Purpose of Doctoral Research (6/23/2007 by TQM Doctor)
The purpose of both doctoral and master’s-level research is to demonstrate the student’s, “. . . knowledge and ability to apply principles of research . . .” (Cone & Foster, 2006, p. 6) as well as contribute to the body of knowledge in a specific field. The differences lie in the level of independence and the focus on original work. While master’s-level research allows even for a summarization of previous works, the standard for originality in the contribution of new knowledge is much higher for doctoral-level research. Additionally, a much higher level of independence is required at the doctoral-level partly to illustrate the autonomous research abilities the doctoral learner.
Reference
Cone, J. D. & Foster, S. L. (2006). Dissertations and theses from start to finish (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.