IRB

Once your proposal has been accepted, the next step is the Institutional Review Board review (ethics board). The first step is to go to the research center, find the IRB website, and download the IRB application. One of the first items listed is that you need to take a short ethics course online (it is free), I recommend the NIH one. When you are done with the course, save the certificate to your computer, you will need to submit it to the IRB. Double check the IRB website for any relevant information sheets about your population. 

What is the IRB looking for? They want to know that you have thought out every detail of your study. The most common error students make is not providing enough detail, or not being clear in the information provided. As you begin to complete the IRB application, think about each item and consider: will someone unfamiliar with your study understand what you have written? Keep in mind that the board typically does not read your proposal, they rely on the information you provide in your application. 

The IRB is most concerned with your interactions with your participants, so go into great detail in this area. Think through each aspect of your study, some examples: Who will be approaching possible participants? What will they say? What happens to participants at each step of the process? Go into excruciating detail. If you find yourself assuming things (e.g., “I’ll use a room at XX for the interview”) stop and rethink it- do you have permission to use the room? Will it be private? Can people easily get there and find it? Will using the building give the impression that the organization is sponsoring the study? An example, of the last question would be using a church, you would want to be clear that the church is not affiliated in any way with your study. 

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? Send me an email with your ideas. leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Next steps

You have a draft of the first 3 chapters, then what? First give yourself a cheer and celebrate, then begin the rewriting process. Rewriting?? Yes, you have done a first draft, hopefully including all of the necessary parts, but it is rough, and needs a lot of polishing. I suggest reading through the draft in full, make notes to yourself (I use track changes) and mark areas that are not complete, that may not be clear to someone reading it for the first time, or that needs more support with citations. Then start at the beginning and read each sentence aloud, is there a way to make it clearer, more concise? Picture your grandmother who knows nothing about psychology reading it, would she understand that sentence? Check for any pronouns (they, he, and she), is it clear who the pronouns are referring to? Check your plurals versus possessives (this makes me crazy when they are wrong): plurals (e.g. “girls”) do not have an apostrophe, possessives do have an apostrophe (e.g., “the girl’s bike;” “the girls’ bikes”).  

Do you know a former English major? Someone who is a great writer? If so, ask them to read through your paper and offer suggestions.  

Let’s consider for a minute, accepting criticism. No one likes to be criticized, but it is part of life and particularly part of academia. Instead of taking it personally, remember you are a student, isn’t part of that learning new things? Don’t you want the best paper and project that it is possible to have? The only way it will happen is to listen to criticism. Let’s assume for a moment that you have just received an edited draft from your committee member, how to you handle this? I suggest reading through their comments then setting it aside for a few hours- to a day. Think about them, instead of reacting. When you are calm and ready, start at the beginning and take each comment as a learning experience. Fix it, then look for similar issues in the paper and fix those. Go on to the 2^nd comment, etc. I look at comments and suggestions as a challenge, can I fix these and have the person read the paper again and not find any issues? When you are done with your revisions read through the paper one more time (at least) and make sure it reads well. 

Next time, I will discuss the IRB. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Send me an email with your ideas. leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu 

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 is the official beginning of your proposal, it is a very important chapter in that it sets up the reader to understand an overview of the study and to appreciate the need for it. Let’s start with an outline from the checklist: Introduction, Background, Problem Statement, Purpose, Research Questions and Hypotheses, Theoretical and Conceptual Framework, Nature of the Study, Definitions, Assumptions, Scope and Delimitations, Limitations, Significance, Summary. I am sure that the first thing you notice is that there are many sections, each of these will be quite short- think of them as concise summaries.  

Again there are many resources to help with each of the sections (see the writing center and research center) I am just going to talk about the area that students have the most problems with, the introduction. The introduction needs to build a concise case as to the need for the study. Start general (think demographics) becoming more narrow. Clearly point out the gap in the literature and how your study addresses this gap. Also, mention the social change implications of the study. By the end of the introduction, the reader should be convinced that your study is the next logical step in the progression of the topic. They should know what type of study you are doing (e.g., survey, interviews) and how this method adds to filling the gap in the literature. 

Next time, I will discuss the next steps. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Send me an email with your ideas. leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Great new interview!

There is a great new interview on the Editor Speaks Out blog, with the editor of the International Journal of Childbirth Education- Walden's own, Dr. Debra Wilson: http://jsbhseditorblog.blogspot.com/

Chapter 3, Research Methods: The Heart of the Paper

Chapter 3 is the most important part of your proposal; it will detail what you are actually doing in the study. Let's start again by seeing what is in the template and checklist, note that each of the research methods has a different set of requirements.

 

I suggest beginning your draft by writing down each of the requirements for your study:

 

Qualitative

Introduction, Research Design and Rationale, Role of the Researcher, Methodology, Instrumentation, Data Analysis Plan, Issues of Trustworthiness, Ethical Procedures, Summary

 

Quantitative

Introduction, Research Design and Rationale, Methodology, Instrumentation, Threats to Validity, Ethical Procedures, Summary

 

Mixed Methods

Introduction, Research Design and Rationale, Role of the Researcher, Methodology, Instrumentation, Data Analysis Plan (for both quantitative and qualitative), Threats to Validity, Issues of Trustworthiness, Ethical Procedures, Summary

 

There are many resources for these sections in the writing center and research center; I am going to concentrate on the ones that lead to the most issues for students: Methodology and Ethics. Naturally, every study is very different, but a few general comments can be made.

 

Remember that your Methodology section should be written in enough detail that someone could replicate your study exactly based on your description. Some things to consider, how many people will participate? You need a rationale for the number, whether it is from a power calculation for quantitative studies (Google "power analysis calculator" for info) or convention for qualitative ones (cite your sources).

 

How will you recruit participants? You want to use flyers? Where will you post them? You will need to include the flyer in the appendix. You want to recruit from an online support group? Which ones? What will you say about the study? Include that info in the appendix. You will need written permission from any groups that agree to help you, those letters will go in the appendix.

 

How will the participants interact with you? An online survey? Where will it be posted? How will they access it? In person interview? Where will it be done? How long will it take? You will need to include any surveys and interview questions in the appendix.

 

All participants will be required to sign a consent form, and anyone under 18 needs an assent form (parents sign the consent form). Any forms that the participant will see need to be in the appendix.

 

There are many possible ethical issues; one of the most common scenarios is when you want to use people at your workplace. There are many concerns with this, read the information sheets on the IRB website. Similarly, if you would like to recruit vulnerable populations (some examples, children, elderly, ill people, prisoners, military), read the information sheets on the IRB website, and if you think your population fits these cases, send the IRB an email and talk to them (IRB@waldenu.edu). The IRB will help you work through issues.

 

One final resource I want to mention, if you are having a difficult time working out issues with your methods or your analyses sections, Walden has methodological and statistical consultants. Here is the tricky part- students are not allowed to contact them directly, however, your chair or methodologist can contact them on your behalf. They are very knowledgeable and can help resolve those tricky issues.

 

Next time, I will discuss Chapter 1. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Send me an email with your ideas. leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

Revising

What should you look for in revisions? Read a sentence aloud and see if you can restate it more clearly. You want to be very precise in your meaning. Let me give you an example from one of my papers that I wrote with some colleagues. Here is the original draft of the first few sentences of the paper: 

By 2020, one in six American citizens will be elderly or over 65 years old (U.S. Census, 1993). The number of oldest old individuals over 85 years old will reach 6.6 million in 2020 and is expected to triple by 2050 and reach 18-19 million (Administration on Aging [AoA], 2010). The rapid growth of the elderly and the oldest-old population is a growing concern to the healthcare system, as it must prepare to provide increased support services. 

Here is the final version:

 

The 2000 U.S. Census (2001) reported 4.2 million people were over the age of 85 (1.5% of the population), this group has been designated the “the oldest-old” by demographers, and is the most rapidly growing age group.  Currently the cost of health service utilization for the oldest-old averages $22,000 per year compared to $9,000 for individuals 65-74 years old (Krause, 2010). 

What is different? The 2^nd version is much clearer, concise, and more to the point that the first. 

One final issue, I think it is very important that you understand the dissertation from the faculty's viewpoint; it may explain much of their feedback to you. Throughout the dissertation process, and even after it is published, your committee's names are attached to it. When the URR (or IRB, etc.) criticizes a student's work, one of the first questions that is asked is "who is the chair?" The student is expected to make errors; the chair's role is to catch as many as possible. 

Next time, we will consider Chapter 3, Research Methods. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Send me an email with your ideas. leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu

The Pain of Writing

Writing is painful. Sorry, that tends to be everyone's reality. It is hard work to think through complex ideas and find the best way to present them so that someone else can understand them. I am not going to go into a lot of detail about writing specifics; Walden has an amazing writing center that is very happy to help you! 

A few general things though, first if you find it very hard to write, I recommend this book: 

Saltzman, J. (1993). If You Can Talk, You Can Write. Grand Central Publishing. 

As you can see, it is an older book, so it is available very cheaply on the internet. It will reduce your anxiety and will help you get something down on paper. I strongly recommend reading your paper aloud; you will catch many errors. If nothing else, read to your dog or cat, they will find you fascinating! You will reduce the number of needed corrections by simply rereading your paper carefully. 

Be prepared and open to many revisions. Your committee has much more experience in writing at this level, trust their guidance. At a doctoral level, revisions are simply part of the writing process. Professionals also have to rewrite their papers many times, keep in mind that the final article you see in the journal has little resemblance to where it started. As an example, a recent article that I wrote with colleagues went through 25 revisions (yes, I counted!). 

Next time, I will discuss revising. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Send me an email with your ideas. leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu