Briefly introduce your next capstone section. While this may seem redundant at each section, it is important to remind the reader of your research at the beginning of each section. The reason for this? In the event someone is interested in your research, but they do not want to read the entire research study paper, they can easily learn about your research in the beginning of every section. This section requires one paragraph in length.
Research Method and Design Appropriateness
Elaborate on the differences among various research methodologies. What are the differences between qualitative research and quantitative research? Which was more appropriate for your study? Why? More than likely, this will be a descriptive research project, focusing more on the literature surrounding the topic, rather than conducting actual quantitative or qualitative research. This section requires two paragraphs in length.
Population
Discuss your study population. The study population is the larger picture of the research. If you were conducting research focused on childhood education, your study population would include children who are in school. This may be at a local level, state level, national level, or even at the global level. You determine the study population by how big you want the scope of your project to be. This section requires two paragraphs in length.
Sampling Frame
Elaborate on your sampling frame here. The sampling frame is the smaller picture of the study population that you can actually obtain information from. For instance, in the same research that is interested in childhood education, the sampling frame may be 10 students from a local school. These ten students would then be used in your data collection process. This section requires one paragraph in length.
Data Collection
Discuss the collection of your data. Was it quantitative or qualitative? How did you collect the data? How did you protect the integrity of the data? For our example, if 10 nursing home residents could be interviewed; this would be qualitative in nature. Likewise, conducting a numerical poll would be quantitative. If you conduct personal interviews, you will want to ensure minimal researcher bias. This section requires two paragraphs in length.
Data Analysis
Discuss the process where you analyzed your data. How did you analyze it? If quantitative, what statistical tool did you use? If qualitative, how did you interpret the information? This section requires one paragraph in length.
References
Remember that any reference in your reference list must be present in your paper in the form of a citation (Author, year). Likewise, any citation in your paper must be present in your reference list. Refer to your APA Handbook 6th edition for more detailed information on developing a reference list. For your Assignment 3 you need a minimum of six (6) scholarly references.