Writing Strategies and Ethical Considerations - Assignment Example

Answer the questions below based on the material presented in chapter 4, 5, and 6 of the text: Research Design, by John Creswell, 3rd edition, 2003.1. How does the structure of a proposal differ depending on whether the design is qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods? (pg. 73-78) Writing a research proposal depends on the topic the researcher chooses and aims to carry out research for it. Depending on the nature of the topic whether qualitative, quantitative or mixed, research proposals are designed accordingly. In a qualitative research, the proposal can be categorized into two approaches. In the constructivist/interpretist approach, the research proposal comprises of an Introduction and Procedure which may include a Literature Review, Preliminary Findings and Expected Outcomes. In the advocacy/participative approach, the format comprises of Introduction, Procedures, Ethical Considerations, Significance of the Study and Preliminary Findings. In a quantitative research, the proposal comprises of sections Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results and Discussion. While in the mixed methods proposal, the format comprises of both qualitative and quantitative formats. These may include sections on Introduction, Purpose, Methods, Research Resources and Skills, Potential Ethical Issues, and Timeline etc. All of these proposals contain References and Timeline for completion sections. 2. What strategies might you use to draft a proposal? (pg. 78-80) Drafting a proposal needs careful considerations for the audience, the topic, the outcomes, and the usefulness of the research. It needs to be well organized and designed to allow the reader to go through the sections without confusion. For this purpose Creswell recommends researchers to design sections of the proposal before drafting it. One also needs to confer with the research adviser and refer to proposals which have been approved by the research committee to note the style, approach, design and depth of the research which may be useful in drafting one’s own proposal. Once these peripheral strategies are in place, the researcher can sit down to draft the proposal. The first strategy is to write down ideas as they come to mind. The ideas should be jotted down in their respective sections so that it will become easy to write out the details in later stages. The second advice that Creswell offers is to work through several drafts rather than polishing the first and only draft. This would allow one to review the different ideas and allow the researcher to smoothen the writing style. Lastly, Creswell also points out that proposal editing should not be done at the drafting stage. Instead, one should develop an outline, write the draft and then finally edit and polish it. 3. What are the differences among introductions written for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies? (pg. 98-100) Generally research introductions follow similar patterns - there is a problem and it needs to be researched. However, variation is required for qualitative, quantitative and mixed research studies. Introductions for qualitative research include a description of the research problem through an exploration of the issues, and theoretical frameworks. The purpose of the introduction is to establish deficiency in the theory, problem studies, or facts which motivate the researcher to investigate further. On the other hand, in a quantitative project introduction, the problem variables are established through an exploration of the factors related to the problem issue. The factors are then used to test against a theory or hypothesis. In a mixed methods study, both the qualitative and quantitative formats may be used for writing the introduction. Depending on the nature of the topic, the researcher may begin in the introduction the variables that are going to be studied, and its implication on the project outcome. But it must be established why the researcher has chosen the mixed approach for the study. Regardless of the type of research, the Introduction should clearly define the problem, the rationale for its study, and lead the reader to the type of research it is going to be. 4. Why should you consider groups that may profit or benefit from your study? (pg. 107-108) At the initial stages of the research, the writer needs to specify the type of audience that the dissertation is going to benefit. This would firstly establish the type of content and category of audience; it establishes the significance of the study; and it develops interest for the intended audience. Generally, the wider the audience group the study addresses, the more important the significance of the study. Generally, it is recommended that significance of the study for the audience should include rationale for its benefits to scholars and researchers; improvement strategies for practitioners; and its importance to policy makers. In specific studies, the significance of the study is inherent in its importance to the specific audience such as legal audience, industrialists, environmentalists and so forth. Therefore it is important to establish the significance of the study to the particular audience before hand. 5. What elements are written into a qualitative purpose statement? (pg. 112-114) There are several elements which Creswell recommends for writing a qualitative purpose statement. A good purpose statement offers information about the topic for research, the participants of the study and the research site. It should use language of qualitative inquiry and must consider research writing features. More importantly it should include the following aspects: - The use of attention grabbing signals such as "purpose, intent or objective" in the statement to set the tone and direction of the research. - It should be focused on a single idea or concept for research that needs to be explored but the idea should be holistic to offer further advancement for its exploration. - It should use action verbs to describe the nature of the inquiry with words such as "describe, understand, develop, examine, and discover etc. - It should use neutral words and phrases so that it does not lead the reader to expect specific outcomes of the study. Words and phrases such as "experiences, exploration, and investigation" are encouraged to be used in the purpose statement whereas the use of words such as "useful, positive, successful, and informing" are considered to mislead the reader. - It should provide a general definition of the idea that is to be investigated so that the audience is acquainted with the terms to be used within the study. - It should include a strategy for data collection or theoretical exploration method and the participants who will be involved in the study, if any. - Finally, it should establish the research site, and the limits of the research scope. These shall help establish the parameters of the study, and the scope of the same. 6. What elements are written into a mixed methods purpose statement? (pg. 120-121) Reflecting the mixed methods research, the purpose statement of the study contains both the elements of the qualitative and quantitative approach. The statement should first of all identify that it is a mixed methods research, and follow the following guidelines: - It should use the signaling phrases or words such as "intent, purpose or objective". - It need to indicate the holistic content of the research, like an overview in one sentence to allow the reader to understand the bigger picture before division in methods is established. - It should indicate why the researcher has chosen a mixed method, and further this with details of which portion of the research shall encompass qualitative research and which quantitative investigation. Some of the rationales that the researcher may offer include better understanding of the theoretical framework, empirical data explanation, extensive exploration and trends study etc. - The purpose statement should be focused on a single idea or phenomenon without using directional language. - It should identify the theory and variables to be used in the inquiry, and set the parameters of its scope. - And lastly it needs to consider the type of data collection specific to the topic. Reference Creswell, J. (2003). Research Design, 3rd edition. SAGE. Read More