FFT Week 9 & 10

FFT Week 9 was about using observation as a way to do collect data for a research proposal. Most of the chapter wasn't too helpful, as observation is primarily used for more in-depth ethnographic studies (which my proposal is not). However, these two points did stand out to me and make me question using observation. "Interview and questionnaire responses [which I had been planning to use] are notorious for discrepancies between what people say they have done, or will do, and what they actually did, or will do (Robson, pg 310)." So it makes me think that if I can afford it, I should take notes and video them. Privacy issues of foster children screams that this is a big no-no, so maybe I could audio record them and make sure all comments are billed as anonymous (assuming I was given permission to do so). Another issue with questionnaires that Robson brings up, via Agnew and Pyke (1982), is that "we only have to move the pencil a few inches to shift our scores from being a bigot to being humanitarian. We don't have to move our heavy-weight behavior at all (pg 310)." Here he is basically saying that people don't want to be taken in a certain light, so they may lie on questionnaires to make themselves look better, which is a problem when you are trying to look for accurate results.

FFT Week 10 was about additional data collection methods like historical methods, meta-analysis, triangulation (using multiple methods), simulation, content analysis, and feminist research methods. I thought the Box on page 372 was particularly helpful in describing how you can combine qualitative and quantitative methods into your research design. The biggest help about Chapter 12 was the gray sections in the back of the chapter, which talk about "Arranging the Practicalities," i.e. making sure you have certain things such as negotiating access to your subject matter/topic, making up consent forms (especially important with this population of foster children as I'm sure I would have to get multiple permissions before I could even see anybody), making sure you are organized, doing pilot studies, work on relationship with your superiors and follow up on your work.

More articles and settling on age range

I finally went to the library and asked for help to find more articles as I have had no luck finding additional ones. Thanks to the helpful librarians at RCPL, I managed to find another article I could use as an excellent example of library programs to directly target foster kids, namely Jessica Snow's Fall 2009 article for Young Adult Library Services entitled "Library Outreach to foster teens," which also gave ways for others to start similar library programs (very helpful). Another article gave me what I was looking for psychologically as background for the proposal, but I think I will end up using it for article reference instead. I still need to find an article that specifically says that the constant displacement and family situation of foster children disrupts their lives and makes it difficult to acclimate to situations. I did finally get to read the extremely long study from the UK's National Literacy Trust which explains about points like kids read more if the mother reads or encourages them to read, but I would like to find the results in the US. I found this resource on the website First Book, and I will continue looking online for reputable results.

After most of my research focused on teens, I have decided to make the age range of my study be 12-18 yrs, although for the general information of the research proposal, it will likely be all ages.