Discussion 2: What Would You Like to Explore? Is there a topic or idea that has been on your mind that you are thinking about for your dissertation or doctoral study? Is there a problem in your work or social sphere that you feel compelled to understand and act upon? Have you read a story or viewed a documentary and thought “I could do something like that”? These are just a few of the ways Walden students become inspired to choose what they would like to study for their dissertation or doctoral study.
Once you have watched this week’s Scholar of Change video, you have the opportunity to reflect on how that student merged their academic studies with their passion for making a difference. In this Discussion, you have an opportunity to start that journey, to consider a topic you would like to explore. For this Discussion, you will explore topics in your discipline of interest to you that you want to research using a qualitative approach.
To prepare for this Discussion:
• Review the Learning Resources related to qualitative research.
• Consider a topic in your discipline that is of interest to you. This could come from a prior course or something from your work or personal setting for which you have a passion. Then:
Based on your initial understanding of qualitative research, post a description of the topic you chose in terms of how it could be conceptualized as a qualitative study. Include:
1. What is the phenomenon of interest?
2. What experiences or contextual issues might influence how this phenomenon could be studied?
3. In what setting(s) could a topic like this be explored? 4. What connection do you have to this topic, and why do you think it is important to explore this as a qualitative study?
5. What possibilities could the results of this research have for social change?
The phenomenon I am interested in is substance abuse relapse. Be sure to support your main post and response post with reference to the week’s Learning Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA style.
