Review Babbie's Three Purposes for Social Science Research (pp. 90-92).
Note: Quantitative research is about defining a relationship between two variables. Qualitative research is about exploring, describing, and explaining.
Write one purpose statement.
Consider the following as you develop your purpose statement to align with your research questions and problem statement: •Which purpose is closest to your proposed study? •Will you be exploring, describing, or explaining for qualitative? •What relationships will you define for quantitative?
Development Tips:
The purpose statement is usually one or two sentences long. Begin by identifying the kind of research. For example: •The purpose of the proposed quantitative correlational study is to define the relationship between X and Y. •The purpose of the proposed qualitative action research study is to identify existing opportunities and to create additional opportunities for student reflexive thinking within the doctoral curriculum.
Add a sentence explaining the goal or intent of the study. For example: •The goal of the proposed action based research study is to improve curriculum opportunities for doctoral students.
The core elements of a research proposal are the problem, purpose, and research questions. Each of these elements needs to reflect the research paradigm. Assess whether your elements are aligned with the research paradigm you have chosen.