Designing a

Research Project
Related To
Daily Life
 Learning Outcomes
• Designs a research project related to daily life
• Formulating a Topic/ Writing a Research Title
 Congruence of Research Question,
Data Collection, Data Analysis
• The next slides will present clarifications on research questions
as those asked about:
A. Understanding and Perceptions
B. Practices / Account of Practices
C. Influencing Factors
D. Representation
E. Construction
F. Language Practice
 Understanding and Perception
• Example: Perceptions of the Impact of Air Travel in Climate
• Suitable types of data: Focus groups, qualitative surveys, story
completion tasks, vignettes and some secondary data sources
(such as bulletin boards and personal blogs) are ideal
• Difficulty Rating: Easy
• Suitable Sample: Moderate/Large (large enough to capture a
range of perspectives; not so large that you are drowning in data)
Practice/accounts of practice
• Example: The Appearance of Clothing practices of Non-
heterosexual; The Gendered Dynamics of Sleep
• Suitable Types of Data: Interview, focus, groups, qualitative
surveys, researcher-directed diaries, some secondary data sources
• Difficulty Rating: Easy/Moderate
• Suitable Sample: Moderate/Large (large enough to capture a
range of perspectives; not so large that you are drowning in data)
 Influencing Factors
• Example: Identifying the Factors that Influence People’s
Decisions Continue Regular Genetic Screening; Factors that
Influence Parent’s Food Purchasing Behavior
• Suitable Types of Data: Interviews, focus, groups, qualitative,
surveys, researcher-directed diaries, some secondary data sources
• Difficulty Rating: Moderate
• Suitable Sample: Moderate/Large (enough to identify relevant
influencing factors; not so large that you are drowning in data)
 Representation
• Example: Representation of Male and Female Sexuality in
Women’s Magazine; Reflection of Masculinity and Metrosexual
man I Men’s Magazines
• Suitable types of Data: Secondary sources
• Difficulty Rating: Moderate/difficult
• Suitable Sample: Small/moderate
 Construction
• Example: People’s Construction of Eating Disorders in a Story
Completion Task; Construction of New Zealander’s in Account
of Sexual Health and Risk
• Suitable types of Data: Secondary sources, story completion
task, vignettes, interviews, focus, groups, qualitative surveys,
researcher-directed diaries
• Difficulty Rating: Moderate/difficult
• Suitable Sample: Small/moderate
 Language Practice
• Example: How people manage and undermine ‘healthy eating’
talk in dinnertime conversations; how veganism is constructed
‘normal’ in online discussion
• Suitable types of Data: Naturalistic data are ideal-both mundane
(e.g. audio recordings of someone’s home telephone
conversation) and institutional (e.g. audio or video recordings of
counseling sessions); some secondary data sources
• Difficulty Rating: Difficult
• Suitable Sample: Small/moderate
 Research Topics and their Sources
• Pressing Issues on an individual, organization, or
societal level, or success stories
• Disciplinary reading
• Critical film Viewing
• Social Networking
• Replication
• Lectures, talks, seminars
• Gray areas
 Broad and Specific Topics
Techniques for Narrowing a Topic into a Research
Question
• Examine the literature
• Talk over ideas with others
• Apply to a specific context
• Define the aim or desired outcome of the study