Please check, just in case…

Announcements: Your naturalistic research concept definition paper is due next week. If you have questions about the final assignment, get in to see me ASAP – Thanksgiving Break is right before the last night of class. No class next week

APA Tip of the Day: Passive voice “Verbs are vigorous, direct communicators. Use the active rather than the passive voice…. The passive voice is acceptable… when you want to focus on the object or recipient of the action rather than on the actor. For example, ‘The speakers were attached to either side of the chair’ emphasizes the placement of speakers, not who placed them – the more appropriate focus in the Method section” (APA, 2010, p. 77).

Other problems with passives: “Passive voice suggests individuals are acted on instead of being actors (‘the students completed the survey’ is preferable to ‘the students were given the survey’ or ‘the survey was administered to the students’)” (APA 2010, p. 73). It is important to accurately attribute action in technical writing – if you are the actor, you should acknowledge it directly with “I”.

Questions, quandaries, or concerns?

Today’s Topic: So what is qualitative research?

Small Group Activity #1: Take each of the three dimensions described by Ferguson and Ferguson and deconstruct them. Explain what you understand about each of them and what you think their implications are for doing and reading research.

Report Out

Small Group Activity #2: In small groups begin filling out the chart comparing naturalistic and positivistic research paradigms.

Report out: So now, what do you understand some of the key differences to be between: – Qualitative and quantitative research, – Hypothesis-driven and naturalistic research, or – Research stemming from positivist versus naturalistic paradigms?

Small Group Activity #3: Using the resources provided (big paper and markers), provide information related to each of the key terms and concepts you have been researching. This can include (a) definitions from the professional literature, (b) your emerging understanding of what this particular term of concepts means and different ways that it is used, and/or (c) resources that you have found to be particularly valuable for that particular term/concept. When you have finished contributing your information to each of your selected terms, go back to each one and see whether your colleagues have added anything that might be of use to you in your continuing work on the assignment.

Go Fish! Time permitting, at the end of class, participants will have the opportunity to share with the rest of the class the resources that have currently identified for use on their next assignment and ask classmates for assistance in identifying additional resources.

Looking ahead… Characteristics of non-positivistic research, cont.

Please take a minute for the minute paper. And don’t forget to turn your phone back on.