Research Hub
The College of Doctoral Studies' Research and Scholarship Enterprise (RSE) offers a wealth of engaging and ever-evolving content to support you in starting and developing research, as well as understanding the essential and practical aspects of different research methods.
The resources below are a great way for you to explore helpful materials and other assets related to your research interests.
Explore our three centers for professional content related to your research interests, connect with your peers in our Research Hub 2.0 community, browse the Phoenix Scholar periodical and archive collection and check out the Research Addendum newsletter.
Check out CDS Central for support videos and other resources to assist you through your doctoral journey at University of Phoenix.
CDS Central is the portal through which the College of Doctoral Studies provides its collection of resources to students concerning academic pathways, dissertation requirements, and general program guidance -- in one central location.
Here you will find helpful content devoted to the dissertation, resource and support videos, and links to important doctoral community sites overseen by the college.
Any researcher, internal or external to the University, using the University of Phoenix as a subject (i.e. using UOPX students, faculty, staff, or data) for their research must submit a formal request to the Committee on Research (COR) for approval.
The Dissertation of the Year Award has been developed to recognize excellence in dissertation work among our doctoral students. The University of Phoenix, College of Doctoral Studies students who have passed their dissertation defense are eligible for this yearly award. Awardees will be invited to present their research at the annual Knowledge Without Boundaries Research Summit, where they will also be recognized. Awardees will receive a certificate commemorating their hard work. Students who have successfully defended their dissertations between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, may be nominated. Faculty are invited to nominate their doctoral students. Students may also nominate themselves with an endorsement letter from one of their committee members. Each student can be nominated only once.
Application: Nomination can be done by completing this form. Note that the nominated student's dissertation and the faculty endorsement letter should be uploaded via the form. Please log in with the University of Phoenix student or faculty, not staff, credentials to be able to access the form.
Deadline: Applications are due by June 30, 2025.
A list of the previous awardees can be found here.
If you have any questions, contact Dr. Mansureh Kebritchi at: Mansureh.Kebritchi@phoenix.edu
The Office of Scholarship Support (OSS) office is responsible for overseeing the aggregation of targeted, and helpful research aids for faculty, staff, students, and those external to UOPX wishing to conduct research with requests to survey students, staff, or faculty with the university COR office).
Visit one of our three established research centers:
Conduct discussions on Research and Scholarship Enterprise (RSE) projects, and engage in dialogue related to the doctoral research community.
Research Methodology Group is a cross-disciplinary community of researchers consisting of a committee of methodologists and members who are experts or interested in social science research methods and designs. The group offers method resources, office hours, discussion forums, and short-burst learning videos to support researchers. For further details please visit the Research Methodology Group.
Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR) Labs
The research labs offer structured frameworks for conducting team projects related to cutting-edge research topics. Through the research labs, we connect people, implement effective processes, and generate great products; the 3Ps are our formula for success.
Completed projects will be presented and published at peer-reviewed conferences and journals. The annual projects start in January and are completed in December. You may register to participate in the yearly projects via this form. For further details please visit The Research Labs Teams.
Review 2023 Research projects.
Browse the Phoenix Scholar periodical and archive collection. Learn more about new research results and outcomes, and explore their relationship to the broader scope of learning and scholarship.
Check out the Research Addendum newsletter for calls for proposals and conferences and more from our one-stop shop for all research-related updates.
Are you interested in publishing your completed research project in a peer-reviewed journal but not sure how to find an appropriate peer-reviewed journal or develop a publishable manuscript?
If so, join the web-based Research to Publication (RTP) Workshop at the University of Phoenix.
The Scholar-Practitioner Model is one that is founded in both theory and practice. It is the cornerstone of the university's doctoral programs. According to Sage Knowledge, "Scholar practitioners explicitly reflect on and assess the impact of their work. Their professional activities and the knowledge they develop are based on collaborative and relational learning through active exchange within communities of practice and scholarship" (Scholar-Practitioner Model, 2019). The following is a list of articles covering the scope of the SPL model in-depth.
Reference
Scholar-Practitioner Model. (2019). Sagepub.com. https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/distributedlearning/n134.xml
SPL Articles
The Scholar-Practitioner-Leader: An Introduction by Mark McCaslin
Scholar-Practitioner Leaders as Learners by Kelley Conrad
The Scholar-Practitioner Leader as a Connector by Lynne Devnew
The Scholar-Practitioner Leader as Communicator by Herman van Niekerk
The College of Doctoral Studies’ Research and Scholarship Enterprise (RSE) offers a variety of workshops for students, faculty, and alumni.
Gone are the days of roaming cavernous aisles of printed materials, hoping to stumble onto the nugget of content you're looking for. Focus your research with laser-like precision by using our cutting edge digital library and database resources.
Check out CDS Central for support videos and other resources to assist you through your doctoral journey at University of Phoenix.
CDS Central is the portal through which the College of Doctoral Studies provides its collection of resources to students concerning academic pathways, dissertation requirements, and general program guidance -- in one central location.
Here you will find helpful content devoted to the dissertation, resource and support videos, and links to important doctoral community sites overseen by the college.
This virtual, bi-monthly event aims to foster student success. Participate in a lively discussion, with like-minded people, for inspiration and guidance as you advance within your program and beyond.
Any researcher, internal or external to the University, using the University of Phoenix as a subject (i.e. using UOPX students, faculty, staff, or data) for their research must submit a formal request to the Committee on Research (COR) for approval.
The Dissertation of the Year Award has been developed to recognize excellence in dissertation work among our doctoral students. The University of Phoenix, College of Doctoral Studies students who have passed their dissertation defense are eligible for this yearly award. Awardees will be invited to present their research at the annual Knowledge Without Boundaries Research Summit, where they will also be recognized. Awardees will receive a certificate commemorating their hard work. Students who graduated in the prior year may be nominated by their Dissertation Chairs. Students cannot nominate themselves, they must be nominated by their Dissertation Chairs, and can only be nominated once.
Application: Dissertation Chairs may nominate their student by completing this application and submitting it along with the student’s full dissertation to this site.
Deadline: Applications are due by June 30, 2024.
A list of the previous awardees can be found here.
If you have any questions, contact Dr. Mansureh Kebritchi at: Mansureh.Kebritchi@phoenix.edu
Dissertation to Publication programs through which we help you publish your completed doctoral dissertations. Doctoral alumni, committee chairs, and committee members work together as co-authors to prepare the journal manuscripts with the center’s support.
Doctoral students: Network and collaborate with your University of Phoenix peers.
Find the research you need fast with databases and other resources curated by experienced research staff.
Lean Library browser extension works with the UOPX online library to give you seamless access to materials when working outside of the library website.
How Lean Library helps you:
Once downloaded, you'll be alerted via a pop-up message if you are looking for something that you can access through the University Library, including articles, e-books, and other subscriptions, saving you time and, in some cases, money. If your library can't help, we'll also try to direct you to an open-access version of what you are looking for if it exists elsewhere.
Research Methodology Group is a cross-disciplinary community of researchers consisting of a committee of methodologists and members who are experts or interested in social science research methods and designs. The group offers method resources, office hours, discussion forums, and short-burst learning videos to support researchers. For further details please visit the Research Methodology Group.
The College of Doctoral Studies’ Research and Scholarship Enterprise (RSE) offers a variety of workshops for students, faculty, and alumni.
Whether you want help finding relevant resources for your papers or want to build your confidence as a writer, we’ve got you covered.
There are numerous ways of preparing a research design for the study. Within research, there are two broad approaches of data collection and interpretation known as qualitative and quantitative research (Pathak et al., 2013). The most direct way formerly for conducting research was quantitative, but recently, qualitative methods of research have gained momentum amongst researchers. Qualitative method is a proposed way to understand people's beliefs, experiences, attitudes, behavior, and interactions. The process generates what is known as non-numerical data. To date, the incorporation of qualitative research into “intervention studies” is a research strategy that is securing increased attention across all disciplines (Pathak et al., 2013).
Pathak, V., Kalra, S., & Jena, B. (2013). Qualitative Research. Perspectives in Clinical Research, 4(3), 192. NCBI.
One of the most common research frameworks in the social sciences is quantitative analysis. You can think of this framework as a more objective than subjective lens from which to understand phenomena. “It studies processes through numbers, and often, the goal of the research is to produce statistics” (What Is Quantitative Research | Purpose of Quantitative Research, n.d.). According to the American Psychological Association, quantitative analysis is “a method of research that relies on measuring variables using a numerical system, analyzing these measurements using any of a variety of statistical models, and reporting relationships and associations among the studied variables” (American Psychological Association, n.d.).
Access a vast lineup of the best library databases for your research.
Action Research is mixed methods research focusing on enacting immediate changes in the research settings. It may produce quick changes as the researchers carry out the research in their own work settings. There are two major types of action research: critical action research and practical action research. The purpose of critical action research is liberation through gathering knowledge. Critical Action researchers focus on enhancing individuals' lives, particularly marginalized individuals who do not have power to improve their own lives. Examples of issues that critical action researchers focus are racism, sexism, or prejudice in their workplaces. The practical action research also aims to improve individuals’ lives but with more practical orientation focusing on everyday practices and making minor changes.
“Action research involves a systematic process of examining the evidence. The results of this type of research are practical, relevant, and can inform theory. Action research is different than other forms of research as there is less concern for universality of findings, and more value is placed on the relevance of the findings to the researcher and the local collaborators” ("Guides: Action research: Getting started," 1028).
Guides: Action research: Getting started. (1028, June). Guides at University of Central Missouri
Autoethnography is a form of narrative study that is written and recorded by the individual who is the subject of the study (Ellis & Bochner, 2000). More precisely, it puts the self at the center of the cultural analysis using personal experience (auto) to describe more fully while also gaining a better understanding (graphy) the various culture, relative beliefs, norms, experiences, and practices (ethno).
Researcher Anderson observes that the autoethnographer must be “visible, active, and reflexively engaged in the text” (2006, p. 383). He notes that a key characteristic is that “the researcher’s own feelings and experiences are incorporated into the story and considered as vital data for understanding the social world being observed” (2006, p. 384). Anderson notes that a key element of autoethnography is the researcher’s “quest for self-understanding” (2006, p. 386). This self-understanding “lies at the intersection of biography and society: self-knowledge that comes from understanding our personal lives, identities, and feelings as deeply connected to and in large part constituted by – and in turn helping to constitute - the sociological contexts in which we live” (Anderson, 2006, p. 386).
Case study is a form of qualitative research that focuses on discovering meaning, investigating processes, or gaining deep understanding of an individual, group, or situation. The use of a case study design can be determined by four major factors of the nature of the research questions, the extent of the researchers’ control over research variables, the expected end product of the research, and existence of a bounded system as the focus of the research (Merriam, 1998).
The research questions that focus on “how” and “why” the appropriate questions for a case study as the design helps researchers gain what can be understood from a single case. Case study design is appropriate for such situations as it is built upon tacit knowledge and provides a thick description about the case under investigation. The end product of a case study can be the case itself but often it is used as instrumental way to investigate a broader phenomenon (Stake, 1995).
The most critical element of a case study design is identification of the case itself which leads to identification of a bounded system with certain features within boundary of the case and other features outside of the case. To determine whether there is a bounded system, researchers may investigate whether there is a limited number of people involved in the case who could be interviewed or a finite amount of time for observation. If there is no limit to the number of people who could be interviewed or observations that could be conducted, then the phenomenon is not bounded enough to be a case (Merriam, 1998, p.27-28).
Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education (rev. ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
For those interested in this alternative research method, its roots generally go back to the humanities and study of journalism, media, and society. This can encompass a broad range of studies in business, communications, and education. More than 20 years ago under the tutelage of Stephen Lacy, Ph.D. at Michigan State University, Erik conducted a thesis study to compare a published environmental priorities state report and the degree of newspaper coverage devoted to the most dangerous health risks it reported. Lacy, who has co-authored content analysis textbooks and who has amassed dozens upon dozens of rigorous such studies maintains that this quantitative method of analysis is most successful when a carefully defined coding book of definitions is set up prior to any investigation.
Often confused as just qualitative research method, content analysis is also quantitative since instances of words, images, measurements, and published pieces, for example, are counted and compared to one another based on size, frequency, prominence (how likely they would be seen by the target audience) and by whatever research question is posed.
“Content analysis is a research tool used to determine the presence of certain words, themes, or concepts within some given qualitative data (i.e. text). Using content analysis, researchers can quantify and analyze the presence, meanings, and relationships of certain words, themes, or concepts. As an example, researchers can evaluate language used within a news article to search for bias or partiality. Researchers can then make inferences about the messages within the texts, the writer(s), the audience, and even the culture and time of surrounding the text” (Content Analysis, n.d.).
Introduction - The Delphi technique is a research design, usually considered a qualitative method, which was designed to forecast viable solutions to problems where data was missing or incomplete. The object “is to obtain the most reliable consensus of opinion of a group of experts” (Dalkey & Helmer, 1963, p. 458) as to the best workable solutions to the problem. The Delphi technique originated in the 1950’s as a research project funded by the United States Air Force and developed by the RAND Corporation. The original research was a classified military effort involving a group of multi-disciplinary experts whose goal was to try and forecast the effects of future warfare on the United States (Gordon & Helmer, 1964).
The defining characteristics of the Delphi technique are as follows:
The Delphi technique is a “consensus” research method. In most cases, the goal is to approach a consensus among the expert panel as to future “best” solutions. There are, however, exceptions to this, notably the Policy Delphi. From that early beginning in the 1950’s and 60’s, the Delphi technique has evolved and grown significantly. Use of the Delphi method in medical research is the most common field of application, based on the number of articles published. In searching the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database, the growth in Delphi studies has been almost exponential.
Ethnography is the study of culture and has at its roots the field of anthropology but has branched out to study the cultures of peoples and how cultures influence the lives of the people that live within social setting (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). There are two schools of ethnography whose origins were taken from aspects of society. They are social and cultural anthropology. The field of social ethnography explores the social aspects of people living within a society. In cultural ethnography attention is centered more on the cultural aspects of the people in a society. In both social and cultural ethnography, the premise is that the researcher works within a community, understanding their culture, and letting the participants in the study present their thoughts and ideas in their own words. One misconception is that an ethnographic study, due in part to its basis in anthropology, takes place in remote areas involving indigenous peoples. While this is plausible it is so much more. Ethnographic studies can take place in urban, rural, and remote areas.
Merriam, S., & Tisdell, E. (2015). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
Grounded Theory is a qualitative research approach that attempts to develop theories of understanding based on data from the real world. Grounded Theory (Strauss, Corbin, 1990, 1998; Corbin & Strauss, 2008) has its origins in symbolic interactionism, taking the perspective that reality is negotiated between people, always changing, and constantly evolving. The key word is “theory,” which in science means an explanatory statement or model based on research evidence. Unlike some other forms of qualitative inquiry, grounded theory attempts to go beyond rich description (which it also strives for) to an explanation of the phenomena of interest.
The second key word is grounded. This implies that the explanation is derived from the “ground,” the actual experiences, words, behaviors, and other data obtained from people directly involved or engaged in the topic. For example, if one wished to derive a grounded theory about the effects of childhood abuse on adult functioning, one would gather many kinds of data from persons who had grown up amid child abuse and would build the theory of how it affects adult development on the information obtained from those people. Another unique feature of grounded theory is its tendency to “return” to the ground by taking preliminary insights back to the participants and asking them to further comment on and refine the researcher’s conclusions. The primary tools of discovery are interviews and observations. However, grounded theory goes beyond the descriptive and interpretive goals and is aimed at building theories.
Mixed methods studies are unique in that they combine qualitative [QUAL] and quantitative [QUANT] research within a single study. The emphasis on qualitative or quantitative research methods, when each data set is collected, and the relationship between the sets of data all determine the type of mixed method one may utilize. “According to the National Institutes of Health, mixed methods strategically integrates or combines rigorous quantitative and qualitative research methods to draw on the strengths of each” (Harvard Catalyst, 2022).
While mixed methods may also combine various ontologies and epistemologies, often the study follows a pragmatic perspective, using the appropriate research tools to meet the study's needs. Often one goal found within a mixed method study is triangulation, or the understanding of a given phenomenon from different vantage points. The basic belief is that by using both QUANT and QUAL, a researcher may expand, deepen, or further explain the topic at hand. However, a cautionary note for researchers in a time crunch (such as doctoral students), a mixed methods study often takes longer to conduct, and one must have skills in both QUANT and QUAL research methods.
Harvard Catalyst. (2022). Mixed Methods Research. Catalyst.harvard.edu.
Narrative research methods are exemplified by studies which focus on a participant’s narrative, or story. “Narrative inquiry is relatively new among the qualitative research designs compared to qualitative case study” (DeMarco, n.d.). While housed within the overarching label ‘narrative research’ there are many diverse types of narrative research (NR). Some NR focuses on analyzing the elements of a participant’s story, while others focus on creating a meta-narrative, or even identifying themes within the different participants’ narratives. Some narrative research may include art (an element of art-based research) to help flesh out the verbal narratives. These creative elements may include poetry, visual art, movement, or expressions through many different media. However, the more traditional narrative research focuses on interviews with study participants.
As a group, narrative research methods align well with a constructivist worldview, which asserts that we as humans create, or co-create, our reality. This creative aspect may focus more on perception of reality and the ability to change our personal narratives, or it may focus on a belief that verification of an external reality (if it exists) is limited due to inherent subjective experience of reality (i.e., we can only experience the world through our own perceptions). Either way, the basic goal is to obtain a participant’s personal narrative regarding a specific lived experience so as to better understand how the narrative, and perceptions of the experience, unfold. Those studying organizational or personal identity often utilize NR to understand how the identity came to be. More activist-oriented narrative research may go a step further and invite the participant to re-Story her or his narrative (as is seen in narrative-based psychotherapy) as a way of promoting transformation and change through the research process itself.
DeMarco, C. (n.d.). LibGuides: Section 2: Qualitative Narrative Inquiry Research. Resources.nu.edu.
According to the Smith of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2016), phenomenology “…is the study of structures of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view [lived experiences]. The central structure of an experience is its intentionality, its being directed toward something, as it is an experience of or about some object.” It is important to note that phenomenology is considered a branch of philosophy along with ontology, epistemology, logic, and ethics. It is not just a research design or methodology. The researcher must understand the philosophical background of phenomenology from 20th Century philosophers including Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, and Sarte. In addition, there are several sub designs that can be used in a phenomenology study including hermeneutic, transcendental, and interpretative phenomenological analysis (aka IPA) that must also be considered.
According to Royse, Thyer, and Padgett (2016) program evaluation is similar to basic research but focuses on evaluating some intervention or process within an organization which is meant to have a specific outcome. The program evaluation is used by upstream and downstream constituents (i.e., managers, providers, and clients who use the program) to see if the program is doing what it is intended to do, and having positive outcomes or impacts on the factors which are the focus of the program (Chyung, Inderbitzen, & Campbell, 2013). For example, if a program is created to reduce opiate abuse among chronic back pain patients in a clinic, then the clinic who creates the program will want to know if they are effective in addressing opiate abuse. The clinic directors and funders (the upstream constituents) want to know if the money is well spent, if processes are working, and if they are having an impact on their patients. The patients themselves (the downstream constituents) should be appraised of whether the program in which they are encouraged to attend actually works or not (actually decreases opiate abuse).
Surveys are data collection tools used for carrying out surveyed research. Surveys can be used to assess needs, evaluate demand, and examine impact (Salant & Dillman, 1994, p. Survey development is the work of creating valid and reliable quantitative measures to collect specific data from a specific population about a specific concept. Survey development is used when a researcher needs to create a measurement tool to collect data on something that does not have an established survey, or, to use an established survey in a new population. Surveys can also be called measurements or questionnaires. Survey development draws on psychometrics for theory and requires valid and reliable surveys. Validity inspects if a measure accurately measures what it is supposed to qualify. Reliability asks and tests if the measure consistently measures what it is supposed to qualify across times and respondents.
While the term survey development is used to discuss the statistical processes that occur to provide evidence that a survey can contribute valid and reliable data, the term survey design is used to discuss the broader process of conducting research using surveys that can indirectly influence survey development, from writing clear objectives for the survey to selecting the response-type, and soliciting feedback on survey instructions.
Salant, P., & Dillman, D. A. (1994). How to conduct your own survey. New York: John Wiley and Sons
This high-level checklist identifies nine steps to take you from start to end of your research project. The checklist below is intended as a guide for University affiliated researchers*. For additional questions or support, please contact the Office of Scholarship Support (OSS) at oss@phoenix.edu.
This list is not intended to be comprehensive; additional elements and actions may be required to gain necessary approvals.
1) Identify your research problem and review your design alignment.
2) Find support by joining a University Research Center.
3) Apply for funding, if applicable. For example:
4) If you’re using University of Phoenix students, faculty, staff, or data, submit for COR approval.
5) Submit for IRB approval, which is federal requirement for all human subject research conducted by University of Phoenix faculty, students, and staff**.
6) Conduct your research as outlined in the documentation provided for approval
7) Submit your research to your discipline specific calls (e.g. presentation, publication, etc.)
8) Apply for financial awards, if applicable, and update University profiles. For award examples:
9) Optional: Use the completed research as a springboard to identify additional research problems and begin the process again.
* Active doctoral students may refer to the detailed dissertation guide available on SASCentral.
** All human subjects research conducted by University faculty, students, and staff must be approved by the IRB prior to being conducted. If you have questions about whether your study requires a review, please see the GUIDANCE – What Projects Require an IRB Review? OR What is Human Subjects Research? document in IRBNet Forms and Templates library, which is located from the left menu when you login to IRBNet.
Reconnect with research and expand your professional life by continuing to learn more about research through our research centers, becoming “fellows in residence” and reading about how your fellow alumni are improving their communities.
Browse Alumni Chronicles to stay informed and connected to our global network of Phoenixes.
CDS Alumni Special Interest Group is dedicated to providing scholarship engagement, networking, career development, and entrepreneurship opportunities for students and alumni of the College of Doctoral Studies. This platform provides an additional outlet to exchange knowledge, skills, and abilities utilizing the guidance of fellow UOPX students, alumni, faculty, and researchers in both professional and social settings.
Visit our three established research centers:
Dissertation to Publication programs through which we help you publish your completed doctoral dissertations. Doctoral alumni, committee chairs, and committee members work together as co-authors to prepare the journal manuscripts with the center’s support.
The College of Doctoral Studies’ Research and Scholarship Enterprise (RSE) offers a variety of workshops for students, faculty, and alumni.
For businesses who might be interested in some of the services that the Research Centers may offer, we have created this specialized page where you can also download a "services document." This document provides a more comprehensive view of what the Research and Scholarship Enterprise (RSE) has to offer companies in the way of third-party research, specialized presentations, and more, to help organizations benefit and move forward.
Available services:
You may also email any of the RSE Chairs concerning your organization's specific interests.
Center for Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Research: Email Dr. Kimbery Underwood-Chair at kimberly.underwood@phoenix.edu
Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research: Email Dr. Mansureh Kebritchi-Chair at mansureh.kebritchi@phoenix.edu
Center for Leadership Studies and Organizational Research: Email Dr. Rodney Luster-Chair at rodney.luster@phoenix.edu
The College of Doctoral Studies’ Research and Scholarship Enterprise (RSE) offers a variety of workshops for students, faculty, and alumni.