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You will be using the article “Field Research as Social Experience: Learning to Do Ethnography” written by William Shaffir, Mary  Lorentz Dietz and Robert Stebbins which will be provided for you as a PDF on eLearn as the source you will cite in your proposal and later in the assignment.

The research proposal is intended to convince others that you have a worthwhile research project or question and that you have a competent plan to complete it. All research proposals should at least address these questions:

What you plan to accomplish

Why you chose the topic

How you are going to carry it out

This proposal needs to have sufficient information so that your reader (me) is convinced that you have a good idea of what you are going to observe and HOW you are going to carry out this observation

1. Title page and Formatting (2)

The title page as well as the entire assignment is in APA format, including running heads and page numbering.

The title should be concise and descriptive. If possible, think of an informative but catchy title. An effective title not only piques the reader's interest, but also predisposes him/her favourably towards the proposal. “Qualitative Research Proposal is NOT an acceptable title.

2. Summary of the Article (6)

This is a summary, paraphrased IN YOUR OWN WORDS of the pages posted on line from the article “Field Research as Social Experience: Learning to Do Ethnography” that has been provided to you.

Make sure that you CITE the article correctly as you write, using APA format.

3. Proposal (10)

For this assignment you are going to observe social behaviour in a social setting over a period of three hours. A lot of effort goes into completing a research project, so the behaviour you choose to observe and where you go is the most important consideration.

In this section you will describe how and why you came to choose this type of behaviour to observe and also where you are going to observe it.

It is a good idea to make reference to the article you summarized above or any other reference material you used to help you set up the observation. Make sure you cite your sources.

1. Start by explaining the advantages of a non-participant observation

2. What social theory are you using?

3. Give a general statement describing what behaviour you are going to observe.

4. Explain WHY you have chosen this behaviour to observe.

5. Describe who you think you will be observing.

6. Describe where you are going to carry out the observation.  

7. How do you think you might recognize the behaviour you are looking for? What will you expect to see? How will you recognize front stage and back stage behaviour?

8. Describe how you are going to carry out the observation. How do you intend to carry out the observation? Will you need a gatekeeper? Permission? Where do you plan to sit? How will you remain anonymous? How will you remain unbiased?

9. Include a plan – Include a time line: the date, place and time you will carry out the observation. It is expected that you complete three hours of observation - ideally in three one hour sessions.