WARNING!

Casual researchers and writers are not encouraged to enroll in this course....it is not for everyone and you may struggle with the concepts and process if you are not totally invested in producing high-quality work. The course and its content follow the strict step-by-step process for search and review guidelines that are followed by rigorous researchers and industry leaders. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) process is a rigorous and complex procedure which often requires 20-30 hours to complete.

Students who enroll in this course should be fully committed to the quality of their work and producing high-level research and writing.

The instructor encourages students to do a web search of PRISMA Guidelines prior to enrolling in this course for additional information about PRISMA and its importance in the research reporting industry.

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About This Course

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If you have ever struggled with identifying and organizing literature for an independent research or dissertation project, then you do not want to pass on this course. My experience has shown me that nearly all doctoral students have never been taught the process or importance of conducting a formal, comprehensive and systematic approach to their literature search and review. The course is designed for you to find and organize up to 90% of the literature that you will ever need for your project.

After completing this course there should be no reason for you to:

• Go back to search over and over again to look for evidence to support your work

• Aimlessly read through dozens or hundreds of articles, wondering how they might fit into your manuscript

• Return to the search stage when writing Chapter 5 of your dissertation

• Stumble when asked to explain how you arrived at the best literature available

• Be unorganized and waste time when referencing others' work in your own manuscript

• Be anything less than an expert in the content knowledge of your research topic

It is extremely important to plan your dissertation study with an end goal in mind because decisions that you make during this search and review stage can (and likely will) have an impact when you begin to write your dissertation or research manuscript. This course is designed for students and researchers who are in the pre-proposal stage of their project. However, the course is not limited to those who are in a doctoral program or who are conducting a dissertation project. It is also perfect for any researcher who is interested in writing and publishing a review journal article. Others who will find the course to be helpful include early career professionals and undergraduate and Master's students who are beginning to conduct independent research.

In addition to the technical skills, here is what you will get from the course:

• Many supporting materials such as templates, example documents, supplemental reading, and the PowerPoint slides for all lectures.

• Deep understanding of why it is necessary to be systematic with your search and review

• Advanced knowledge of how your systematic process will substantially increase the opportunity to publish your review results

• Save time by doing your work correctly from the start

This course contains a great amount of detail and was designed to give you step-by-step examples for everything from exploring appropriate database search terms to organizing and presenting the results from your review into a publishable manuscript. Without a doubt the course will put you in a position to provide your research supervisor with the most comprehensive example of a literature search and review any student has brought to them before. With our lectures we also provide the PowerPoint slides and other very helpful supporting materials that you can download to use for your own dissertation or research project.

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Praise for Todd's coaching and consulting...

Todd, you are amazing! I appreciate your editing services! The 1st line on my AQR review is “congrats for a strong 1st submission”. I actually had no dings on my grammar etc. (Doctoral Candidate, Arizona)

Todd surpasses all expectations! He has a wealth of knowledge and skill, provides high-quality professional products and is an absolute pleasure to work with. (Nonprofit Consultant, New York)

I highly recommend Dr. Bottom. He is innovative in his approach to solving problems, strategic, highly analytic and persistent. Thanks Todd. (University Research Director, Atlanta)

Todd is a passionate and thorough consultant who came through for LCL when it counted most. He provided a comprehensive report that helped to strategically guide the organization through a critical transition period. (Nonprofit Owner, Chicago)