Posted: April 24th, 2025

Acceptable topics

 I ADDED THE DISCUSSION FOR WEEK 2 THAT ONE OF THE ACCEPTABLE TOPICS WAS DONE ON! I WOULD RECOMMEND JUST STICKING TO THAT TOPIC BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHOOSE ANOTHER I DID ADD THE TOPICS LIST ACCEPTED AGAIN

INSTRUCTIONS!!! 

From the

Virtual Residency

Campus page, use the Acceptable Topics and Methods document for your program as well as the Capella library guide for your discipline to identify a potential acceptable topic and choose five articles to summarize in a short paper in which you address the following:

• Discuss the application of each article to the potential topic.

  In your summary, discuss why and how you feel the articles addresses your topic. What conclusions can you draw from the articles?

• Discuss how each article reflects acceptable methods for the discipline.

  In your summary, discuss why and how you feel the articles address the methodological approach. What suggestions for future study were offered?

• Explain how the methods used supported the outcomes of the study.
• As a scholar-practitioner, apply conventions of voice, academic tone, and discipline-specific language.

Week 2 discussion on an acceptable topic this is what was chosen for that 

The topic for the proposed study is, ‘Cybersecurity governance, its implications, and influence on risk management systems of organizations’. Cybersecurity governance may be defined as the systems, measures, norms as well as standards, that an organization implements to protect its cyberspace from cyber threats. Because more organizations rely on digital processes, the management of cybersecurity risks becomes even more elaborate, thus demanding more formal ways of dealing with it. Cybersecurity governance helps organizations to be prepared to treat security events to be following the required laws and fostering the minimization of risks in the systems’ complexity (Lee, 2021). This topic is emerging as conventional security threats transform over time into cyberspace threats, challenging organizations to start practicing prescriptive corporate governance systems.
The literature review called attention to the need for governance in Decision-making regarding an organization’s cybersecurity posture, especially among sensitive organizations like healthcare and financial institutions. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that certain issues such as analyzing how specific governance frameworks can be adapted to sectors under consideration are still uncovered. This research will examine how organizational cybersecurity governance can be optimized to improve risk management policies and reduce risks (Al-Sartawi, 2020).
The unfortunate thing is that even though organizations appreciate the significance of cybersecurity governance, there is scarce understanding of how they can apply these frameworks in operations across organizations in diverse industries. What is known is that the effectiveness of managerial governance decreases the security risks, but as of what is unknown is how customizable the approaches to the development of managerial governance are in the context of the organization ‘s structure. This work aims to help fill this gap by exploring the governance frameworks for organizational risk management and the general question of how such frameworks might best be adjusted for different sectors (Melaku, 2023). There is also a need to look at General Systems Theory as the theoretical foundation to help understand how organizations relate to digital spaces to manage cyber threats.
 
References
Al-Sartawi, A. M. M. (2020). “Information technology governance and cybersecurity at the board level.” International Journal of Critical Infrastructures, 16(2), 150-161.
Lee, I. (2021). Cybersecurity: Risk management framework and investment cost analysis. Business Horizons, 64(5), 659-671.
Melaku, H. M. (2023). A dynamic and adaptive cybersecurity governance framework. Journal of Cybersecurity and Privacy, 3(3), 327-350

Last Revised 6/30/2022

Acceptable Topics and Techniques

This document outlines the theoretical orientations, topics, techniques, and populations appropriate and
feasible for doctoral learner capstone projects and dissertations within the Doctor of Information
Technology program.

Doctor of Information Technology
The Doctor of Information Technology degree program is designed for experienced professionals seeking
to advance in their careers as senior technology managers, consultants, researchers, or teachers.
Throughout the program, you will integrate information technology and research with practice, and
develop expertise in IT, cybersecurity, and managing IT projects.

Selecting a Topic for Your Doctoral Project
An acceptable doctoral capstone or dissertation topic is aligned with your program, avoids significant
participant risks, represents a refinement or improvement over current best practice, and is feasible.

Capella University is committed to helping doctoral learners identify potential challenges related to
feasibility. An important consideration for topic selection is whether it is feasible to complete the proposed
doctoral capstone or dissertation within the timeframe of your degree. These challenges can add a significant
amount of time to a learner’s degree completion or result in doctoral capstones or dissertations that cannot be
completed.

The theories, topics, and techniques acceptable and feasible for doctoral projects in the program align closely
to the profession, coursework, and faculty expertise. In completing your project, you will gain a deeper
understanding and mastery of a particular theoretical orientation and topic at the doctoral level.

While not an exhaustive listing, the following sections detail those theories, topics, and techniques that meet
the criteria for being both acceptable and feasible for doctoral projects within the program. Please work with
your faculty instructor and/or mentor to ensure that your topic is appropriate for the DIT program.

Projects and dissertations that lie outside the scope of the guidance provided here will need to be vetted by
the Program and Research Director for further determination of relevance, rigor, and feasibility. In some
cases, the Dean of the School of Business, Technology, and Health Care Administration will need to
approve the topic.

Last Revised 6/30/2022

Acceptable Project Techniques

Project techniques Sources of data Type of analysis Sample size (participants)
Generic qualitative
inquiry

Interactive, real-time
interviews, with each
participant interview
lasting 45-60 minutes.

Thematic analysis Approximately 10-12

Quantitative Surveys (validated,
peer-reviewed
instruments only;
learners may not create
their own surveys)

Regression analysis Requires a G*Power
analysis to identify
appropriate sample size

Note. Called project techniques in Professional Doctorate programs but called methods and designs in the
research courses and PhD programs. In very rare cases, project techniques other than those listed above may be
approved by the SoBTH Program Director and Research Director. For approval, the learner must show that (1)
none of the techniques listed above will adequately address the project topic, (2) they thoroughly understand the
technique that they want to use, (3) they have the knowledge, skill, and resources needed to successfully use the
proposed technique with minimal support, and (4) they understand and accept the potential risks, effort, costs,
and delay that may accompany the use of a non-standard technique. Learners must work with their mentor to
prepare their case and schedule a Zoom meeting with the SoBTH Program Director and Research Director for
approval of any project technique not listed here.

Research Designs Explained (Project Techniques)

Recommended Theoretical Orientations*
• Boundary object theory • Complexity theory • Critical success factors theory
• Diffusion of innovations theory • General systems theory • Information processing theory
• International information • Media richness theory • Process virtualization theory

systems theory
• Technology acceptance model • Technology dominance theory • Unified theory of acceptance and

use of technology
• Work systems theory • Behavioral decision theory • Social cognitive theory
• Disruptive technology theory • Equity theory • Contingency theory
• Absorptive capacity theory • Cognitive load theory • Social learning theory

Recommended Acceptable Program Topic Areas*
• Corporate social networking • Information technology • Internet of Things (IOT)

infrastructure for big data
• Blockchain • Artificial intelligence • Cybersecurity
• Agile methods in project • Project management office • Leadership skills in project

management, including scrum approach to portfolio management
management
• Access control • Business continuity and disaster • Cryptography

recovery planning

https://capellauniversity.libguides.com/ebookmethods/DesignsExplained

Last Revised 6/30/2022

• Employee monitoring • Enterprise information systems • Information security governance
security and risk management
• Operations security • Social networking/privacy • Security architecture and design
• Cloud Computing • International education in • Using technology to enhance

information technology learning
• Using technology to support • Business intelligence and • Customer engagement and social

teaching and teaching analytics media
administration

*This is not an exhaustive list. It is meant to provide thoughts on appropriate topics to pursue. Refer to current,
relevant, respected professional publications and peer-reviewed journals for identification and justification of
proposed topics.

Avoid Significant Participant Risks
All research involving human subjects involves some degree of participant risks. Even doctoral capstone
projects that do not involve human subjects research as defined by the federal regulations may present risks to
the individuals involved. Doctoral projects involving significant participant risks will not be approved.
Carefully review Assessing Participant Risk in Research to understand how to assess potential topics for risk
and mitigate risk. When selecting a doctoral capstone or dissertation topic, learners should avoid topics
involving significant participant risk, including those which might be considered highly “sensitive” or involve
highly vulnerable populations. Certain topics are also prohibited at Capella.

Library Guides

Research assistance, subject guides, and useful resources compiled by Capella librarians can be found within
the Capella Library.

• Library Guides

http://assets.capella.edu/campus/doctoral-programs/UnderstandingResearchRisks

https://capellauniversity.libguides.com/

Resource List on Project Techniques*