research” document provided in the Week 1 Learning Resources. Examine the literature review information presented in this week’s Optional Resources, and evaluate other strategies or tools you have used in previous coursework. Identify strategies/tools that you will use in this course to manage information from the literature and record your own thought processes while investigating a phenomenon of interest and developing a theoretical foundation. Begin to use these strategies/tools as you prepare for this Discussion.
Select a phenomenon of interest to you. Ideally, the phenomenon you choose will relate to the dissertation research you plan to conduct later in this PhD program or other research related to your focus area. (You will submit your phenomenon for Instructor approval this week.)
Conduct a search of the literature from nursing and other disciplines to see what has been written about your phenomenon.
Based on your review of the literature and your own interests as a scholar-practitioner, identify elements that you may use to develop your theoretical foundation for a future program of research. This includes concepts, conceptual relationships, frameworks/theories, and graphic models related to your phenomenon of interest. (Bear in mind that these will likely evolve as you proceed through the course.)
Consider how developing elements of a theoretical foundation may be advantageous as you strive to make a positive contribution in research, practice, education, and/or leadership.

By Day 3

Post your phenomenon of interest. Describe concepts, conceptual relationships, frameworks/theories, and/or graphic models that may be appropriate for addressing your phenomenon. Explain how developing these theoretical elements may be beneficial as you to strive to make a positive contribution in practice, research, education, and/or leadership.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues as follows:

Provide suggestions for making the phenomenon more concrete or manageable for dissertation work or other prospective research.
Suggest additional concepts, conceptual relationships, frameworks/theories, research questions/hypotheses, and/or graphic models that may be applicable to the phenomenon of interest.

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