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Research Methodology Pdf 54852 | The Qualitative Research Proposal Klopper 2008
proposal h klopper  phd  iviba o   o  u a  professor  school of nursing science  north west university  potchefstroom campus   south  ...

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                                              The qualitative research proposal
                H Klopper, PhD; iVIBA o ^ o *u A^
                Professor, School of Nursing Science, North-West University (Potchefstroom Campus), South Afnca
                Key words: Proposal, Qualitative              Abstract: Curationis 31(4): 62-72
                Research, Attributes, Qualitative             Qualitative research in the health sciences has had to overcome many prejudices and
                Process                                       a number of misunderstandings, but today quaUtative research is as acceptable as
                                                              quantitative research designs and is widely funded and published. Writing the
                                                              proposal of a quaUtative study, however, can be a challenging feat, due to the emergent
                                                              nature of the qualitative research design and the description of the methodology as
                                                              a process. Even today, many sub-standard proposals at post-graduate evaluation
                                                              committees and application proposals to be considered for funding are still seen.
                                                              This problem has led the researcher to develop a framework to guide the qualitative
                                                              researeher in writing the proposal of a qualitative stiidy based on the following
                                                              research questions : (i) What is the process of writing a qualitative research proposal?
                                                              and (ii) What does the structure and layout of a qualitative proposal look like? The
                                                              purpose of this article is to discuss the process of writing the qualitative research
                                                              proposal, as well as describe the structure and layout of a qualitative research proposal.
                                                              The process of writing a qualitative research proposal is discussed with regards to
                                                              the most important questions that need to be answered in your research proposal
                                                               with consideration of the guidelines of being practical, being persuasive, making
                                                               broader links, aiming for crystal clarity and planning before you write. While the
                                                               stinctiare of the qualitative research proposal is discussed with regards to the key
                                                               sections of the proposal, namely the eover page, abstract, intiroduction, review of the
                                                               literature, researeh problem and research questions, research purpose and objectives,
                                                               research paradigm, researeh design, research method, ethieal considerations,
                                                               dissemination plan, budget and appendices.
                                                               Background and                               study is therefore a challenge, as the
                                                                                                            quaUtative researcher "designs studies
                                                               introduction                                 by conducting them - as opposed to
                                                               Morse (2003:833) points out that             conducting studies by design"
                                                               qualitative methodology is used when         (Sandelowsld & Barroso, 2003:781),
                                                               little is known about a topic, the           Quantitative researchers generally
                                                               research context is poorly understood,       believe they know what they do not
                                                               the boundaries of a domain are ill-          know (i.e. knowing the type of
                                                               defined, the phenomenon under                 knowledge they expect to obtain by
                                                               investigation is not quantifiable, the        doing a study and then striving to
                                                               nature of the problem is not clear, or        obtain it). A qualitative researcher, by
                                                               the researeher suspeets that the              contrast, enters the study "not
                  Correspondence address:                      phenomenon needs to be re-examined.           knowing what is known" (i.e. not
                  ProfHCKlopper                                Researchers need a clear picture of the       knowing the phenomenon that will
                  School of Nursing Science                    issues and questions that they want to        drive the inquiry forward) (Loiselle,
                  North-West University                        investigate, as well as ideas of how          Profetto-McGrath, Polit & Beelc,
                                                               they are going to go about investigating      2004:208). The qualitative proposal
                  Tel: (018)2991829/1830                        them, but always with an openness of         writer can therefore only antieipate how
                  Fax:(018)2991827                              mind to improvise, revise and adjust.        the study will proceed. Qualitative
                  Email: Hester.Klopper@nwu.ac.za               Writing a proposal for â qualitative         researeh begins by accepting that tliere
                                                                                 62
                 is a range of different ways of making       known about the phenomenon to be             between four types of audiences and
                 sense of the world (that the truth is only   studied; yet it is expected to wdte how      their different expectations, namely
                 valid in a specific context) and is          data analysis will be done when the data     academic colleagues, policy-makers,
                 concerned with discovering the               is not hiown. However, it is imperative      practidoners and lay audiences. For
                 meanings seen by those who are being         that the researcher must convince the        proposal acceptance the audience will
                 researched and with understanding            proposal evaluadon committee or              be the members of the proposal
                 their view of the world rather than that     funding agency reviewers in order to         evaluation committee or/and the
                 ofthe researcher (Jones, 1995:2)             be allowed to proceed with the study.        funding agency reviewers.
                                                              In response to this situadon, Morse
                 Problem statement                            and Field (1996:35) remark that "clearly,    The University of Jyväskylä provides
                 Qualitative research in the health           developing a rigid plan for a qualitative    guidelines to their post graduate
                 sciences has had to overcome                 project, including detailed plans for        students and indicate that they should
                 prejudice and a number of                    data coUecdon and analysis, becomes          distinguish between the following
                 misunderstandings. Some of the               impossible when wddng qualitadve             audiences (http://wvvTv.jyu.fi/hum/
                 misunderstandings include the beliefs        proposals". Unlilce positivist research,     laitokset/kielet/oppiaineet_kls/
                 that qualitative research is "easy"; and     there is no single accepted framewodc        englanti/rese arch/postgrad/
                 the "stigma of the small sample".            for a qualitadve research proposal. To       insti-ucdons, accessed 31/07/2008):
                 However, by now we know that                 present an acceptable proposal means
                 qualitative research experts make these      shifting away from one's own concems         (i) the research community that it
                 misinterpretations redundant and             and thinking about the questions that        addresses (i.e. those doing research on
                 iitelevant as more and more qualitative      the reader(s) or reviewer(s) of the          similar or related quesdons); and / or
                 studies are funded, and results are          research proposal will be asking             (ii) to a community of practitioners who
                pubhshed widely. Notwithstanding the          (Silverman, 2000:113). These questions       work with the kinds of problems or
                 fact that qualitative research is now as     do not necessarily differ from the           questions that your study addresses
                 acceptable as quandtative research           questions asked in quantitative              (e.g. language teachers, text producers,
                 designs, sub-standard proposals at           research, but will alert one to the          professionals who design language /
                post-graduate evaluation committees or        possible questions that will be asked.       communication training, etc.); and /or
                 application proposals to be considered       The questions a research proposal            (iii) to the broader social community or
                 for funding are sdll seen. Writing the       must answer, are: (i) Why should             society as a whole (e.g. does your
                proposal of a qualitative study is            anyone be interested in my research?         research address questions that are
                challenging due to the emergent nature        (ü) Is the research design credible,         important for particular groups of
                of the quahtative research design and         achievable and carefully explained—in        people or questions which are
                the description of the methodology as         other words, is it logical? (iii) Is the     cun'cntly debated in society?)
                a process. In response to the nature of       researcher capable of doing the
                health care practices that focus on           research? (Bottorff, 2002:7). Silverman      Be persuasive
                patient care, there is an increased           (2000:113 -117) suggests that the            Morse (1994:226) explains that "the first
                tendency to investigate phenomena             researcher (whether qualitative or           principle of grantmanship (and for that
                from a qualitative perspective.               quandtative) answers these questions         matter approval of your proposal) is to
                Therefore the following quesdons can          properly. This can be achieved by            recognize that a good proposal is an
                be asked: (i) What is the process of          focusing on the following guidelines:        argument... the proposal must take a
                wdting a qualitadve research proposal?        be practical, be persuasive, make            case to the proposal evaluation
                and (ii) What docs the structure and          broader links, aim for crystal cladty and    committee or funding agency that the
                layout of a qualitative proposal look         plan before you write.                       research question is interesting and
                ülíe?                                                                                      that the study is important. Thus the
                                                              Be practical                                 proposal must be written persuasively."
                Purpose                                       Indicate to the members ofthe proposal       As a researcher you must be balanced,
                The purpose of this article is twofold,       evaluation committee or funding              with a realisdc understanding of what
                i.e. the process of writing the quahtative    agency reviewers how yo\ir research          you can achieve (Silverman, 2000:114).
                research proposal will be discussed,          will address the identified research         To be persuasive implies that "you
                followed by a description of the              problem or solve an issue, for example,      must convince other people, like other
                structure of a qualitative research           staff morale orpatients' perceptions of      researchers, research funding
                proposal, including examples from             quality of care. Research that concems       agencies, educational insdtutions, and
                qualitative studies (where relevant).        practical problems cannot be shrugged         supervisors that your research is worth
                                                              off even if the researcher is proposing      spending scarce resources on. You
                Process ofthe qualitative                     to do a purely academic piece of             convince people ofthe value of your
                                                             research with no expectation that it will     work by showing them how your
                proposal                                     be read outside the university                research will make a difference to the
                Qualitative researchers often find           community (Silverman, 2000:114). The          world, or by identifying a dilemma in
                themselves in a "catch-22" situadon.         audience is therefore very important          existing theory which yoxjr research will
                They have intentionally selected a           when prepadng the proposal. Strauss           help resolve" (Higson-Smith, Parle,
                qualitative research design, as little is    and Corbin (1990:237-239) differentiate       Lange ÄTothill, 2000:5).
                                                                               63
                    Make broader links                                 framework should be applied within the            immediately catcbes attention.
                    The researcher should demonstrate in               uniqueness of each study.                         Introduce the question and what it is
                    the proposal the understanding ofthe                                                                 that you want to know or understand,
                    broader implications of tbe proposed               Cover page                                        and explain the interest in the topic
                    research (Silverman, 2000:114-115).                Formal documents usually bave a cover             (Heath, 1997:1). Tbe introduction must
                    Morse (1994:227) suggests that one                 page. The format of the cover page is             get tbe attention of the reader and
                    way of acbieving this is to "place the             often provided by tbe proposal                    convince him/her of the value of the
                    problem in context to show, for                    evaluation committee or tbe flinding              study, or, as Sandelowski (2002:9)
                    instance, that wben we understand                  agency. Ifno format is provided, create           describes it, it must "set tbe stage". At
                    this, we will be able to work on that".            a cover page and include the following            the beginning of the proposal the
                    For example, indicate how your                     (Morse & Field, 1996:39-40):                      significance of the study should be
                    research will improve practice or                  • Title of the proposal.                          stated and it must be made clear why
                    influence policy.                                  • Name and affiliation ofthe                      tbere is a need for the study
                                                                                 researcher (principal                   (Sandelowsld, 2002:9). Burns and
                    Aim for crystal clarity                                      investigator) and add Co-               Grove (2005:667-668) provide questions
                    The aim ofthe researcher sbould be for                       investigators (if relevant).            that can be used to assess the
                    clearly stated, in simple language that                      The affiliation will include the        significance of tbe study: (i) Wbo has
                    describes tbe researcb in a way that                                                                 an interest in the domain of inquiry?
                                                                                 type of degree, for example              (ii) What do we already know about
                    non-specialists can comprehend.                              Master in Public                        the topic? (iii) What has not been
                    Morse (1994:227) argues that tbe                             Administration, as well as the           answered adequately in previous
                    researcher sbould resist the temptation                      name ofthe university where             research and practice? And (iv) How
                    to lapse into pure jargon, as "some of                       tbe study will be conducted.             will this research add to knowledge,
                    the reviewers will be from other                   • Lines for tbe signatures ofthe                  practice, and policy in tbis area?
                    disciplines, and the proposal writer                         researcher as well as the                Furthermore, tbe introduction sets the
                    should assume nothing and explain                            university authorities.                  scene and puts the research in context
                    everything". Silverman (2000:115)                  • Contact detail information -                     (Bumard, 2004:175). When writing for
                    gives advice to tbe researcher and                           address, phone and fax                   an international audience, it is
                    states that tbe proposal sbould be                           numbers, and e-mail address.             important to place the research in an
                    concise, using sbort, simple sentences.                                                               intemational context.
                    Plan before you write                              Abstract                                           Review of the literature
                    Remember the saying "If you fail to                The abstract is a synopsis of tbe
                    plan, you plan to fail." It is important           proposal; yet it is important that it is           Relevant literatuie should be cited tbat
                    that the vmter plans the process, as the           comprehensive enough to inform the                 demonstrates the need for the reseai'cb
                    proposal should not only demonstrate               evaluators or reviewers, and to                    study in such a manner tbat it
                    tbat it is based on an intelligent                 introduce the project (Morse & Field,              convinces the evaluators or reviewers
                    understanding ofthe existing literature,            1996:40). It should include a short               that the study is worthwhile. "Literature
                    but it must also show that the wiiter              introduction to the research problem,              consists of all written sources relevant
                    has thought about tbe time needed to               tbe research question, research                    to the topic you have selected" [or the
                                                                       purpose and objectives, followed by                pbenomenon under investigation]
                    conduct each stage of tbe researcb                 the researcb design and research                   (Bums & Grove, 2005:93). It is often a
                     (Silverman, 2000:116). Time                       method. Tbe abstract is usually 250-               chaËenge to include all relevant or most
                    management is embedded in the                      300 words long, but tbis is often                  supportive literature as data, knowledge
                    planning process. The proposal will                dictated by tbe committee guidelines               and information availability expand
                     also be judged on the researcher's                or the funding agency. First                       daily in the digitally enhanced
                     account ofhow time will be used. Arber            impressions count, and this is also true           knowledge environment, doubling
                     (1993:35) notes that one needs "to                for the abstract, as this will be tbe first        every eighteen months in 2008. It is
                     adopt a systematic and logical                    part tbat tbe reviewers read. It is                therefore suggested that the researcher
                     approach to researcb, tbe key to wbicb            advisable to leave the writing of the              critique previous research, and
                     is the planning and management of your            abstract until tbe end, as it will be easier       demonstrates how the present study
                     time". Attention is given to timelines            to write after you have clarity of tbe             will clarify or compensate for
                     frirtber on in the manuscript.                    research process. The inclusion of no              shortcomings in previous research and
                                                                       more than five keywords is advisable               bow tbe study will add to tbe existing
                     Structure of the                                  at the end of the abstract. Structure              body of knowledge. The literature
                                                                       can be given to the abstract by adding             review provides a theoretical context
                     qualitative proposal                              headings, i.e. Background, Aim                     for the study, but is not a conceptual
                     The key sections of a qualitative                  (Purpose and specific objectives). Data           framework, as it does not diive tbe
                     proposal are listed below and attention            Source, Metbod, Results and                       study or provide an outline for tbe
                     will be paid to each. As explained                 Conclusion, followed by Keywords.                 analysis (Morse & Field, 1996: 41).
                     above, tbis framework is meant to guide                                                              Apart from simply offering an account
                     the qualitative researcber, but is not             Introduction                                      of the researcb tbat has been carried
                     intended to be used as a recipe. The               Begin witb something interesting tbat             out previously, tbe autbor should
                  describe how he or she searched the             research problem is a synthesis of the                    service delivery changed as
                  hterature. This involves describing the         introduction and literature review; in                    health policy changed?
                  computer search engines used and the            other words, it is a "diagnosis " of the         • How do concrete actors make
                  keywords entered into those engines             problem. The problem can be broad,                        sense of /respond to /
                  (Bumard, 2004:175). For example:                but must be speeific enough to                            accomplish the activity/
                  "Searches were performed using the              convince the reviewers that it is worth                   policy that play a key role in
                 following resources: Nexus database.             focusing on (Bottorff, 2002:11). The                      their lives? "Concrete
                  South African Journal database or               section on the research problem must                      actors " are historically and
                  SAePublications, international                  conclude with the research question to                    geogi'aphically situated
                  journal databases (EBSCOhost and                be answered. The research question(s)                     people, organisations, and
                  ScienceDirect), boolcs, dictionaries,           should be how questions. The                              institutions.
                  theses and dissertations from the               following format is suggested to                          Example: How do primary care
                  North-West University library and               structure research questions for                          workers respond to shortages
                  inter-library loans" (Knobloch &                qualitative studies (but it is also relevant              of personnel in rural clinics?
                  íGopper, 2008:6).                               to quantitative studies) (http://                • How is the artefact /tool/
                                                                  ñlebox.vt.edu/users/nespor /design,                       policy used by concrete
                  The literatui-e review is not necessarily       accessed 17 May 2004):                                    actorsl "Artefacts, tools, and
                  a separate heading, as it could be              • How has/have the activity/                              policies" are used in more or
                  integrated in the introduction,                           relations changed as the                        less their everyday meanings,
                  providing a rationale for the planned                     activity/relations has/have                     although "tools and
                  study. Bums & Grove (2005:95) point                       changed? "Activities " refer                    artefacts " should be thought
                  out that the puipose and the timing of                    to relatively long-term, on-                    of as encompassing
                  the literature review could vary in                       going, collective social                        technologies.
                  qualitative research, based on the type                   endeavours (for example                         Example: How is the primary
                  of study to be conducted. Table 1                         studying at university, living                  health care policy
                  summarises the purpose of the                             a healthy lifestyle, raising a                  implemented by different
                  literature review in qualitative research.                family, etc.). "Relations " refer               health professions?
                                                                            to on-going systems of                          What happens to the system
                  Research problem (and research                            relations organised around                      of relations when the activity
                  question)                                                 gender, ethnic group, age, or                   takes place?
                  In this section the researcher answers                    between the role players in a                   Example: What happens to
                  the question: "What is the problem? "                     formal organisation, for                        the quality of care of patients
                  Sandelowslci (2002:9) suggests that                       example worker/supervisor;                      from a low income status if
                  numbers should be used to document                        student/lecturer; health care                   they cannot access health
                  the extent and nature of the problem.                     professional/patient.                           care?
                  As research is a logical process, the                     Example: How has health                         In summary, the research
                                                                                                                            questions clearly delineate
                  Table 1. Purposes of the literature review in qualitative research                                        the research (sometimes with
                  (Burns & Grove, 2005:95).                                                                                 sub-questions), and the
                                                                                                                            scope of the research
                                                                                                                            questions(s) needs to be
                   lype of qualitative research                 Purpose of the literature review                            manageable within the time
                                                                                                                            frame and context of the study
                   Phenomenological research                    Compare and combine findings from                           (Bottorff, 2002:11).
                                                                the study with the literature to                   Research purpose and
                                                                determine eurrent knowledge of a
                                                                phenomenon                                         objectives
                   Grounded theory research                     Use the literature to explain, support,           The research purpose (or goal, or aim)
                                                                and extend the theory generated in the             gives a broad indication of what the
                                                                study                                             researcher wishes to achieve in the
                                                                                                                  research. The research purpose is a
                                                                                                                  concise, clear statement of the specific
                   Ethnographical research                      Review the literature to provide a                goal of the study (Bums & Grove, 2005:
                                                                background for conducting the study,              71). The purpose usually indicates the
                                                                as in quantitative research                       type of study to be conducted, i.e.
                                                                                                                   identify, describe, explain, or predict.
                   Historical research                          Literature is reviewed to develop                 Mouton and Marais (1994:51; also
                                                                research questions and is a source of             compare Mouton, 1996:103) presents a
                                                                data                                              classification of different types of
                                                                                                                  research studies to present "a more
                                                                                                                  systematic picture of different kinds of
                                                                                     65
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...The qualitative research proposal h klopper phd iviba o u a professor school of nursing science north west university potchefstroom campus south afnca key words abstract curationis attributes in health sciences has had to overcome many prejudices and process number misunderstandings but today quautative is as acceptable quantitative designs widely funded published writing study however can be challenging feat due emergent nature design description methodology even sub standard proposals at post graduate evaluation committees application considered for funding are still seen this problem led researcher develop framework guide researeher stiidy based on following questions i what ii does structure layout look like purpose article discuss well describe discussed with regards most important that need answered your consideration guidelines being practical persuasive making broader links aiming crystal clarity planning before you write while stinctiare sections namely eover page intiroductio...

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