MED 595
Assignment #6

As discussed in class, I'd like to begin work on chapter 1 of your project. I think returning to Michael Kibby's introduction to the reading of research can be helpful in thinking about our writing. Below are excerpts from Figures 2 and 3 from the chapter we read that you should find helpful in considering what is needed to introduce your study and the problem and question. Let's aim for around 5 pages to get started. We'll share these in class Friday and give feedback. If you can send them to me by Thursday evening, I will try to have some comments prepared as well. Lastly, I'm available to meet late on some days as I have all-day workshops and another class. Let me know if you want to meet to discuss your work- either in person or using Zoom.


Background: No research problem or hypothesis is context free. The background of the research problem places that problem within the context of prior research, theory, or logical analyses of observations.
Purpose: A statement of the purpose of the research, which may take the form of a question or hypothesis.
Significance: Statements as to why this research problem is significant: i.e., why it is necessary to have the answer to the research question or problem.
Need: Assurance that the researcher is familiar with the extant literature on this topic and knows that this research problem cannot be answered on the basis of other studies.

Specificity of The Research Problem
• Is the research problem precisely stated?
• Is the research problem properly integrated with theory and the research literature?
• Did the author reasonably delimit the problem?
Relevance
• Is the research problem important or significant?
• Did the author state the assumptions made to derive the problem?
• Is this study needed (i.e., can the problem be answered from previous research)?

More from Dr. Kibby:
State how the author deduces the research problem (hypothesis or questions): from theory, previous
research, observation, or a combination of any of these three. In deducing the research problem, does
the reviewer summarize and critique each of the various references and synthesize them in a cohesive
and logical manner? Does the review include both old and current research? What does the author tell
you (not tell you) to make you believes/he has (has not) reviewed all relevant literature?

State the significance of the research problem (hypothesis or question). Is the research problem
significant; i.e., is it important to answer the research problem? Why? (Will it contribute to (a) theory
or know ledge base, (b) improvement of teaching and learning, or ( c) improvement of methods of
conducting research?) Is the significance stated or implied, or is it left to the reader to infer it?