Please I need a Research/ Thesis Topic + Proposal in the field of Psychology ( Special Educational Needs Precisely) Please find attached documents relating to the choice of options and break down of

Methodology and Ethical Considerations

(Critical analysis of 4 key sources)

4,000 words

Your steps:

• stating the research questions

• identifying the relevant documents (sampling)

• applying the sampling method,

• discussing the protocol for data collection and analysing the documents (critical review and synopsis)

• interpreting the findings.

Discussion and Findings

(Critical analysis of 4 key sources)

4,000 words

Select four key sources (either journal articles or chapters in edited books- they must report on research) that aim to provide a critical analysis of your topic. In this section you are undertaking a critical review and analysis of each text, in which you may critically review and analyse the:

• Focus of the text and its position in the field of literature

• Positionality of the author and their theoretical framework

• Aspects of the methodology

• Their argument and findings

You will then have a concluding section where you compare the different contributions to knowledge in the field made by the texts.

Introductory paragraph

(100-200 words)

Describe the structure of your chapter. This must be brief and providing an explanation to the structure of the chapter, rather than a list of what is discussed.

Citations to references are needed in this section.

Framing your research

(400-500 words)

Paradigm – this refers to the theoretical paradigm framing your research. You are likely to be an interpretivist and you could combine this with another theoretical or paradigmatic perspective (feminism, post-structuralism, emancipatory, etc).

Citations to references are needed in this section.

Positionality

(400-500 words)

Explore your positionality in relation to the research methodology. How will this methodology support you in revealing and challenging your own assumptions? Is it aligned with your own beliefs and preferred models of research? How does the project reflect your own values and how will you employ reflexivity to ensure you are addressing any bias you may bring to the research? You are looking to link your paradigm, theoretical framework and values to the research project here.

Citations to references will be needed here- these will likely be research methodology texts.

Research Design and data collection

(1500-1800 words)

Introduce, discuss and defend (which means support with relevant literature and demonstrating awareness of possible limitations and shortcomings) the design decisions you have made in your research. This should include- your sampling strategy approach, your protocol for data collection and a discussion about your use of this research pathway- the critical analysis of 4 key sources.

The sampling strategy approach, this section should include:

*search engine /database use to identify documents.

*methods for search of sources

*selection criteria for sources (inclusion/exclusion criteria, such as date of publication, context, validity of source, relevance of source, language, focus of the research, etc…). This is your sampling strategy.

Introduce, discuss and defend (which means support with relevant literature and demonstrating awareness of possible limitations and shortcomings) the protocol for data collection from the documents- this is the critical review and synopsis (Wallis and Wray 2016). You are discussing its suitability, the way you will carry this out, the strengths and limitations of this approach, and ultimately your reason for using this methodology.

Citations to references are needed in this section.

Critical exploration

1,000-1,100 words

Explore a number of core relevant ethical principles and how you have applied them in your research. These will be centred around doing ethical documentary research, and ensuring you have been able to act ethically as a researcher engaging in desktop research.

Citations to references will be needed here- from research methodology texts and ethical guidance instruments.

Introductory paragraph to the chapter

100-300 words.

Summarise your strategy for the critical review and analysis of the four texts.

Reflect on your own positionality in relation to the topic and how this affected your engagement with the four texts.

Citations to references are needed in this section.

Describe the structure of your chapter. This must be brief.

Critical review and analysis-

700 - 800 words per source

Write the full Harvard reference for each source followed by critical review and analysis. Inspired by Wallis and Wray (2016) write a critical synopsis for each source.

Introduce the text Prompts for thinking: Why am I reading this? How is this text aligned to my positionality and theoretical framework? (50 to 100 words)

Report the content Prompts for thinking: What are the authors trying to achieve in writing this? What are the authors claiming that is relevant to my work?’ (100-200 words)

Evaluate the methodology (100-200 words) Prompts for thinking ‘How relevant is the methodology to the topic? How is it innovative in the data collection methods? How does the research design uphold ethical principles?’

Evaluate the findings (100-200 words) Prompts for thinking: ‘How convincing are these claims and why?’ Consider: theoretical underpinning, design of empirical study, argument and validity

Draw your conclusion (100-150 words) (Prompts for thinking: how does this source address my research questions? How does this source further knowledge in the field? How does this source provide innovation in methodology?’

Citations to references are needed in this section but use with care. The literature and theory you cite should have already been reviewed in your literature review chapter or included in your methodology and ethics chapter.

Concluding paragraph to this chapter

800 to 1,000 words approximately

Comparison of the different contributions to knowledge in the field made by the texts.

In this section you need to be selective by considering:

• The different ways in which the texts make contributions to knowledge in the field (e.g. application of theory and the findings). You must make links to your research questions. You must make links to your literature review. How do these texts relate to the field of literature?

• The different ways in which the authors apply theoretical frameworks, research paradigms and methodologies to examine the topic. What are the differences and similarities? How do different approaches provide a range of perspectives and insights into the topics?

• The questions that the four studies raise in relation to ethical issues in conducting research in the field.

Citations to references are needed in this section. Here your focus is comparing the sources and situating them in the field of knowledge.