Toxic Leadership in the army

Unit 4

• PRINT

• Topic Selection and Development of a Qualitative Research Question

  INTRODUCTION

  Choosing a research topic is not as easy as it might seem. It is unacceptable for the researcher to study something simply because it is personally interesting or because it is something he or she has witnessed in the workplace. A research topic, especially a dissertation research topic, must be firmly situated within the existent body of knowledge in a particular discipline, or it must contain interrelated knowledge from several disciplines. Therefore, the researcher must have a thorough grounding in the relevant literature.TOGGLE DRAWERHIDE FULL INTRODUCTIONBecause of how intimately a topic is tied to current literature in the field, some excellent places to look for potential topics are in recent dissertations (within the past 5 years) and recently published journal articles. All dissertations must have a section delineating suggestions for future research. In addition, many journal articles address the next logical steps for future researchers. If you are in need of a topic, these are two places to start looking.Qualitative studies are guided by one open-ended question. This open-ended question provides an initial framework that directs the qualitative study and maintains its focus on the topic under inquiry. The question that leads the qualitative study must match the research methodology that will be used to conduct the qualitative investigation. When designing a qualitative study, the research question is focused on before selecting a methodology.Once the researcher has selected a research topic, question, and methodology, the next step is to identify the need for the study supported by the psychological literature. These initial steps will assist the researcher in developing an appropriate research design.

  Writing a Good Question for Qualitative Research

  You should keep the following in mind while writing a good question for qualitative research:

  • The research question must be a question. Qualitative studies are guided by one open-ended question.
  • The question that leads the qualitative study must match the research methodology to be used to conduct the qualitative investigation.
  • The question should name the phenomena that you want to investigate.
  • The question should be written in such a way that it can be turned into a title using same or similar words, which makes it useful as keywords for someone else’s search.

  The following table offers examples of the type of questions that can be used for each of the five methodologies.

  Types of Questions for Each Methodology

  Type of Question	Methodology
  Descriptive questions about values, beliefs, and practices of members of a cultural group under inquiry. What are the behavioral patterns of . . .? What is the culture of . . .? Example questions: What is the culture of an all-girl public school? What is the culture of street corner life?	Ethnography.
  Case study questions involve an intense study of an individual or an organization. The case to be studied is often chosen due to its uniqueness. The case is a single research subject—a person, a program, an event, an activity.Example questions: What are the dimensions of job burnout for community college professors? What is the experience of parents that are raising a child that has an emotional behavior disorder? What are the issues that impact family traditions for Latino individuals living in a culture in which they are the minority? (This question could also be ethnographic). What is the impact of 360-degree feedback on U.S. Air Force personnel? What is the experience of military families during the deployment of the husband or father to a combat zone? What are the characteristics of the parent-teacher programs in the Wayne County school district?	Case study.
  Process questions about changing experience over time or its stages and phases: What is the process of becoming . . .? Understanding questions: What are the dimensions of this experience . . . ? In grounded theory, the researcher may ask understanding questions to elicit the understanding of the participants about their experiences: How do college students describe the process of persisting academically? How do adolescents that have completed an intensive outpatient treatment program describe the experience of recovery? What is the process of falling in love?	Grounded theory.
  Questions about meaning, experience, lived experience, and about the core or essence of phenomena or experiences: What is the meaning of . . .? What is the experience of . . .? What is the lived experience of . . .? How do people experience and describe . . .? What is the essence of . . .? Example questions: What is the meaning of anxiety? How do people experience and describe romantic love? What is the essence of loneliness? What is the mature woman’s lived experience of divorce? What is it like to experience betrayal?	Phenomenology.
  Focus of our attention outwardly on experiences: What was experienced? What happened? To what does the belief point to in the outer world? Example questions: What are common post-graduate experiences in becoming a licensed psychologist? What are the attitudes and opinions of teachers toward the No Child Left Behind Act? What experiences lead to the development of trust in interpersonal relationships? What experiences of support are most important to women that are undergoing treatment for breast cancer?	Generic qualitative inquiry.

  OBJECTIVES

  To successfully complete this learning unit, you will be expected to:

  1. Distinguish among a research problem, the purpose of the research, and research questions.
  2. Describe a topic suitable for qualitative methodology.
  3. Draft a research project statement that fully describes the problem or need being addressed.
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  [u04s1] Unit 4 Study 1

  STUDIES

  

  Research Questions and Research Designs

  Transcript

  Qualitative Research Proposal

  Transcript

  Readings

  Use your Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design text to read Chapter 6, “Introducing and Focusing the Study,” pages 129–138. Focus on the subsection “Research Problem.”Use the Capella library to read Moerrer-Urdahl and Creswell’s 2004 article, “Using Transcendental Phenomenology to Explore the ‘Ripple Effect’ in a Leadership Mentoring Program,” from International Journal of Qualitative Methods, volume 3, issue 2, pages 1–28.

  Multimedia

  Complete the following:

  • Click Research Questions and Research Designs to listen to the presentation.
  • Click Qualitative Research Proposal to launch the illustration. This illustration appears throughout the course to help guide you as you develop the various components of your course project. Boxcars will continue to be added to the train as you progress through the course. Each boxcar provides information regarding the development of individual components of a research proposal.

  Sample Research questions

  Following are examples of research questions for PSY learners

  • Heuristics.
    • What is the essence of the mother-daughter relationship?
    • What is the experience of growing up in a fatherless home?
    • What is the nature and meaning of self-doubt?
    • What is the experience of being sensitive?
    • What is the experience of feeling unconditionally loved?

  Following are examples of research questions for COUN learners:

  • Ethnography.
    • What are the cultural values of women in a networking for success group?
    • What is the culture of a professional addictions counselor support group?
    • What is the culture of an all-girl high school?
    • What is the culture of colloquia?
  • Phenomenology.
    • What is the meaning of anxiety?
    • What is the experience of expressing will?
    • How do people experience and describe romantic love?
    • What is the essence of loneliness?
    • What is the mature woman’s lived experience of divorce?
    • What is it like to experience betrayal?
  • Case study.
    • What are strategies used by counselors who integrate spirituality in their therapeutic work?
    • What are the shared features of successful addictions counselors?
    • How do parents of children with disabilities think about and practice discipline?
  • Grounded theory.
    • How can object relations theory be re-conceptualized when working with clients who have had long-term sobriety?
    • How can Erickson’s stage of generativity versus stagnation be redefined to reflect today’s middle-age professionals?
    • What best practices do clinicians rely on for self-care? (This could also be a generic qualitative question.)
    • What are the developmental stages of parenting daughters among African-American adult males who experienced domestic violence as adolescents?
  • Generic qualitative approach.
    • What are the reasons for human behavior professionals pursuing doctoral studies?
    • What are the treatment experiences of adults who engaged in hypnotherapy for smoking cessation?
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  [u04s2] Unit 4 Study 2

  ASSIGNMENT – PREPARATION

  Resources

  • Research Overview Scoring Guide.

  Your Research Overview assignment is due in Unit 5. Take some time in this unit to begin work on this assignment.To learn more about the requirements of the assignment, refer to the assignment description as well as the Research Overview Scoring Guide (given in the resources).

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  [u04a1] Unit 4 Assignment 1

  TOPIC ENDORSEMENT

  Resources

  • Topic Endorsement Scoring Guide.
  • APA Style and Format.
  • Qualitative Research Plan Template.

  Note: You are required to complete the unit discussion before this assignment. After receiving feedback from your fellow learners in the discussion, complete Section 1 of the Qualitative Research Plan Template (given in the resources), which includes:

  • A description of the specific topic you propose to study.
  • An explanation regarding the significance of this topic to your program or field.
  • A brief statement regarding the need for the study that fully describes the problem or need being addressed, often referred to as the research problem.

  You will continue to fill out the Qualitative Research Plan Template as you progress through the course. Be sure to follow current APA guidelines while filling out the template.

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  [u04d1] Unit 4 Discussion 1

  TOPIC ENDORSEMENT – PEER REVIEW

  Resources

  • Discussion Participation Scoring Guide.

  Note: You are required to complete this discussion before submitting the unit assignment.For this discussion, complete the following:

  • Choose a research topic that is appropriate for qualitative research.
  • Present the need for this research in relation to the field.
  • Support your conclusions with relevant sources from the academic literature.
  • Develop a research question.
  • Define the terms of the question citing the academic literature.

  Once you have received feedback from other learners, complete the unit’s assignment based on your revised discussion post. Remember, the earlier in the week you post, the more time other learners have to give feedback.

  Response Guidelines

  Respond to the post of at least one other learner. Addressing the following questions in your response:

  • How appropriate is the research topic to qualitative research?
  • How appropriate is the research question for a qualitative methodology?
  • What thoughts do you have on the research topic’s significance to the learner’s specialization?
  • Has the learner used relevant references from the academic literature within his or her specialization to support the conclusions?
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