Research Assignment

Example of Title Page: Insert a Scholarly Title for your Research Proposal

Student’s Full Legal Name

Liberty University

While an abstract would not typically be included in a research proposal for an honor’s or master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation, it is an important for you to be able to summarize your entire project, and this is the essence of an abstract. The abstract should help the reader understand the manuscript, without reading this entire document, by concisely summarizing the contents of the manuscript, including the purpose of the study, research question (s), the methodology, results, conclusions, and maybe even implications or recommendations for further research. Descriptions of the methodology should include the design, the sample, setting, and data collection methods. Any included results should not include statistics and an abstract rarely includes citations. This also helps a reader decide whether or not they want to peruse and/or read the entire document! The first sentence is not indented and usually between 150 and 250 words is recommended; however, some scientific abstracts are a little longer. It is written in the future tense until the study is completed. No more than one page is allowable, and the abstract should be written as one, double-spaced paragraph. The word “Abstract” should be centered on the first line with no other formatting. Keywords should be located at the end of the abstract, utilizing the same keywords that you found to be most helpful in your work. Indent and italicize the word Keywords followed by a colon, then a list of the words in lower case separated by a comma. This abstract is 251 words.

Keywords: This is a list of 4-7 words (separated by commas) that are central to your study. The keywords themselves should not be italicized.

The purpose of Chapter One is to provide a framework for the research. The chapter should create reader interest, provide a foundation for the problem that necessitates the research, overview the context of literature in which the research is founded, identify the importance of the research for a specific audience, and briefly introduce the research via the research questions. The Overview must clearly and concisely orient the reader to the contents and organization of the chapter.

The Background section educates the reader regarding the topic. Start this section by catching the reader’s attention. Use recent evidence from at least two or three scholarly journal articles published within the last five years. The Background section contains a summary of the most relevant literature and provides the historical (i.e., how the problem has evolved over time), social (i.e., contexts), and theoretical (e.g., important variables, the theoretical concepts, and the principles underpinning the research) contexts for the research problem. Each of the three contexts must be specifically examined using APA Level 2 headings for each. You should be sure to link and relate the background of the study to the proposed research. Remember that this is just an overview. You will go into more depth in Chapter Two. Questions that may be asked or addressed in this section may include, but are not limited to: What is the problem and why is it an interest? Who else is affected by the problem? What research has been done to investigate or address the problem? How will the proposed research extend or refine the existing knowledge in the area under study? Who will benefit or use the proposed research? What new information does the current research add to the body of existing literature regarding the topic?

This section (unique the qual-template) provides an opportunity for you to articulate your motivation for conducting the study and identify the philosophical assumptions (ontological, epistemological, rhetorical, axiological) you bring to the research and the paradigm (positivism/post-positivism, constructivism, participatory, and pragmatism) that will guide the study. Keep in mind that qualitative research is, most often, written in the first person rather than third person voice.

“A problem might be defined as the issue that exists in the literature, theory, or practice that leads to a need for the study” (Creswell, 1994, p. 50). A problem statement summarizes “the context for the study” and the main problem the researcher seeks to address (Wiersma, 1995, p. 404). It identifies the general problem, the specific problem, the focus of the research, and the population sample. The problem statement draws from the background section; it includes current (i.e., five years or less since publication) literature (one to three citations) to show that the proposed research is empirically significant and relevant to the field. It should be stated clearly and unambiguously in one to two paragraphs and ends with a declarative statement: “The problem is….” In one to two focused paragraphs, convince the reader why the particular issue or problem your study is investigating needs to be done.

· Introduce the general topic needing more research, including relevant/recent statistics on the issue.

· Summarize the recent research on the topic.

· Explain how/why the current research is deficient or falls short.

· Conclude with a focused statement identifying the problem in relation to your research design.

In an effort to give the reader a quick overview on how you plan to help “solve the problem,” the purpose statement should follow the problem statement and clearly and succinctly state the focus and intentions of the proposed research. “The purpose statement should provide a specific and accurate synopsis of the overall purpose of the study” (Locke, Spirduso, & Silverman, 1987, p. 5) and begin with the following statement: “The purpose of this study is . . .” It foreshadows the research question(s), and the statement must be used consistently throughout the research proposal. You are encouraged to use the following template adapted from Creswell (2013):

The purpose of this _________ (phenomenological, grounded theory, ethnographic, case, narrative analysis) study is to _______________ (understand? describe? develop? discover?) the _____________ (central phenomenon of the study) for _____________ (the participants) at __________ (the site). At this stage in the research, ___________ (central phenomenon) will be generally defined as ________________ (a general definition of the central concept). The theory guiding this study is (identify theory and cite theorist) as it (explain the relationship between the theory and your focus of inquiry).

Although brief in nature, the problem and purpose statements are two very important aspects of the manuscript. These statements support the importance of the study and identify the goal of the research. All preceding writing within the manuscript should funnel into the problem and purpose statements, and all proceeding aspects of the manuscript should align with, support, and further expand upon the problem and purpose statements.

The proposed research questions should be derived from the problem and purpose statements. A well-written research question is feasible, clear, significant, and ethical. In qualitative studies, research questions are often philosophical or pragmatic in nature and ask about meaning, process, perceptions, or behavior. Qualitative research questions are usually broader and become more specific as you move into the actual data collection/analysis process. Identify at least one main question. If a central research question is used, the subsequent questions are called sub-questions. Remember that each research question will need to be addressed in pertinent sections of later chapters. Be sure these questions do not elicit simple yes/no responses. Note that traditional research hypotheses are not necessary or appropriate for most qualitative studies. Example:

The central research question for this study is: What are the outdoor adventure instructors’ perceptions of nature and their work? There are four sub-questions: (1) What are the instructors’ reflections on their experiences with nature? (2) What is their current relationship with nature? (3) Have their childhood experiences in the outdoors facilitated their relationship with nature, their profession, and their lifestyle in adulthood? and (4) What rewards/goals do the instructors experience through their work?

1. Attitude - Attitude is a psychological tendency that involves evaluating a particular object with some degree of favor or disfavor (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993).

2. Interest - The combination of emotion and personal valuation of a task resulting in a desire for various levels of enjoyment (Ainley & Ainley, 2011).

3. Etc…

Provide a chapter summary here. The summary includes a succinct restatement of the problem and purpose of the study and provides a strong conclusion to the chapter.

Chapter Two is often the longest chapter of the research proposal. The minimum length must be five pages, but most are much longer. Its purpose is to provide a context for the present research and to demonstrate its importance based on the problem established via the literature as well as the need or gap in the literature. Chapter Two is comprised of at least four sections: (a) an Overview, (b) a Theoretical (or Conceptual) Framework section, (c) a Related Literature section, and (d) a Summary. The majority of the literature cited in the chapter should be current (i.e., five years or less since publication), though it is understood that some seminal studies published more than five years are appropriate in certain sections and discussions. The Overview must clearly and concisely describe the contents and organization of the chapter.

The point is not to summarize what has already been done in the field. Instead, it is to ground your proposed study in the relevant previous work, and to give the reader a clear sense of your theoretical approach to the phenomena that you propose to study. (p. 123)

Start by describing the theory(ies), including origination and major theorist(s). Next discuss how the theory(ies) has advanced or informed the literature on your topic. Conclude by articulating how your specific research focus relates to the theory and how it may potentially advance or extend the theory(ies). Examples of theoretical frameworks include Bandura’s (1986) Social Cognitive Theory, Maslow’s (1954) Hierarchy of Needs, Knowles (1980) Adult Learning Theory, etc. Situating your study and focus of inquiry within an established theoretical framework helps establish the significance of the study.

The purpose of this section is to provide an organized synthesis (not simply a study-by-study summary) of the existing knowledge on your research topic and link this existing knowledge to the proposed study. Remember that this section is the argument for the significance of the study. It communicates what has been examined on the topic(s), what has not been examined or how understanding on the topic is still developing, and how the study can fill the gap or further understanding in the field. Undoubtedly, there will be a significant amount of literature cited in this chapter.

This section should provide a focused summary of what is currently known, what is not known, and how your proposed study can specifically address gaps in the existing literature.

General notes: (Not to be included in the final submission)

It is important to remember that Chapter Two is not a library, that is, a summary of facts or summaries of relevant research, but rather a critical argument. Derived from Rudestam and Newtons’ (2007) Surviving Your Thesis, here are some keys to a successful construction of a literature review:

1. Be a convincing writer. Remember that your literature review provides the context for your research proposal and demonstrates why your topic is important and relevant. Your literature review demonstrates the relationship between previous research and your study, and it demonstrates how your study is distinctive and different from previous research.

2. Be a critic not a reporter. Adopt a critical perspective in reading and identifying

relationships among research articles. Avoid composing a literature review that is a library of facts. That is, make sure your literature review is a coherent argument that leads to the problem statement or description of the study you are proposing. Your literature review should begin with a clear statement of your goal and be followed by a structured argument.

3. Be a selective writer. Avoid the temptation to report all the literature you review. Be selective and discuss only the articles that are most relevant. Keep in mind that you may review 200 articles and only include 30.

4. Be a skillful researcher. Use primarily seminal articles and articles that are no more than five years old in your literature review. Always strive to cite primary sources and reputable and scholarly sources.

5. Be a reasonable problem solver. At the conclusion of your literature review, write a statement that summarizes or highlights the most relevant literature and conclusions that lead to your proposed study. Be sure that you clearly identify that your problem has both theoretical (i.e., fills a gap in the literature) and practical value (i.e., solution to a problem or concern in the professional field, improves professional practice.).

The purpose of Chapter Three is to present the procedures, research design, and analysis for the proposed research study. That is, it provides the reader with the details of what will occur during the execution of research, both data collection and analysis. The Overview may begin with a brief restatement of the nature and purpose of the study. It must clearly and concisely describe the contents and organization of the chapter. Descriptions in this chapter should be comprehensive and in sufficient detail as to permit the replication of the study. Chapter Three contains several subsections; they are listed below.

In this section, the sample pool, the sample size, and type of nonprobability sampling technique (e.g., convenience, snowball, purposive, etc.) should be clearly explained and each decision should be supported by research citations. Demographic information (age, ethnicity, gender, etc.) should be described in narrative or tabular form. If using a published survey or questionnaire to identify or describe participants, be sure to gain permission to use and explain here how the survey was developed and how validity and reliability were established. If generating your own survey or questionnaire, you need to address face and content validity and describe piloting procedures. This is not considered a data collection method.

Given the nature of qualitative research, pseudonyms should be provided. Support all practices from research literature with citations. The number of participants will most often range from 8-25, or higher, and should be grounded in research literature with citations.

At the outset of each of the sub-sections for the individual data collection strategies, you should identify the data collection strategy, fully define it in the context of qualitative inquiry (with citation), explain the data collection strategy in layman’s terms (if appropriate), and justify its appropriateness for your research. Discuss any logistics (when/where/how/with whom will data be collected, recording, etc.) and explicate which of your research questions will be answered by this data collection strategy. It is important to demonstrate that interview (and focus group) questions are generated from and grounded in the literature on your topic. A sample of your questions should be included in a numbered list with an item-by-item discussion of each question and its basis in the literature.

By explaining in detail the purpose of each question, you not only establish the validity of your questions, but also establish the basis for your discussion of findings in relation to the literature in Chapter Five (if you were to actually carry out this study). After developing the questions, discuss in your procedures that you will get experts in the field to review, and then pilot the interview with a small sample outside of your study sample to ensure clarity of questions and wording.

All surveys and questionnaires must elicit qualitative, not quantitative data. If using a published survey or questionnaire, be sure to gain permission to use it and explain here how the survey was developed and how validity and reliability were established. If generating your own, you need to address face and content validity and describe piloting procedures.

Document analysis may be applied to a variety of sources including, but not limited to legal documents, records, meeting minutes, letters, diaries, etc. Every effort should be made to incorporate primary, as opposed to secondary sources. Identify and describe the specific documents collected. Provide a specific rationale for why each type of document was selected.

Focus groups provide an opportunity for the researcher to interact with multiple participants at the same time. Focus groups are especially useful for exploring complex, multi-layered concepts from the perspectives of the participants. Sample focus group questions must be developed and reported using the same format as interview questions (see Interview section above).

If conducting observations, develop and include in the appendices your observation protocol (examples are provided in most qualitative research texts), and be sure to address both descriptive and reflective field notes. Be sure to discuss whether observations will be scheduled or unscheduled, and whether you will be a participant or non-participant observer. Identify frequency and duration of observations.

In this section the data analysis procedures should be identified and a concise rationale for each type of analysis should be provided. Be sure that your analysis procedures are aligned with your research design. For example, open, axial, and selective coding are appropriate for grounded theory studies, but not necessarily for other designs. As another example, if conducting a transcendental phenomenological study, be sure to order the primary sources for this design (e.g., Moustakas, 1994) and describe these design-specific procedures in depth. Be sure to use the primary resources on your topic to guide your development of this section. While secondary sources (e.g., course textbooks) provide good overviews of different research designs and analysis procedures, they typically lack the detailed procedural information needed to write Chapter Three. You need to provide enough detail that someone can replicate your study by following procedures outlined in this chapter. Further, as your study involves multiple forms of data collection in order to achieve triangulation, you need to discuss how you will analyze each set of data and then synthesize findings across all three (or more) sets of data. Some form of coding, along with bracketing and memoing, are tools commonly used to organize data and identify recurring themes for many qualitative data analysis strategies. If you are employing these tools while you analyze data, be sure to discuss them here (fully defined and cited). Additionally, if you think you might use Qualitative Data Analysis Software (QDAS) such as NVivo, Ethnograph, or MaxQDA, discuss that in this section as well. Surveys and quantitative instruments cannot be analyzed in accordance with analysis procedures for textual (qualitative) data. If utilizing quantitative instruments (mix-methods), be sure to clearly address how you will analyze and then integrate or triangulate the quantitative findings with the qualitative.

Rigor and trustworthiness addresses credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability. Each topic must be covered in detail under its own APA Level 2 subheading. In each subheading, fully define the aspect of trustworthiness (credibility, dependability, transferability, or confirmability) addressed and discuss its importance (with citations). Then, identify the methods whereby you propose to achieve each aspect of trustworthiness (triangulation, direct quotes, enumeration, member checks, prolonged engagement, etc.), fully defining each method (with citations). Methods for increasing trustworthiness include, but are not limited to, triangulation, member checks, prolonged engagement, negative case analysis, peer/expert review, external audit, etc.

Credibility refers to the extent to which the findings accurately describe reality. Credibility depends on the richness of the information gathered and on the analytical abilities of the researcher.

Dependability and confirmability are similar to reliability in quantitative studies and deal with consistency, which is addressed through the provision of rich detail about the context and setting of the study.

Any ethical considerations or implications of the research should be discussed. These might include ethical tasks like data storage (e.g., locked filing cabinets and password protection for electronic files) and usage, influence, confidentiality (e.g., use of site and participant pseudonyms), as well as any other potential issues that might arise and how they will be addressed. However, you should also expand upon the work you developed in an earlier draft that includes appropriate ethical principles (i.e., nonmaleficence, beneficence, respect, honest, justice, and competence).

Delimitations are purposeful decisions the researcher makes to limit or define the boundaries of the study (e.g., only including participants over the age of 18, selecting an ethnographic over a phenomenological study, etc.). Describe the rationale behind decisions made to limit or define the scope and focus of the study. Limitations are potential weaknesses of the study that cannot be controlled. They may be related to the design, the analysis, or the sample (e.g., gender, age, ethnicity, geographical location, etc.).

In consideration of the study findings, limitations, and the delimitations placed on the study, provide multiple recommendations and directions for future research. Include an argument for what topics and populations should be studied, along with specific types of designs that should be employed.

Provide a summary of the study. From your Implications section, reiterate what you consider to be the one or two most important “take-aways” from the results of your research (you may consider including an anecdotal illustration).

All the references cited within the text should be listed in accordance with the most recent edition of the Publication Manual of APA. The reference title should be capitalized, bold, and centered.

The Appendix is optional and may include a variety of artifacts. The appendix may include the IRB application (replace with the approval letter for the complete dissertation), informed consent/assent forms, surveys/questionnaires/instruments (with written permission only), protocols (interviews or observations), sample transcripts of interviews, theoretical memos, and other documents used to establish and audit trail. Any identifying or personal information (names, schools, districts, phone numbers, email addresses) should be eliminated. If numerous types of artifacts are included as appendices, each type should have a section labeled as Appendix A, Appendix B, etc. The appendix title should be capitalized, bold, and centered.

[DO NOT DELETE] Qualitative Research Proposal Template