This is the first of four assignments that will help you prepare for writing qualitative research proposals. In the fourth and final assignment in Week 10, you will write a paper with content that would be in a research proposal. For this first assignment, you will develop a research topic that is appropriate for a qualitative research study. You will use the same subject and research topic in the later assignments in the course. Choose from one of the following subjects to develop the research topic for this assignment:

• Media bias.
• Intelligence tests.
• Employee rights.
• Medicaid, Medicare reform.
• Literacy in the United States.
• Digital age influence.

Instructions

Write a paper that reflects your research topic. Use the

Week 4 Assignment Template [DOCX]

to structure your paper.

• Write one paragraph that describes your topic.
• Write one paragraph that communicates the background of your topic, including the relevant research surrounding this topic. This paragraph will provide the context of this topic.
• Write one paragraph that describes the rationale for investigating the topic and why this topic is appropriate for qualitative research.
• Write a research question based on this topic that is aligned with each of the five methodological approaches using the research question examples provided this week as a guide. (In other words, write five research questions and indicate which methodology each question represents.) The five methodological approaches are:

  Ethnography.
  Case study.
  Grounded theory.
  Phenomenology.
  Generic qualitative inquiry.

• Explain how the characteristics of each of the five methodological approaches align with its associated research question.
• Support your assignment with appropriate academic sources and include both citations and references in current APA format. Use 3–5 scholarly resources published with the past three years by recognized academic sources.

Requirements

Your assignment should also meet the following requirements:

• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• Length of paper: Meets the structure provided in the assignment instructions.
• Resources: 3–5 scholarly resources. Include a reference page at the end of the paper.
• APA guidelines: Double-spaced paragraph formatting in the body of the paper. When appropriate, use APA-formatted headings. Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and format. See Evidence and APA for more information on APA style and format.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Assignment: Developing a Research Topic for Qualitative Studies

Title

Learner’s Name

Capella University

XXX_7868 – Qualitative Design and Analysis

Instructor Name

Quarter, Year

Research Topic

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{You can change the headings from this assignment template as needed in the paper you submit for this assignment}.

Topic Background
Heading 3
Topic Rationale
Heading 3
A Research Question for Each of the Five Methodological Approaches
Heading 3
How Each Methodological Approach Aligns With a Research Question
Heading 3

References