Learning Plan: Developing a Researcher Mindset
The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald
This quote is instructive because it amplifies the importance of understanding that there can be multiple perspectives that can all be true at once. An effective researcher knows that there is rarely only one answer to a problem. Being open to new ideas and different ways of looking at things is essential to having a healthy research mindset.
Doctoral students are expected to navigate multiple and sometimes overlapping roles when conducting research. You must be an investigator while also being an ethical steward. You must be a creator of knowledge while also respecting the ideas of others. You must be an advocate while also being a critic of your own position. Consider these dichotomies as you learn to develop a researcher mindset.
Prepare In this assignment, you will continue developing your Learning Plan. So far, you have created a statement of purpose, created a plan for effectively integrating feedback, and summarized research of a potential problem of practice in an annotated bibliography. This week you will consider how scholar–practitioners approach their role as a researcher.
Prior to beginning work on this assignment,
Read the following chapters from the textbook Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.): Chapter 7: Tables and Figures Chapter 12: Publication Process Read the following articles: Qualities of a good researcher: Top 11 traitsLinks to an external site. article Understanding Roles and Practices of a Responsible ScholarDownload Understanding Roles and Practices of a Responsible Scholar Embracing an Exploratory Mindset: How AMD is Changing the Script of Good ScienceLinks to an external site. Objectivity (Science)Links to an external site. Critical Skills: ResearchLinks to an external site. Review the Attributes of Research Mindset for Early Career Engineering ResearchersLinks to an external site. supplemental material Review the How Does Bias Affect Research?Links to an external site. video Review the Framework for information literacy for higher educationLinks to an external site. webpage Revise This assignment will be a continuation of the learning plan you started in your Week 1 assignment. Review the feedback you received on your Learning Plan: Annotated Bibliography assignment in Week 4.
Revise your Learning Plan: Annotated Bibliography assignment based on feedback, using track changes in Word. For help, refer to the Writing Center’s Using Track ChangesLinks to an external site. resource. Include your revised draft as Appendix C to this week’s written assignment. Write For this section of your Learning Plan, include these elements:
Introduction (approximately 1 paragraph in length) State the purpose of the paper in one clear and concise sentence. Identify the elements you will describe in your paper. Effective Researcher Mindset Qualities (approximately 2–3 paragraphs in length) Evaluate the traits Chukwuemeka (2024) identified that good researchers possess. List five additional traits that could be part of a model of effective researcher mindset qualities. Use scholarly evidence to support your list. Objectivity as Part of a Research Mindset (approximately 2–3 paragraphs in length) Critically compare and contrast objectivity and subjectivity in the research process. Analyze how scholars can balance personal perspectives with the demands of evidence-based inquiry. Ethical Considerations (approximately 2–3 paragraphs in length) Identify potential ethical dilemmas researchers may encounter, such as conflicts of interest, participant vulnerability, data manipulation, or academic integrity concerns. Analyze how a strong research mindset can help doctoral scholars recognize, address, and prevent these issues. Conclusion (approximately 1 paragraph in length) Summarize the overarching themes expressed in your paper. Justify your readiness and commitment to learning how to conduct data-informed and ethically-bound research. The Learning Plan: Developing A Researcher Mindset paper
must be at least 1100 words in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA StyleLinks to an external site. as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA Formatting for Microsoft WordLinks to an external site. resource. must include a separate title page with the following in title case: title of paper in bold font (Doctoral Learning Plan) Space should appear between the title and the rest of the information on the title page. student’s name name of institution (The University of Arizona Global Campus) course name and number instructor’s name due date must utilize academic voice. Review the Academic VoiceLinks to an external site. resource for additional guidance. must include an introduction and conclusion paragraph. Your introduction paragraph needs to end with a clear thesis statement that indicates the purpose of your paper. For assistance on writing Introductions & ConclusionsLinks to an external site. and Writing a Thesis StatementLinks to an external site., refer to the Writing Center resources. must cite at least 3 scholarly peer-reviewed sources in addition to the required resources for this week. The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed, and Other Credible SourcesLinks to an external site. table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source. To assist you in completing the research required for this assignment, refer to this Quick and Easy Library ResearchLinks to an external site. tutorial, which introduces the University of Arizona Global Campus Library and the research process, and provides some library search tips. must document any information used from sources in APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center’s APA: Citing Within Your PaperLinks to an external site. guide. must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA Style as outlined in the Writing Center. Refer to the APA: Formatting Your References ListLinks to an external site. resource in the Writing Center for specifications. must include three Appendices: Appendix A should be a revised version of your Statement of Purpose. Appendix B should be a revised version of your Integrating Feedback paper. Appendix C should be a revised version of your Annotated Bibliography.