Question.4066 - Qualitative Research Journal In most weeks of the course, you will be asked to participate in an ongoing journaling activity, which is designed to allow you some insight into the process of collecting qualitative data via a journal. Last week’s entry was in video format. For this week’s Journal entry, you will use text (and optionally photos, drawings, etc.) to consider and respond to three prompts. In your response, be sure to address all three of the following prompts: Progress: What have you discovered about the development of your research topic and research problem? Discuss the link from your prospectus to the research problem that you will be working on in this course. Alternately, describe how and why you’ve changed topics. Problems: What obstacles or challenges do you see in evolving your research question? Is it a question of doing more research and reading? Do you need to get more familiar with qualitative studies in your topic area? Plans: Look toward the next week. What are your next steps for evolving your research question and choosing the approach to use for your Final Project in this course? Your written response may incorporate visual aspects. It should fully address all three prompts. Resources Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity. Click the weekly resources link to access the resources. WEEKLY RESOURCES By Day 7 Submit your completed Journal entry in the format most appropriate to your response style (Word document, PowerPoint, or other format). submission information To submit your completed assignment: Save your Assignment as WK2Jour_LastName_Firstinitial Then, click on Start Assignment near the top of the page. Next, click on Upload File and select Submit Assignment for review.
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Qualitative Research Journal Over the past week, I have made progress in refining my research focus on the connection between excessive social media use and its impact on adolescents' mental health, specifically anxiety and self-esteem. This shift arose from exploring qualitative studies emphasizing the nuanced relationship between social media engagement and emotional well-being. While narrowing the scope of my research has brought clarity, it has also revealed challenges, including navigating an extensive body of literature and adapting to qualitative methodologies. This journal entry reflects on my progress, the obstacles encountered, and the steps I plan to take to further develop my research. Progress I have spent the last week learning more about how social media affects teenage development. I have recently honed my research problem to highlight the connection between excessive social media use and its impact on adolescents' mental health, specifically anxiety and self-esteem after my initial prospectus mainly concentrated on the psychological repercussions. This change resulted from examining current qualitative research showing how social media usage and emotional health are related. These results support my curiosity about the behavioral patterns influenced by online contacts, which may help develop therapies and preventative measures. One significant realization was the importance of narrowing the scope of my topic. My initial concept was broad, concentrating on both advantages and disadvantages, but I realized that this scope could weaken the depth of my study. I can relate the prospectus to a specific research issue that this course can thoroughly examine by focusing on mental health outcomes. Problems While refining the research question, several challenges have emerged, such as the sheer volume of existing literature on social media and adolescents (Patton, 2015). This abundance makes it challenging to identify gaps or novel angles for qualitative exploration. Another area that I have faced is more familiarity with qualitative methodologies specific to this subject. While I have encountered numerous quantitative studies offering statistical insights, understanding the impact of how adolescents perceive and articulate their experiences with social media requires a qualitative approach that I am still learning. There has been even the difficulty of striking a balance between practicality and academic rigor. It takes hard thought and concentration to formulate a question that is significant enough to make a meaningful contribution to the subject and is researchable within the course timeframe. I might have to review qualitative research more to find useful frameworks and approaches. Plans Performing a targeted literature review: To better understand current approaches and findings, I will prioritize qualitative studies on teenage mental health and social media. Improving my research question: I want to formulate a question that is precise, feasible, and based on qualitative investigation by using the knowledge I gained from my literature review. To further focus, this can entail identifying certain habits or platforms. Examining methodological approaches: To ascertain which strategy best fits my study goals, I will investigate qualitative methodologies such as focus groups, interviews, and thematic analysis. I intend to use visual aids like idea maps to illustrate the relationships between important themes and possible research avenues to support these phases Conclusion In my exploration of how social media affects adolescents' mental health, I have recognized the value of a more targeted and qualitative approach to understanding their lived experiences. Although challenges such as the breadth of existing literature and limited familiarity with qualitative methods remain, my plans for a focused literature review, refined research questions, and methodological exploration provide a clear path forward. I aim to contribute meaningful insights into this complex and impactful topic by staying committed to these steps. References Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.More Articles From Research
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