Background of Your Action Research
Background to Assignment 3 and Assignment 4
Research shows that most people spend nearly one-third of their adult lives at work. Workplaces are traditionally filled with many issues (or problems) that can be concerning to those who work there. Whereas some issues can cause conflict among workers, other issues may be simply bothersome, distasteful, or worrisome. The workplace is typically an environment in which people with different personalities, communication styles, and worldviews interact. As such, certain workplace issues have been the topic of many research studies. For the rest of this course, you will identify a workplace issue that you intend to study. This workplace issue will be the topic and the research problem for Assignment 3 and Assignment 4.
The Problem
Regardless of the “problem” you identify at your workplace, other researchers, somewhere, have already identified and written about it in some form or another. Their research is very likely published in journals, books, or similar publications. Be assured that whereas such a problem may be at your work or community, it is also somewhere else, at another workplace (or community), in a similar or familiar form. Your workplace or community is not unique in this regard.
Find those researchers who have already researched and write about this problem that you have identified. To accomplish this task, you will use the databases in our STU Library to learn more about this problem. Be assured that this type of problem exists in other workplaces or communities. Information on how to access the STU databases is included in the Supplementary Readings in Module One. You are NOT allowed to use GOOGLE as a database or your research source for this assignment.
Assignment #3
In doing this Assignment, use the 4 subheadings in the guidelines below. Focus and write ONLY to those requirements! In other words, stick strictly to the following topics:
- In 10 to 15 words, identify, and name the problem at your workplace. This will be the Research Topic.
- In one short paragraph, describe the problem at your workplace. Describe the area of conflict, concern, issue, or controversy that you have observed or that has concerned you. Present and describe this concern in a few sentences and explain or justify why it is critical for you to research this problem.
- Put the Research Topic in the STU databases to see what has been written about this topic. Using the databases, identify and list 5 important studies that relate to your topic.
- For each of the 5 research studies identified, you will do the following
- Read each research study
- Research studies must relate to the workplace (or community) problem that you have identified.
- Write one short paragraph (about 5-7 sentences) to describe the main focus of the research (what it found or concluded and how it relates to your topic). For each paragraph, start by listing the author’s name, the title of the research study, the place where it was published (in a journal, book, etc.), and the date of publication.
