Develop a mind map or outline of your umbrella research topic (broad area of study) by identifying sub-categories, pieces, and possible sub-pieces.
Instructions
Perform a literature review search on your research topic of interest. You are not tied to this topic when you reach your dissertation sequence, but it should be a topic you find interesting now and relates to your program and specialization. Throughout this course, you will practice your literature search techniques and development of a synthesized literature review using an identified focus sub-topic that stems from this topic.
Begin with your umbrella research topic of interest (broad area of study). Through a preliminary search on this topic, identify a minimum of three to five scholarly articles related to your research topic of interest.
Use a mind map technique to map five or more specific subcategories with pieces (ideas, terms, concepts).
• Various mind map technique examples are presented in this lesson’s required resource list.
• Identify five or more specific subcategories or ideas related to your broad topic. Use this lesson’s articles coupled with information you currently have on the topic. Be sure to include in your resource list articles gained in this lesson’s search and other articles used previously to gain knowledge around your umbrella topic of interest. Your topic will most likely branch off to more than five subcategories and these subcategories should branch out into pieces, and possible sub-pieces.
• Continuing with the mind map technique, branch out your subcategories to pieces. Using the questions outlined in this lesson’s lecture, branch off your subcategories into pieces and sub-pieces. As you move through these questions, you will find that some of the pieces are abandoned, and other pieces become more robust. This is acceptable.
Identify and reflect, within a separate document, on two subcategories or pieces that have piqued your interest as a plausible dissertation research topic. Limit your discussion to one paragraph for each topic. For each of the following two topics:
• Discuss why one or more of these topics might be a good fit for a dissertation research study.
• Develop a Reference List. Include references used in your preliminary search on your research topic of interest.

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