Journal ArticleDOI
Literature Reviews of, and for, Educational Research: A Commentary on Boote and Beile’s “Scholars Before Researchers”
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Boote and Beile as discussed by the authors argue that the literature review is the fundamental task of dissertation and research preparation, and they conclude that literature reviewing should be a central focus of predissertation coursework, integrated throughout the program.Abstract:
n their article "Scholars Before Researchers: On the Centrality of the Dissertation Literature Review in Research Preparation" (Educational Researcher, August/September 2005), David N. Boote and Penny Beile argue that the literature review is the fundamental task of dissertation and research preparation. They claim that doctoral students receive minimal formal training, and little guidance from faculty or published sources, in how to analyze and synthesize research literature (p. 5). As a result, they argue, most dissertation literature reviews are poorly conceptualized and written (p. 4), and "Doctoral students may not be learning what it means to make and justify educational claims" (p. 9). They conclude that "Literature reviewing should be a central focus of predissertation coursework, integrated throughout the program" (p. 12). Many of Boote and Beile's claims are consistent with my experience in teaching and advising doctoral students, and the authors perform a valuable service in raising important, and often neglected, issues that bear on conducting a literature review for a doctoral dissertation in education. I agree with their assessment of the majority of dissertation literature reviews, and with their emphasis on the importance of learning to identify, analyze, and integrate research literature competently. In my view, however, the authors' conception of a proper dissertation literature review undercuts the value of their insights. They repeatedly use the terms "thorough" and "comprehensive" to describe the type of dissertation literature review they recommend, and although they criticize the idea, held by many doctoral students, that such reviews should be "exhaustive" (p. 7), the authors' overall message is clearly that dissertation reviews should be a broad and comprehensive review of the literature dealing with a particular field or topic. "Comprehensiveness" and "breadth" are two of their criteria for assessing "coverage," the first of their standards for evaluating dissertation literature reviews and the one to which they devote the most discussion.read more
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Literacies and the middle school library media program
TL;DR: This article conducted 32 semi-structured topical interviews with middle school students, classroom teachers, library staff, and the school principal to develop a theoretically informed account of youth literacies in a school library media program.
Journal ArticleDOI
Reflections on writing and identity: exploring the role of qualifying exams in the sociocultural development of doctoral students
TL;DR: In this paper, critical incidents identified by three U.S. PhD students as they reflected on the process of writing qualifying examinations were discussed and discussed in sociocultura.
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Effective use of assessment data to improve teaching and learning in primary schools in South Africa: four case studies South of Johannesburg
TL;DR: A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
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Analysis of potential socio-economic incentives for management of Kondoa rehabilitated areas Dodoma, Tanzania
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French Horn Players’ Attitudes Regarding the Accurate Application of Anatomical Knowledge in Optimal Playing Philosophies
TL;DR: It would be appropriate that study of functional anatomy be incorporated into tertiary study of the French Horn, however applicability, appropriacy and context are also contributing factors to the usefulness of this data.
References
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Book
Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook
TL;DR: This book presents a step-by-step guide to making the research results presented in reports, slideshows, posters, and data visualizations more interesting, and describes how coding initiates qualitative data analysis.
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Basics of qualitative research : grounded theory procedures and techniques
Anselm L. Strauss,Juliet Corbin +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the uses of literature and open coding techniques for enhancing theoretical sensitivity of theoretical studies, and give guidelines for judging a grounded theory study.
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Designing Qualitative Research
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an approach for recording, managing, and analyzing data in the context of qualitative research, defending the value and logic of research, and managing time and resources.
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Qualitative Research Design: An Interactive Approach
TL;DR: A model for Qualitative Research Design is presented and an Example of a Qualitative Proposal is presented for Presenting and Justifying aQualitative Study.
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Qualitative analysis for social scientists
TL;DR: This book presents a meta-coding pedagogical architecture grounded in awareness contexts that helps practitioners and students understand one another better and take responsibility for one another's learning.