2 RESEARCHDESIGN SAGE Publications Inc（2 RESEARCHDESIGN圣人出版物）.pdfVIP

Boeije-3883-Ch-02:Hodkinson-3827-Ch-08.qxp 4/23/2009 3:03 PM Page 19 2 RESEARCH DESIGN The flexible research procedure of qualitative research that was touched upon in Chapter 1, might suggest that this type of research requires little or no planning and that researchers can work with whatever they encounter. Nothing is further from the truth. Researchers face the difficult task of finding a balance between their preparations, resulting in a research plan and conducting the research in practice. The research plan contains the research questions, the research purpose, an ethical paragraph, a plan for disseminating the findings and an outline of the overall research strategy as well as the specific methods, techniques and instruments to be used.A plan provides structure, but it should not interfere with flexibility.A plan provides certainty, but should not block other promising options. This chapter provides pointers for handling this ambivalence in the design of a qualitative research proj ect. LEARNING AIMS At the end of this chapter, you will be able to: • ame and reflect on all elements of a research plan • Reflect on the use of literature in a qualitative study • Recognize a research question that is framed in a way that demands qualitative methods • Formulate a qualitative research question when a research topic is given • See how descriptive and explanatory purposes of research are related • Distinguish between the purposes of fundamental and applied research • Account for