Article Analysis and Research Considerations
Part 1: Article Analysis
Knowing the difference between applied and basic research is necessary for developing an effective research
study.
The difference between basic research and applied research lies in their respective aims:
Basic research refers to research aimed at acquiring new, fundamental knowledge and theoretical
understanding about basic human and other natural processes without any particular application in view.
Applied research is also conducted as an original investigation to acquire new knowledge, but it is primarily
directed toward practical objectives, with the aim of providing relatively immediate solutions.
Locate an applied research article on a topic in your program of study from the University Library. To familiarize
yourself with the different applied designs, review the Qualitative and Quantitative research designs in the
Dissertation Guide located in CDS Central. Some keywords to use while searching for an article in the library
might include: Action Research, Program Evaluation, etc.
(ATTACHED - Content Server.pdf) Dissertation will be about the lack of financial literacy in the American
school system and how it leads to lifelong debt
Write a 350- to 525-word analysis about what makes the study discussed in the article applied versus basic
research. Include in your analysis:
The article topic (e.g., education, business,healthcare) and a link to the article
How the study in the article addresses a real-world, practical problem
How the results of the study could impact people’s lives, work, health, and/or general well-being
Part 2: Accessibility
Additionally, an important aspect of choosing a topic is access or the ability to conduct your study. For
example, you may want to know how leaders in XYZ company use social media to increase sales, but leaders
in XYZ company are unwilling to talk to you.
When selecting a topic for your study, consider whether conducting the study would involve talking to protected
classes of people or vulnerable populations. Federal regulations require protecting the welfare of vulnerable
subjects who may not be of age, have the authority or ability to speak for themselves, or are vulnerable in any
other way. Protected classes include the following:
Children or minors under age 18
Prisoners
Pregnant women
People with cognitive impairments or mental disabilities
People who are educationally or economically disadvantaged
If you are considering conducting research with any of the protected classes of human subjects, consider
options for conducting your study in a different way. For example, instead of talking to minor children, talk to
their parents. There are many creative options!
Write a 250- to 500-word response to the following questions related to access and permission:
What permissions will you need to access the people, organizations, and/or data to conduct your research?
Who might you need to consult to gain permission to conduct your study?
What potential issues might you encounter?
How might you address these potential issues?
While a set of frameworks complement and build on each other, the delineation of the concept focuses heavily on vertical versus horizontal dimensions in a time-sliced fashion. That is, time dimension in accountability has not been of primary importance. However, it is worth noting that the time dimension is closely interrelated with a series of conceptual distinctions made in previous literature, and it may cover complementary aspects of the question concerning two sequential lines represented by administrative responsibility versus political accountability. First, the positioning of accountability actors depends on the time dimension. Civil servants usually have longer terms to serve the public interest over the long term. At the same time, they are responsible to the elected representatives of the public who tend to have “a limited time horizon” and “prefer policies that yield tangible benefits for constituents in the near term” (Posner, 2004: 137). For this reason, the priorities expressed by elected officials may be far more related to short-term issues and temporal problems instead of long-term solutions, whereas the long-lasting forms of civil service personnel would prioritize sustainable solutions to secure a long-term perspective of the citizens, both current and in the future. Second, the time frame is essential to distinguishing between two main streams of accountability. Accountability mechanisms focus predominantly on retroactive accountability for the past outcomes, while accountability as a virtue takes a proactive approach to ensuring ethical behaviors in the future. The timeline is also useful to distinguishing between ex ante accountability of the decision-making process leading up to the decision and ex post accountability where the results available from the decision already taken or where questions of compliance are identified and addressed. In other words, ex ante accountability refers to being accountable for the decision before an administrator act, while ex post accountability is suggestive of situations where administrators are accountable for the outcome of their decisions. For example, the focus of traditional bureaucratic administration is very much