Chapter Five The Purpose Statement

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Chapter FiveThe Purpose Statement

• By Kayla Plotz, Kim Leinen and Sarah Shafer

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Purpose Statement

• The most important statement in the entire
  research study.
• Establishes the direction for the research.
• Sets the objectives
• Intent
• Major idea

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Qualitative Purpose Statement

• Uses words such as purpose, intent, or
  objective
• Focus on a single concept or idea
• Use action verbs to convey how learning will take
  place.
• An emerging design is also enhanced by
  nondirectional language rather than predetermined
  outcomes.
• Provide a general working definition of the
  central idea.
• Mention the participants in the study.
• Identify the site for the research.

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Quantitative Purpose Statement

• Differs from the qualitative models in terms of
  language .
• Begins with identifying the proposed variables
  for a study and how they will be measured or
  observed.

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Quantitative cont.

• Good quantitative purpose statements include
• Words like purpose, intent, or objectives.
• Identification of the theory, model, or
  conceptual framework.
• Independent and dependent variables
• Words that connect the independent and dependent
  variables.

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Quantitative cont.

• Mention the specific type of strategy of inquiry
  used in the study.
• Reference to the participants in the study the
  research site.
• A general definition for each key variable in the
  study.

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Mixed Method Purpose Statement

• A mixed methods proposal study needs to convey
  both quantitative and qualitative purpose
  statements.
• In a mixed method study, the type of strategy is
  mentioned as well as a rationale for the type of
  strategy. (Concurrently or sequentially)

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Mixed Method cont.

• Guidelines to follow.
• The purpose of or The intent of.
• Indicate the type of mixed methods design
• Discuss a rationale
• Include characteristics of a good qualitative
  statement
• Include characteristics of a good quantitative
  statement
• Consider adding information about the specific
  types of both qualitative and quantitative data
  collection

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In Review.

• The most important statement in a research
  proposal or study.
• In a qualitative purpose statement, a researcher
  needs to identify a central idea and to give a
  definition for your idea.
• In a quantitative purpose statement, the theory
  being tested should be stated as well as the
  variables, and their relationship or comparison.
• In a mixed method, the type of strategy is stated
  as well as a rationale for the type of strategy.

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• THE END!!!
• QUESTIONS????