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Social Change Research

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Critically analyze three articles that discuss research for social change.

Find three articles that discuss research for social change and analyze them: comparing and contrasting, including the research methodologies presented in these articles. Provide links to the articles so that I can prepare a research paper on the articles in comparison to one I already have on Participatory Research by Peter Parks.

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Solution Summary

7 Pages [In MS Word] - 2500 Words - 26+ References - Including Research Methods; Experiment, Observation; Participatory; Structured Interview; Unstructured Interview; Questionnaire; Plan Attack, Revelance; Review of Literature; Quantitative Methods; Qualitative Methods and Content Analysis. Also including 3 examples for review.

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Example 1 - Research method ? Topic: Breast Feeding

(I would begin by informing the reader where your research came from) To gain my secondary information I would use such sources as the Internet, books and midwifery journals. My secondary information would consist of the benefits of breast-feeding for the mother and baby, the benefits of bottle-feeding for the mother and baby as well as statistics on breast-feeding. All information that I would have gained for my secondary data would all be reliable, because it has come from recommended sites, books and journals that have been approved from the Government or from hospitals and doctors themselves. (There are many research methods used to gain information, but it is important to use the right one to ensure that you get the best results possible).

Experiment

One method that is used is experiment; this is where you play an active part in an experiment over a period of time. The advantages of this are that it is a powerful research method and that it establishes a cause and an effect and it can be replicated easily. The disadvantages are that it can take a lot of time, it is difficult to find willing participants and there is a bigger risk of human error. I would chose not to use this as my research method, because to do an experiment to would take anything from 2-6 months, which is time I do not have (make sure you offer an explanation as to why; don?t assume the reader can figure it out; details). It could also be classed as being intrusive reflecting cultural beliefs, watching a mother breast feed, which may be a big ethical problem, and because of that it will be hard to find willing participants.

Observation

Another method of research is direct observation; this is where you are in a setting and you observe what is going on and you do not par-take in it. There are many good advantages to direct observing, such as, it enables you to see and hear everything that is going on, it can be easy to record, and you do not have a physical effect on the observation. The disadvantages are it can be very time consuming, your presence may have a physiological effect on the people/person being observed and you do not get reliable information. It is hard to get valid results because it is hard to replicate and different people may interrupt things differently to yourself. I would not chose this method because it would be hard and time consuming to get people?s permission to observe them this may be due to ethical issues surrounding my chosen topic. Peoples? cultural beliefs may feel it is wrong to observe a mother breast-feeding her baby.

Participatory (the one you?re doing by Peter Park)

Participant observation is another of the research methods used; this is where you actively are involved in the observation. The advantages are that it enables you to get an in-depth study, it enables understanding of person/persons behavior and you are able to see, hear and be involved. The disadvantages are that it can be very time consuming, there is a possibility of you getting too involved and losing your objective and that your findings may not be generalized because you are only watching a selected few. The main reason I would not chose this as my research method is because I would not be allowed to be actively involved in a mother breast-feeding her child.

Structured Interview

A structured interview is where you interview a person and ask set questions to them. The advantages are it can be replicated easily with different people, because you have set questions, the questions can be explained and the answer can be recorded. The disadvantages are the interviewees may lie, the answers can lack depth and the choice of answers can be limited. I would chose not to do a structured interview because it is a small sample of answers and it is possible that my social ...

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