Evaluating Qualitative Methods

Evaluating Qualitative Methods

Assume the role of a chief researcher for the state Department of Education who is examining two groups with similar educational deficiencies. One group involved in the study is a rural, ethnically-defined, aboriginal group with a high rate of health issues including diabetes, vision impairment, and heart disease. The other group is also a rural group living on family-owned farms (as opposed to corporate farms) that are in severe decline as a result of years of decreasing rainfall and drought. Both groups exhibit achievement test scores that are more than one standard deviation below the mean at all grade levels, and excessive high school drop-out rates.

Consider the merits of applying ethnography, phenomenology, grounded theory, narrative inquiry, and case study to the scenario above. Include the following in your paper:

1              A brief description of what types of information about the given scenario could be gathered from each of the qualitative methods listed above.

2              A brief statement of the potential utility and scientific merit of the information to be gathered by applying each of the qualitative methods above to the given scenario.

A brief statement describing which qualitative method(s) listed above would be best suited to the scenario in light of the potential gains in both utility and scientific merit expected from completing the study.

A thorough description of what types of information about the given scenario could be gathered from each of the qualitative methods listed is presented. Information presented is from current scholarly sources.

A thorough statement of the potential utility and scientific merit of the information to be gathered by applying each of the qualitative methods to the given scenario is presented. Information presented is from current scholarly sources.

A thorough statement describing which qualitative method(s) listed would be best suited to the scenario in light of the potential gains in both utility and scientific merit expected from completing the study is presented. Information presented is from current scholarly sources.

All required elements are present. Scholarly research sources are topic related, and obtained from highly respected, professional, original sources.

Thesis and/or main claim are comprehensive. The essence of the paper is contained within the thesis. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear.

Clear and convincing argument that presents a persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling manner. All sources are authoritative.

In-text citations and a reference page are complete and correct. The documentation of cited sources is free of error.