Week 4 - Kaitlin

 Hello fellow group member! 


I've decided to commit to my research topic and my rough research question is "Has individual's perception of social support been influenced by changes in contact type during the COVID pandemic". I was considering a couple research methods for this topic, but at this point, I am thinking that qualitative research focused on a storytelling approach would be best. I'm also considering including a questionnaire in my study in addition to storytelling, as I imagine this would be a good way to gather key themes and trends. 


That's all from my this week, I would love to know you feedback!

Kaitlin 

Comments

  1. ErinaOctober 8, 2020 at 6:00 PM

    Hey! I think that's a really interesting research topic you've decided on, especially since we're living in unprecedented times where methods of social support have changed so drastically. I think you could even identify what the common physical (in-person) social support circles were pre-covid and examine how those have moved online. Have a great week!

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  2. AdenNovember 4, 2020 at 1:03 PM

    Hi Kaitlin,

    I have been thinking about your research question in light of the fact that we are going into the winter and social interactions are likely to decrease even further in Canada over the next few months.

    I think that even though you are doing qualitative research, a more specific questionnaire might still be a useful framework for gathering information. Knight mentions that for small scale research, things like questionnaires can be useful because they simplify the study design and make it easier and more likely for participants to participate.

    Maybe one issue you could encounter is that doing a mixed methods study with storytelling and a questionnaire may make it less likely for people to participate in the study (Knight). However, as Knight say, if you are able to get people to participate this is an excellent way to get a fuller picture of the way that COVID-19 has impacted people's social interaction.

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