OnPhD: Research Methods Learning Plan

Within the OnPhD Candidacy challenge the candidate needs to identify there proved history as a researcher or define there approach to developing the required research skills. The candidates research skills need to be at the level where they will be able to complete the research required to a PhD level. This on an area where I need to focus. I have only taken two research methods courses in my life and I have never participated in or conducted any kind of research beyond reading for school, personal learning, or work. This is what I see as the tasks required to complete the learning I require to become a competent PhD level researcher. The following is how I will approach the three tasks identified in the OnPhD Candidacy Challenge task;

1. Learning plan to develop research skills;

1. Readings - read two books on research methods. One on educational research methods and the other on big data computational research methods. The two books could be;

1. Research Methods in Education
2. Research Methods in Software Engineering


2. OER - seek out an open educational resource focused on research methods. Review these two Open Courseware's from MIT;
   • Doctoral Seminar in Research Methods I
   • Doctoral Seminar in Research Methods II


3. Identify and Review - Identify a number of research projects similar to the one I am intending, and do an in-depth review of approaches, analysis methods, etc...


4. Volunteer - as a research assistant on a similar research project as my current thesis project.

2. Applicable research methodologies;

This will be completed as I finish the first task of developing my research skills.

3. Commitment to ethical boundaries within my research;

This will also be developed as I complete the first task in developing my research skills. And by working through all the modules found in the research ethics site created by elsevier; http://ethics.elsevier.com/index.asp