Blog Index

2015, Current to 7/31

Topic	Dates of Posts
Dissertation, general	1/7, 3/6
Dissertation calculator	3/9
Selecting a Topic
Committee Members
URR
Center for Research Quality
Overview of Process
Premise
Prospectus
Proposal
Research questions	6/19
Research design	6/15, 6/22, 6/26
Theory	6/15, 6/17
C. 1	3/11, 3/13, 3/16, 3/18, 3/20
C. 2 (literature related)	1/9, 3/23, 3/25, 3/27, 4/3, 4/8
C. 3	4/10, 4/13, 4/15, 4/17, 4/20, 4/22, 4/24, 4/27, 4/29, 5/4, 5/6, 5/8, 5/11, 5/13, 5/15, 5/18
Defense
IRB	6/24
Data Collection	6/24
Quantitative	5/4, 5/8, 5/11, 5/13, 5/15, 7/1, 7/6, 7/8, 7/13, 7/15, 7/17, 7/20, 7/22, 7/24
Qualitative	1/5, 1/12
Mixed Methods	4/10, 5/6, 5/8, 5/11, 5/13, 5/15
C. 4	5/20, 5/22, 5/25, 5/27, 6/3, 6/5
C. 5	6/5, 6/8, 6/10, 6/12
Appendixes
Final Defense
Career
Goal Form
Motivation	1/21, 3/2, 7/3, 7/10
Organizing	7/27, 7/29
Secondary Data
Support, Getting	1/26
Resilience	2/6, 2/16, 2/18, 2/20, 2/23, 2/25, 3/4
Writing	1/14, 1/23, 2/9
Other	1/16, 1/19, 1/28, 1/30, 2/4, 2/11, 2/13, 4/1, 4/6, 6/1

 Previous Years

Topic	Dates of Posts - 2013	Dates of Posts - 2014
Dissertation, general	7/5, 8/16, 8/19, 9/27, 10/2	6/25, 12/5
Dissertation calculator		9/5
Selecting a Topic	4/23, 7/8, 7/10	4/28, 5/9, 8/25
Committee Members	4/17, 5/3, 6/10, 7/19, 8/21	5/7, 10/8, 12/22
URR	5/8, 5/27
Center for Research Quality	12/9
Overview of Process	4/19, 9/18, 12/13
Premise (no longer used)	4/17, 9/6
Prospectus		4/4, 4/7, 4/9, 4/11, 4/14, 4/18, 4/21, 4/23, 4/25, 4/28, 5/2, 5/5, 8/27
Proposal	4/22, 9/9	9/8, 11/3, 11/5
Research questions	10/9	4/18
C. 1	5/6, 10/21, 10/23, 10/25, 10/28, 11/1	11/7
C. 2 (literature related)	4/26, 5/29, 6/3, 6/12, 6/17, 6/28, 9/16, 10/11, 11/4, 11/6, 11/9, 11/15	6/9, 6/11, 6/16, 9/10, 9/15, 9/17, 9/19, 9/26, 9/29, 11/10, 12/26
C. 3	5/1, 10/16, 10/28, 11/18, 11/20, 11/22, 11/25, 12/2, 12/4, 12/6, 12/11, 12/16, 12/18, 12/20, 12/23, 12/27	1/3, 1/6, 1/13, 11/12
Defense	4/23, 5/8
IRB	5/10, 10/14	1/10, 1/15, 1/17, 1/20, 1/22, 1/24, 1/27, 1/29, 2/3, 2/5, 2/7, 2/10, 2/12, 2/17, 2/19, 2/21, 2/24, 10/13, 10/15, 10/17, 10/20, 10/22, 10/24, 10/27
Data Collection	5/13, 5/15, 10/16
Quantitative	5/17, 7/24, 7/26, 7/29, 7/31, 8/2, 8/5, 10/4, 10/7, 11/20, 12/2, 12/4, 12/6, 12/18, 12/23, 12/27	1/3, 2/26, 3/12, 7/9, 7/14, 7/16, 7/18, 7/21, 7/23, 7/25, 7/28
Qualitative	5/20, 11/20, 11/22, 11/25, 12/11, 12/16	1/6, 3/14, 10/29, 12/12, 12/15, 12/17, 12/19
Mixed Methods	5/22, 11/18, 11/20, 11/22, 11/25, 12/11, 12/20, 12/23, 12/27	1/3, 1/6
C. 4	5/17, 5/20, 5/22, 7/17	3/5, 3/10, 3/12, 3/14, 3/17, 3/19, 3/21, 11/14
C. 5	5/24, 9/20, 10/11	3/21, 3/24, 3/26, 3/28, 11/19
Final Defense	4/23, 5/27/ 9/11
Career	7/12	8/18, 8/20
Goal Form	8/12	5/23, 5/26, 6/2, 8/15, 11/24
Motivation	6/5, 6/26, 7/1, 8/16, 8/23, 9/2, 9/18, 10/18, 11/8, 11/27	1/1, 6/4, 6/6, 7/4, 7/11, 9/22, 10/10, 12/3
Organizing	4/22, 10/2	8/1, 8/4, 8/6, 8/8, 8/11, 8/13, 12/8
Secondary Data	5/31	2/24
Support, Getting	4/26, 6/5, 6/24, 8/16	5/21
Writing	4/26, 4/29, 6/12, 6/21, 7/3, 8/9, 8/14, 9/4, 9/23,9/25	5/16, 5/19, 6/16, 6/18, 6/20, 7/2, 7/7, 8/27, 12/10
Other	4/18, 6/7, 6/14, 6/19, 6/24, 6/26, 7/1, 7/8, 7/15, 7/19, 7/22, 8/7, 8/16, 8/19, 8/26, 8/28, 8/30, 9/2, 9/13, 9/18, 10/18, 11/27, 12/13, 12/25	2/14, 3/3, 3/7, 4/16, 5/12, 5/14, 5/28, 6/2, 6/13, 6/23, 6/27, 8/22, 9/1, 9/3, 9/12, 10/3, 10/6, 11/17, 11/26, 12/1, 12/24, 12/29, 12/31

 

Next time I will look at the shared workspace and make some suggestions. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

The Transient Workspace

What are signs that you have a transient workspace? When you do not have an office or space that is yours alone. When you find yourself having to pack up all of your papers, computer, etc. so the family can have dinner or if you tend to work out of a tote bag most of the time, you fit this profile. It is difficult to keep things organized when you are transient, but I have a few ideas for you. You need a file cabinet to keep your work together and help you organize, think creatively as where to put it; it can find its home in a closet, under the stairs, or in the laundry room. The main point is to have a place that you organize articles and keep your papers in one space. 

You also may want to consider a tote bag, basket, or box where you keep your materials that you are currently working on. Keep your pens, paper clips, calculator, and any other small items that you may need in a small box or bag so you can find them easily. Consider having some brightly colored folders that you can use as a color coding system (e.g., red folder has articles on self-efficacy). 

When you are at the data collection/ analysis stage keeping organized becomes even more important for the transient workspace user (I will call you a "transient" from on). If you have paper copies of data and or consent forms, you must keep them confidential and secure. I suggest using manila envelopes to categorize them and having a locked file cabinet or other locked space that you keep them. Yes, it seems like over kill in some ways, but for the transient you must make a special effort to protect the confidentiality of your participants. As you do not have your own space, you are using public areas that anyone entering your home has access, make the effort and have some locked spaces- there are small lockable filing boxes available, that would be quite adequate. 

Next time I will post an updated blog index. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Organizing

One of the most difficult parts of conducting research isn’t the method or stats- it is keeping track of all of the articles, books, information, data, and ideas that accumulate during the process. For most people desks, tables, and the floor may become covered with files, print outs, and small scraps of paper. Things can easily become lost or misplaced and you lose track of where you are. What can be done? 

First, I think you need to need to seriously consider your own personality- are you willing to invest time and effort to set things up and maintain it? It is the maintenance that often gets lost… so think about that. What are your current work habits? Do you have a dedicated space, like an office, or are you transient in your work? Organization will only work as far as it fits with your work habits and personality. 

There are many approaches to this topic, over the next few posts I will make some suggestions that you might want to consider. Always, think about your own work habits – it is better to gradually make changes that you will keep up then make drastic changes and not maintain them. The point is not to make you feel guilty – it is get you organized! 

Next time I will look at the transient workspace and make some suggestions. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Extreme Scores Effects and Causes

Extreme scores can cause serious problems for statistical analyses. They generally increase error variance and reduce the power of statistical tests by altering the skew or kurtosis of a variable. This can be a problem with multivariate analyses. The more error variance in your analyses, the less likely you are to find a statistically significant result when you should find one (increasing the probability of a Type II error). 

Extreme scores also bias estimates such as the mean and SD. Since extreme scores bias your results, you may be more likely to draw incorrect conclusions, and your results will not be replicable and generalizable. 

Extreme scores can result from a number of factors. It is possible that the extreme score is correct- an example is although the average American male is around 5' 10" there are males that are 7' tall and some that are 4 foot tall. These are legitimate scores even though they are extreme.  

Another cause of an extreme is data entry error, someone that was actually 5' 6" tall may be incorrectly entered as 6' 5". So the first step is to always double check that extreme scores were entered correctly. A third cause may be that participants purposefully report incorrect scores. It can also happen that a participant accidently reports an incorrect score. Thus, an extreme score that has been entered correctly may need to be removed. 

*The info in today's post comes from Osborne (2013).

Osborn, J. W. (2013). Best practices in data cleaning. DC: Sage. 

Next time I will begin a series on organizing your research process. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu