Top of Form
Considerations
in Designing a Qualitative Study
Using what you have learned about your
topic from your literature search, you are working towards formulating a
research purpose and question. Note that in the Learning Resources for this
week, the language of qualitative research is incorporated into how the
research purpose and question is formulated. Here are some basic do’s and
don’ts.
Quantitative
(Don’ts)
Qualitative (Do’s)
·
Predict
·
Examine differences, effects, or impact
·
Correlate
·
Analyze
·
Explore
·
Understand
·
Describe
·
Variables
·
Indicators
·
Measures
·
Experience
·
Meaning
·
Essence
·
Narrative
Hypotheses
Broad, open-ended
questions
For example, in the
ongoing scenario for each of the weeks of this course, the qualitative research
question is formulated based on:
DO: The purpose of this study is to understand the narratives of childcare and support in
families in impoverished communities.
DO: What is
the meaning of a
“well-behaved child” to early childhood caregivers in impoverished
neighborhoods?
While as in this
example, the research question is formulated based on quantitative information
DON’T: The purpose of this study is to examine
the demographic and family factors that predict the use of
childcare services in impoverished communities.
DON’T: What are the differences in early childhood social skill acquisition between
children that do receive childcare services and those that do not?
For this Discussion,
you will examine qualitative research as it relates to qualitative design
considerations.
To prepare for this
Discussion:
·
Review the Learning Resources and the Fundamentals of Qualitative Research Methods: Developing a
Qualitative Research Question video and consider the basic guidelines
for qualitative research design.
·
Use the Course Guide and Assignment Help found in this week’s
Learning Resources and search for a qualitative research article. (Note: This article should be the research article you are using
for your Major Assignment 1.)
·
Review the qualitative research article you found and identify
each of the components of the research
design and consider what is present and what is missing.
·
Identify what the authors did to document positionality,
reflexivity, and bias.
By Day 4
Transform your notes from your preparation work into three
paragraphs and post the following:
·
A brief statement of
the purpose and primary research question the article addresses
·
An assessment of how
thoroughly the research design was presented, including what was missing
·
An assessment of the
extent of the researcher’s presentation of positionality, reflexivity, and bias
Be sure to support
your main post and response post with reference to the week’s Learning
Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA style.
