Qualitative
Organisational Research Methods
The Task: Qualitative Research Proposal
In this essay, you are to independently
craft a qualitative research proposal. The proposal should focus on identifying
a problem or an area of interest within an organisation, which could be
relevant to either academic and/or commercial interest. You have the liberty to
select a topic that personally interests you. Please note that this task
involves only the creation of a proposal. You are not expected to engage in
data collection or conduct the actual research.
Module Learning Outcomes Assessed
The aims of this exercise are to assess
your abilities to:
1.
Contextualise qualitative
research methods within broader epistemological and theoretical discussions.
2.
Develop knowledge and skills to
generate and analyse qualitative data through interviews, field observation,
online methods, etc.
3.
Reflect on ethical and
methodological issues in relationship to qualitative research projects. Think
about what ethical issues will be raised, as well as how they will be
addressed.
Assignment Details and Structure
To successfully complete this assignment,
you are expected to:
1. Independently select an
organisational issue or area of interest and formulate a well-defined Research
Question (RQ).
2. Conduct a thorough literature review, synthesising existing
knowledge to inform your RQ.
3. Develop an appropriate research strategy, detailing considerations
like sampling methods, selection criteria, analytical techniques, and the
application of theoretical frameworks.
4. Critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of your proposed
research approach.
Note that while you have the freedom to
choose your research topic, it must not be an organisational problem or issue
previously addressed in coursework for another module, nor should it be the
same as the one explored in the group assignment of this module.
THE PROPOSAL
Your report should include the following
key sections. The word counts for each are guidelines; you have the flexibility
to structure your report as you see fit. You can include images and figures in
the main text of the report.
1. Introduction (400 words): Introduce the
organisational problem or area of research interest. Discuss your motivation
for selecting this topic, and outline your overall aims and objectives. If you
have formulated a clear research question or set of research questions at this
stage, then outline them here. Stylistically, you might try and grab the
attention of the reader in this section.
2. Literature Review and Theoretical Background (500 words): Contextualise your identified organisational problem or area of
interest for research by discussing what is already known about this (or
similar issues) and what gaps remain in our understanding of it in empirical
and theoretical terms. This will involve reviewing relevant academic and/or
non-academic sources to build a narrative that underscores the necessity of
your research.
3. Proposed Method & Approach (700 words): Describe your planned research process, addressing questions such
as:
a. How will you gain access to the settings, engage participants, and
collect materials?
b. Detail the nature and scope of the data you plan to collect, for
example the number of time you plan to undertake fieldwork observations, when
and where you will gather your data, interview plans, and/or focus group plans,
documents for analysis.
c. How will you address any ethical issues raised by your study?
d. Identify potential challenges in data collection and access, and how
you plan to address them.
e. Outline your data analysis strategy, including whether you’ll use
inductive or deductive approaches, and (how) will you use theory to interpret
your findings?
f. How will you know when you have generated sufficient data?
4. Research Timeline (Not included in word count): Present a Gantt chart or similar visual representation outlining
the main research tasks and estimated timeframes.
5. Reflections (400 words): Reflect on the
potential strengths and weaknesses of your research plan. Identify possible
challenges and propose strategies to mitigate risks or address these
challenges. By adhering to these guidelines, your proposal should present a
clear, well-structured, and feasible approach to addressing a chosen
organisational issue or area of interest through qualitative research.
