Using Ellis & Levy (2008), Harlow, E. (2009), and five additional peer-reviewed articles, review the scholarly literature on the relationship between theory and research and the ways research (quantitative and qualitative) can contribute to theory. Discuss at least three ways research can contribute to theory.

Psychology Theory 2 solutions
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Question 1: Theory
Theories play a vitally important role in guiding research and organizing and making sense of research findings. In spite of the great importance of theory-building and theory testing within your field of specialization, there is no generally accepted conception of what a theory is. Because your dissertation must contribute to theory, you must have a clear understanding of the variety of conceptions of theory, types of theories, and ways of contributing to theory and be able to justify how, exactly, your study contributes to theory.
Part 1
Using Gelso (2006), Harlow (2009), Stam, H. (2007, 2010), Wacker (1999), and five additional peer-reviewed articles from your specialization, discuss scholarly views on the nature and types of theory. Compare and contrast at least three views of what constitutes a theory, including the view you will use in Part 3 of this question. Be sure to distinguish theory from related concepts, such as hypothesis, paradigm, model, and concept.
Part 2
Using Ellis & Levy (2008), Harlow, E. (2009), and five additional peer-reviewed articles, review the scholarly literature on the relationship between theory and research and the ways research (quantitative and qualitative) can contribute to theory. Discuss at least three ways research can contribute to theory.
Part 3
Pick a theory (in one of the views of what constitutes a theory that you identified in Part 1) of current interest directly related to the topic area of your dissertation. A theory is currently of interest if there are articles published on it in the past five years. Using at least 10 published, peer-reviewed research articles:
1. Explain how the theory adds or may add to our understanding of your field and/or research topic.
2. Discuss and analyze the literature on two areas of controversy or unanswered questions related to the theory.
The structure of your paper should be as follows:
Title page
Body (10-15 pages, no more or less; APA Style; use appropriate headings for organization of the paper)
References (APA Style)
Learning Outcomes:
1. Compose a theoretically sound and conceptually rich essay that demonstrates knowledge of fundamental subject areas of a student’s academic discipline and specialization.

Question 2: Practical Application
Your dissertation research must contribute to theory. Your research and the theory to which it contributes may or may not have a practical benefit or application. There is no doubt, however, that there is a theory in your dissertation topic area that does have a practical application.
Part 1
Referencing at least five peer-reviewed journal articles or scholarly books, discuss views on the relationship between theory and application or practice. How can a theory guide or inform practice? What are the issues involved in translating theory into practice? Be sure to keep in mind the various conceptions of theory you discussed in Question 1.
Part 2
Referencing at least five peer-reviewed journal articles, fully describe a theory of current interest in your topic area. A theory is currently of interest if there are articles published on it in the past five years. This theory may or may not be the same as the one you examined in Question 1, Part 3. Describe a current view of the theory, not the founder’s view or a classic view. Your answer should be no more than three pages long.
Part 3
Identify at least five scholarly articles (published in the last 5 years) that address how the theory you discussed in Part 2 has actually been applied. (Draw on your response to Part 1 in order to define what you mean by an application of a theory to an actual problem or situation.) Critically evaluate the appropriateness of the uses to which the theory has been applied. Consider, for example: Are the applications premised upon an accurate understanding of the theory and its scope? Do the applications “go beyond” what the theory claims? Is the reasoning linking application and theory sound?
The structure of your paper should be as follows:
Title page
Body (10-15 pages, no more or less; APA Style; use appropriate headings for organization of the paper)
References (APA Style)
Learning Outcomes:
2. Critique existing research and design a methodologically sound approach to research in the student’s academic specialization(s).

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Question 3: Research
The ability to read, understand, critique, and integrate research studies and to design a study to address a gap in the research literature is a vital tool for a doctoral student. As you write your dissertation, you may be reading hundreds of studies, many of which you will evaluate as part of a coherent literature review.
Select five empirical articles from peer-reviewed journals that:
• you consider critical to your understanding of your area of dissertation research
• all address a particular phenomenon and attempt to contribute to theory about it
Part 1
1. Describe each study, including:
• the research problem, questions, or hypotheses
• the research purpose
• type of design and elements of the design (e.g., sample, data analysis, operationalization of constructs)
• threats to validity and if and how they were addressed
• the findings and their implications
2. Critically evaluate each study: Does the author make a compelling case for the meaning and significance of the findings?
Part 2
Write a literature review that explains what is known and not known about the phenomenon based on a critical evaluation of the five studies.
Part 3
Develop a research question that addresses one of the unknowns you identified in Part 2 and sketch a quantitative or qualitative study that can answer the question about what is unknown and contribute to theory (in some sense of theory you discuss in Question 1).
Address:
• the research purpose
• type of design and elements of the design (e.g., sample, the type of data you need to collect and how you will collect it, data analysis)
• the strengths and weaknesses of your envisioned design and methods
• quantitative: threats to validity and how your design will address them
• quantitative: the constructs you will measure and what you will do in order to determine how to operationalize them (you need not identify specific measures)
• qualitative: your means of ensuring the quality of your findings
• justification for why your chosen design and methods are more appropriate for your research question than alternatives you have considered
• your methods of data analysis
• how the data you collect will enable you to answer your research question and contribute to theory
Draw on the additional resources for this course for guidance in understanding the concepts (e.g., internal validity, threats to validity, and operationalization) needed to address this question.
The structure of your paper should be as follows:
Title page
Body (10-15 pages, no more or less; APA Style; use appropriate headings for organization of the paper)
References (APA Style)
Learning Outcomes:
3. Apply relevant theory and research from the student’s specialization coursework to real life situations where he or she solves specific problems and discusses implications.

Question 4: Ethics
As you know, scientific research must be conducted in accordance with ethical principles. The ethical principles of research are defined in:
Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct
Standard 8: Research and Publication
http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx
The National Academy Of Sciences, National Academy Of Engineering, and Institute Of Medicine Of The National Academies have a more detailed and comprehensive set of ethical guidelines for scientific research:
Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (U.S.), National Academy of Sciences (U.S.), National Academy of Engineering., & Institute of Medicine (U.S.). (2009) On being a scientist: A guide to responsible conduct in research, (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C: National Academies Press.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12192
Write a paper in which you discuss how you will ensure that all aspects of your doctoral research, from literature review to conducting research, to writing the dissertation manuscript will be done with care and integrity and will meet the ethical standards of scientific research. Reference the two publications above and at least five additional peer-reviewed articles.
You must justify all the steps you will take to ensure the ethical integrity of your dissertation project and not simply describe standard practice. You must show that you have your own clear set of ethical principles and that you know how to apply them to your work. You must do more than just paraphrase ethical guidelines. You must explain specifically how you will apply published ethical guidelines and concepts to what you will do in your research (as you envision it at this point).

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Business Finance – Accounting
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For many of the remaining topics in BUS-660, assignments will be in the form of case studies. These case studies are designed to provide an opportunity to engage in that topic’s quantitative analysis method, as well as demonstrate critical thinking and appropriate professional communication.
Review “Decision Analysis Case Study: Valley of the Sun Reviews” for this topic’s case study, a proposal to change the faculty performance review process at Valley of the Sun Academy (VSA).
Based on the information presented in the case study, create a decision tree or Excel-based analysis to determine the most appropriate recommendation.
In a 500-750-word report to VSA’s Human Resources department and the chief financial officer, explain your approach and the rationale for this method. Evaluate both outcomes and how they would be applied to this decision. Conclude your report with your recommendation for the review process VSA should adopt.
Submit your Excel-based analysis or decision tree with your report.
Decision Analysis Case Study:
Valley of the Sun Reviews
Valley of the Sun Academy (VSA) is an online school specializing in GED programs for the Phoenix area. Valley of the Sun Academy enrolls 813 students and has a part-time faculty pool of 65 online instructors.
Online faculty are reviewed annually and provided with feedback about their facilitation techniques, content expertise, engagement, and classroom management. If necessary, remediation and additional support are provided by the Faculty Advisory Board (FAB). The online faculty reviews are one factor used to determine overall performance, teaching status, and potential performance appraisals.
Recently, the FAB submitted a proposal for a new approach for the next fiscal year, the Peer Faculty Performance Review (PFPR). Human Resources (HR) and the school’s chief financial officer are evaluating the suggestion against the current design, described by VSA’s director. Both review processes are outlined below.
Current Design
Valley of the Sun Academy uses an external firm, TeachBest Consulting, to conduct annual reviews for online faculty. The review team is composed of faculty members at other online institutions, including universities and high schools. Valley of the Sun Academy faculty are not part of the review process, and TeachBest Consulting handles hiring and training internally. Valley of the Sun Academy’s HR department assigns completed courses to review, and VSA’s Technical Support team is responsible for providing access.
Once completed, the TeachBest consultant submits the review form to VSA’s HR department, and HR submits a payment for each review. In addition, VSA has an annual contract with TeachBest Consulting.
The overall contract is $2,500/year. If VSA’s enrollment reaches 1,000 or more students or their faculty pool expands to 75 or more instructors, the contract amount will increase to $5,000/year. There is a 75% chance the student enrollment will reach 1,000 students within the next 18 months and a 25% chance enrollment will not increase. During the next nine months, Human Resources anticipates hiring at least six math instructors.
Individual reviewers are paid $75 for each review. Reviews are conducted in March, July, and November, with all faculty reviewed by December 1.
Valley of the Sun Academy is responsible for disseminating the results of the review to faculty members. If questions arise about review results, the FAB is responsible for verifying the review and responding to the instructor. Periodically, the Faculty Advisory Board finds fault with the initial review and follow-up must be scheduled. Each year, about 5% of the initial reviews are found to be inaccurate and new reviews must be scheduled. Valley of the Sun Academy pays a discounted price of $50 for each follow-up review.
Peer Faculty Performance Review (PFPR) Proposal
The FAB proposes to conduct faculty reviews in-house and no longer contract TeachBest Consulting. Human Resources will review faculty files and invite the top three performing instructors in four disciplines (Literacy and Communication, Social Sciences, Math, and Science and Technology) to join the PFPR committee.
Initial responsibilities will involve creating a new review form and conducting a norming session for consistency. There will be ongoing technology fees of $20/month for each reviewer, to ensure access to create and complete the review forms. There will also be an initial cost to set up the norming session. The Faculty Advisory Board recommends one of three options:
1. A $500 session that can be scheduled at any time with TeachBest Consulting.
2. A $750 session offered monthly by an external employee development firm.
3. A session designed by VSA’s HR and instructional design specialists, which would be free to attend but would require internal time and labor costs; HR anticipates a start of two months from implementation would prevent interrupting normal business practices.
Because the responsibilities are not included in current faculty contracts, FAB recommends stipends of $50 for each review completed. With the new internal PFPR process, FAB anticipates faculty reviews would no longer be overturned and there would not be a need to conduct secondary reviews. Additionally, FAB expects reviews to move to a 9-month rolling cycle rather than once every academic year.

 

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