Your research must contribute to theory. Your research and the theory to which it contributes may or may not have a practical benefit or application. There is no doubt, however, that there is a theory in your dissertation topic area that does have a practical application. Part 1 Referencing at least five peer-reviewed journal articles or scholarly books, discuss views on the relationship between theory and application or practice. How can a theory guide or inform practice? What are the issues involved in translating theory into practice? Be sure to keep in mind the various conceptions of theory you discussed in Question 1. This question is more straight-forward than others. If you have a question about this question, additional articles that will help you build knowledge to build your answer include ones such as http://www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/121/537 and http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1044500510000247 Part 2 Referencing at least five peer-reviewed journal articles, fully describe a theory of current interest in your topic area. A theory is currently of interest if there are articles published on it in the past five years. This theory may or may not be the same as the one you examined in Question 1, Part 3. Describe a current view of the theory, not the founder's view or a classic view. Your answer should be no more than three pages long. See the help/guidance presented in Question 1, Part 3 above and describe the theory in as much details as possible – the principles, the variables, how they are measured, the types of hypotheses tested, etc. Part 3 Identify at least five scholarly articles (published in the last 5 years) that address how the theory you discussed in Part 2 has actually been applied. (Draw on your response to Part 1 in order to define what you mean by an application of a theory to an actual problem or situation.) Critically evaluate the appropriateness of the uses to which the theory has been applied. Consider, for example: Are the applications premised upon an accurate understanding of the theory and its scope? Do the applications "go beyond" what the theory claims? Is the reasoning linking application and theory sound? This question is straight-forward. Please call me with any questions. For an example, look at the TAM theory – it has grown and more variables have been added as the scope of its applications has expanded over the years. Learning Outcomes: 1. Critique existing research and design a methodologically sound approach to research in the student's academic specialization(s).