Potential:
Discussion 1: Focus-Determining Potential Areas of Research
Throughout this program, you may have been thinking about areas of interest upon which you may like to focus for your doctoral study project. More clearly and narrowly defining potential areas of research is an essential step toward determining a problem statement, purpose statement, research question, and research objectives.
Use this Discussion to work together with your colleagues to further clarify and develop one another's potential research focus.
To prepare for this Discussion:
• Consider the following to help you define your areas of research interest:
o Information technology issues or problems in your organization that you would like to study more deeply because it stimulates your interest and passion
o IT issues you have observed in your practice, read about in the news or in a professional journal, or any issues you feel are of importance to the IT field, as a whole
o Issues that will challenge your knowledge and experience in the IT field
o Areas of research that might lead to social change and improvements in your professional practice
• Review the media programs:
o Purposes of Research
o Doctoral Research: Social Change
Post a 350- to 500-word analysis of three potential areas of research in your workplace or the information technology field that you are considering pursuing for your doctoral study.
Explain why these areas are important to your organization or to the IT field and how they may serve to further social change.
Identify who these issues are important to, and explain why. Also, analyze the ways in which these areas of interest may lend themselves to research-based solutions.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the reading(s) and/or media segment(s) and use APA format.
Discussion 2: Hot Topics-Research Ethics in the Field of Information Technology
It is of paramount importance to pay particular attention to ethical considerations when engaging in research. Ensuring that research is conducted ethically protects the researcher, subjects, and, ultimately, society itself.
Whether your research involves the direct application of a technology solution to a target population or the surveying and measuring of a phenomenon, you must consider how your research and interactions over the course of your research impact others.
To prepare for this Discussion:
• Consider the ethical choices you might need to make to collect data and how ethics is related to your potential research in the IT field.
• Consider issues such as bias, confidentiality, reciprocity, consent, and other issues you may face as a researcher when collecting and recording data.
• Review Chapter 4, "Writing Strategies and Ethical Considerations" of the Creswell text.
By Day 3, post a 200- to 400-word analysis of ethical research challenges you might experience if you were to conduct research on one of the areas of research interest you identified in Week 1 Discussion and the organizational context in which you might conduct your research.
Explain how you might address these ethical challenges to ensure integrity in the research process. Include an analysis of the ethical values that underlie your decisions and the practical application of those values in your research process to ensure your research integrity.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the reading(s) and/or media segment(s) and use APA format.