This discussion is the fourth in a series in this course in which you focus your post and responses within your specialization.

No matter how well organized you are, the process of thoroughly investigating a specific topic can turn out to be messy, with unexpected discoveries and unanticipated twists. Of course, that is part of the reason that the investigation is worth doing: you have the opportunity to learn something you did not know before.

For your initial post in this discussion, address the following:

• How did you conduct your investigation? Provide a high-level description of your starting point, the databases you used, and how you decided where and when to stop looking.
• What did you learn from this process? Describe specifically any major discoveries or realizations that changed your thinking about the topic. Provide one detailed example of your experience with a particular source.
• How did the readings help you in your investigation? In particular, what kind of impact did Chapters 5 and 6 in your Critical Thinking in Psychology text have on your thinking process?
• What would you do differently? If you were asked to conduct a similar search six months from now, what would you change about your approach? Why?

DISCUSSION 2

Accessing Assistance on the Doctoral Journey

Reflect on what you have learned about the process of earning a doctoral degree. For your initial post, address the following questions:

• In which aspects of the doctoral process do you have the most confidence in yourself? Why? Where did that confidence come from?
• Which aspects of the doctoral process concern you most? Why?
• To what extent are your beliefs about self-sufficiency impacting your willingness to ask for help? To answer this, consider the unit readings from your Critical Thinking in Psychology text on the topics of beliefs, interpretation, and perceptions.
• Which sources of help in the process sound like they would be most helpful to you, considering what you have learned in this unit? Explain what you read or heard that makes you feel this way.

DISCUSSION 3

Assessing Your Writing Skills

A large part of your growth as a scholar-practitioner will come as a result of your ability to use your writing as a vehicle for critical thinking. Already in this course, you have completed an assessment of your writing skills (Unit 2), you have posted your ideas and responses to peers in discussions, and you have turned in a written assignment designed to follow a particular structure (Unit 4).

In this discussion, you will reflect on what you know about your current level of writing, including what you have learned from your experiences in this course and from the feedback you have received. Address the following in your post:

• What did you learn about your writing from completing the self-assessment in the Capella Writing Center?
• What have you learned about your writing from your experience in the course discussions so far?
• What have you learned about your writing from the feedback you received from your instructor on the Unit 4 assignment?
• What have you learned about specific aspects of your writing from the feedback you received from Smarthinking?

Considering all of these sources of feedback, along with your own judgment, identify what you see as the three most important aspects of writing that you feel a need to improve. Provide a specific example for each aspect and describe a location in the Capella Writing Center where each aspect is addressed.