Research Question work

Working on the Research Question

I've just finished reading through Creswell's Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Traditions. Typical to Creswell, he provides excellent and clear guidance coupled with good examples. He may be faulted for presenting templates for things, but these formats help enormously. I feel as if he provides a solid floor beneath my feet upon which to stand. Ultimately, my research question and research design will need to stand upon its own, but Creswell helps in this process.

From Creswell, I believe I have a good phrasing of my overarching research question:

What theory explains the role of reflection within the activity of writing?

To specify that question more:
What theory explains the role of teacher-prompted rhetorical reflection within the activity of writing for freshman writers (at Texas Tech University)?

Creswell talks also about “subquestions,” and how these subquestions take the form of either issue questions or topical questions. As Creswell defines them, “issue questions address the major concerns and perplexities to be resolved” and “topical questions cover the anticipated needs for information” (101). He mentions that in a grounded theory study the topical questions may refer directly to the aspects of coding steps followed in grounded theory. Here is a version of my research question with the related subquestions:

What theory explains the role of teacher-prompted rhetorical reflection within the activity of writing for freshman writers (at Texas Tech University)? What are the general categories to emerge in open coding? What central phenomenon emerges? What are the causal conditions? What specific interaction issues and larger conditions have been influenced (to include the writer's subsequent draft)? What are the resulting associated strategies and outcomes?

***I should note that the phrasing of these subcategories is pretty much word for word from the Valerio (1995) study quoted by Creswell as an example on page 104. I would need to rephrase this material somehow.***

Creswell also offers a script for the purpose/problem statement. I will fill out his script for my study:

The purpose of this grounded theory study is to understand the role of reflection for freshman writer's within the activity of writing. At this stage in the research, reflection will generally be defined as “teacher-prompted, rhetorical reflection”--that is a pedagogical activity prompting freshman writer's to reflect upon their writing and writing process between drafts.

OK—Thanks Mr. Creswell. This is a nice start to help me revise my research question.Working on the Research Question