Library Lessons This Week

During this week's lessons, you will explore 3 qualitative research designs. These are only 3 of the many types of research designs a researcher may choose from to study his/her research problem.  The format of the chapters should be very familiar by now. Creswell uses the same method to introduce the characteristics and types of each design and provides a step by step process for conducting that particular type of research.  The lessons this week are brief given that Creswell provides a straightforward discussion of each of the designs. If you require additional information or explanation, I encourage you to use the links provided or to visit the reference room for more resources related to qualitative research designs. There are a plethora of research designs to choose from. Choosing the research design you intend to use will be an important guiding element for you when completing Section IV of your Research Proposal.

As a review, the main elements of your Research Proposal will be:

1. Statement of the Problem
   1. Topic for the study appropriate for your field
   2. The research problem within this topic
   3. A justification for the problem based on past research and practice
   4. Deficiencies or shortcomings of past research or practical knowledge
   5. The importance of addressing the problem for diverse audiences
2. Literature Review (Study-by-Study)
   1. Analysis and synthesis of the primary research that assist in validating and supporting the research problem using a study-by-study approach grouped under broad themes
   2. Summarize major themes and present reasons for a proposed study or the importance of studying a research problem
3. Specifying a Purpose and Research Questions or Hypotheses
   1. A concise statement of the purpose of the study based on the research approach chosen (qualitative or quantitative)
   2. The research questions or hypotheses to be addressed as appropriate for the research approach
4. Methods
   1. Statement of research approach and research design
   2. Setting for your study (what type of access do you have?)
   3. Participants and how selected (sampling)
   4. Instrumentation - Provide necessary operational definitions of variables, identify types of data needed,  and instruments or measures used.  Include actual copy of the survey or instrument as well as evidence of reliability and validity
   5. Summary of data collection procedures
   6. Summary of data analysis techniques that will be employed
5. References
6. Appendices

This week's Lessons will continue to cover necessary skills and knowledge for Section IV.

Lesson 1

After a brief history of grounded theory designs, Creswell distinguishes between three main types of grounded theory research designs.  It is likely that none of you are thinking you are going to use a grounded theory design to conduct your research study simply because the goal of such a design is to develop your own theory.  This is usually not something a first time researcher will take on.  Nevertheless, such a design is an important one to understand given it can help you better understand the way in which many theorists may have first developed their theory.  The 3 types of grounded theory designs differ along several dimensions.  They differ in the level in which they believe the researcher should adhere to specific coding procedures in order to interpret data.  They also differ in the importance they place on different aspects of the data collected.  Creswell also points out the similarities across all three designs when discussing the characteristics of grounded theory research. Some new terminology emerges within this section.  Make sure you understand the concepts of theoretical sampling, emerging design, saturation, and constant comparison. The final section of the chapter includes the steps necessary to carry out a grounded theory study. These steps are ones you should work through as you are writing Section IV of your Research Proposal if you are choosing a grounded theory design for your research.

If you are using a grounded theory design use the steps outlined in Chapter 14 to identify the important elements you will need to include within your Proposal. Such elements might include how you will identify and select participants, identify the types of data you will collect, the coding processes you will use at various points in your study, and how you will validate your theory.

Lesson Links

Here are a few links from the resources page that provide additional information for this week.

• Grounded Theory Institute
• Grounded Theory: A Thumbnail Sketch

Lesson Activities

• Read the directions for the Chapter Fourteen quiz, and complete the quiz in elearning. You will have 120 minutes for this quiz. NOTE: THIS IS OPTIONAL FOR EXTRA CREDIT
• Beginning on page 414 be sure to work through the section of "applying what you have learned..." This chapter includes an empirical research article that employs a grounded theory design.
• If you are using a grounded theory design use the steps outlined in Chapter 14 to identify the important elements you will need to include within your Proposal. Such elements might include how you will identify and select participants, identify the types of data you will collect, the coding processes you will use at various points in your study, and how you will validate your theory.

Lesson 2

Again, after a brief history lesson, Creswell begins by distinguishing among 3 types of ethnographic research designs - realist, case study, and critical. I would guess that most of you are most familiar with case study research. In many ways I think all of us, by human nature, are case study researchers.  When we try to figure out what makes a particular kid tick (especially your own) then we are focusing in on trying to explain a single case. When teachers try to explain or understand the dynamics of their classroom group of students they are in an informal way conducting a case study. Such informal case studies assist us in making decisions and explaining or predicting different happenings. The difference between our informal way of conducting such ethnographic studies and what Creswell explains is often the use of appropriate procedures for data collection and analysis. The characteristics of ethnographic research that Creswell discusses emphasizes the idea that ethnographic researchers are most interested in a culture.  Given this, the idea of what a culture consists of is an important one and one which Creswell describes well.  Finally, the steps for conducting ethnographic research are provided at the end of the chapter.

If you are using an ethnographic design use the steps outlined in Chapter 15 to identify the important elements you will need to include within your Proposal. Such elements might include identify your intent and relate it to your research problem, describe the type of purposeful sampling you will use, describe the types of data you will collect and the procedures you will use to enter and at what level you will be a participant and/or observer, and how you will organize and analyze your data.

Lesson Links

Here are a few links from the resources page that provide additional information for this week.

• Ethnographic Research
• The Ethnographic Research Cycle
• International Institute for Qualitative Methodology

Lesson Activities

• Read the directions for the Chapter Fifteen quiz, and complete the quiz in elearning. You will have 120 minutes for this quiz. NOTE: THIS IS OPTIONAL
• Beginning on page 453 be sure to work through the section of "applying what you have learned..." This chapter includes an empirical research article that employs an ethnographic design.
• If you are using an ethnographic design use the steps outlined in Chapter 15 to identify the important elements you will need to include within your Proposal. Such elements might include identify your intent and relate it to your research problem, describe the type of purposeful sampling you will use, describe the types of data you will collect and the procedures you will use to enter and at what level you will be a participant and/or observer, and how you will organize and analyze your data.

Lesson 3

As with the previous design chapters we have discussed Creswell provides a brief history of narrative research. Next, instead of clearly defining specific types of narrative research designs, Creswell points out that narrative research can take on many different forms.  To assist us in identifying the type of narrative being used, Creswell provides us with five key questions we can use.  Then Creswell provides discussion of the key characteristics of narrative designs.  Table 16.1 provides an excellent overview of the characteristics aligned with the steps of the research process. Creswell also provides an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of this type of qualitative research.  Finally, the steps for conducting narrative research are provided at the end of the chapter. If you are using a narrative design use the steps outlined in Chapter 16 to identify the important elements you will need to include within your Proposal. Such elements might include how you will select your participant, how you will collect his/her story, the procedures you will use to retell the story, how you will collaborate with the participant, and how you will validate the accuracy of your report.

Lesson Links

Here are a few links from the resources page that provide additional information for this week.

• Centre for Narrative Research in the Social Sciences
• Narrative Methods Modules

Lesson Activities

• Read the directions for the Chapter Sixteen quiz, and complete the quiz in elearning. You will have 120 minutes for this quiz.  NOTE: THIS IS OPTIONAL
• Beginning on page 487 be sure to work through the section of "applying what you have learned..." This chapter includes an empirical research article that employs a narrative research design.
• If you are using a narrative design use the steps outlined in Chapter 16 to identify the important elements you will need to include within your Proposal. Such elements might include how you will select your participant, how you will collect his/her story, the procedures you will use to retell the story, how you will collaborate with the participant, and how you will validate the accuracy of your report.

As you tackle the task of completing a draft of Sections III and IV this week, I want to review what should be included in the Section IV you turn in.

The document you turn in should contain the following elements:

Front Matter

Title page

Body of the Paper

Methods

Research Approach and Design

Research Setting

Participants and Sampling

Instrumentation

Operational Definitions of Variables

Types of Data Needed

Instruments or Measures

Evidence of reliability

Evidence of validity

Data Collection Procedures

Data Analysis Techniques

Back Matter

References

Appendix

Actual copy of the survey(s) or instrument(s)

Do not forget to proofread, proofread, proofread. 

Lesson Activities

• Work on Section IV of your Research Proposal and turn both Section III and IV in by July 16.
• Download and review the evaluation rubric I will use when providing you feedback and also when giving you your final grade on Section IV.
• It might be a good idea to review the sample proposals in the exhibition hall as you embark on your draft.

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Have a question but can't find the answer? Here are some options:

• Check the Course FAQ page to see if your question has already been answered.
• Check the Proposal FAQ page to see if your question has already been answered.
• Email the Head Librarian (Dr. Curda)*.
• Email the Assistant Librarian (Melissa)*.
• Check with the other library patrons.

*Remember to include your name and the course name (Educational Research) or number (EDF 6481) in your message.