Racial disparities and discrimination in education
Instructions: DRAFT OF METHODS
This assignment will be a rough draft of the Methods section for your Final Research Proposal. We will use this draft to solicit feedback in order to build a solid draft for the final submission.
The Methods Sections should be between 1-4 pages and contain the following components:
Method Section : The method section is a detailed explanation and justification of your research design, potential research site, tools used to collect data, reflection of your role as researcher, and description of how you plan to analyze the data.
- Qualitative Research Design:Explain the type of qualitative research methodology you plan to use and why it is an important methodology to study your research problem. Make sure to cite scholars that demonstrate the importance of ethnographies. Also explain the length of the study.
- Positionality and role as a researcher:This section will be a reflection on your positionality and role as a researcher. Detailed explanation of what type of researcher you aspire to be. The following questions should be address: How will your positionality impact your relations with the research site/participants and how do you plan to minimize power asymmetries between your role as a researcher and the research site/ participants; What type of observer you will be for this study (complete participant; participant as observer; observer as participant; or complete observer), and why is that important for the particular research problem? Do you foresee your observer role changing over time? What type of encounters will challenge this role? What is your plan for reciprocity with the research site and/or participants?
- Research Site: Present a detailed description of the site(s) and justify why this site(s) is important for the study; how will you gain access, and who gatekeepers do you think you need approval from; how many times do you plan on visiting; what are some challenges you may face? If you have any connections to the research site please explain your relationship with the sites.
- Collection of Data:Explain what types of data collection tools will be used [Participatory observations, interviews, or documents, etc]. Consider the following topics: What tools will you use? In relation to your research topic and research questions, why did you select these tools? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using each of these tools for your study? Provide a detailed account of how you plan on using the tools? How will the tools compliment one another? How will you collect field notes? What are some technologies you plan on using? In the appendix page please include any potential interview guide and/or observation protocol.
- Participants: Provide a detailed description of participants. Who will be involved in your study? What criteria will you use to select the participants? What ethical protections and informed consent will employ with participants? will you use with the participants. In the appendix page include a draft of your informed consent form.
- Data Analysis:Explain the techniques used to analyze the data that you collected. Did you approach the data from an emic lens (themes and topics internally emerged from the data itself), or did you use an etic lens approach (themes and topics were selected external from the data and these etic topics were used to search the data). Or did you use a combination of both? Provide examples of how the analysis was conducted. Additionally describe how different forms of data were linked.
- Research timeline: In table or some visible aid, create a research timeline. This provides an overview of research activities. How often and when do you propose to visit the site? If conducting interviews, when will they occur? Identify major milestones/goals in the research plan
