Lisa Rogers ePortfolio Research and Assessment Competence Reflection Form

This artifact, titled Mini Research Proposal: Leaving Career for Motherhood, was the final assignment for RMTD 400: Research Methods. I chose to use this paper rather than my assessment project because this had more personal meaning for me. As I began to think about the job search process, much of it was shaped by my identity as a woman. Particularly I heard many messages from individuals about how woman have to choose motherhood or careers. All of that aside, I believe that this artifact represents my competence in research and assessment. In this assignment, we were required to create a proposal for a research study on a topic of our choice. We then had to break down the various steps we would take to accomplish the study. In choosing our methodology it was imperative for us to know what methods would be most appropriate. I had to discern whether or not I wanted to use a quantitative or qualitative method and what kind of sampling would be most appropriate given my research questions. I also had to choose an instrument. I chose to interview participants and thus created the protocols for the initial interviews. This demonstrates an understanding of research and assessment methodologies as well as my ability to create and utilize tools and protocols for research. Throughout this process I acknowledged and checked my own biases in order to remain ethical throughout. For example, because I chose a topic that was closely linked to my identity as a woman, I inherently have opinions about what that means and the social assumptions that go with that identity. Additionally, in creating this research proposal I reviewed research studies and peer-reviewed articles. In doing so with a critical eye, I was able to synthesis and determine where there were gaps in the research. Overall, this paper gave me experience with research and assessment methodologies.