Journal

In Qualitative Reasoning and Analysis, you were introduced to the concept of journaling as a research skill. Journaling is one way of being able to track your emerging and changing thoughts as a researcher.

As this course is designed to prepare you for the Dissertation, you will complete reflective journal writing each week to practice this skill.

Specifically, you will keep a 2-column journal where you will record your thoughts and observations in the left column and record your observations on your thinking process in the right column. In a sense, you are creating field notes on yourself.

The exercise will help to develop your analytical and writing skills, and the information will help to provide a form of documentation of your progress with advanced qualitative reasoning and analysis.

To prepare for this Journal activity:

Develop a journal template that you can re-use throughout the course.

Once you have your technology in place, think about your Dissertation topic ( post partum depression), and trace the journey you and your topic have taken to get to this point in your studies. How did you choose your topic? How did you come to choose a qualitative approach for your Dissertation?

You may wish to write your narrative in the left column and then go back and make comments in the right-hand column afterwards.

Note that while this Journal assignment is required, you may or may not receive feedback from your Instructor on the contents of this Journal entry. If you need specific help or feedback from your Instructor, please send your Instructor an e-mail.