Adell Kirkman: Research Methods 6401

 I like the word "revision." It reminds me of re-visiting, or re-envisioning-- a chance for change. With this idea in mind, I want to re-visit my literature review, but when I do, will see it in a different light. One of the comments that I received from Dr. Bacabac related to the fact that my topic for the literature review (Non-Traditional Students and the Challenges They Face) did not have an element that pertained to our graduate program in the TWDR. She suggested looking through some of the readings that Dr. McMurrin gave us in her Critical Theory class, and to apply it to my Literature Review. The concept I want to focus on is Aristotle's principles of rhetoric: pathos, ethos, logos, and kairos, and how they relate to the way that institutions handle non-traditional students. I want to answer questions such as, "Do universities employ these tactics in an effort to attract a population of non-traditional students, or do they fall short with the lack of effort?...

 As an update, I did end up choosing to focus my Literature Review on the studies and data surrounding non-traditional, women students and the difficulties they face. In all of the sources I gathered, there was quite a bit of information about how there are time, financial, and personal conflicts for returning students. Most of what I read was not surprising by any means, but it was interesting to read at the end of several articles what they thought the solution could be. Articles suggested, for example, that institutions provide more scholarship opportunities for returning women students, as well as more classes offered at after-work hours.  What a couple of the articles suggested was that researchers and institutions conduct qualitative studies to find out why these women quit pursuing their college degrees in the first place. For many women, the obligation of needing to work to support their families is a large issue, while for others, it is simply the cost of childcare an...

 For my research topic, I have decided to zero in on the concept of advocacy for vulnerable populations, such as women, children, and immigrants. Though this is a very broad topic, I am confident that the more I search out information, the more questions and "research gaps" I will find. Most of the articles I discovered thus far deal primarily with the funding of private non-profit organizations and their affiliates. I do plan on investigating the idea of grant writing and what that entails. As of now, it seems a bit intimidating, but I'm sure it will be less so, once I actually begin that process.  Grant Writing Takes a Village https://web-p-ebscohost-com.libproxy.utahtech.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=10&sid=91697d1f-3318-4782-bc20-faac803065e9%40redis   Federal Grants Performance Disputes https://web-p-ebscohost-com.libproxy.utahtech.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=10&sid=91697d1f-3318-4782-bc20-faac803065e9%40redis   Writing Effective ...

Previous to beginning this Master's program in the Spring of 2021, I listened to a lot of self-help books about a variety of topics, mostly focusing on mental and physical health and the power of positive thinking. Since starting this program, my focus has shifted to whatever the classes are that I take. It would be nice to find a way to integrate my two worlds and grow my knowledge in an area that is related to both mom-life and my pre-professional life as a technical writer, but I have no idea how.  Here are some of my interests: advocacy for vulnerable populations, such as children, women, those with disabilities, etc. proactive behaviors for those without education in a medical setting advocacy for those who need government assistance laws are utilized to advocate for minorities and immigrants  artisan bread making sleep needs minimalism European pastries aerobic vs resistance training runner's high Comment and let me know if you have any suggestions of a research appropri...