What are ...

Purpose Statements
Research Questions
Hypotheses
Research Objectives

Quantitative

Qualitative

Readers
Expectation

It begins with the phrase The purpose of

this study is ....

Example
Quantitative

Qualitative

Do ... Affect ...?

What types of ... Do

parents have ...?

Research Question
Narrows the purpose statement to specific
questions
Was develop before identifying the method of
the study
May consist of multiple-questions

Hypotheses
Predictions about the outcome of a
relationship among variables
narrows the purpose statements to specific
predictions

Students in high schools in the school district

in which parents and teachers communicate
through the Internet will have higher grades
than students whose parents and teachers do
not communicate through the Internet.

is a statement of intent used in quantitative research that

specifies goals that the investigator plans to achieve in a
study.

Quantitative
Hypotheses : Yes
Identifies and measures
multiple variables
Test theories
Close-ended stance
Seeks variables differences
and the magnitudes

Qualitative
Hypotheses: NO
Explore a central
phenomenon
Theories are not tested
Open-ended stance
Seeks deep understanding
of the view of one group or
single individual

Central Phenomenon
Is a concept or a process in qualitative research
At the beginning of a study, the qualitative researcher cannot
predict the nature of external forces
(i.e., Which ones will be important?)

Emerging process
Qualitative is emerging design
Participants may set the study direction
The researcher learns the participants view
Initial questions shape them (initial data
collection)
change them
Revisions may continue throughout both data
collection and analysis in a qualitative project

WRITING QUALITATIVE PURPOSE

STATEMENT AND RESEARCH QUESTION

Guidelines
Use key identifier words to signal the reader
Consider mentioning that the study is qualitative
Become familiar with qualitative research designs, and
indicate the type of research design you plan
State the central phenomenon you plan to explore
Use words that convey intent about the exploration,
such as explore, discover, understand, and describe.
Mention the participants in the study
Refer to the research site where you will study the
participants.

 Expect your qualitative questions to change and to emerge during a

study
Ask only a few, general questions. Emphasis on learning information
from participants, rather than learning what the researcher seeks to
know.
Ask questions that use neutral, exploratory language and refrain
from conveying an expected direction (or non directional outcome
if you are thinking like a quantitative researcher). For example, use
action verbs such as generate, discover, understand, describe and
explore instead of words conveying cause-and-effect relationships,
such as affect, relate, compare, determine, cause, and influence.
Design and write two types of qualitative research questions: the
central question and sub-questions

Central Question
The most general you can ask
Aim:
Open up the research for participants to
provide their prespective
Not to narrow the study to your prespective

Guidelines
Begin with the word how or what rather than
why so that you do not suggest probable
cause-and-effect relationships as in
quantitative research but instead suggest
exploration in qualitative research.
Specify the central phenomenon you plan to
explore.
Identify the participants in the study.
Mention the research site for the study.

Problem in writing central question

Subquestion

Open-ended
Emerging
Neutral in language
Few in number