Overview
This is the third of the four assignments that will help you prepare for writing qualitative research proposals. For this assignment, you will write a paper that identifies a data analysis strategy and process for each of the two selected methodological approaches you analyzed in the Week 3 discussion. The data analysis strategy and process you identify need to align with the methodological approach. In this paper, you will explain why the data analysis needs to align with the methodological approach, and why both the data collection process and the methodological approach need to align with the research question. You will use the same subject, research topic, research theory, and data collection plan in the all assignments in this course.
Instructions
Write a paper that reflects a data analysis strategy and process that aligns with a given methodological approach. Use the Week 8 Assignment Template [DOCX] to structure your paper.
- Describe the process of data analysis for the first selected methodological approach for conducting qualitative research (1–2 paragraphs).
- Describe the process of data analysis for the second selected methodological approach for conducting qualitative research (1–2 paragraphs).
- 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.
The two methodological approaches that I will be discussing are case studies and grounded theory. A case study is considered an in-depth study of a person, group, or event. Case studies focus on a particular case to gain understanding and employ multiple data sources such as interviews, observations, and other documents for evidence. It is appropriate to use case studies when the researcher wants to obtain an in-depth issue, investigate real-life situations, and when the research question is “how” or “why” (Crowe et al., 2011). Grounded Theory involves generating theories or concepts based on the data collected from participants. Some key features of grounded theory are using systematic coding and comparison of data as well as building theories grounded in data (Chun Tie et al., 2019). It is appropriate to use grounded theory when exploring a new event or one that has not been researched a lot and to generate theories and concepts.
When comparing and contrasting these two methods, both approaches can be used to explore in-depth research. Case studies focus on detailed descriptions of a specific case, while grounded theory emphasizes the development of theories grounded in the data. Grounded theory often involves coding and comparison, whereas case studies may use various data sources for comprehensive exploration (Creswell and Poth, 2018). Case studies and grounded theory share commonalities in their emphasis on in-depth exploration and may be chosen based on the research question and goals of the specific study.