RESEARCH APPROACH: (1,000 words)
the assignmnet topic is
The needs of Diabetics patients to diabetic care centres ..
A quantitive, descriptive reseach study should be used to identify the needs of of diabetic patients to a Diabetic Care Centres...
Marking Guide:
1-Introduction
NB. Use this as the first heading in your assignment
Description:
-Identifies/names correctly the approach to be critiqued
-Outlines correct methodological reasons for choosing the approach selected
What you need to do:
This criterion is, in fact, a very simple one (do not over complicate what is required here). Simply give the correct name for the research approach (method) you have selected to critique. You should include a statement something along the lines of: 'This assignment has as its focus a critique of the Case Study Method as informed by the work of Yin (2003)' or 'This assignment has as its focus a critique of the research method 'new phenomenology' using a Van Manen (1990) framework.' Were you to write something like, 'This assignment has as its focus a critique of naturalistic quasi-experimental inquiry, it would be evident to your examiner that you do not understand you chosen research approach since no such approach exists.
What is required here is a clear statement of the 'rationale' (justification) for choosing the approach that you have chosen to critique, that is, explain why you have chosen this method rather than another method. For instance, the reason you would chose a grounded theory method is because it is the approach that is most amendable to developing a 'theory that is grounded in the data for explaining a certain phenomenon – e.g., 'How patients cope with chronic wounds'. Were you to choose Grounded Theory because 'you liked the lecture on it and thought it would be fun to do' is NOT a sound METHODOLOGICAL reason for choosing it.
2-Methodology
NB. Use this as the second heading in your assignment
Description:
-Discusses philosophical assumptions underpinning approach selected
You could use as subheadings the following:
•Ontological considerations
•Epistemological considerations
-Provides critical comment on strengths & weaknesses of approach selected
You could use as a subheading the following:
•Strengths and weaknesses
What you need to do:
What is required here is a brief outline and explanation of the relationship between ontology (the fundamental nature of the world – i.e. whether it is comprised of entities that exist independently of human thought and experience or is fundamentally 'constructed by human thought, analysis and perception) and epistemology (the grounds upon which we claim to know something about the world –i.e. positivist epistemology' (i.e. based on the broad tenets of the natural sciences and which may, for example, involve 'hypothesis testing') and non-positive epistemology(i.e. based on the broad tenets of the social sciences and which involve 'capturing peoples life stories' (a slice of the life world)
Consideration of these perspectives, in turn, provides the theoretical orientation and approach (the methodology) to the collection and analysis of your data. In a sense therefore there is a logical continuum starting with ontology and epistemology and ending with methodology (Oliver 2004:29).
You will need to do some self-directed reading to inform your response on the strengths and weaknesses of the approach you have selected. For example, it is not a 'weakness' of naturalistic inquiry that the results cannot be statistically generalised. Why? Because the intention of this approach is to develop understanding, not to produce statistical generalisable results. Researcher inexperience, the collection of masses amount of interview data from which selections need to be made, and so forth, are however some recognised weaknesses of Naturalistic Inquiry
3-Method
NB. Use this as the third heading in your assignment
You should also include as your final headings:
•Conclusion
•Reference List
Description:
-Presents and discusses correct steps that are characteristic of the approach selected
-Discusses processes to be followed to ensure rigour/reliability/validity of research approach
What you need to do:
What you need to do here is correctly present the steps that need to be taken to conduct a proposed research program using the method you have selected. Your discussion should be advanced using the following subheadings:
•Sample (kind of sampling typically used –e.g. purposeful, random, etc; include brief statement about establishing selection criteria; means of accessing participants, etc)
•Data collection (what kind of data + how collected)
•Data analysis (what processes would be used 'eg SPPS vs. content and thematic analysis)
•Writing up & disseminating findings (e.g. publication + presentation at professional Seminars/conferences, etc)
NB Refer to your spread sheet of the different qualitative research methods and note how different methods use different approaches (e.g. the processes for analysing the data in grounded theory are far more involved and complicated than, say, an exploratory descriptive naturalistic inquiry; likewise case study and action research, etc)
4- Style
Description:
-Cites references correctly to support statements made in body of assignment
-Conforms with agreed standards of essay/assignment writing
What you need to do:
We are not so much interested in knowing how MUCH you have read, but whether what you have read supports the statements you have made in your discussion (In order to successfully address this criteria you are strongly advised to read your notes on conducting a 'Literature review' and the matter of providing a 'methodological defence'
Thank you for your dreat help
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