Assessment Description Synthesis is the act of creating something new from multiple existing entities. Synthesis of research, then, is creating a new idea from existing ideas. Synthesis of research is

You are off to a good start; I think your writing is coming along well, but there are a few things to work on. Continue developing your writing to be as clear, direct, and concise as possible. Give special attention to thesis statement construction, proper alignment of your paper, clearly defining themes, and synthesizing instead of summarizing. Everything should lead to the point you are making. An important objective should be clarity and cohesion.

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Research Skills

Brandi Williams

RES-820C

10/25/2021

Article Review: Skills of a Researcher

Introduction

Doctoral learners are expected to possess various skills that are to help them navigate their line of study. One of the skills expected from a doctoral student is research skills. As a doctoral student, research skills are very important to help one identify the right information and incorporate them into decision-making. For instance, doctoral students are expected to write reports, locate information from various databases, and make effective decisions based on the evidence that is presented to them. therefore, skills such as critical thinking, data collection, report writing, planning, and critical analysis are some of the most important skills that a doctoral student should possess as a researcher. In the articles presented, the common themes discussed by the authors are the themes of time management, relationship formation, and feedback as in-depth investigation and critical analysis of the research question . The purpose of this synthesis paper will be to discuss the research skills discussed in the three articles

Skills of a Researcher

Lindsay (2015) addressed the element of writing a thesis statement. Lindsay considers writing a thesis statement as one of the most difficult and challenging tasks among doctoral learners and which they must perform. From Lindsay’s perspective, writing a thesis could be a barrier to the timely completion of a research study by identifying the factors that could deter a doctoral student and other factors that benefited doctoral students during the development of a thesis. In the case of Klocko, Marshall, and Davidson (2015 ), their focus was on explaining how scholars on one side and practitioners and the part-time doctoral students on the other side in advanced doctoral programs when pursuing educational leadership perceived the dissertation process. The authors also embarked on identifying the role of the faculty in supporting the practitioner students as they embarked on this journey to transition into becoming doctoral-level writers as a core component of the dissertation process. On the other hand, Lee, Chang, and Bryan (2020) sought to identify how technological and relational factors were known to impact the perceived learning success among doctoral learners who were registered to undertake learning from an online-based program.

Feedback

Feedback is one of the key elements of the research skills that a doctoral student should possess during research. For Lindsay (2015), supervising instructors should provide relevant and ongoing feedback that should be both constructive and offer in a timely manner based on the drafts written by the students (p.191). Encouraging and meaningful feedback offers a supportive approach to help doctoral learners gain confidence in their research process so that they can consider themselves to be academic writers. It is thus important to offer doctoral learners a supportive framework through timely and relevant feedback. According to Lee, Chang, and Bryan (2020), technological and relational factors can help to enhance the success of doctoral students in an online-based leadership program. Interactions between the students and the faculty in an online environment because it helps to enhance the satisfaction of the learners. For example, the authors identify that learners will be able to get timely feedback, encouragement, attentiveness, responsiveness to questions, and sincerity through student-faculty interactions (Lee, Chang, & Bryan, 2020, p.65). Finally, Klocko, Marshall, and Davidson (2015) assert that the faculty has a vital role to play in supporting practitioner students during the transition to doctoral-level writers. Most of the study participants expressed the desire to receive timely and constructive feedback consistently (p.28). Constructive feedback would help the doctoral learners improve their writing as well as to achieve prompt dissertation completion.

Establishing Effective Relationships

Establishing relationships was an important process among doctoral learners. From Lindsay’s perspective, most students identified that effective relationships between the doctoral students and the faculty supervisors as being good in ensuring the success of the students (Lindsay, 2015, p.190). Failure to develop effective relationships leads to setbacks for the student, failure of the student to complete the research process on time, confusion in understanding the paper, as well as attrition (Lindsay, 2015, pp.189-190). A positive mindset when using technologies is important in achieving success when writing the dissertatio n. Effective relationships with the faculty in an online-based program are considered a second critical factor that could help the students develop effective research skills needed to complete the dissertation, ensuring student satisfaction in the dissertation writing process (Lee, Chang, & Bryan, 2020, p.65). Effective relationships were important from this perspective as it helps doctoral learners easily access the resources they need, leading to less stress in using technology as a learning resource (p.64). From the perspective of Klocko, Marshall, and Davidson (2015), effective relationships and scholarly communication can create a conducive environment to help students develop efficient academic writing skills through collaboration.

Time Management

The last theme discussed by the authors is time management. Both Lindsay (2015), Lee et al. (2020), and Klocko, et al. (2015) identified that effective time management was an important research skill among doctoral students. Effective time management is a critical skill that helps doctoral students complete their doctoral program in a timely manner (Lindsay, 2015, p.184). an effective study mode and discipline when studying could play a role in improving the completion rate. Time management encompassed time used in writing as well as organizational skills through self-discipline (p .192). As a research skill, Lee, Chang, and Bryan (2020 ) considered effective communication to include flexibility of time and schedules (p.64). Through flexible time and schedule, learners will require self-discipline and independence for students to achieve success. Time management was an important component of online student success. Students require skills such as persistence, self-efficacy, and active engagement in the learning community (p.65). Lee and colleagues thus concluded that time management was an effective skill that helped researchers to complete the dissertation and the online program successfully. Finally, Klocko, Marshall, and Davidson (2015) outlined that time management was an overwhelming barrier to the dissertation writing process among doctoral students. Through effective time management, doctoral students will be able to achieve writing efficiency by being able to make effective use of the limited time and other resources during their writing experience.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the doctoral writing process can be challenging and sometimes difficult for most learners. Various factors can help doctoral students navigate their journey of writing a dissertation. Lindsay (2015), Lee, Chang, and Bryan (2020), and Klocko, Marshall, and Davidson (2015) all agree on various factors that could help doctoral students effectively overcome the challenges that they may face during the doctoral dissertation writing process. The main discussed in the three articles were relevant, timely, positive, and consistent feedback, establishing effective relationships, and effective time management. These are effective research skills that doctoral students should not overlook.

References

Klocko, B. A., Marshall, S. M., & Davidson, J. F. (2015). Developing practitioner-scholar doctoral candidates as critical writers. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 15(4), 21-31. http://www.na-businesspress.com/JHETP/KlockoBA_Web15_4_.pdf

Lee, H., Chang, H., & Bryan, L. (2020). Doctoral students’ learning success in online-based leadership programs: Intersection with technological and relational factors. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 21(1), 61-81. http://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v20i5.4462

Lindsay, S. (2015). What works for doctoral students in completing their thesis? Teaching in Higher Education, 20(2), 183-196. http://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2014.974025