Generating researchable questions and starting to ask

Dr Fiona Beals

Lecture Aims

Explore the generation of research questions Locate research questions in evaluation

research Locate research questions into research

paradigms Generate some questions Learn some big terminology

Generating Research Questions

Applying One Method to Another

Observation methods (Spradley, 1980) Qualitative Analysis Coding (Abstracting and

Comparing) (Punch, 1998)

Phase One: Scoping

Brainstorming every possible question you would like answered on your topic through reflecting on:– Personal experiences– Personal ambitions– Scoping observations in the field– Reviewing current literature– Reviewing programme plans and objectives

Phase Two: Refining

Grouping scoping questions– Locate central themes– Put aside outliners – Organise each question along the

development lines Open to closed Broad to detailed

Phase Three: Generating the Question/s

Locate the aim of your research through finding an encompassing theme for your scoping questions– This may be simply a hypothesis or

a specific aim (e.g. to develop …)

Turn this aim into one, two, orthree overarching questions

Where to next….

Locating your questions within a paradigm of research

Outlining the constraints of your research– Time, money, contextual etc

Selecting an appropriate methodology Make sure there is fusion between the

questions, paradigm (theory), constraints, and methodology

Six Paradigms

PARADIGM FOCUS QUESTION

Positivist/Postpostivist Statistics – Establishing truth and differences

How many …What quantifiable differences exist …

Constructivist Exploring and constructing truths

How do …

Feminist Exploring gendered differences and perspectives

What are the experiences of boys and girls …How do girls …

Ethnic Exploring ethnic differencesand perspectives

What are the experiences of Maori and Pakeha …How do Maori …

Marxist Exploring class differences and perspectives

What are the experiences of lower socio-economic and middle-class …How do the poor …

Cultural Studies To critique and question current truths and critically examine differences

What knowledges/ideas …What are the implications of this particular knowledge …

Paradigm One: Positivist/Postpositivist

Aim– To track gender/culture/socioeconomic differences– To measure the effectiveness of boot camps as an intervention

Question/s– Are there any differences?– What are these differences? – quantified

Constraints– Numbers/Cash– Statistical knowledge

Methodology– Textual analysis– Survey research

Paradigm Two: Constructivist (1)

Aim– To explore why some young people dislike school– To understand the experiences of young people in an initiative

Question/s– How do young people experience school?– What were the experiences of youth in the initiative?

Constraints– Purpose is quite contained– Confusion over roles (esp youth workers and youth – if involved)

Methodology– Ethnographic case study

Paradigm Two: Constructivist (2)

Aim– To construct an Asian theory of youth development– To construct an understanding of the elements needed for successful

mentoring Question/s

– How do Asian young people experience adolescence?– What elements exist in successful mentoring programmes?

Constraints– External validity– Finances

Methodology– Ethnographic case study

Paradigm Three: Feminist

Aim– To explore gendered experiences of boot camps

Question/s– What are the experiences of boys and girls involved in boot

camps? Constraints

– External validity– Finances

Methodology– Narrative storytelling– Ethnographic case study

Paradigm Four: Ethnic

Aim– To explore ethnic experiences of boot camps

Question/s– What are the experiences of Pakeha and Maori involved in boot

camps?– How are these experiences linked to their lived contexts?

Constraints– External validity– Finances

Methodology– Ethnographic case studies (post-colonial in nature)– Kaupapa research

Paradigm Five: Marxist

Aim– To explore the ways mentoring reinforces/opposes structural inequalities

Question/s– What are the outcomes of mentoring programmes?– What structural differences exist?– How does mentoring work/not work as a hegemonic tool?

Constraints– Finances, Resources etc– External validity

Methodology– Discourse analysis– Survey research

Paradigm Six: Cultural Studies

Aim– To critique the forms of knowledge promoted by youth development

initiatives Question/s

– What knowledges do youth development initiatives focus on?– How is this knowledge conveyed and implemented?– What are the implications?

Constraints– Time and knowledge– Knowledge capital

Methodology– Post-structural discourse analysis

Paradigm Seven: Mixed

Aim– To measure student success in boot camps and find the factors

which lead to success Question/s

– To what rate do young people reduce offending after boot camps?– What factors led to evidence of improvement?

Constraints– External validity

Methodology– Survey research– Case study

Theory and the Paradigms

Theory before– Can sit within all the paradigms

Theory after– Positivist– Constructivist

Reflexive theory– Can sit within all the paradigms

Methods and the Paradigms

Textual analysis– Positivist, feminist, ethnic, Marxist, cultural

studies, mixed Survey

– Positivist, Marxist, cultural studies, mixed Observation

– Positivist, constructivist, cultural studies, mixed Interviews

– Across all – however differs moving from closed to completely open

Methods and the Paradigms

Textual analysis– Positivist, feminist, ethnic, Marxist, cultural

studies, mixed Survey

– Positivist, Marxist, cultural studies, mixed Observation

– Positivist, constructivist, cultural studies, mixed Interviews

– Across all – however differs moving from closed to completely open

Going onto Methods