ASSESSMENT TASK
Overview: An individual 1500-word Qualitative Research Report based on the analysis of data you are given in the unit.
Aim: To test your knowledge and skills of qualitative data analysis and presentation using either Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis or Critical Discourse Analysis.
Task: You will produce an individual research report. You will be given the choice of using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis or Critical Discourse Analysis to analyse a short data extract given to you in the unit. Specific context for the data extract is given in the relevant transcriipt.
The individual 1500-word report will consist of the following structure: abstract; introduction; methods (with sub-sections of methodology, data collection, data analysis, and ethics); results; discussion; references; appendices.
Note: THE REPORT MUST BE WRITTEN IN 1ST PERSON ”WE” !!!
SUBMISSION FORMAT
The individual 1500-word report should be submitted as a word/pdf file.
The word limit for this assessment is 1500 words, excluding the abstract, tables and figures, references, and appendices. If the word limit is exceeded (even by a single word), 10 marks will be deducted from the initial mark awarded.
MARKING CRITERIA
Criteria 1 Qualitative data analysis 50%
Criteria 2 Qualitative report writing skills 50%
LEARNING OUTCOMES
This assignment tests your ability to:
1. Critically evaluate a range of qualitative research paradigms and research methods.
2. Design and carry out qualitative research while following appropriate ethical guidelines.
3. Evaluate and interpret the findings of appropriate qualitative data analytic techniques.
INSTRUCTIONS:
I have uploaded the following documents:
1. Qualitative Research Report Student Guide – This covers detailed instructions on what to put in each section of the report.
2. Qualitative Research Report Interview Transcriipt (this is the data that you will need to analyse using either Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis or Critical Discourse Analysis. Choose whichever approach you are more comfortable with).
For both approaches, you will need to include participant quotes to support your analysis. This is an important part of the assignment.
The Interview transcriipt is a truncated transcriipt from an interview conducted as part of a qualitative study of 8 ex-soldiers’ accounts of renegotiating identity after leaving the army. Thus, the topic of the assignment is: Renegotiating identity after leaving the army. You will need to find some papers on this topic in order to write the introduction.
When writing up the report, please make sure to mention that 8 ex-soldiers were interviewed for this study, however, we will only focus on analysing one interview transcriipt.
3. Three relevant papers on renegotiating identity after leaving the army. You can bring in other studies to help you with the introduction and discussion.
Keep in mind that the focus of this assignment is more on the methods and results, so the introduction and discussion do not have to be that long (refer to Qualitative Research Report Student Guide for details)
4. Qualitative Research Report Template – Once you’ve completed the analysis, please use the Qualitative Research Report Template to write up your findings.
Write the report as if you conducted the interview yourself. Some relevant contextual information to help you do this is on the front page of the interview transcriipt.
5. Other supporting material:
Qualitative Research Report Checklist
Example Qualitative Paper
Example Qualitative Paper in APA style
