Course Description and Outcomes
Course Description
This course introduces qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches to research in
an interdisciplinary context. It examines methodological assumptions of those approaches and
fundamental issues in designing a research study. Students think critically about how to use
various methods to investigate information and phenomena of interest to create new knowledge
for professional and academic purposes. Students identify a manageable research question that
is consistent with their educational and professional goals, choose a methodology, plan the
research and submit a research proposal.
This is your final essay for this class. Put together all the parts you have been
working on and submit your essay.
Points for the essay will be awarded by section. The bullet points are meant as guidelines. You
should not simply check an item and add the points up. The most important aspect of the essay
is its overall impact, not its individual constituents.
Section 1: 30 points total
Introduction
Identify the problem
Provide general background information
State the purpose of your project
Usually in the form of a question
Why is your project important?
Include definition for any terms that will be used in the body of the essay
Total for section
Section 2: 30 points total
Review of the Literature
This is the foundation of your project
This review will illustrate the genesis of the current thinking on your topic
Point to the whole in the literature that you want to fill
Builds from general to specific
Total for section
Section 3: 30 points total
Methodology/Procedures —
This will be a draft of your final paper at the end of your MA, so fill in as much of the
information as you know. You will be able to talk fully and completely about your participants.
The rest of it should be what you plan to do.
Should give the reader a complete picture of the participants and procedures you are
planning to use
Who are you working with?
What are you doing?
Timeline of your project, including specific events
Data collection methods used and how you intend to interpret
Total for section
Section 4: 5 points total
Findings
Restate your research question
You have not completed your project so this section will be an explanation of
how you will report your findings. It will be quite brief.
Total for section
Sections 5: 5 points total
Discussion
Again – you have not completed your project so your discussion section will be brief,
but it should give the reader some idea of how you plan to report your findings and with whom
you might share the findings.
Total for section
Section 6: 20 points total
Reference Page
Follow approved APA 7th ed. Format for all references
Total for section
Overall APA and Coherence: 30 points total
APA 7th guidelines for intext citations and direct quotes are followed
APA 7th guidelines for style are followed
APA 7th guidelines for bias free language are followed
APA 7th guidelines for formatting are followed
APA 7th guidelines for mechanics and grammar are followed
Essay stays on one topic throughout
Essay builds from section to section
Total for section
Total for Essay