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Transforming Social Problems Into Research Problems

Tobias Ball Dissertation Editor. Transforming Social Problems Into Research Problems. What are we talking about?. Scholar Practitioner Curriculum and Research rooted in the literature. Students work, reflect, and implement research findings in the field.

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Transforming Social Problems Into Research Problems

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  1. Tobias Ball Dissertation Editor Transforming Social ProblemsInto Research Problems

  2. What are we talking about? • Scholar Practitioner • Curriculum and Research rooted in the literature. • Students work, reflect, and implement research findings in the field. • A synergy can exist between the worlds of academia and the field, but also a chasm.

  3. Our Goal as Scholar Practitioners • To link academic research to the world of practice in a meaningful way. • Students will not only learn the material but also how to investigate on their own.

  4. Your perspective allows for the illumination of new and significant questions for scholarly inquiry.

  5. Barriers to beginning your research • Slow starts related to problem formulation and literature review. • Perfectionism. • Distraction from main focus of research. • Inadequate collection of data due to poor planning. • Dissertation perceived as awesome and daunting. • Developing a Research Problem

  6. Sources of Research Topics • Theory • An organized body of concepts, generalizations, and principles that can be subject to investigation. • Replication • Testing features of a published study. • Personal Experience • Questions that you ask yourself. • May lead to a Social Problem rather than a Research Problem.

  7. Social Problems Defined • Situations affecting a significant number of people, that are believed to be sources of difficulty or threaten the stability of a community, and that require programs or amelioration.

  8. Aspects of a Social Problem • Specific to one’s community, workplace, school, synagogue, church, mosque, hospital, business, etc. • Something you already know to be true. • Something that is important and in need of a solution.

  9. Aspects of a Research Problem • Rooted in the literature. • Contains elements of the social problem. • Academic in nature. • Every assertion can be supported by scholarly, published, peer-reviewed evidence.

  10. Aspects of a Research Problem • Interesting • Researcher will maintain interest over the study. • Researchable • Not stated as what should be done. • Significant • Contributes to practice or theory. • Manageable • Appropriate to researcher’s skills, resources, and time.

  11. When you solve a research problem you are then qualified to solve a social problem.

  12. How to transform a social problem into a research problem • Make a list of the language associated with the social problem. • Use that list and create search equations to be used in library databases. • Collect and review the literature. • Identify the gap in the literature. • Use your own research and findings to fill the gap.

  13. Boolean Operators “AND, OR, NOT”

  14. Boolean operators • Mathematical notation in logic began with George Boole (1815-1864) • Boolean algebra is the basis for computer operations, based on the binary number system

  15. Which set is this …? A or B not C … ambiguous A B C

  16. Which set is this …? (A or B) not C A B C

  17. Which set is this …? (A and B) not C A B C

  18. Which set is this …? (A and B) or C A B C

  19. Which set is this …? A and (B or C) A B C

  20. lions OR tigers • lions AND tigers • lions NOT tigers • lions OR tigers OR bears • (lions AND tigers) OR bears • lions AND tigers AND bears Lions exercise 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 4, 7 1, 6 all 3 - 7 7

  21. Little Quiz • Which search is narrower (i.e., retrieves fewer hits)? • aggression and violence • aggression or violence • Which concept(s) must be in every article retrieved by this strategy? (driving behavior or drivers) and risk-taking • Which concept(s) may be absent in some articles retrieved by this strategy: (aggression or violence) and motor traffic accidents

  22. Let’s visit the library and find some literature.

  23. A few examples from dissertations I have read

  24. General Tips • Defining and articulating a research problem is a demanding intellectual process. • Define the research problem early in the writing stage. • Ask yourself if the research contributes to knowledge in the field.

  25. Continually ask yourself… • What is the central question or problem? • Why is this problem important and worthy of study? • How will I go about the investigation?

  26. Go and Do Likewise.

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