Each discussion in this course has a couple of questions that may ask you to apply your readings, use new skills, identify additional outside sources, reflect on how content applies to you, or give you an opportunity to talk about what interests you most. You may choose one to respond to each week or you could post your own content related to the concept for the week.

The purpose of the final assignment is to compose a research proposal outline using the resources provide on first-generation college graduates. Select a research proposal template – either qualitative or quantitative – to explore this topic and complete all the research characteristics that are reflected in each of the PPT slides. This will become a tangible resource for you. Once completed, this template can serve as a guide for your own research proposal project in the future.

Take the multiple-choice quiz to gauge your understanding of the material presented in Week 9.

 

Readings

• Use your Creswell and Creswell text, Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, to read the following:
  • Chapter 9, “Qualitative Methods,” pages 147–211.
• The Course Study Guide [PDF] highlights content to focus on as you read and absorb the materials. You may also find some additional articles with direct relevance to your field in the guide.

This resource provides additional information about methodology that may be useful:

• Trochim, W. M. K. (n.d.). What is the research methods knowledge base? conjoint.ly. https://conjointly.com/kb/

This resource is useful for those interested in a general or “generic” approach to qualitative inquiry:

• Percy, W. H., Kostere, K., & Kostere, S. (2015). Generic qualitative research in psychology. The Qualitative Report, 20(2), 76–85.

For Business and Technology, DIT, or DBA Learners Only

Some researchers in business and technology use a research design called the Delphi Method. Here are the links for the Delphi resources we recommend for those in business or technology who might consider this approach for their own research.

• For business and technology learners: PhD Dissertation Research in Business.
• For DIT learners: DIT Dissertation Resources.
• For DBA learners: DBA Capstone Professional Project Resources.

Assignment Instructions

RESEARCH PROPOSAL POWERPOINT

 

Overview

The purpose of this final assignment is to develop your own subtopic within the broader topic of first-generation college graduates. You will compose a research proposal outline using the resources from our course and any other articles you find to support your subtopic. You may take either a qualitative or quantitative approach.

Use one of the following templates to explore the subtopic you are proposing and complete all the research characteristics that are reflected in each of the PPT slides:

• Final Assignment – Qualitative Template [PPTX].
• Final Assignment – Quantitative Template [PPTX].

Please leave all subheadings in the PowerPoint slides and build your content under those subheadings. Use a sentence-style outline and be sure to explain your points clearly. Also, be sure to use cited support throughout the outline. Once completed, this template can serve as a guide for your own research proposal project in the future.

Instructions

This assignment requires that you use your accumulated knowledge about the elements of research. In this final project, you will create a proposal for how you might study the topic of first-generation college students, either qualitatively or quantitatively.

A PowerPoint template has been provided for you to outline your ideas. Each slide has a major heading that focuses on the given research component. The major headings are accompanied by subheadings that signal the main points to be addressed. As this is a PowerPoint presentation, you are not asked to provide a full narrative, but rather clear and concise bullet points in brief sentence style demonstrating your understanding of each aspect of the plan.

It is important to use the articles provided for the Week 3 and Week 6 assignments, the course text, and any additional scholarly sources you choose to support your proposal. See Program Library Research Guides, Reviewing the Literature, and Library Help for guidance.

Competencies Measured

• Competency 1: Analyze the methodology used in scientific research.
  • Detail the methods section (for quantitative proposal) OR detail the procedures section (for qualitative proposal).
• Competency 2: Evaluate the characteristics, purposes, benefits, strengths, and weaknesses of research methods.
  • Articulate the statement of the problem and the purpose statement.
  • Articulate the research question (and hypotheses for quantitative proposal).
  • Explain the theoretical perspective for quantitative proposals OR the philosophical assumptions/worldview for qualitative proposal.
• Competency 3: Evaluate ethical issues in research studies.
  • Articulate anticipated ethical conduct.
• Competency 4: Evaluate data collection and analysis strategies based on the characteristics of the research design.
  • Explain the expected findings for the given topic.
• Competency 5: Examine the appropriate application of scientific research methodology.
  • Create a complete and appropriate research proposal outline.
• Competency 6: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with the expectations for members in the identified field of study.
  • Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with the expectations for members of an identified field of study, using APA style and formatting.

SUBMIT YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Write Your Discussion Post

For help using Yellowdig, please see Using Yellowdig [PDF] or Grading in Yellowdig [PDF]. Or visit Yellowdig Forums, Capella’s Campus support page for Yellowdig, with links for technical support.

Begin practicing the use of APA style for citations and references. All information that is not your opinion or experience should have a citation to show the reader where the fact came from and then a reference at the end of the post.

Discussion Question

This week’s focus is qualitative research methods and how researchers apply them to understand how particular groups or individuals experience specific phenomena. Please post something to the discussion board related to the content covered this week.

Note: Do not create your post as a reply to the pinned post. Instead, use Yellowdig’s Create option to create a new post. Label your post with the hashtag for the week (#Week9) so that others can sort posts by the week’s topic.

Here are some ideas for your post to get you started:

• Consider a research topic you are passionate about. What kinds of biases might you bring to conducting research on this topic? How might you be incorporate reflexivity into your research approach?
• Some fields have a greater appreciation for qualitative methods than others (for example, the hard sciences generally don’t engage in qualitative work). What do you feel your discipline’s general attitude toward qualitative research is, based on your reading of the literature or your personal experience?

Response Guidelines

As you respond to your classmates, share your experiences and anecdotal feedback regarding their posts. How have your personal experiences resonated with their ideas? What can you add to their ideas, building upon the connections you have made to the material so far? Consider exploring the features of Yellowdig, such as your ability to embed videos and pictures, create polls and videos, use hashtags, love or like a post, and so on.

GO TO YELLOWDIG DISCUSSION BOARD

Take the Quiz

In this course, you have been introduced to new concepts related to the essential steps in designing a qualitative methods section for a research proposal. This multiple-choice quiz will gauge your understanding of the material presented in Week 9. The following competencies will be covered in this quiz:

• Evaluate data collection and analysis strategies based on the characteristics of the research design.
• Examine the appropriate application of scientific research methodology.

Please carefully read the following instructions before beginning the quiz:

• You must complete and submit the quiz by Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Central time.
• You may take the quiz three times. Do not open and close the quiz to return to it later, as this will end the quiz session.
• This quiz is not timed, but once you submit the quiz, you may not go back and change any of your responses.
• Your score is automatically recorded in the instructor’s grade book upon completion of the quiz.
• Your score and the correct answers will be accessible to you after you have completed the quiz and your score is recorded.
• This quiz is worth 2% of your overall grade for the course. There are 5 questions each worth 20 points for a total of 100 points possible.

Click the linked quiz title to access the quiz. If you have any issues with the quiz, contact your instructor.