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Essay Instructions: Qualitative methods are often used in exploratory research ??" when not enough is known about the phenomenon of interest to allow for the construction of specific instrument measures and scales.

Activity Resources
• Creswell, J. W. (2013). ??" Chapter 9
• Trochim, W., & Donnelly, J. (2008). ??" Chapters 6, 8
• Zikmund, W. G., Babin, B. J., Carr, J. C., & Griffin, M. (2013). ??" Chapter 7
• Cozby, P. C. (2009). ??" Chapter 6
• Golafshani, N. (2003).
Main Task: Application of Exploratory Research
In the Zikmund et al. text, answer the Questions for Review and Critical Thinking in Chapter 7, questions 1-7. Please answer questions in detail and support your answers with scholarly research citations where appropriate. Each response should be approximately 125 words using critical thinking skills.

Length: 3 pages not including title and reference pages

Your paper should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts that are presented in the course and provide new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards.

Use APA style in preparing your paper and citing references
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Essay Instructions: Dear sir/madam ,
when I saw the description of your service for clients I read it with interest and hope so you can satisfy me too and work through with me to achieve my goal. For your refernce I added the designed course description and some bibilography supposed to be included in my paper besides to unversity´s specification as follows:-

1. Course Description

This course focuses on the major qualitative research designs and their applications to educational research. Learner study the research questions, purposes, characteristics and methods of different qualitative traditions; examine qualitative data collection and analysis techniques. Focus on developing the ability to frame problems and issues as research topics and identify effective approaches to reporting reserach results.

2 Bibliography
Creswell, John W.(2008),Educational Research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating qualitative and quantitative research, upper saddle River. NY

Seidman I. (2006), Interviewing as qualitative research, a guide for research in education and social sciences, New York: Teachers college press

Cassell C.(2006), Essential guide to qualitative methods in organisational research, Sage

Bogdan R. Biklen, Sari K. (2003), Qualitative research for educational: An introduction to theory and methods, Boston: Allyn and Bacen







The University specifications during writing the paper to your good office:-

General Structure of a Paper : The paper must be investigative
Introduction: Purpose of the topic
(Definition & Rationale for its selection)
[
About half of a page]
Description
(Components of the topic & how they relate to modern world)
[
About 1 page]
General Analysis
(Additional relevant details about the topic)
[
About 1 page]
Actualization
(Specific case study to prove your point)
[
About a page]
Discussions
(Pros and cons about the topic)
[
About a page ??" this section can be waived]
General Recommendations
(What you suggest or wish to happen)
[
About a page]
Conclusion: A new perspective
(Connect everything you mentioned to something new, or some possible outcome) About half of a page]
[References:
List, in alphabetical order, of all books, journals, newspapers, documents, and other sources consulted to complete the paper [About a page] {Look at the following page for actual format}
While it is recommended to use the same above titles, they must NOT be underlined.

References throughout the text
You must use at least one reference in each page. If you use more than one, it is better, of course. The reason for that is your university document is always a research project, and you must indicate what others have said about your topic before you. Make sure you read authors who have solid track records or reputations on your topic, and provide the reference in either one of the following ways:
Dr. Thomas (2000) mentioned….. (if it is an indirect quotation)
OR
Dr. John (2000, p. 7) mentioned, “you must use at least one reference….. (in the event of a direct quotation).
Page 6
References at the end of the text
Your college paper must contain a list of references(6 years back at most). This list (presented in alphabetical order) simply goes back to all your in-text references and provides readers with a way to see or check out the references if there is a need for such. For a 5-page document, a list of at least 20 references is sufficient, but try not to have only 5 or 6 references. This is what many call a bibliography. Make sure you follow rigidly the following format.

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Essay Instructions: Summary of this article:

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Research
Here, you will learn about the differences between quantitative and qualitative research. There are seven points of comparison that will be covered.
1. Epistemological Assumptions
Often, the choice between using qualitative or quantitative research methods is less about methodology and more about a researcher’s own epistemological assumptions. If we assume that individuals have beliefs about the way “reality” is to be best understood, then researchers’ beliefs will influence their methodological preferences. These beliefs are termed “epistemological” assumptions, and form the basis upon which researchers come to understand their social and physical surroundings.
Quantitative and qualitative researches have differing epistemological assumptions. In quantitative research, social phenomena are viewed as having an objective reality, whereas qualitative researchers view reality as being socially constructed. Philosophically, quantitative research implies a knowable objective reality, and the researcher often seeks to conduct experiments, or quasi- experiments to isolate the effects of specific variables on others.
2. Purpose
The general purposes of quantitative and qualitative research are different.
In quantitative studies, the researcher is frequently interested in establishing causal explanations, which will then be used for prediction i.e. predicting future outcomes based upon past occurrences. The research interest is often to measure the relationship between variables, or to establish statistical differences between groups. Also, the researcher attempts to establish control, manipulate specific variables, and measure the effects of change in some variables upon
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others. “Generalizability” is usually a major focus of quantitative research. The term “generalizability”, in quantitative research, refers to the extent to which the research findings of a specific study can be assumed to apply to other settings, other populations, and at other points in time. This is the reason quantitative researchers prefer large samples.
Contrastingly, qualitative research focuses on understanding and interpreting the “lived experiences” of the research participants. For the qualitative researcher, there is often an assumption that variables and relationship between variables are multifaceted, intertwined, and hard to measure. Qualitative researchers attempt to study the subject matter with the intention of being unobtrusive and conduct their research without interfering with, or disturbing the natural environment and phenomena they are studying. They are more interested in depth than breadth, and sample size does not have the same importance or relevance as in quantitative research.
3. Raw Data
Quantitative and qualitative have different types and sources of raw data. In quantitative research, measurement of variables usually results in producing numbers, hence the term “quantify”. In qualitative research, however, the raw data are generally words. The primary sources from which the words are derived are in-depth interviews, observations and field notes made by the researcher, and records or documents. There are many other less frequently used sources of data in qualitative research such as photographs, audio recordings, video recordings, poems, songs, artifacts, etc.
4. Emphasis
Although quantitative and qualitative research attempt to provide us with a better understanding of the social and physical world around us, and both attempt to answer specific questions about various phenomena of interest, there are distinct differences of emphasis that underlie each of them.
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In quantitative studies, researchers are often interested in discovering laws about entire classes of phenomena. Hypotheses and theories are formulated and then tested by way of collecting data to determine what bearing the data have upon the hypotheses. The emphasis in quantitative research is often about measuring variables, establishing validity and reliability, testing for statistical significance, replication of results, and using findings for predictions.
The qualitative approaches to research are often focused upon discovering meaning, and understanding the processes by which individuals arrive at that meaning. The various traditions of qualitative research evidence a fundamental premise that reality is socially constructed, and therefore there are multiple realities. Rather than beginning with hypotheses to be tested, qualitative researchers attempt to immerse themselves in the data of observation and open- ended in-depth interviewing in order to formulate research questions or develop theory inductively from the data. Qualitative research is particularly well suited for exploratory studies of phenomena that have not been studied extensively and not well understood. Also, qualitative methods are well suited for the study of complex social phenomena that are complicated by the interactions of many variables. In this instance, sampling and data collection would occur in “chain” sequences.
5. Sampling
Sampling and sample size are also features that distinguish quantitative from qualitative research. Quantitative researchers generally desire large, randomly selected, representative samples. A sample having these criteria is thought to allow the researcher greater “external validity”. It allows for findings from the sample population to be “generalized” to the larger population from which the sample was drawn, or to other populations with similar characteristics, and at different points in time.
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Typically, the qualitative researcher works with smaller samples. These smaller samples are usually selected purposively in a nonrandom fashion, and are, therefore, not representative of any other population. In qualitative research, the researcher is typically interested in an in-depth study of some unique case, situation, or phenomena. Specific samples may be selected for study because the researcher has reason to believe that participants possess or reflect the very qualities that are the focus of study. Another variation of nonrandom purposeful sampling that is sometimes used by qualitative researchers is termed “snowball” or “chain” sampling. In this sampling method, the researcher obtains sample units from those individuals already sampled i.e. members of the sample become sources of referral for other potential sample members who are likely to be of value as research participants.
For example, a quantitative researcher might randomly survey 1000 high school students across the country to find out how many hours of T.V. high school students watch per week. A qualitative researcher, on the other hand, would probably approach high school student T.V. viewing with a different research focus. The qualitative researcher would be more likely to conduct in-depth interviews with a small number of purposefully sampled students. The researcher’s interest here might be to illuminate the role and meaning that T.V. viewing has in the lives of the students, and to fully understand the importance of T.V. from the student’s perspective.
6. Analysis
Quantitative and qualitative researches utilize different techniques and methods of analysis. The quantitative paradigm includes such methodologies as experimentation, quasi experiments, survey research, correlation research, time- series research, etc. These methods are often structured and include instruments such as questionnaires, inventories, tests, scales, etc. Data analysis generally occurs at the conclusion of data collection. Statistical analysis and tests based upon probability theory are often utilized to deductively test hypotheses.
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In qualitative inquiry, the researcher may use techniques of data collection such as observation, participant observation, in-depth interviewing, review of archives, documents, and records, etc. Analysis often begins with data collection and remains an ongoing process throughout the study. Extensive field notes are frequently used as data. Interviews are often transcribed. An initial step in analysis is the coding of data into categories, themes, and patterns. This may be followed by an attempt to identify relationships between categories. Other methods of analysis such as analytic induction and the constant comparative method may be used. These will be explained further as the course unfolds.
7. Quality Criteria
The main criteria for evaluating the quality of research of each of the paradigms are different. In fact, it would be inappropriate to use the same criteria for both types of research.
In quantitative research, the rigor and scientific value of research is often evaluated by the precisely defined criteria of internal validity, external validity, reliability, and objectivity. However, you will find that these criteria are not the standards by which qualitative research should be judged. Qualitative research has a different set of evaluative standards. As this course develops, you will encounter more appropriate evaluative criteria for qualitative inquiry. Some of them are truth value (credibility), transferability (applicability), dependability (consistency), and confirmability (neutrality).
Despite the differences, there is much overlap in the fundamental properties of quantitative and qualitative research. Many research studies utilize a combination or “mixed methods” design which incorporates qualities of both research paradigms.
All research designs have strengths and limitations and no particular approach to
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conducting research is inherently “better“ than any other. The researcher needs to consider many factors when designing a study and choosing the most effective and useful methodology.
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Essay Instructions: THIS IS A GUIDLINE ONLY.

I am sure we can discuss and compare notes on best approach.

Please ensure that references are no older than 2000.

when i submitted my dissertation proposal to my professor he stated that the references were to old and that the subject needed a bit of spice to it.

For the dissertation there is no set of instructions that you need to follow apart from the obvious outline of a dissertation, I have however submitted my outline proposal (initial submission) and this has a detailed outline of what I wanted to achieve and write about. However this is not set in stone and can be altered slightly, please find my proposal below.

The writer who undertakes this piece of work must be UK based and have an understanding of the UK construction industry to be able to gather the research required.



Introduction

The world of sustainability and sustainable development is a comparatively new development within the industry, and I am concerned that the construction industry is not yet equipped sufficiently in order to act in response to meet the challenges and goals set out by clients and government.

Within recent years there has been an increasing focus on sustainable development, especially for the UK associated government sponsored projects. The dissertation study aims to demonstrate that sustainable development is professionally a “buzz word “which is not amply resourced or integrated into Construction Industry working practices. It is a badge to earn, and a box to tick on the way to establishing the successful procurement of contract orders. Sustainability is too readily incorporated within company mission statements, without it being adequately resourced from boardroom level downwards

The dissertation study aims to provide evidence that the successful integration of sustainable development within the Construction Industry is best achieved by learning organisations.

Aims and Objectives
The dissertation study will have two aims: -

1. To investigate the current level of skills and knowledge base which is available in order for organisations to respond to sustainable developments challenges the government has set.
2. To establish whether learning organisations are best placed to meet Sustainable Development challenges the government has set. In doing this the study will review whether the construction professionals surveyed, work within a learning environment which will allow new knowledge to be acquired. This will include the assessment of whether the current Construction industry organisational climate in the North East of England will allow the skills required to best flourish and establish whether “toxic organisations” prevail.

The dissertation study will use primary data collection methods such as questioners to examine the sustainable development skills level prevalent within the Building Industry in Northern England, with a bias toward construction professionals.

The study will aim to identify what construction professionals feel the main driver will be to gain these skills and what difference they think it will make in the marketplace. The study will then endeavour to test the results by reviewing established theory, and by reviewing the results of the primary data collection to include the identification of the individual and organisational change that is required to acquire sustainable development knowledge and skills. The dissertation study will then briefly discuss the hypothesis that predominantly government legislation is the main driver for change in meeting the sustainable development challenge.

The dissertation study has the following objectives: -


1. To review the academic research and current body of knowledge that exists on the dissertation topic chosen

2. The dissertation study will undertake a literature study of the current body of
knowledge which existed on the subject. The literature review will be used to
establish a list of theoretical criteria against which primary data could be collected and ultimately tested.

3. Through the literature study process the knowledge and insight to the subject matter will be established and incorporated within the design of the primary data questionnaire.

4. To identify key issues in developing individual and organisation learning and
knowledge skills requirements which could be applied to promoting Sustainable.
Development Practices

5. To present the final conclusions of the dissertation and establish whether the initial
hypothesis, has been proved or disproved. This will also identify whether the research objectives have been met and will make recommendations based on the findings and identify the limitations of the study.





Research hypothesis

“The Construction Industry within England does not have the skills or the learning climate to meet the Sustainable Development challenge set out by Central Government - Increased legislation is necessary to force the organisational change required “







Research Methodology

This section of the dissertation will analyse the appropriateness and suitability of the research methodology for the dissertation to be undertaken. It will examine some of the differing data gathering techniques, particularly those pertinent to the dissertation subject matter and discuss their limitations with regard the dissertation study, and will include a review of the two types of research methods, the quantitative and qualitative methods.





Primary Data collection
Introduction
This method of data collection involves fieldwork research, which can be either by survey, case study, or action research. For the purpose of this research the researcher intends to use the survey approach using the primarily questionnaires, and where appropriate either in – depth or structured interviews. The method I have chosen is therefore a qualitative approach by means of surveys which will be aimed at a representative sample of professionals within the Construction Industry, albeit with a Construction engineering bias.

The Questionnaire
As a primary data collection method the questionnaire design is critical to the success of the survey, and therefore collection of primary data. It is therefore essential to ensure that the design is tested for inaccuracies in wording, and in order to identify if the design of the questionnaire will provide the researcher with the desired quality and quantity of information.
Three basic types of questions can be asked in questionnaires, and these are dichotomous questions which allow for two answers yes or no, multiple choice questions which allow respondents to rank choices, and which will allow a single response, and open ended questions. Open-ended questions allow for an infinite number of divergent answers from the respondent, and therefore these are the most difficult to process. Open-ended questions can be used to allow the correspondent to answer in a dichotomous response, but with the added option of adding information, which was not asked in the question, for example if not why?
Aaker and Day (1990) say survey methods are particularly well suited to gathering data on behaviour, past and present, attitude and opinions, and respondent variables and knowledge Advantages of the questionnaire are that responses can be considered in more detail, and be more open without the influence of the researcher. Disadvantages are that the researcher cannot control the sequence of questions, and therefore the respondent, can see where the questions are going. No one is available to explain ambiguous questions, and there is no control over the response rate.


Naoum (2003) identifies four main attributed essential for question design. These are:
• Which objective is the question related to?
• Is the question relevant to the aim of the study?
• Is the question relevant to the research hypothesis?
• Can the answer be obtained from other sources?
Similarly he proposes that questions should be short, but comprehensive. They should not be leading questions, and should not be double questions. They should neither be presuming or hypothetical.
Within the dissertation research the measurement of the learning orginisation, and organisational toxicity, will require the measurement of attitudinal response.
Cook and Sellitz (1964) proposed attitude can be measured in a way that gives inference to strength and direction of attitude towards the research’s object. By giving the object a numerical value we can measure:
• A respondents overall attitude to something.
• The degree to which something possesses a certain attribute
• A respondents feeling towards a certain attribute
• The importance a respondent invests in a certain attitude.

Osgood, Suci and Tannenbaum (1957) defined a measurement of attitude which they defined as the semantic differential scale. Here respondents are asked to record the strengths and directions of their attitudes between a pair of polarised adjectival statement o a seven point scale.
Semantic scales can be analysed in two main ways;
• Aggregate analysis is where a score is summated for each respondent, for all pairs of words or statements. This result is a numerical value of their attitude.
• Profile analysis which involves the calculation of the arithmetic median or mean for each pair of adjectives which can be compared with the profile of another object.




Dissertation Structure

The dissertation structure will be as follows: -

Chapter 1. - Reasons for the selected topic

The author will outline the reasons for the selected dissertation topic, the aims and objectives, define the dissertation structure, propose the dissertation hypothesis, and discuss the limitations of the research.

Chapter 2 - Research Methodology

This section of the dissertation will analyse the appropriateness and suitability of the research methodology for the dissertation to be undertaken.


Chapter 3 - Review of the literature

This section of the dissertation will review the academic research and current body of knowledge that exists on the dissertation topic chosen. It will discuss the background to the study, learning organisations and organisational toxicity






Chapter 4 - Theoretical criteria

The key issues for developing individual and organisation learning and knowledge skills requirements will be identified within this chapter and identify approach the best practice models which could be applied to promoting Sustainable Development Practices




Chapter 5 - Primary data collection

In this chapter the study will gather and present the results of the primary data


Chapter 6 - Analysis of the Primary data

The primary data results which were derived from the questionnaire will be analysed. Follow up interviews will also be analysed

Chapter 7 - Comparison with the Theoretical Criteria

Within this chapter the author will compare the results of the primary data against the theoretical criteria and give recommendations for promoting best practice models to meet the Construction Industry sustainable development challenges.

Chapter 8 - Conclusion

The aim of this chapter will be to present the final conclusions of the dissertation and establish whether the initial hypothesis, has been proved or disproved. This chapter will also identify whether the research objectives have been met and will make recommendations based on the findings






Significance

The need to address skills development training is recognised, especially within the energy industries and central government. The Nuclear skills group (2002) established even without new build, the nuclear fuel cycle, power generation and environmental restoration sectors will require over the next 15 years 19,000 graduates and skilled trades people to replace retirements and satisfy the demand in environmental restoration. This figure assumes that the numbers engaged in environmental restoration will double over the next 15 years. DTI (2002) similarly recognised that organisations are finding within the manufacturing industry key skills are currently concentrated in the over -50’s. This is a similar case for the power generation, oil and construction and construction industries. This section will now identify how individual and organisation learning and knowledge skills requirements can be developed. Key skills which are acquired can create learning situations which can be applied to promote the new knowledge that is required to support the Sustainable Development Practices within the Construction Industry.
The Energy Performance Buildings Directive - Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and Council on the energy performances in building came into force on 4th January 2003, with proposed legislation being in place by 4th January 2006. This will require energy use in buildings to be measured by introducing new measurements of energy performance, higher standards for existing and new buildings and regular evaluations and inspections of the building performance. Buildings will require energy certification. Construction Building Services engineers are best placed to carry out this function and it is estimated that approximately 12000 engineers will need to be retrained to carry out this certification.



References

Mifflin, H. (2000) 4th edn the American heritage dictionary of the English language, Houghton Mifflin co, U.S. Boston, New York: Bartley.com, 2000

Fellows, R. F. & Lui. A. (1948) Research methods for construction Oxford: Blackwell Science, c1997.

Yin, K. R. (1994) 22nd edn, title case study research: design and methods applied social research methods: thousand oaks, California, London Sage.

Holt, D. G. (1997) a guide to successful dissertation for students of the built environment: Built environment research unit, University of Wolverhampton.

Aaker, A.D. & Day, S. G. (1990) 4th edn marketing research: New York Chichester, Wiley.

Naoum, G. S. (2003) dissertation research and writing for construction students: Butterworth Heinemann Oxford Burlington.

Cook, S.W., & Sellitz, C. A. A. (1964) multiple indicator approach to attitude measurement: psychological Bulletin, 1964, 62, 36-55.


Osgood, C. E., Suci, G. J., & Tannenbaum, P. H. (1957). The measurement of meaning. Chicago: University of Illinois Press.


Nuclear and radiological skills study, report of the nuclear skills group (2002) on 5th December 2002 by Tony Coverdale

Established even without new build, the nuclear fuel cycle, power generation and environmental restoration sectors will require over the next 15 years 19,000 graduates and skilled trades people to replace retirements and satisfy the demand in environmental restoration.
DTI (2002) The Government’s Manufacturing Strategy. London: Department for Trade and Industry. Similarly recognised that organisations are finding within the manufacturing industry key skills are currently concentrated in the over -50’s.


The Energy Performance Buildings Directive - Directive 2002/91/EC of the European Parliament and Council on the energy performances in building came into force on 4th January 2003, with proposed legislation being in place by 4th January 2006.


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