Proposing a Qualitative Research Study

Assume the role of a manager in a local public  health office located in your community. Public health problems exist in  every community, and your job in this scenario is to help your staff  understand how to create a qualitative research proposal to address any  problem they might confront. You will be developing an exemplar or model proposal for your staff to use in their professional development training. Choose a new public health problem in your community, different  from the problem addressed in Unit 6 (obesity), and propose a qualitative research  method to study the problem.

• Competency 1: Select quantitative and qualitative data collection methods appropriate for a given public health context.      
• Apply qualitative research methods appropriate in a current public health context.
• Identify key ethical issues applicable to a specific research method.
• Propose a source of funding for a qualitative research project and a time frame for completing the research.
• Competency 2: Interpret results of data analysis for public health research, policy, or practice.      
• Assess the importance of a public health problem.
• Competency 3: Apply key theoretical constructs to social and  behavioral sciences research and the dissemination of research findings.       
• Apply an accepted public health theory or model to a public health problem.
• Create a plan to communicate public health research findings.