Research Methodology and Critical Thinking

Min of 750 words. Min of 4 scholar sources. 

Please follow guidelines and include all required items. 

Field of Study: Human Resource Management

Instructions: As our world become increasingly complex, the need for critical thinkers and researchers increase.  People want to understand certain changes in their world and phenomena as it occurs.  The academic community requires that some type of theory be linked to any type of understanding used to explain certain occurrences.  Gray (2004) noted that “a theory consists of a set of interrelated concepts, definitions, and propositions that demonstrate relationships between variables” (p. 11).  As a graduate student, you have been required to conduct research in terms of synthesis of research studies, analysis of the findings, and evaluation any possible linkages, generalizations, and/or provide possible recommendations or suggestions for the area(s) being studied. 

To demonstrate your ability to conduct research, exhibit your research skills and abilities in the form of a mini-research project.  In other words create a mini research proposal to address a current issue or social problem in your field of study that may require additional research.  Identify a problem or issue then write up a research problem statement to guide you on this research endeavor.  With this research problem statement, you are to develop a mini-research project to demonstrate your ability to critically think through a problem situation in today’s workplace/marketplace.  

The format of the mini-research project proposal is as follows:

•    Title

•    Problem Statement

•    Theoretical framework

•    Research questions or propositions

•    Methodology and/or research design with limitations

•    Results and findings (what do you anticipate to discover)

•    Conclusions and recommendations (what assumptions are you making as you propose this study?)

•    How do you propose that this research contributes to new knowledge in your field?

Since this research project will not actually be conducted, you may approach this mini-research project from the perspective of a research study proposal.  However, you should consider any possible or anticipated results and findings, as well as conclusions and recommendations.  Finally, clearly state how you believe—based upon the literature—that the research would contribute to new knowledge in one’s field of study.