Empirical research is research that answers questions based on systematic and verifiable observation or cataloging of experience, and not based on belief, conjecture, or published opinion. Under the guidance of their scholarly delivery committee, each student determines what research method and study design is best suited to answer their approved research question(s). Students will determine what observations are required to answer their research question(s), and what tool(s) they will use to collect their data, for example, an interview protocol, survey or questionnaire, a classroom observation checklist, or a psychological test. Students may also use “secondary data,” such as publicly available data obtained from a state or federal education agency and reputable peer-reviewed datasets hosted at sites recommended by tier-one and tier-two publishers, to answer their research question(s). Written empirical research reports include: specific research questions, careful definition of who or what will be studied, how research participants or cases are selected for inclusion in the study, specification of what data will be collected and how it will be collected, and how data will be analyzed and presented (for example, “thematic analysis” for transcribed interviews of rural educators, or a “time series analysis” for examination of changes in academic achievement of students from low-income families over time). Based on data analysis, research questions are answered, and the significance of the findings are discussed in relation to existing literature and theory, as appropriate.
Generally, a student’s scholarly delivery will identify a problem of practice upon which the student will design and conduct research and scholarly writing. According to the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate CPED (2016), a problem of practice is defined “as a persistent, contextualized, and specific issue embedded in the work of a professional practitioner, the addressing of which has the potential to result in improved understanding, experience, and outcomes.” Students’ identified problems of practice should be central to all of their scholarly delivery engagement and each scholarly deliverable must demonstrate the rigor associated with formal research. Refer to the Scholarly Delivery Guide for more information. Additionally, students enrolled in the program may access the Ed.D. program Scholarly Tracking System through WTClass for detailed information and annual performance milestones. The Scholarly Tracking System is the authoritative source for scholarly delivery requirements and timelines.