For this Discussion, you will consider the role of theory in research and the relationship between theory and philosophical orientations. You will also familiarize yourself with a theory in your field so that you may become more conversant in your discipline’s theoretical foundations.
Post an explanation of the role of theory in research. Next, identify a theory in your discipline and explain its basic tenets. Then, with this theory in mind, consider your answer to the following question posed by Drs. Burkholder and Burbank in last week’s reading: “What do I have to believe about the world and about human beings in order for me to accept or use this theory?” (p. 27). Finally, describe the extent to which the epistemological and ontological assumptions of your chosen theory align with the philosophical orientation that reflects your worldview.
- Explain role of theory in research
- Use research databases and scholarly sources to identity a theory in your discipline
- Explain basic tenets of a theory
- Describe alignment between epistemological and ontological assumptions of a theory and philosophical orientations
- Apply APA Style to writing
Be sure to support your Main Issue Post and Response Post with reference to the week’s Learning Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA Style.
Burkholder, G. J., Cox, K. A., Crawford, L. M., & Hitchcock, J.H. (Eds.) (2020). Research design and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-practitioner. SAGE Publications, Inc.
- Chapter 3, “Conceptual and Theoretical Frameworks in Research”
Babbie, E. (2017). Basics of social research (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
- Chapter 2, “Paradigms, Theory, and Research”