The Role of Ethics in Research

This weeks readings focus on the interrelationship and intersection between legal research and qualitative research.

In the Unit 3 writing assignment, you were asked to identify either a typology for your research project approach or a critical genre that becomes your research project approach. In that assignment, you were asked to briefly explain the reason for your choice. Since then, you may have stayed consistent with your choice of genre, or as you have delved further into the research, you might have changed this approach. In any case, you are now being asked to determine your study’s basic data-collecting methods.

Chapter 6 of the text Illustrates basic data collection methods. We are reminded that many studies use a combination of these methods while others stay with a single method. They include (1) observation, (2) in-depth interviewing, (3) ethnographic interviewing, (4) phenomenological interviewing, (5) focus group interviewing, (6) life histories, and (7) narrative inquiry.

Building upon what you have written in your Unit 3 writing assignment, provide the following information in 57 pages:

1. Which of these data collection methods are most suited to your study?
2. Explain your understanding of your chosen data collection method and why it suits your study.
3. Describe your participant population as recipients of this method.
4. Briefly list three or four areas or lines of questioning that you would pursue with your participant population.
5. Describe your intended audience, for example, policymakers, lawmakers, or other stakeholders.
6. From the data you are planning to gather, briefly list three or four areas that would be responsive to the interests of policymakers, lawmakers, or other stakeholders. (Note that the interests of your participant population and those of policymakers, lawmakers, and other stakeholders will differ in some ways.)

In addition to fulfilling the specifics of the assignment, a successful paper must also meet the following criteria:

• Include a cover page and references page in 10- to 12-point font (Arial, Courier, and Times New Roman are acceptable).
• Viewpoint and purpose should be clearly established and sustained.
• Assignment should follow the conventions of Standard English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.).
• Writing should be well-ordered, logical, and unified, as well as original and insightful.
• Your work should display superior content, organization, style, and mechanics.
• Appropriate citation style should be followed.

You should also make sure to:

• Include a title page with full name, class name, section number, and date.
• Include an introductory and concluding paragraph and demonstrate college-level communication through the composition of original materials in Standard English.
• Use examples to support your discussion.
• Cite all sources on a separate reference page at the end of your paper and cite within the body of your paper using APA format and citation style. For more information on APA guidelines, visit Academic Tools.

Directions for Submitting Your Assignment

Compose your assignment and save it in the following format: Course#_LastnameFirstname Unit # Assignment (example: LS123_SmithJohn Unit X Assignment). Submit your assignment to the appropriate Dropbox by the end of this unit.