This week you will focus on critically analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing methodology sections in dissertations. Review and reflect on the AES Model and Guide for Summarizing, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Synthesizing Information using the SPL model to prepare for the assignment. Complete the Method and Design AES Worksheet. This worksheet contains both the worksheet portion of the assignment and APA formatted paper sections to use for this assignment.
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Title of the Paper
Your Name
Institution Name
Course Name
Faculty Member’s Name
Assignment Due Date
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Method and Design AES Worksheet
The components of critical thinking include analysis, evaluation, and synthesis (AES). You will analyze,
evaluate, and synthesize literature (draw conclusions between and among historical and current
literature) as you write your dissertation. For example, in Ch. 2 of your dissertation writing process, the
Literature Review, you will compare and contrast past and current literature on your chosen topic. In Ch.
3 of your dissertation writing process, you will discuss and defend the chosen research method and
design, and in other areas throughout the dissertation.
This 4-part assignment breaks down AES to provide you the opportunity to see how literature analysis
and evaluation leads to synthesis/conclusions. The focus of this assignment is on the methodology
sections in Ch. 3 of 2 dissertations. The components of this 4-part assignment are:
•
•
•
•
Part 1: Dissertation Analysis: Analyze Ch. 3 of 2 completed dissertations.
Part 2: Critical Evaluation: Evaluate Ch. 3 of 2 completed dissertations.
Part 3: Synthesis of Ideas: Identify the synthesis of ideas in Ch. 3 of 2 completed dissertations.
Part 4: Method and Design Defense: Demonstrate AES through defending your own method and
design choice.
Complete Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 using the provided instructions.
Part 1: Dissertation Analysis
Access the Research Databases page on the University Library website to access the ProQuest
Dissertations and Theses database.
Locate 1 University of Phoenix dissertation and 1 dissertation from another university. Ensure both were
published within the last 2 years and utilized the same methodology (method and design) you are
proposing for your research.
Note: Even though you are referencing 2 dissertations for this assignment, dissertations are not
considered peer reviewed and are not acceptable to use to substantiate discussions for your dissertation.
Analyze Ch. 3 of your 2 selected dissertations.
Report your analysis findings in the Analysis Findings Table using key terms and phrases from the
selected dissertations. Answer the questions provided in the “Analysis Criteria” column for the 2
dissertations you selected by providing your responses in the “Selected Dissertation 1” and “Selected
Dissertation 2” columns.
Cite sources to support your analysis.
Format citations and references according to APA guidelines.
Provide the references in the “Reference” section at the end of this document in the example paper.
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Analysis Findings Table
Analysis Criteria
Selected Dissertation 1
Selected Dissertation 2
What is the dissertation’s
title and author?
In the research study,
what are the strategies
(i.e., methodology) used
to execute the research,
such as research method
and research design?
How are the research
method and research
design stated in the title?
How are the method and
design stated in the
abstract?
Using information from
the CDS Dissertation
Guide, does the research
method align with the
purpose of the study?
Why or why not?
What is the research
design for the research
study?
Using information from
the CDS Dissertation
Guide, does the research
design align with the
research method of the
study? Why or why not?
Does the methodology
(i.e., strategies used to
execute the research)
align with the research
method and research
design? Why or why not?
Do the authors present a
clear understanding of
the differences between
method and design?
Explain your response.
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Part 2: Critical Evaluation
You will be building academic arguments throughout the dissertation process. Doing so will require you to
justify your research method and design choices using general theorists in research method and primary
theorists in research design. Academic arguments are supported with evidence-based research.
Note: Even though you are referencing 2 dissertations for this assignment, dissertations are not
considered peer-reviewed and are not acceptable to use to substantiate discussions for your dissertation.
Refer to your course textbook, Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates (4th ed.), for information on
evaluating literature.
Evaluate Ch. 3 of your 2 selected dissertations.
Report your findings in the Critical Evaluation Findings Table. Answer the questions provided in the
“Evaluation Criteria” column for the 2 dissertations your selected by providing your responses in the
“Selected Dissertation 1” and “Selected Dissertation 2” columns.
Cite sources to support your analysis.
Format citations and references according to APA guidelines.
Provide the references in the “Reference” section at the end of this document in the example paper.
Critical Evaluation Findings Table
Evaluation Criteria
Selected Dissertation 1
Selected Dissertation 2
What is the dissertation’s
title and author?
What citations/references
do the authors use to
build their arguments for
the research method
section?
Who are the theorists
cited and referenced in
the arguments?
How do the authors
compare/contrast
different research
methods? You can
copy/paste excerpts from
the text. Provide at least
2 examples and explain
the evaluation.
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Evaluation Criteria
Selected Dissertation 1
Selected Dissertation 2
Are the research method
and design in alignment
with the study? If so, how
are they aligned? If not,
how are they misaligned?
How are the research
method and design
appropriate for the
purposes of the study?
Part 3: Synthesis of Ideas
Now that you have analyzed the methodology sections of both dissertations and provided evidence of
evaluation, readers need to be given information on why the evaluation is important.
For this part of the assignment, you will identify the synthesis of the method and design arguments
evaluated above from the same dissertations.
Note: Even though you are referencing 2 dissertations for this assignment, dissertations are not
considered peer-reviewed and are not acceptable to use for your dissertation.
Refer to your course textbook, Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates (4th ed.), for information on
synthesizing literature.
Identify the synthesis of ideas in Ch. 3 of your 2 selected dissertations
Report your findings in the Synthesis of Ideas Table. Answer the questions provided in the “Synthesis
Criteria” column for the 2 dissertations your selected by providing your responses in the “Selected
Dissertation 1” and “Selected Dissertation 2” columns.
Cite sources to support your analysis.
Format citations and references according to APA guidelines.
Provide the references in the “Reference” section at the end of this document in the example paper.
Synthesis of Ideas Table
Synthesis Criteria
Selected Dissertation 1
Selected Dissertation 2
What is the dissertation’s
title and author?
How did the authors
present the conclusions
for their arguments for
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Synthesis Criteria
Selected Dissertation 1
Selected Dissertation 2
the chosen method?
Provide 2 or more
examples.
How did the authors
present the conclusions
for their arguments for
the chosen design?
Provide 2 or more
examples.
Are the
conclusion/summary
sections clear and
logical? If yes, how do
the authors tie everything
together? If no, what
suggestions would you
make to guide the
authors?
Part 4: Method and Design Defense
Now it’s time to practice AES.
Using the Student Paper Template included in the following pages of this document, write:
•
•
•
1 paragraph defending your proposed method you chose for your dissertation
1 paragraph defending your proposed design you chose for your dissertation
1 summary paragraph
Cite at least 1 method and 1 design expert recommended in the CDS Dissertation Guide to provide a
definition and explanation of the method and design characteristics.
Format your paper according to APA guidelines.
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Title of the Paper
Begin the paper here. Double space the entire document. Indent the first line by 1 tab key
(0.5 inches). University of Phoenix accepts 1 space after a period. The first paragraph is the
introduction in every paper and does not contain a subheading. Provide a brief overview of the
general topic and end with a preview of the topics discussed in the paper. Unless the paper is a
self-assessment analysis or a reflection paper, never write using first-person point of view: I, me,
my, mine, etc. Never write academic papers using second-person point of view: you, your, yours,
etc. Using editorial “we” and “our” is not acceptable. For more information on writing style and
grammar, review Ch. 4, “Writing Style and Grammar,” of Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (7th ed.).
Provide an introductory paragraph to prepare the reader for the discussion, and the
introductory paragraph does not have a level heading (subheading).
In-Text Citations
Formatting of in-text citations throughout the paper varies, with options to ensure
readability and writing style. The following sections provide a brief overview of 2 types of intext citations: narrative and parenthetical. Review Ch. 8, “Works Credited in the Text,” of
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) for more information
regarding the formatting of personal communications, block quotations, secondary sources, and
citing several sources to support a single claim.
Narrative Citations
Narrative citations are citations in which the author or authors are listed as part of the
sentence. For example, in the following phrase, “Alexander and Smith (2019) examined…,”
notice that “and” is used between authors’ names in narrative citations. Also, always use past
tense verbs when associated with a citation because the source was published prior to the date
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used in the paper. If 3 or more authors are being cited, for example a source written by Thomas,
Dickinson, and Harrison, list the first author and then include “et al.” so that the structure is as
follows: “Thomas et al. (2018) stated…”
Parenthetical Citations
A parenthetical citation is a citation in which the writer presents the statement followed
by the citation. For example, in the following phrase, “The writing process requires…
(Alexander & Smith, 2019),” notice an ampersand (&) is used between names in parenthetical
citations. A parenthetical citation for 3 or more authors requires only the first author’s last name
and the addition of et al. so that the structure is as follows: “Improvement strategies for writing
include… (Thomas et al., 2018).”
The examples shown in the narrative and parenthetical citations sections are paraphrases.
Paraphrases are the writer’s interpretation of an author’s statement. None of the exact words used
by the author should appear in a paraphrase. Direct quotations occur when the writer copies the
exact words used by an author. To properly acknowledge the sentence as a direct quotation,
quotation marks must surround the quoted material and a page number or paragraph number (if
pages are not marked) must appear in the citation. Examples of this format are: Alexander and
Smith (2019) stated “Insert quotation” (p. 423); or, “The guidelines for writing an academic
paper require…” (Alexander & Smith, 2019, para. 6). The use of direct quotations in scholarly
writing is discouraged, as the ability to paraphrase indicates critical-thinking skills.
Headings
Headings identify paragraph topics. The centered “Headings” shown above is classified
as a Level 1 heading. Following the introduction, the body of the paper begins with a Level 1
heading. Level 2 headings are formatted flush left, as shown in the “Narrative Citations” section
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above and reflect subtopics of the Level 1 heading. Many papers use only Level 1 headings
throughout, yet most papers use a combination of Level 1 and Level 2 headings. More complex
topics may require additional headings. For guidance with headings, refer to Section 2.27,
“Heading Levels” of Ch. 2, “Paper Elements and Format,” of Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
Conclusion
The final Level 1 heading in every paper is for the conclusion section and eliminates the
need to add “in summary” or “in conclusion” as the start of the final paragraph. In the
conclusion, the writer summarizes the key points made in the paper with no new information or
analysis. The conclusion is simply a recap of the most notable information presented in the
paper.
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References
Note: The following provides examples for formatting different pieces of literature. According
to APA guidelines, the reference page is not sub-divided by type of literature, but it has been
provided in this format for ease of reference as you use this template. All references are in
alphabetical order according to authors’ last names. All references listed in the reference list
must have an in-text citation from that source in the body of the paper. For additional reference
formatting examples, see Ch. 10, “Reference Examples,” of the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association (7th ed.). For APA tutorials on formatting citations and
references, please access the Doctoral Writing Resources page on MyPhoenix.
When using this “References” template page, replace these references with your own, and
remove the content type headings and this paragraph.
Journal Article Example
Ainsworth, S., & Purss, A. (2009). Same time, next year? Personnel Review, 38(3), 217–235.
https://doi.org/10.1108/00483480910943304
Authored Book Example
Bateman, T. S., & Snell, S. A. (2007). Management: Leading and collaborating in a competitive
world (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Chapter in an Edited Book Example
Eatough, V., & Smith, J. (2008). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. In C. Willig & W.
Stainton-Rogers (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research in psychology (pp.
179–195). Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781848607927.n11
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