In this last week, you bring your skills in critically evaluating research to a final discussion of what it means for the components of a research study to be logically connected. As you recall from previous weeks, this connection refers to alignment.

You also consider the social change implications of research. Engendering positive social change is at the core of Walden University’s mission. As future researchers and scholar-practitioners in your fields, you have likely had, and will continue to have, opportunities to apply your Walden learning experiences to making a difference in the lives of others.

This week, you will revisit the interrelationship among research components to determine the criteria for evaluating alignment. You will also consider the relationship between research and social change as you reflect on your newly acquired research knowledge and skills.

In the context of research, alignment and social change will be important topics to return to as you prepare for the next courses in the research sequence and continue your development as a scholar-practitioner.

Consider, for example, what criteria are used in your discipline to evaluate alignment of research components. And in what way will your future research contribute to your identity as scholar-practitioner who is dedicated to positive social change?

For this Discussion, you will consider criteria for evaluating alignment among the various components of a research study. You will also reflect on your role as a positive social change agent through research.

With these thoughts in mind:

By Day 4

Post an explanation of the criteria you could use to evaluate alignment between data collection methods and other research components, such as the problem, purpose, research questions, and design. Then, reflecting on the course content, discuss the extent to which your newly acquired research knowledge and skills can support your role as an agent of positive social change. Be specific and provide an example(s).

Be sure to support your Main Issue Post and Response Post with reference to the week’s Learning Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA Style.

Vogt, W. P., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2012). When to use what research design. New York,

Suppose you are an I/O psychologist, working as a consultant, and you have been invited by a government agency to provide a training program for 20 middle-level managers on one of the following topics of your choice: communication skills, leadership skills, or teamwork skills. The broader mission of the government agency is to conduct research and to help address important issues through applied, scientific research.

These managers were assigned to the training because they were recently promoted to leadership roles, and most lack the “soft skills” needed to perform their role as a team leader, despite being highly proficient in their fields. The managers are highly educated, holding a minimum of a Master’s degree, with many holding PhDs, or the equivalent, in various science and engineering fields. The average age is 45 years old.

Design a one-day training program, based on this description, making assumptions when necessary to fill in the details. You should choose at least two different training methods, explaining why you chose each for this training topic and audience. Set learning objectives, and then provide a description of your training program, including how you would design, administer, and evaluate the training.