Writing Qualitative Research Purpose and Questions A Cheat Sheet

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Writing Qualitative Research Purpose and
QuestionsA Cheat Sheet

• Dr. Kakali Bhattacharya

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Research Purpose

• The purpose of this research is to.
• Explore
• Understand
• Investigate
• Identify
• Evaluate
• Describe
• Interrogate

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Contextual Details

• How many participants?
• Where (use pseudonyms)
• What will you explore? be specific
• If exploring experience, then experience of what?
  Be narrowly focused
• If exploring perception, then perception of what?
  Be narrowly focused
• Avoid jargon use as much as possible

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Operationalize Jargon

• What is it that you are trying to measure?
• What are your indicators for that measure?
• How will you know that you have measured X?
• Break down your jargon to easily verifiable
  constructs

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Tips for Research Questions

• Make sure they are aligned with the research
  purpose
• Generate research questions from the
  operationalization of jargons
• One question can be the conversion of the purpose
  statement into a question
• Keep it simple. Dont try to solve everything
  within the topic of your interest

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Tips for Research Questions

• Pursue one point of inquiry in one question i.e.
  dont ask how does the participant describe
  experiences of belongingness and the effects it
  has on her self esteem?

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Tips for Research Questions

• Ask questions that have open-ended possibilities
  for answers such as
• What are the experiences of
• How does a participant describe X
• In what ways does X play a role in Y
• How does the participant identify X

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Tips for Research Questions

• Do not ask closed ended research questions
  those are quantitative questions. (examples
  below)
• Does this program benefit learning experiences of
  students?
• Do the participants like X more than Y?
• Does X cause Y?

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Sample Research Questions

• In what ways do 5 survivors of Katrina who stayed
  in the Superdome describe their strategies for
  surviving?
• How do students perceive the value of the new
  math program in relation to standardized testing?

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Sample Research Questions

• What are the experiences of belongingness of 5
  female African American graduate students in the
  College of Education in a mid-southern
  university?
• How does participating in a professional
  development workshop regarding technology
  integration influence the teaching practices of 5
  middle school teachers in a mid-southern town?

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Sample Research Questions

• What is the role of the TV show Americas Next
  Top Model in informing diet choices of 4 teenage
  girls (13-17) who watch the show regularly?