Doctoral Research
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Research is a cornerstone of the College of Doctoral Studies, empowering learners to collaborate and advance within all fields. Through a continual dialogue regarding research and ethics guidelines, we serve the advancement of Grand Canyon University’s doctoral programs and other academic communities. Explore our resources, designed to suit your needs and interests, including the Center for Innovation in Research on Teaching (CIRT), the Canyon Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies (CJIS), the Journal of Instructional Research (JIR) and GCU’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).
What is qualitative versus quantitative research? Qualitative research is less structured and answers open-ended questions, providing subjective results that reveal bias but seek to explore and explain. Quantitative research, on the other hand, seeks to confirm a hypothesis and often uses numbers and statistical results. Quantitative research typically answers closed-ended questions and is typically documented using objective language.
At the College of Doctoral Studies, we value both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Depending on your degree and your dissertation, you may find that using one method is more appropriate than the other.
Knowledge Bases
The Quantitative Knowledge Base and Qualitative Knowledge Base are online platforms designed for the doctoral learning community. They focus on resources related to research and dissertation support. These platforms aim to consolidate critical research knowledge and practices identified by members of our College of Doctoral Studies community, providing learners and faculty with a centralized and easily accessible hub for dissertation support materials.
As part of the broader DC Network, these spaces engage CDS learners who are pursuing both quantitative and qualitative dissertation research. The dissertation committee faculty and research review colleagues further help students as a part of Peer Review and the Institutional Review Board.
The IRB ensures that all GCU-conducted research meets the highest ethical standards and complies with federal regulations. The IRB provides timely and efficient processing, review, monitoring, tracking and reporting of all research protocols and IRB activities, and requires that all research conducted by researchers within the GCU community meets the following requirements:
All researchers within the GCU community who aspire to conduct research at GCU must submit their request to the IRB using the appropriate form. Guidelines for GCU researchers are provided in the Institutional Review Board Handbook.
GCU enforces a strict and defined set of standards that challenge our scholars to practice ethical research. The principles that define our practices include those of the National Research Act, which ensures the protection of humans involved in research; the Belmont Report, which specifies basic ethical principles and their application in research; and the mandatory research ethics training prior to applying for IRB approval. Our uncompromised standards continue to facilitate excellence in field advancement and underscore the ethical code for which our university is known.
We believe innovative research fosters creativity, critical thinking and learning. CIRT facilitates excellence in scholarship and instruction at GCU. A faculty-driven initiative, CIRT crosses teaching disciplines to foster an integrated community of educators. For more information on CIRT, visit cirt.gcu.edu
The Canyon Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies is an annual online publication coordinated by CIRT that highlights exemplary student and faculty research completed at GCU. For more information on CJIS, visit cirt.gcu.edu
JIR is an annual online publication produced by CIRT. JIR helps scholars enhance their understanding and the application of best practices in college teaching. Attain Research Ready certification and prepare to engage in scholarly research, apply for a variety of grants and find out how to submit your own research. For more information on JIR, visit cirt.gcu.edu