This course aims to develop the knowledge and critical thinking skills to pursue any topic of inquiry. A doctoral-level literature review requires analysis and evaluation of the existing peer-reviewed research – the philosophy and methodology of both supporting and contradictory published research on your intended topic. In other words, critical thinking involves deeper and higher-level thinking than simply describing and paraphrasing research findings that support your perspective or hypothesis.
As a DBA candidate, you transition into a practitioner-scholar. You will be better able to avoid delays later in your doctoral journey by learning and practicing to critically analyze the existing literature and develop a researchable topic, dissertation/project title, and purpose statement. Identifying and understanding your philosophical worldview and sources of bias that can undermine your study will also assist in grounding your work in the extant literature – this is known as the significance of the study.
Instructions
1). Self- Reflection. Practice involves self-reflection and checking for bias to ensure your design and topic will withstand robust scrutiny from peers and academics. A strong research effort minimizes bias and presents alternative and opposing perspectives, including issues concerning methodology. Bias creates errors in research and can take the form of systematic or personal bias that can influence the research design, sampling fame, and even the interpretation of findings.
For this Discussion, you will take the fun Tendencies Quiz located in the Discussion: Tendencies & Biblical Integration Resources area of the Discussion Thread prompt. There is no right or wrong answer, and you are encouraged to reply to each prompt based on your initial reaction, i.e., refrain from dwelling upon or trying to analyze each question. The important thing is to be honest with yourself. Consider the statements in the left and right columns, and then mark which side of the row (from 1-5) best matches how you feel. This is intended to provoke self-reflection on how you process information, especially information that may differ from your views. Check the score that most reflects your tendency for each statement – the further to the left relates to stronger identification with the statement on the left, the further to the right indicates stronger identification with the right-hand statement. (1-strongly to the left, 2 – moderately to the left, 3 is neutral, 4 – moderately to the right, 5 – strongly to the right). Your total score should fall within the range of 9-45.
Once completed, you will include this as part one of your discussion thread for this week. You should discuss your personal results (including the score) and identify areas of strength for personal development.
Tendencies Quiz
Left Side
1
2
3
4
5
Right Side
I often doubt my view of things
My view of things is always correct
I do not mind being wrong
I hate to be wrong
I look for valid criticisms, so I can improve
Criticisms of me are not true
I know I can usually correct my mistakes
It is very important to never make a mistake
If you contradict me, I look to see if you are correct
If you contradict me, you are obviously wrong
If you make a good argument, I can easily change my view
I automatically defend my viewpoint, no matter what the other person says
It does not bother me to lose an argument
If I lose an argument, I feel bad inside
I look for the value in other people’s arguments
Other people’s arguments are worthless
The real truth is more important than my view
My view is the real truth
Adapted from Egocentricity Quiz. Russ’s Web Thinking.
Key:
9 = no egocentric tendencies
27 = a mixture. Room for growth
45 = very egocentric. Please work hard on practicing fair-minded thinking
2). Research Paradigm. We have unique experiences and perceptions that shape our beliefs about the world. These beliefs and underlying assumptions affect our natural approach to research. Take a moment to review the four philosophical worldviews (i.e., positivism, post-positivism, constructivism, pragmatism) and identify what fits best with your philosophy. Remember that a research paradigm is essentially a worldview that a researcher brings to their study. It represents the researcher’s view of reality or truth. While there is ongoing discussion regarding which paradigms exist in the modern research community, it helps to focus on Positivism, Post-Positivism, Constructivism, and Pragmatism for applied business research. Research this topic to understand your research paradigm, as it will shape how you approach your problem. It is also important to note that while some paradigms lend themselves better to specific methodologies, the choice of methodology does not change the paradigm. This is part of who you are and how you view the world. It is instrumental in thinking about how your research paradigm aligns with your Christian Worldview. To better understand your view of reality, an excellent question is, “How many versions of The Truth exist?”
Review the four philosophical worldviews (i.e., positivism, post-positivism, constructivism, pragmatism) and identify what fits best with your philosophy and why.
· Positivism – Single objective reality that we seek to discover.
· Post-Positivism – Single objective reality that we seek to discover with the understanding that we never will fully understand it.
· Constructivism – Reality is determined by the individual, and the researcher seeks to understand that view of reality.
· Pragmatism – Focus on the ‘problem’ rather than the view of reality, using any tools available to understand the problem.
After reviewing the Reading for this module and considering the four philosophical worldviews (i.e., positivism, post-positivism, constructionism, and pragmatic) discussed in the text, address the following questions:
1. Which philosophical worldview most closely aligns with your perspective and how you view problems in the world? How so?
2. How does understanding the connection between philosophical worldview and research methodology assist your research approach?
3). Biblical Worldview. Philosophical worldviews reflect our desire for knowledge. A Biblical worldview is based on the infallible Word of God. It provides an understanding of existence, morals, and knowledge. How does your Biblical Worldview relate to your research philosophy?
1. How can scripture be used as a lens through which you view research?
2. Compare/contrast research philosophical worldviews with that of a Christian worldview. Are there any problem areas, or do most philosophical worldviews appear congruent with a Christian worldview?
3. How does your knowledge of the Bible keep pace with the growing sophistication of the knowledge required by your studies?
4. What scripture verses do you use as a foundation for your Biblical Worldview? Incorporate a minimum of three specific scripture verses into the discussion. Explain how they set the foundation or speak to the standards for your research viewpoint.
You must post your thread of at least 500 words by 11:59 pm (ET) on Thursday of the assigned Module: Week. You must then post replies of at least 250 words by 11:59 pm (ET) on Sunday of the assigned Module: Week.
For each thread, you must support your assertions with at least 4 scholarly citations published within the last 5 years or 3 scholarly citations published within the last 5 years plus a seminal/research design and methodology source. All sources must be cited and listed in the references in the current APA formatting. Do not include block or direct quotes. Each reply must incorporate at least two scholarly citation(s) from at least 2 peer-reviewed journal articles in the current APA format. Each source can only be cited once and must be from different sources to the main thread and the other reply. Any sources cited in the replies must also have been published within the last five years.
Please only cite primary research scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles, i.e., no textbooks, blogs, professional/trade magazines, or non-peer-reviewed articles such as SSRN and Harvard Business Review. The main title and references list do not contribute to the word count.
Last Completed Projects
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