Now that you have a basic understanding of quantitative research designs, you can more easily understand and relate to qualitative methodology. Qualitative research tends to be narrative and less numeric in nature than quantitative research. The qualitative researcher gains in-depth information about the nature of a person, group, or situation rather than achieving concrete, finite answers. Good qualitative research tells a story that illuminates a particular issue or phenomenon.
As you proceed with your doctoral studies, you will eventually be required to make a formal proposal for your doctoral research. This week, you will gain practice creating a portion of such a proposal by drafting a qualitative proposal for your Instructor.
To prepare:
- Review Chapter 9, “Qualitative Methods,” in the Creswell text.
- Review the media programs:
- Qualitative Methods: Two Examples
- Interview techniques
- Review Qualitative Design and Analysis found in the Research Design and Analysis area of the Research Resources and Tutorials webpage.
Writea 4- to 5-page paper in which you propose a qualitative study, addressing the following:
- Formulate relevant research questions.
- What is your design? Why did you choose that design?
- What is your target population? How would you identify and recruit participants?
- What data collection method might you use? How would that data help answer your research question(s)/hypotheses?
- How consistent are these data collection methods with methods used in existing research on your topic?
- Why did you choose these methods?
- What are the alternatives?
- How would you ensure quality and reliability of the data?
- How might you analyze the data?
- What are the target audiences for your findings?
