Campaign Financing Elections in the United States versus Canada
For a Qualitative Research Topic Prospectus include the following:
1) Title Page
2) Introduction
– Capture the Goal /Purpose of the Research – Include a clear purpose statement
-Include a rationale for why your topic is important
-Consider a statement that explains why a particular setting is important and
interesting
– Situate the study in the literature – demonstrate your familiarity with similar
studies or position your study in opposition to what you have previously studied
3) Literature Review
-The literature review is the framework and foundation of your study
-Develop a brief history of the research which should include articles that support or contradict your position
-Include the latest research on your topic
-Assess previous work done on your topic and work to analyze, synthesize, and
critique. Make the case for why should your topic should be studied further or
again. Work to connect and relate the studies together.
-Presenting theory is helpful even though qualitative research is inductive. Theory
creates a focus for the study and provides the language or terminology used to assist
with data analysis and interpretation
-The literature review should lead directly into your Research Question, which
concludes this section
4) Method
4a) Participants
-There are different ways to use headings in the Method section. For this section you
might begin with “Participants,” “Setting,” or “Background”
-Describe who your participants will be and how they will be selected for the study
(sampling)
4b) Procedures for Data Collection
-Describe how you will collect data, including the length of interviews or
observations, and whether you will be working with field notes or transcriptions
-Describe your role as the researcher and your level of involvement
– Include your method for triangulating the data or ways you ensured the
credibility/trustworthiness of data
4c) Data Analysis
-Describe the method you will use to analyze the data (Coding procedures). Be
specific and provide appropriate citations.