Qualitative Research Proposal on Living with a Disability, Racial Inequality, or Cancer Diagnosis/Tr

You will choose one topic from the choice of three below and you will design a qualitative research proposal. The research proposal criteria are outlined in a 7-point plan on the following page.

1. Living with a disability

2. The experience of racial inequality in the UK

3. Understanding diagnosis or treatment experiences of cancer

I am deliberately giving you three broad research areas so you have the freedom to be creative with the research topic which will elicit the research question. This is where each student can display their creativity whilst demonstrating their understanding of the parameters of the formal proposal.
 
A qualitative research proposal would include the following information and detail. Your report can be structured by following the following criteria:
 
1. A clear research question that is a statement of what you intend to explore. You should also include the research aims, which outline what you hope to achieve.

2. A modest literature review.  The literature review should inform the reader of what we know about the topic and “guide” the reader towards a justification for your own research project.

3. A detailed method section should give clear details about the intended participants, the method of data collection and any other tools or prompts that you intend to use.

4. Your chosen analytic method (Thematic Analysis or IPA). Describe what a thematic analysis or an IPA is and why it is suitable for your research question.  Say also how you intend to analyse your data as informed by this method.

5. Include a short reflexive section to tell the reader what the purpose of reflexivity is and demonstrate how you are mindful of your own assumptions and bias.

6. Outline all the ethical issues that are relevant to your research project and detail how you aim to mitigate for any distress or discomfort.

7. The final section should discuss the importance of quality assurance and trustworthiness in qualitative research.  How will you demonstrate this in your own research project?

Knowledge and understanding: You will do well if you can demonstrate your learning by giving detailed answers in each section of your research proposal. A broad range of research and theory will demonstrate how you arrived at your rationale for your research design.

Analysis/Synthesis, Evidence: Synthesis is a fundamental requirement for this coursework. Each section of the research proposal needs to be detailed and explicit. You will do well if your proposal demonstrates a solid alignment between each section which ensures that the proposal has a coherent narrative overall.

Structure, Logic, Clarity & Argument: You will do well if each section is logical and includes detail that is explicit in its detail. The sections should fit together logically so that you achieve the alignment across the research proposal as a whole.

Appropriate referencing: You will do well by following a consistent referencing style that uniquely identifies the references in question and is presented in a sensible and organise manner. Each individual section should be well-referenced.

A student who does well in each of these sections will get a high mark overall.

1. Choose one of the research areas only to complete your assignment.  Don’t forget to narrow your research focus for the research question itself.

2. Each of the ten videos correspond to the different sections of the research proposal.  If student follow the video materials, the lecture materials and the recommended reading the you will have all the resources you require to complete this task.  Some aspects of the proposal, such as the research question itself and the literature review will be determined by the focus of the research topic and the creativity of the student.

3. Jamie and I cannot answer questions on your research question or the specific details of your research proposal, because that is part of the task that we will be grading your work on.

4. I would advise students to engage with the seminars for this Module. We will discuss sections of the research proposal in more detail and Jamie and I will answer questions and support you with your learning of qualitative research methods.

5. You should reference each section of the research report, not just the literature review.  Please use APA referencing throughout.

6. The word limit is 2000 words. This does not include references but it does include your headings and in-text citations. You have +/- 10% leeway, so you can submit a word count range between 1,800 and 2,200 words.

7. Make sure that any jargon or psychological terms are explained and/or fully referenced.

8. Please use double-spacing and 12 pt font for the main text in this assignment. You can use headings to distinguish each section of the proposal. Take care to format your work to a professional standard.  A research proposal is a formal document and high standards of grammar and presentation apply.