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.

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.

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Ravitch, S. M., & Carl, N. M. (2021). Qualitative research: Bridging the conceptual, theoretical, and methodological (2nd ed.) Sage Publications.

• Chapter 3, “Critical      Qualitative Research Design” “Qualitative Research Design” (pp. 62–103)      (focus on pp. 62-63)
• Chapter 4, “Design and      Reflexivity in Data Collection” (pp. 105–122)

Rubin, H. J., & Rubin, I. S. (2012). Qualitative interviewing: The art of hearing data (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

• Chapter 3, “Qualitative      Data-Gathering Methods and Style” (pp. 25–39)
• Chapter 4, “Designing Research      for the Responsive Interviewing Model” (pp. 42–57)

Walden University Center for Research Quality. (2015). Research resources: Research design & analysis. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/resources/Design

Use this website to guide as you as you consider research design and analysis for your Discussions and Assignments during this week.

Walden University Library. (n.d.). Course guide and assignment help for RSCH 8310. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/rsch8310 

Use this website to search for articles based on the requirements for the Discussion and/or Assignment.

Document: Video Field Notes Guide (Word document)

Use this guide to help you as you take notes for your Scholar of Change video.

Document: Major Assignment 1: Developing a Research Topic for a Qualitative Study Assignment Guidelines (PDF)

Use this document to help you as you write your purpose statement for Part 1 of your Major Assignment 1.

Required Media

Yale University. (2015, June 23). Fundamentals of qualitative research methods: Developing a qualitative research question (Module 2) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0HxMpJsm0I

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 12 minutes.

As you review this video, focus on how you will develop a good research question for your Major Assignment 1.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2010). Doctoral research: Ensuring quality in qualitative research [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 4 minutes.

In this media program, qualitative research expert Dr. Laura Lynn talks about the issue of researcher bias in the interview process.

Accessible player  –Downloads– Download Video w/CC Download Audio Download Transcript 

Scholar of Change Video #3

Anner, J. (2015). John Anner, PhD student in public policy and administration [Video file].

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 3 minutes.

In this media program, John Anner describes how he is using his Walden education to help NGOs build capacity and create solutions that address some of the world’s most-pressing problems—not only on a case-by-case basis but also on a global scale. As you observe, take notes using the Video Field Notes Guide.