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Journal of Computing in Higher Education

, Volume 26, Issue 1, pp 54–68 | Cite as

Developing a research agenda: contributing new knowledge via intent and focus

  • Peggy A. Ertmer
  • Krista D. Glazewski
Article
First Online:

Abstract

It is generally believed that new PhD graduates begin their first faculty positions having already outlined a research agenda that will guide their work during the next several years of their careers. Yet very little guidance is provided regarding how to accomplish this important task. In fact, little explanation is provided about what, exactly, a research agenda is. In this paper, we define a research agenda and discuss why it is important for scholars to establish one. We discuss how strong research questions provide the foundation for a strong research agenda and provide specific ideas for articulating one’s contributions to the field. We end with some primary considerations involved in accomplishing this important task, including suggestions for how to determine your specific focus, interest, community, and context.

Keywords

Research agenda Research framework 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Purdue UniversityWest LafayetteUSA
  2. 2.Indiana UniversityBloomingtonUSA

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