Part A

This assignment will help you understand the importance of quality literature review in research projects.

In 700–900 words, post your answers to the following questions by the due date assigned to this Discussion Area:

• Conducting review of literature is an important part of a research project. However, would it not be a waste of time if the researcher already knows that there is no prior research available? What should the researcher do in such a case?
• A good literature review requires a worthwhile, justifiable, even compelling research question. How would you define a worthwhile research question? Provide an IT-oriented example of a worthwhile research question and use creditable references to justify your example.
• Determining what references are acceptable versus unacceptable is critical to developing a quality literature review. A best practice for recognizing an acceptable reference is to key on scholarly periodicals, scholarly books, reputable translations of foreign works, students’ theses, research forums or hotlines on the Internet, and Internet publications by recognized professional, industry, or government organizations. In addition, the following may be acceptable references: reputable news media, serious popular magazines, government publications, and Internet versions of these sources. An unacceptable reference is one of the top reasons for poor-quality literature reviews. What are the attributes of an unacceptable reference? Provide an example of an unacceptable IT-oriented reference and the reasons why it is unacceptable.
• Picking a topic that is too broad makes it difficult to conduct a useful literature review. The topic “Online Learning” may be too broad. What would you suggest as an alternative topic to this topic in order to refine your research? Why?

Respond to the questions using the lessons and vocabulary found in the reading. Support your answers with examples and research. Your responses should clarify your understanding of the topic. They should be your own, original, and free from plagiarism. Follow APA formatting for citing sources.

Part B

Research Proposal

During the week, you should identify areas of interest that you would like to use as a basis for your literature review research project. You should select an area that correlates with either your current or your targeted job in the IT field (or related line of work) based upon your chosen specialization in your IT coursework. The following is a potential list of research areas in the IT field; you may select a topic from this list but are not limited to it:

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
• Business Intelligence
• Cloud Computing
• Data Management and Big Data Analytics
• Dynamic Website Security
• Electronic Commerce and Social Networking
• Hardware Compatibility
• Information Assurance and Systems Security
• Information Technology Consulting Practices
• Information Technology in Strategic Planning
• Information Technology Life Cycle Governance and Management
• Information Technology Project Management
• Information Technology Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis
• Information Technology Strategic Planning in Complex and Global Environments
• Information, Communication, and Mobile Technology
• Interactive Multimedia Applications
• Network Operations Management and Development
• Online Learning Management Systems
• Software Architecture and Development
• Software Defined Networks
• Virtualization Technology and Cloud Management

On the basis of your chosen topic, identify the problem statement and state specific research questions and hypotheses on which your literature review research project will be based. Include at least one research question and one preliminary hypothesis. Set as an objective to arrive at a worthwhile, justifiable, even compelling research question as you discussed earlier under the Submissions Area. The preliminary hypothesis will reflect your initial perspective of your research, but you will be able to refine it or even change it as you progress in your research.

In your proposal, include background information on why the topic is being selected and the goals of the research questions and hypotheses statements. The length of your proposal should be 5–7 pages in a Microsoft Word document, including title page and references.

• Cite any sources in APA format on a separate page.