CompExam
Question 1: Practical Application
Your dissertation research must contribute to theory. Your research and the theory to which it contributes may or may not have a practical benefit or application. There is no doubt, however, that there is a theory in your dissertation topic area that does have a practical application.
Part 1
Referencing at least five peer-reviewed journal articles or scholarly books, discuss views on the relationship between theory and application or practice. How can a theory guide or inform practice? What are the issues involved in translating theory into practice? Be sure to keep in mind the various conceptions of theory you discussed in Question 1.
Part 2
Referencing at least five peer-reviewed journal articles, fully describe a theory of current interest in your topic area. A theory is currently of interest if there are articles published on it in the past five years. This theory may or may not be the same as the one you examined in Question 1, Part 3. Describe a current view of the theory, not the founder’s view or a classic view. Your answer should be no more than three pages long.
Part 3
Identify at least five scholarly articles (published in the last 5 years) that address how the theory you discussed in Part 2 has actually been applied. (Draw on your response to Part 1 in order to define what you mean by an application of a theory to an actual problem or situation.) Critically evaluate the appropriateness of the uses to which the theory has been applied. Consider, for example: Are the applications premised upon an accurate understanding of the theory and its scope? Do the applications “go beyond” what the theory claims? Is the reasoning linking application and theory sound?
The structure of your paper should be as follows:?Title page; APA Style; use appropriate headings for organization of the paper)?References (APA Style)
Learning Outcomes:
Critique existing research and design a methodologically sound approach to research in the student’s academic specialization(s).
Specialization here is Financial Management
Question 2: Research
The ability to read, understand, critique, and integrate research studies and to design a study to address a gap in the research literature is a vital tool for a doctoral student. As you write your dissertation, you may be reading hundreds of studies, many of which you will evaluate as part of a coherent literature review.
Select five empirical articles from peer-reviewed journals that:?• you consider critical to your understanding of your area of dissertation research • all address a particular phenomenon and attempt to contribute to theory about it
Part 1
1. Describe each study, including:?
• the research problem, questions, or hypotheses?
• the research purpose?
• type of design and elements of the design (e.g., sample, data analysis, operationalization of constructs)?
• threats to validity and if and how they were addressed?• the findings and their implications
2. Critically evaluate each study: Does the author make a compelling case for the meaning and significance of the findings?
Part 2
Write a literature review that explains what is known and not known about the phenomenon based on a critical evaluation of the five studies.
Part 3
Develop a research question that addresses one of the unknowns you identified in Part 2 and sketch aqualitative study that can answer the question about what is unknown and contribute to theory (in some sense of theory you discuss in Question 1).
Address:?
• the research purpose
• type of design and elements of the design (e.g., sample, the type of data you need to collect and how you will collect it, data analysis)?
• the strengths and weaknesses of your envisioned design and methods?
• quantitative: threats to validity and how your design will address them
• quantitative: the constructs you will measure and what you will do in order to determine how to operationalize them (you need not identify specific measures)?
• qualitative: your means of ensuring the quality of your findings?
• justification for why your chosen design and methods are more appropriate for your research question than alternatives you have considered
• your methods of data analysis?
• how the data you collect will enable you to answer your research question and contribute to theory
Draw on the additional resources for this course for guidance in understanding the concepts
(e.g., internal validity, threats to validity, and operationalization) needed to address this question.
The structure of your paper should be as follows: Title page
; APA Style; use appropriate headings for organization of the paper)?References (APA Style)
Question 3: Ethics
As you know, scientific research must be conducted in accordance with ethical principles. The ethical principles of research are defined in:
Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct Standard 8: Research and Publicationhttp://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx
The National Academy Of Sciences, National Academy Of Engineering, and Institute Of Medicine Of The National Academies have a more detailed and comprehensive set of ethical guidelines for scientific research:
Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (U.S.), National Academy of Sciences (U.S.), National Academy of Engineering., & Institute of Medicine (U.S.). (2009)On being a scientist: A guide to responsible conduct in research, (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C: National Academies Press.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12192
Write a paper in which you discuss how you will ensure thatallaspects ofyourdoctoral research, from literature review to conducting research, to writing the dissertation manuscript will be done with care and integrity and will meet the ethical standards of scientific research. Reference the two publications above and at least five additional peer- reviewed articles.
You mustjustifyall the steps you will take to ensure the ethical integrity of your dissertation project and not simply describe standard practice. You must show that you have your own clear set of ethical principles and that you know how to apply them to your work. You must do more than just paraphrase ethical guidelines. You must explain specifically how you will apply published ethical guidelines and concepts to what you will do in your research (as you envision it at this point).
Be sure to address the following:
• Plagiarism?• Risk assessment?• Informed consent?• Privacy and confidentiality?• Data handling and reporting?• Mistakes and negligence?• Working with a Mentor?• University requirements for IRB approval
Conclude your paper with your thoughts on the following statement:
Ethical scientific researchers have a commitment to all who are touched by their research— participants who share their lives and time, mentors and advisors, reviewers, future readers, and supporters and cheerleaders on the journey—to take care and do their work
The structure of your paper should be as follows: Title page; APA Style; use appropriate headings for organization of the paper)?References (APA Style)
Learning Outcomes:
4. Integrate knowledge of ethical practices with principles of professional practice as it applies to specific scenarios within the student’s academic discipline and specialization.
“Stock Exchanges and Stock Markets in West Africa – Sierra Leone as a case in point”
Statement of the Problem
Stock markets represent a strong indicator of an economy’s ‘financial health’ (Tachiwou, 2010). According to Tachiwou, stock markets reflect the mood of investors and form an important ingredient for facilitating economic growth, so badly needed by West African countries. Even though a lot has been written on stock markets in Africa, south of the Sahara, researchers have still not been able to come up with any definitive and concrete solution for the rather slow development of stock markets in these countries, most of which have over the years been raged with unprecedented wars, disease and the rippled effect of economic downturns, especially during and after the 2007/2008 world financial crises. For these countries to develop smoothly they would need to move from the current status quo to a situation with vibrant and well developed stock exchanges that will not only facilitate the much needed economic development in these countries, but will also help them to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which they have failed to meet due to inadequate capital needed for financing the economic development of these countries, (Besada, 2006).
Problem Statement and Research Questions
Stock markets in most West African countries south of the Sahara have witnessed a relatively slow development over the years, (Abiodun, 2013; Egene, 2014; Enisan & Olufisayo, 2009; Tafirenyika, 2012; Sejjaaka, 2011). In Africa south of the Sahara, it is reported that only South Africa so far has an emerging market, IMF Quarterly Magazine, (2008). Most African countries south of the Sahara are experiencing slow development of stock markets resulting in serious scarcity of vital capital, needed for the economic development in these countries (Tafirenyika, 2012). This status quo, if not corrected will have potential negative consequences on the economic development of these countries. Nellor, (2008), in an article, ‘The rise of Africa’s frontier market’, explained that Africa generally perform poorly in attracting the business environment, making the continent a less attractive destination for investors, while Tafirenyika, (2012) commented on 23 stock exchanges in Africa. The newest then being the Rwanda stock exchange with only four listed companies. Other countries, such as the Gambia and Sierra Leone, have only recently shown interest by joining the club.
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