Theoretical Foundations for Dissertation Research: Identifying and Applying Theory in Scholarly Practice

Overview

Now that you have begun to address a potential topic for your dissertation or doctoral project, it is time to focus on the theory or theories that can ground and guide your study of the topic. To do so, you must be able to respond correctly to the following questions:

• What is theory?
• What is the role of theory?

More importantly, however, you must be able to identify the theory that fits best with your work and how it will function in your study.

Instructions

Using the Capella library guide for your discipline, search for 10 additional articles on your potential topic and summarize the theory used in those studies, addressing the following in a Word document:

• Identify a potential theory to ground and guide a future study.
  • Discuss why you believe the articles address your theory.
• Discuss how the theory is used in each article.
  • Discuss what role the theory played in the study.
• Articulate the role of theory in the type of study under consideration to be conducted.
  • If applicable, discuss the differences in how you would apply theory in quantitative and qualitative studies.
• Discuss how the articles identified gaps in theory or practice.
• As a scholar-practitioner, apply conventions of voice, academic tone, and discipline-specific language.

Additional Requirements

Your assignment should also meet the following requirements:

• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• Length: 3–5 double-spaced pages.
• Resources: 10 additional scholarly references including seminal literature. Use primary sources. Include in References section at the end of the paper.
• APA guidelines: When appropriate, use APA-formatted headings. Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and format. Refer to Academic WriterLinks to an external site.
   as needed.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 points.

Read the assignment rubrics to ensure that you have met all criteria.

To support you in proofreading your assignments and before submitting your work through Turnitin, be sure to you use the free Grammarly tool to help detect plagiarism, correct errors with grammar, usage, and writing mechanics.

To further strengthen your writing, use the Turnitin results to revise your work prior to submission for a course grade. For more information, visit the Turnitin

Links to an external site.

 Campus page.

Portfolio Prompt: Consider adding this assignment to your personal ePortfolio. This assignment demonstrates your ability to study topics for your project. You will want to organize your course assignments to easily support future work on your dissertation or doctoral project and to showcase your knowledge with employers after graduation. For more information on ePortfolio, visit the Campus ePortfolio page.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Develop a scholar-practitioner identity within the discipline.
  • Apply conventions of voice, academic tone, and discipline-specific language.
• Competency 3: Apply an understanding of the importance and value of scholarly discourse in writing and interactions with others.
  • Articulate the role of theory in the type of study being considered.
• Competency 4: Integrate credible scholarly literature to support ideas and concepts with evidence into the selection of a topic appropriate for a degree program.
  • Identify a theory to potentially ground and guide a future study.
  • Discuss how the theory is used in each article.
• Competency 5: Analyze the existing literature to identify knowledge gaps in the literature and in practice.
  • Discuss how the articles identified gaps in theory or practice.
• Competency 9: Write in accordance with the academic and professional requirements of the discipline during the research process ensuring appropriate structure, grammar, usage, and style.
  • Convey purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence in grammatically sound sentences.
  • Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.

View Rubric

Identifying a Theory
Criteria	Ratings	Pts
Identify a theory to potentially ground and guide a future study. -PSY-V8925>view longer description	24 to >20.4 ptsDISTINGUISHEDIdentifies a theory to potentially ground and guide a future study, and discusses how the theory relates to the discipline. -PSY-V8925> 20.4 to >16.8 ptsPROFICIENTIdentifies a theory to potentially ground and guide a future study. -PSY-V8925> 16.8 to >0 ptsBASICIdentifies a theory but does not address how it may ground and guide a future study. -PSY-V8925> 0 ptsNON_PERFORMANCEDoes not identify a theory to potentially ground and guide a future study. -PSY-V8925>	/ 24 pts
Discuss how the theory is used in each article. -PSY-V8925>view longer description	24 to >20.4 ptsDISTINGUISHEDDiscusses how the theory is used in each article, summarizing what role the theory played in the articles. -PSY-V8925> 20.4 to >16.8 ptsPROFICIENTDiscusses how the theory is used in each article. -PSY-V8925> 16.8 to >0 ptsBASICIdentifies but does not discuss how the theory is used in each article. -PSY-V8925> 0 ptsNON_PERFORMANCEDoes not identify how the theory is used in each article. -PSY-V8925>	/ 24 pts
Articulate the role of theory in the type of study being considered. -PSY-V8925>view longer description	24 to >20.4 ptsDISTINGUISHEDArticulates the role of theory in the type of study being considered and summarizes key points from literature. -PSY-V8925> 20.4 to >16.8 ptsPROFICIENTArticulates the role of theory in the type of study being considered. -PSY-V8925> 16.8 to >0 ptsBASICIdentifies but does not articulate the role of theory in the type of study being considered. -PSY-V8925> 0 ptsNON_PERFORMANCEDoes not identify the role of theory in the type of study being considered. -PSY-V8925>	/ 24 pts
Discuss how the articles identified gaps in theory or practice. -PSY-V8925>view longer description	24 to >20.4 ptsDISTINGUISHEDAnalyzes the existing literature for how the articles identified gaps in theory or practice. -PSY-V8925> 20.4 to >16.8 ptsPROFICIENTDiscusses how the articles identified gaps in theory or practice. -PSY-V8925> 16.8 to >0 ptsBASICIdentifies, but does not discuss how the articles identified gaps in theory or practice. -PSY-V8925> 0 ptsNON_PERFORMANCEDoes not identify how the articles identified gaps in theory or practice. -PSY-V8925>	/ 24 pts
Apply conventions of voice, academic tone, and discipline-specific language. -PSY-V8925>view longer description	24 to >20.4 ptsDISTINGUISHEDApplies conventions of voice, academic tone, and discipline-specific language, and supports work using relevant scholarly literature as a scholar-practitioner. -PSY-V8925> 20.4 to >16.8 ptsPROFICIENTApplies conventions of voice, academic tone, and discipline-specific language. -PSY-V8925> 16.8 to >0 ptsBASICApplies some elements of voice, academic tone, and/or discipline-specific language. -PSY-V8925> 0 ptsNON_PERFORMANCEDoes not apply conventions of voice, academic tone, and discipline-specific language. -PSY-V8925>	/ 24 pts
Convey purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence in grammatically sound sentences. -PSY-V8925>view longer description	15 to >12.75 ptsDISTINGUISHEDConveys clear purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence in grammatically sound sentences. Supports assertions with highly relevant, credible, and convincing evidence. -PSY-V8925> 12.75 to >10.5 ptsPROFICIENTConveys purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence in grammatically sound sentences. -PSY-V8925> 10.5 to >0 ptsBASICConveys purpose. Clear, effective communication is inhibited by insufficient supporting evidence and/or minimal adherence to applicable writing standards. -PSY-V8925> 0 ptsNON_PERFORMANCEDoes not convey purpose. -PSY-V8925>	/ 15 pts
Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing. -PSY-V8925>view longer description	15 to >12.75 ptsDISTINGUISHEDApplies APA style and formatting to scholarly writing. Exhibits strict and nearly flawless adherence to stylistic conventions, document structure, and source attributions. -PSY-V8925> 12.75 to >10.5 ptsPROFICIENTApplies APA style and formatting to scholarly writing. -PSY-V8925> 10.5 to >0 ptsBASICApplies APA style and formatting to scholarly writing incorrectly and/or inconsistently, detracting noticeably from good scholarship. -PSY-V8925> 0 ptsNON_PERFORMANCEDoes not apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing. -PSY-V8925>	/ 15 pts
Total Points: 0