Research Support Online Akamai Research Philosophy Research Preparation Courses Research Journals Research Asistantships Doctoral Research Tutorials Syllabi EXM 880: Master's Comprehensive Examination Syllabus RES 885: Thesis Research Proposal Syllabus RES 890: Thesis Research Syllabus EXM 895 Oral Defense of Thesis Syllabus EXM 980: Doctoral Comprehensive Examination Syllabus RES 985: Dissertation Proposal Syllabus RES 990: Dissertation Project Syllabus EXM 995: Oral Defense of Dissertation Syllabus Research with Human Subjects---IRB Policies and Procedures Scheduling Conference Calls Parts of the Thesis or Dissertation Proposal EXM 995 Oral Defense of Dissertation Thesis Dissertation Project Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines for Graduate Students Thesis and Dissertation Manuscript Guidelines Bindery and Finishing Activities Guidelines for Writers of Major Projects in Lieu of Theses of Dissertation AKAMAI's RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY Akamai University understands and supports the need for research on all fronts of the human experience, from the arts and humanities, religious and spiritual arenas of ideas, to the concrete world of hard political and business decisions. The scope of our faculty and student research reaches from the realm of public health and disease control to the recognition of the whole person in the healing process and from the study of the depth of human psyche to the community as an incubator of social and psychological health. Our research scope also spans the essential areas of environmental and life science. Our research ventures encourage the development of new technological systems addressing the need for global communication and educational systems to bring each world citizen the knowledge to empower themselves to change their world. Akamai University?s research philosophy, then, is to create and organize new knowledge and systems toward the amelioration of major world problems, improvement of the human condition and sustainability of the planet. Return to Top RESEARCH PREPARATION COURSES Within certain limitations, the following research preparation courses are available across the University. Students are asked to consult with their primary mentor in selection of research coursework. RES 500: Survey of Research Methods (3 credits) This course inspects the foundational techniques of scholarly research. Topics explore sources of scholarly research literature, proper methods for evaluating research reports, fundamentals of qualitative and quantitative research, as well as participatory action research methods. RES 502: Understanding Research Journal Articles (3 credits) This course empowers students in assessing the effectiveness of research papers from professional journals. Topics investigate the rigor of various research methods, replicability, bias and validity issues, and the appropriateness of statements of findings and recommendations from research. Students study effectiveness and problems in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data from studies and investigate the applicability and generalization of findings and the proper manner of presenting the details of their own research studies. RES 504: Introductory Research Statistics (3 credits) This course covers the basic statistical concepts, theory and methods in statistical research. Topics include variables, graphs, frequency distributions, measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion, probability theory, binomial, normal and Poisson distributions, statistical sampling theory, and statistical decision theory. RES 506: Advanced Research Statistics (3 credits) This course covers parametric and nonparametric hypothesis testing. Topics include sampling theory, Chi-square test, least squares regression, correlation theory, non-linear regression, analysis of variance, Student's t-test, and various methods in nonparametric analyses. RES 508: Qualitative Research (3 credits) This course provides detailed study of qualitative research methods. Topics survey historical and theoretical foundations of qualitative research, explore major qualitative research strategies, and build an understanding of the art and science of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting qualitative information. The course provides background on applied qualitative research, the politics and ethics of qualitative inquiry, and the major paradigms that inform and influence qualitative research. RES 510: Participatory Action Research (3 credits) This course provides the foundational principles of participatory action research. Topics survey theoretical foundations of action research, the methodology and applications of PAR in contemporary culture. Students assess the rigor and usefulness of participatory action research in addressing major world problems. RES 512: Effective Data Analysis (3 credits) This course examines modern scientific data analysis including the elements of effectiveness in study design, data gathering, processing of statistics and interpretation of findings. RES 520: Social Science Research Methods (3 credits) This course examines essential issues in social science research. Topics include assessment of data gathering techniques using selected case studies from journal articles. Students learn to measure attitudes and performance, use tests in data gathering, contrast and compare uses of statistical and qualitative methods, and evaluate focus group research. RES 526: Biological Illustration (3 credits) This course investigates in detail the skills of drawing and painting by hand or camera lucida, photographic methods, video and digital imaging in biological illustration. RES 527: Biological Modeling (3 credits) This course explores the analytical and quantitative approaches to the study of biological systems. Topics include fitting data to models, dynamics of systems, transects, random sampling, coring, volumetric measurements, tracking and global positioning. This course presents different mathematical and statistical approaches including deterministic, chaotic, stochastic as well as discrete and continuous models. RES 528: Environmental Science Research Methods (3 credits) The course investigates the application of knowledge and understanding to problems of original research in environmental studies. Topics distinguish and interpret the differences among research paradigms and methods. Students review essential principles of ecological problems and how they are approached, the minimal requirements of experimental design in ecology, trade-offs in ecological experimentation. Students analyze current literature, critique existing research methodologies and studies, develop practical research skills, and formulate approaches to scholarly research., and prepare a scholarly paper. RES 529: Calculus for Environmental Science (3 credits) This course covers the fundamental topics of derivatives and integrals with emphasis on methods and applications. It is especially directed towards environmental studies in order to provide a valuable and useful device to help solve problems. TPP 653: Transpersonal Psychology Research Methods (3 credits) This survey course offers an in-depth study of transpersonal research methods. Students begin by surveying the basic facets of both qualitative and quantitative research methods, and then focus upon a number of transpersonal research methodologies. The course concludes with the student choosing a transpersonal research methodology to study in more depth that is related to the student's intentions for his/her masters thesis or doctoral dissertation. Throughout the course, students will explore major transpersonal research strategies, and build an understanding of the art and science of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting transpersonal materials. The course also provides background on applied transpersonal research and the major paradigms that inform and influence transpersonal research. RESEARCH JOURNALS Pacific Journal of Science and Technology Journal of Organic Psychology and Natural Attraction Ecology PACIFIC JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY The Pacific Journal of Science and Technology (PJST) is a peer-reviewed electronic journal of interdisciplinary scientific research, theories, and observations. PJST is a semi-annual publication of Akamai University, Hilo, Hawaii. The mission of this journal is to provide a non-commercial platform for the dissemination of scientific research and theory across the academic disciplines. We seek to facilitate greater communication between the scientific assembly at Akamai University and the larger scientific community. To this end, the PJST provides a platform for research conducted both inside and outside of our university. As a non-profit institute of higher learning, Akamai University seeks no publication or distribution fees from the PJST. The journal is provided strictly in the spirit of academic and scientific discourse and in support of our institutional mission of improving the human condition. Pacific Journal of Science and Technology JOURNAL OF ORGANIC PSYCHOLOGY AND NATURAL ATTRACTION ECOLOGY A publication of experiential, empirically-based, journal entries and scholarly essays that convey the unique values of educating, counseling and healing while in conscious sensory contact with nature, backyard or backcountry. Journal of Organic Psychology and Natural Attraction Ecology Return to Top RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS Charles Leake Scholarship in Mathematical Science Scholarship for Advancement of Human Condition Return to Top DOCTORAL RESEARCH TUTORIAL SYLLABI RES 641: Research Tutorial- Research Methodology RES 642: Research Tutorial_ Literature Search RES 643: Research Tutorial- Referencing and Presentation Return to Top