Research Journal #1

What was the process by which you narrowed down potential topics to two appropriate ones? And how were these decisions made on the basis of either class discussion, or our required, course textbook (Aveyard 2014), or both?

I narrowed down the topics by thinking about what kind of research method I wanted to use to find my information. The topic I came up with was based on the type of research I would be able to find.

What research question did you choose, and how are I can be sure you're making a reasoned, academic judgement on the basis of chapters 1-3 (Aveyard 2014)?

I chose "How does herd immunity affect the rates of vaccinations for young children in the U.S". You can be sure I am making a reasoned, academic judgement because it will lead to the better understanding of the practice and improve patient/client care. 

What article (or articles) are you basing this question on, and what type of article is it (research, theory, policy, practice) (citation[s] in APA, please)? 

I haven't based it on a specific article yet. I came up with the question first and then started researching.

How can I be sure that the key vocabulary of the question corresponds not only to literature in the field, but also to chapter 1-3 (Aveyard 2014)?

Just like you, I encountered much difficulty with trying to identify whether the research I was going to try to find even existed in the peer-reviewed world. 

Based on what your question is, what kind of literature are you going to need? Again, please explicitly reference the text (Aveyard 2014). What is your hierarchy of evidence?

I'll be needing more practice literature due to it being about rates, so things like expert opinions and information from websites are necessary. 

How exactly did you research question arise out of "practice"?

It came out of practice by trying over and over again to come up with something that I could find enough research on while also trying not to be too broad or too narrowed of a topic. I actually came up with the final topic choice by thinking of it in a dream and immediately writing it down so I wouldn't forget it.

How do you define your key terms, and how do these definitions link to key journals in the field?

To be totally honest,I haven't been able to find much on the websites I have been using, which mostly consists of the university library. I type in "herd immunity" "herd immunity and vaccine rates", etc, but I am really struggling.

Did anything unexpected happen? From you initial search, does it appear as though your research question will work? Or does the vocabulary and/or type of research sought need to be changed?

Nothing necessarily "unexpected" happened, but I guess I did not expect it to be so difficult to come up with the research I needed. I think my research question would work better if I messed with the wording a little more. It needs a little work in order to make the question more doable.