Research Matrix - Week 2
Assignment Overview
Purpose: Transform a broad research interest into a focused, feasible research problem and record the key planning information required in the Academic Writing Matrix. You will define the problem, explain it in a concise problem statement, identify the intended audience and possible participants, and locate three credible scholarly articles. This work establishes the foundation for an aligned Unit I research proposal.
Assignment type: Individual / Homework, with in-class planning and feedback.
Estimated time: 90-120 minutes within the Week 2 module.
Learning Outcomes
By completing this assignment, students will be able to:
• Narrow a broad subject into a specific, researchable, and feasible problem within a defined context.
• Draft a concise problem statement that identifies a specific issue, gap, difficulty, or unanswered question and explains why it merits inquiry.
• Identify a relevant target audience, realistic possible participants, and three credible scholarly articles that support or define the research problem.
Task
Complete one row of the Academic Writing Matrix for your proposed Unit I research topic. Your entry must contain all eight required fields:
| Full name, first name first | Researchable problem |
|---|---|
| Problem statement | Target audience |
| Possible participants | Article 1 |
| Article 2 | Article 3 |
Instructions
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Narrow your broad interest. Use the Week 2 narrowing funnel: identify the general area, the specific problem, who or what is affected, the context where it occurs, and the aspect that can realistically be investigated within the semester.
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Write the researchable problem. State one focused issue, gap, difficulty, or unanswered question. Make the population/context visible when relevant, and avoid presenting a broad topic as the problem.
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Draft the problem statement. In 2-4 clear sentences, establish the context, describe the specific condition or gap, indicate who or what is affected, and explain why the issue deserves inquiry. Do not promise results or introduce unrelated variables.
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Identify the target audience and possible participants. The target audience is the group of readers or stakeholders who would find the inquiry useful; possible participants are people from whom you could realistically collect information if the project later requires data.
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Locate three credible scholarly articles. Choose articles that directly help establish the problem or define its central concepts. Enter a complete APA 7 reference for each article in Article 1, Article 2, and Article 3.
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Check alignment and feasibility. Confirm that the same central concepts appear across the researchable problem, problem statement, audience/participants, and selected articles. Remove unexplained shifts in topic and make sure the project is manageable with the time and access available.
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Document approved AI planning support, if used. AI may be used only for planning support at this stage. Record exact prompts and explain what you retained, modified, or discarded in your Unit I AI Planning Appendix.
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Review your work before submitting it. Check completeness, clarity, APA presentation, and spelling before final submission.
Deliverable to Teams Assignment
Submit your completed Week 2 Research Topic Matrix entry containing all eight required fields. Your matrix entry should be concise enough to scan quickly but specific enough that another reader can understand what you plan to investigate, why it matters, who it concerns, and which preliminary sources support the problem.
Completion check: one complete row, three APA-formatted scholarly article references, and no missing fields.