Qualitative Research Pilot Study Guidelines
The finished research report will be a traditional research paper and should include the following sections:
1) Abstract
The abstract should briefly state the goals of your research, methodology, briefly outline your most important findings and the significance of your research. It should be no more than 200-300 words (about half a page, single spaced). Much of the abstract can be drawn from the text of the report. You should probably write the abstract last.
2) Introduction (1-2 paragraphs):
Briefly introduce the general area you are researching as well as your own specific research problem.
3) Literature review (3-4 pages)
The literature review should discuss previous scholarly research done on the topic you have chosen and should rely mostly on recent academic journal articles (possibly less so for historians). The utility of the literature review is that it situates your current research within the broader context of previous academic research. Summarize and discuss the research and findings described in the articles you have chosen to include.
You will need at least 5-7 relevant articles from topical journals and/or book chapters that are directly related to topic or themes that you are studying. These can be accessed in the CCU Kimbel library databases.
The goal here is to relate your topic to research that has been previously published, showing what is known and not known about the topic. In writing your literature review, this section should end by stating the primary research question you are examining. The literature review provides both the background and the rationale for your study and should focus on studies that have direct relevance to your study.
A literature review should do the following:
· Concentrate on the research/theory in your particular area
· Summarize and, more importantly, evaluate the literature
· Create a context for your research and,
· Justify the utility of your study
Note: Do not just summarize studies that you have found (i.e. it is NOT an annotated bibliography.) Write clearly and concisely and avoid unnecessary repetition. Make sure that you cite all of your sources in-text and be sure to include them in the reference list at the end of your paper.
4) Methodology (2-3 pages)
This should be a full description of procedures and strategies used in your research. It should include a brief description of the setting where research took place. Discuss in detail how the qualitative data for your study were collected, organized, and analyzed.
Using the course textbook and the scholarly studies you are reviewing, provide a detailed overview of your specific methodology. For example: How did you select the data for your study? How did you organize and document your observations? How was your coding done? What analytic strategies were used? Be sure to utilize and cite other research studies and our course textbook.
5) Results (2-3 pages)
What did you find? This section will present your relevant findings and the results of your qualitative analysis. Include specific examples when necessary to demonstrate your results. Be sure to include citations for the examples.
6) Discussion and conclusion (2-3 pages)
Discuss your findings. Why does your research matter? How do your findings relate to previous research in the area? How has your research contributed to existing research? What are the implications related to your research? What could you have done differently? What directions could future research take?
7) Reference List
Your list of sources and your in-text citations should be in the format appropriate to your primary field of study. Double-check for formatting accuracy.