Identification of Possible ILP Topics

1. Identification of Possible ILP Topics

2. Innovation • The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscape but in having new eyes. ~Marcel Proust ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

3. Choosing a topic • Choose a topic that interests you • Choose a topic that is researchable • Choose a topic this is of a manageable size • Choose a topic that relates to your course of study ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

4. A problem statement is not: • A promise or statement of purpose. • A topic or subject by itself. • A question. • A few words added to title but not forming a complete sentence. ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

5. A Problem Statement is Specific • If your ideas are vague, there is an excellent chance that your ILP proposal will be confusing. • A good thesis/problem statement supplies a specific subject and a clear direction for your paper. • The specific facts, details and examples that you use will help to clarify the idea that you are trying to express. ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

6. Samples • Poor: Creativity is good for innovation. • Better: Collaborative work practices enhances creativity and leads to innovation in companies being impacted by change and turbulence. ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

7. A problem statement is restrictive • A good problem statement deals with restricted "bite-sized" issues, issues that would otherwise require a lifetime of writing. ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

8. Samples • Poor: There are many advantages to deregulating local telephone service. • Better: Deregulating local telephone service has political, social and economic advantages. ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

9. An ILP is unified document and expresses one major idea about a specific subject • A good thesis may sometimes include a secondary idea if it is strictly subordinated to the major one. It is wise to write your thesis statement before you begin an outline and definitely before you begin writing your paper. ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

10. Use the problem solving logic of some Nobel Prize Winners Steps to come up with “new knowledge” – our research question • Identify what is KNOWN • Identify what is UNKNOWN • Do the KNOWNS tell us anything about the UNKNOWNS? (make a list) • COMBINE the KNOWNS with UNKOWNS to see if there is a “new” and important research question that is worth developing ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

11. What is Brain Storming? • A sudden clever plan or idea, creative disturbance of the mind • Source: (http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/b/b0449500.html) ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

12. Ways to create effective Brainstorming cont Three Rules of Brainstorming • Stress quantity over quality • Freewheeling should be encouraged • Suspend judgment Source: Brainstorming (Organizational Behavior, Fifth Edition, by Robert Kreitner and Angelo Kiniki, pp 361-362) ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

13. Mind-Mapping ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

14. Main Sections of ILP • Title Page • Abstract • Introduction/Includes Problem Statement and rationale • Literature Review • Methodology for Research • Body of Research/Analysis and Discussion • Conclusion/Statement of Learning • References • Appendix – any additional supporting data ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

15. Glatthorn (Writing the Winning Dissertation) makes some useful points • Make a Personal Assessment about the problem you want to investigate – need to look at: • Professional Significance • Personal Interest • Career Advancement Possibilities • Likely Support • Time Required • Professional Knowledge, Experience, and Skills Glatthorn (1998) "Ch. 2: Finding a Research Problem," Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press (A Sage Publication) ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

16. Think of process as an hour glass Source: http://trochim.human.cornell.edu/kb/strucres.htm ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

17. Resources/www.inforesearching.com ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development

18. Always…follow your passion! ProSem 1: Self-Diagnosis and Professional Development