Overview

For this assignment, you will develop a 2–4 page interview guide for a research study, focusing on issues of work-life balance for online learners in a business or technology doctoral program. The questions in the interview guide must:

• Be conceptually valid.
• Flow logically from the concepts and theories you plan to explore in your research.
• Generate the type of data you are seeking.

You will be able to further refine your proposed questions using instructor feedback on this assignment before conducting interviews and gathering data for analysis.

Instructions

For this assignment, review the articles about work-life balance and online learners from the unit readings (linked in Resources). The research purpose statement you construct in the next step must be developed from concepts described in one or more of these articles.

1. Construct a research purpose statement based on selected references that is informed by an abbreviated theoretical framework and includes the research methodology and a construct of the central phenomenon, experience/event, or process that will be the focus of the study. To do this, develop a research purpose using an abbreviated theoretical framework. The research purpose must be developed from concepts described in one or more of the articles on work-life balance for online learners. Use the following research purpose template adapted from Creswell (2009) to develop your research purpose statement:

The purpose of this _________________ (exploratory/generic qualitative inquiry, phenomenological, case study, grounded theory, Delphi) research is to ________ (understand, describe, develop, discover) the ________ (central phenomenon, experience/event, process) for online learners in a business or technology doctoral program informed by the ________(theoretical framework). At this stage in the research, the ______ (central phenomenon, experience/event, process) being studied will be generally defined as ____________ (provide a credibly supported definition). 

1. Construct a research question or questions and subquestions as needed. The questions must clearly align with the research purpose statement, use constructs from the purpose statement, and be characteristic of the chosen methodology. Specifically, as you write the research questions, ensure:
   • There is a clear link between the research purpose and research questions. The questions must speak explicitly to the phenomenon, experience/event, or process and the associated constructs under study.
   • The constructs in the questions are identical to those discussed in the purpose and the selected theoretical framework.
   • The primary research question recasts the purpose in question form. Subquestions, if needed, represent deeper or further inquiry into relevant subissues such as constructs of the overarching phenomenon, experience/event, or processes under study.
   • The research questions are characteristic of the research methodology and align with the methodological approach (exploratory/generic qualitative inquiry, phenomenological, case study, grounded theory, Delphi) identified in the research purpose.​
2. Develop 8–10 open-ended interview questions that will be responsive to the research question and are appropriate for the collection of data from your population.
   • Order the questions to promote logical interview flow, ease of interaction, and rapport building between the interviewer and interviewee.
   • Be sure the questions flow logically from the research purpose and research question, are suitably worded for your population (online learners), and will capture the data you seek in response to your research question.​
3. Discuss how each proposed question relates to the research purpose, research question, and key concepts or theories.

Be sure to use wording that is clear and suitable for your population (sample of participants) yet consistent with good scholarly writing and free of grammatical or other mechanical errors.

Review the assignment scoring guide to ensure that you meet all criteria.

Additional Requirements

• Written communication: Written communication must be grammatically correct and free of errors that detract from the overall message. Writing should be consistent with graduate-level scholarship.
• Length of paper: 2–4 double-spaced pages.
• APA format: Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.