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Chapter 3: Research Design and Method

Chapter Overview

To open the chapter you can begin by referring back to the purpose of the study, taking care to align with the statement in Chapter 1 but avoiding word-for-word repetition. Outline the major sections of this chapter, giving enough detail so that the introduction is unique to your study (that is: go beyond simply listing the headings).

Research Questions and/or Hypotheses and their Rationales

For qualitative studies you can reintroduce your research questions in a narrative, tying them to your problem statement. For quantitative studies, reintroduce your research questions and hypotheses, along with the rationales for the hypotheses. For mixed methods studies, clearly identify which questions are qualitative in nature and which are quantitative in nature. Including subheadings (Level 2) for “Qualitative Research Questions” and “Quantitative Research Questions” might be the best way to organize. Regardless of your methodology, try to present the questions in alignment with the presentation in Chapter 1.

Listing interview questions is not typical (it is usually thought best to keep the research and interview questions separate) but you might decide with your chair to show the alignment between the two types of questions.

Research Design

Identify the research design and its connection to the research questions. Provide a rationale for the research tradition chosen. This needs to go beyond why you chose qualitative over quantitative or vice versa. Explain why you chose the specific qualitative or quantitative tradition or research paradigm you chose over others.

Population and Sample

Identify the population and the sampling method used. Explain the inclusion criteria and then take care to justify the size of the sample. If quantitative in nature, mention the calculating tool used to determine the sample size. If qualitative in nature, explain your rationale for the number of participants.

Procedures

Describe your proposed procedures in detail, beginning with recruiting procedures, including data collection tools or strategies used, how this data will be collected, and any follow-up planned with participants. If you plan to conduct a pilot study, describe this in detail and how it will inform your main study.

Validity

Describe all threats to the validity of the study. If qualitative, describe how you plan to ensure credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability. If quantitative, describe in detail threats to internal and external validity.

Instrumentation

If quantitative in nature, name your data collection instrument, where and how it has been used, and how the validity and reliability were established. If qualitative in nature, describe any researcher-created or established tools and the rationale for using them.  For qualitative researchers, include your role as the researcher and how you plan to control any biases.

Data Processing

Identify any software that will be used in the analysis of your data. Describe, in detail, the strategy or strategies proposed for organizing and analyzing data collected.

Assumptions

The assumptions are related to the mechanics of your study. What about your study is not discoverable so you had to assume to be true? If interviewing participants, you must assume that they are answering honestly, so this is a major assumption. You must also assume they are participating willingly. All researchers must also assume that their chosen methodology is the most appropriate for their investigation. What also are you unable to discover so must assume in order to conduct your study?  Some chairs allow for numbered lists—usually researchers list about three assumptions, although there is no set minimum or maximum.

Limitations

Limitations are elements of your study that are outside of your control. Is there a weakness in the design? Are there uncontrollable biases? For many, one limitation in the proposal is the possibility of not having access to participants or not being able to recruit enough participants to satisfy the minimum sample size. Unlike the scope and delimitations, where you get to explain all the things you had control over as the researcher (setting, participants, time frame) this is where you can describe the things you couldn’t control and what you plan to do to address these issues.

Ethical Assurances

How do you plan to ensure the ethical protection of your participants? Explain your recruitment strategy, consent form, any Institutional Review Board permissions that will be needed, whether participants will be confidential or anonymous, and how you plan to protect the data collected. Note that participants are considered confidential if you know their identities but do not share them (through the use of descriptors or pseudonyms). Participants are considered anonymous if even you are unaware of their identity. For these reasons, you will not have participants who are both confidential and anonymous.

Summary

Summarize the entire chapter, which will go just beyond restating the headings. Plan for a paragraph or two that briefly walks your reader through the highlights of each section. Your reader should be able to read your summary and know what your methodology is, instrument, data collection and analysis plan, and other aspects that will be unique to your study.

Natural hazards are hazards that exist in the natural environment and pose a threat to human populations and communities. Examples include floods (the most frequently occurring), hurricanes, tsunamis, sea surges, earthquakes, tornadoes, freezes, blizzards, extreme cold, forest fires, drought, and range infestation (inordinate numbers of insects).

Technological hazards are hazards originating from technological or industrial conditions, including accidents, dangerous procedures, infrastructure failures, or specific human activities. They may cause loss of life, injury, illness, or other health impacts; property damage; loss of livelihoods and services; social and economic disruption; or environmental damage. Examples include such events as epidemics or pandemics, pollution, utilities failures, radiological accidents, nuclear waste disposal spills, toxic substances, hazardous materials accidents, explosions, and urban fires.
In an essay of 3-4 pages,
define natural hazards, and
define technological hazards.
Fully identify and describe 2-3 most significant natural hazards and the 2-3 most significant man-made hazards that can or do impact the capital of a state of your choice or another large city.
Explain the causes of the hazards.
Explain the frequency of the hazards’ occurrences.
Explain the amount of damage caused by each occurrence.
In addition, identify the following in terms of the selected jurisdiction’s current emergency management efforts:

What are the mitigation functions of the jurisdiction? Explain.
What are the preparation functions of the jurisdiction? Explain.
What are the response functions of the jurisdiction? Explain.
What are the recovery functions of the jurisdiction? Explain.
What are the most significant emergency management challenges in the jurisdiction about which you are writing? Why?
Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.

Week 7:
Reflect on how you have been given feedback in the past. What feedback strategies were effective?
Reflect on times when YOU provided feedback. What motivated you to give feedback? How was it received?

Week 8:
Free write for 5 minutes about a social issue you are passionate about. Go back and review what you wrote for organization, clarity, quality, and articulation of the intended meaning.
This entry will include 3 items:
1. Initial 5 minute free write
2. Critical review of what you wrote
3.A revised version of the paragraph

Week 9:
Discuss a situation in which you did not take initiative but should have. What might have happened if you had taken initiative in the situation?
Discuss a time you took initiative, describing what the situation was and what warranted you taking initiative.
Discuss a situation in which someone else took initiative; why did they take initiative and what did it look like? What was the impact of their initiative?

Week 10:
Describe your experience with oral presentations. What are your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to these types of presentations? For each weakness come up with a mitigation plan that you can implement as you prepare for your Project #2 presentation.

Week 11:
Share examples of non-inclusive behavior you have seen or experienced. Discuss what made these behaviors non-inclusive.

1: Give an overview of the challenges multidisciplinary healthcare teams face and discuss and critically evaluate the evidence for ways to overcome these barriers. Option

2: Critically evaluate the scientist practitioner model and discuss its relevance for Clinical Psychology training in the UK. Option

3: Compare and contrast two models of supervision and evaluate the evidence for their effectiveness.