Sample Outline for Qualitative Research Format

Preliminary Pages Cover Page, Title Page, Approval Sheet, Acknowledgment,

Abstract, Table of Contents, List of Tables, and List of Figures

CHAPTER 1 Statement of the phenomenon; need for the study; intended audience;
Introduction research output
A. Purpose of the Study (personal and professional significance of
study; how study will add to body of information)

B. Research Questions or Objectives (may be modified as new data

bring new direction to the phenomenon of interest; such modifications
should be explained and justified by the researcher when they occur)

C. Literature Review (Relevant literature reviewed as appropriate for

the type of qualitative study planned).

D. Analytical Framework (use to demonstrate knowledge of previous

work in the area, as well as frameworks used in the analysis of data)

CHAPTER 2 A. Philosophical Assumptions (identifies the basic assumptions that

Method every researcher makes when they undertake a qualitative research
project) B. Qualitative Assumptions (Explain your beliefs and practices
in human inquiry as a qualitative researcher. Your qualitative
assumptions should be aligned with the research design you have
identified)
C. Design and Procedure (Identify and generally describe your
research method (e.g., ethnographic field study, single case study,
phenomenology, grounded theory, heuristics, hermeneutics, etc.) and
your research procedures (e.g., long interviews, observation, FGD,
discourse analysis, etc.) Cite the major authors who have described
your research method)
D. Participants and Sampling (Explain how you will select informants
and gain entry into the research context (if relevant). Sampling in
qualitative research is purposeful and the process used to select
participants should be clearly described.)
E. Ethical Considerations (Describe the procedures you will take to
protect the rights of your informants (e.g., informed consent, human
subjects’ approval, or debriefing).
F. Role of the Researcher (describe relevant aspects of self, including
any biases and assumptions, any expectations, and experiences to
qualify your ability to conduct the research)
G. Data Collection (Describe the kind of data you will collect and the
tools you will use in data collection)
H. Data Analysis (Describe your intended data analysis procedures
(coding, sorting, etc.). Data reduction: Write-ups of field notes,
transcription procedures and conventions, computer programs used,
etc. Data reconstruction: development of categories, findings,
conclusions, connections to existing literature, integration of concepts)
 I. Rigour (Describe process of establishing credibility, dependability,
transferability, and confirmability in the research process)

CHAPTER 3 Findings from qualitative studies can be represented as a narrative

Results and Discussion (story), themes, description of the phenomenon under study or an
interpretive account of the understanding or meaning of an
experience. Discussion should be supported by literature and
theories.

CHAPTER 4 The researcher should conclude by placing the findings in a context

Conclusions, Implications and that indicates how this new information is of interest, and its
Recommendations implications for new knowledge.