U5D1-68 - Research, Describe, Match, Identify the methodology. Please read and follow all instructions detailed below and in the attachments.

Qualitative Research Proposal Transcript

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH PROPOSAL

THE SCHOLARLY LITERATURE Everything that we research is driven by the scholarly literature, and more precisely, the recent scholarly literature. If a topic is not contained in the recent scholarly literature, then the discipline is not interested in that topic and it cannot be researched for a dissertation. The scholarly literature not only lets us know what topics are appropriate to research but also which methodology (qualitative or quantitative) should be used and what theories are appropriate to use as an underpinning for the dissertation.

RESEARCH TOPIC The research topic emerges from the literature of the discipline and must be acceptable within that discipline. All disciplines have topics relevant to them and topics that lie outside the bounds of the discipline. For example, researchers in the �eld of criminal justice investigate di�erent topics than researchers in the �elds of health care or emergency management. One of the best places to obtain ideas for appropriate dissertation research topics is to look at current dissertations (those written within the past �ve years) and read the sections in them concerning suggestions for future research. All dissertations must have a section that addresses future research. These sections re�ect the cutting edge of current research.

RESEARCH PROBLEM The research problem emerges from the literature. If the literature does not support a research problem, then it cannot be researched. Likewise, if a research problem has already been answered by the discipline, then it cannot be researched again. The research problem is generally written in the following format:

A is known (reference from the literature).

B is known (another reference from the literature).

C is known (another reference from the literature).

What in not known is D (D then becomes the problem that is being researched).

Keep in mind, the known pieces of the literature must logically lead to the research problem; they must all be connected, otherwise you are just citing random pieces of literature.

Scienti�c Merit Review Form Content On the Scienti�c Merit Review Form, you must present the research problem for your dissertation in exactly the format discussed here: "A is known (reference from the literature). B is known (another reference from the literature). C is known (another reference from the literature). What in not known is D (D then becomes the problem that is being researched)."

In addition, you must answer the following three questions:

1. Does the study address something that is not known or has not been studied before? Explain how this study is new or di�erent from other studies.

Qualitative Research Proposal Transcript

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2. If your research questions are studied, how could your �ndings a�ect your �eld of interest? This is the answer to the "So What?" question.

3. What possible practical implications do you predict the results of your research will have? Explain how the results will a�ect your sample, your site location, or your workplace. This is the answer to the "Who cares?" question.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS The research questions also emerge from the literature. The goal of the study, which guides the proposed research, is to answer the research questions. The goal must be feasible and the questions answerable by the method proposed in the research. In addition, the research questions must be speci�c. A question such as, "What is leadership?" is too general. If the answers are already known and re�ected in the literature, there is no reason to conduct the study.

The research questions clearly identify the concepts under investigation by the study. (In a quantitative study, these concepts are referred to as variables. In a qualitative study they are referred to as concepts.) Concepts in qualitative studies are often perceptions or experiences. A qualitative study most often focuses on only one concept, whereas a quantitative study always includes at least two variables that are under investigation.

Scienti�c Merit Review Form Content On the SMR form, you must list your research questions and clearly identify your variables (concepts).

METHODOLOGY The methodology also emerges from the literature. For this course, the methodology must be qualitative, but when an actual research study is designed, the methodology must be accepted by the discipline and must be appropriate for the state of the overall research on that topic. Topics where considerable research has already been conducted are generally investigated using quantitative methods, whereas topics with little research are more often investigated using qualitative methods. This is because the nature of qualitative research is to "see what's out there" when we don't already know. On the other hand, the nature of quantitative research is to make generalizable statements.

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CREDITS Gregory Romero Stephen Sorenson

Kathryn Green

L i c e n s e d u n d e r a C r e a t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n 3 . 0 L i c e n s e .