Three Abbreviated Research Plans.

1. Running Head: THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH PLAN 1
Dr. Obumneke Amadi-Onuoha_scripts_ 7
Three Abbreviated Research Plans
Three Abbreviated Research Plans
Introduction
The aim is to develop an abbreviated research plan about the public health problem
presented on the growing concern of health disparity in the U.S. The paper illustrates how a
scholar-practitioner would apply the three different types of research methods (quantitative,
qualitative and mixed methods) to plan for an inquiry to investigate the causes, to direct the
analysis to determine outcome that would help in implementing possible solutions to the
influencers of the issues studied. The three abbreviated research plan will include the
introduction, purpose statement, viable research questions and hypotheses and a written research
plan that addresses the questions and the study will focus on identifying the risk factors that
contribute to health disparity and the population group affected the most, the prevention
strategies that will help to solve the problem will also be examined. The hypotheses are the
predictions about the estimated relationships among variables. The three abbreviated questions
will inquire about the relationship among variable (Walden, 2012).
Strengths and Limitations of the Three Abbreviated Plans
Researchers have different ways of investigating and comparing their studies through
different questions e.g. if researchers uses quantitative design they apply numbers; if they use a
qualitative design, they seek to describe patterns; and if they use mixed methods, they numbers
& description, thereby causing each research design to have their different strengths and

2. THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH 2
weakness which are carefully put into consideration in planning a research inquiry before
applying it into the research study method in order to present a scholarly article. This paper will
point out, the assumptions, the strengths & weaknesses of the comparison and evaluation of three
research paradigms:
Assumptions:
The Quantitative paradigm seeks to understand the details of phenomena and does not
regard the general states of a situation or individuals. It is rooted in objective positivist inquiry
such that the actions in the group being studied in this method can be generalized to social
situations in the future. This inquiry method assumes that research is the greater way of
knowing, understanding and predicting human experiences such that reality, experience, and
situations are measurable and generalized(Velez,2008,para.2,Creswell; 2009, p.16-17).
Qualitative beliefs are rooted in constructivism. There is no generalizability in reality that is
measurable for a larger population than an individual case. The paradigm assume that
description, and in depth understanding are the symbolic indication of their approach, by the
theories, hypotheses, that the researcher to study situations. Qualitative researchers believe in
contextualized viewpoints that are interpretive, and open ended (Velez, 2008, para.4; Creswell,
2009, p.16-17). The Mixed method research assume its roots in pragmatism, the researchers use
one viewpoint but uses assumptions from both quantitative and qualitative paradigms as
applicable (Velez, 2008, para.6, 7; Creswell, 2009, p.16-17).
Strengths:
Some strengths of the quantitative Inquiry are that studies is not affected by the
researcher because they are not involved with the subject being studied, it is a strong element of
many published research data. Quantitative studies can produce the same results if repeated

3. THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH 3
exactly and often used in further research due to its validity and reliability. The paradigms tests
and validates theories that are built about how and why phenomena occur; has quick data
collection process; data is defined and statistical; it allows for generalizability when data are
collected form large random samples and produces answers that are solid, and not from common
logic answer(Velez,2008,para.7,8; Creswell,2009, p.16-17). The Qualitative paradigms tend to
be rich in narrative and description of studies, and rather than provide an outcome they discuss
the process. This method of inquiry goes further in observation to first make sense of what is
being observed, then understand it, and finally, through a detailed explanation determine the
meaning of what studied. Other strengths of this method include, usefulness for describing
complex phenomena; data are collected in naturalistic settings; responsive to local conditions &
the needs of those studied; the words of the participants support additional studies into how and
why phenomena occur (Velez, 2008, para.11, 12; Creswell, 2009, p.16-17). The strengths of the
mixed methods research present it as a workable solution. It also allows the researcher expand a
focus as needed and explore further into data to understand meaning when single method is used
and provides stronger final evidence through merging and validation of the research outcomes
(Velez,2008,para.13,14; Creswell,2009, p.16-17).
Weaknesses:
In quantitative inquiry, there are no narrative explanations of the data. The data is
difficult to read and understand, i.e. the statistical report can be methodical and challenging to
distinguish for average readers of educational journals (Velez, 2008, para.15; Creswell, 2009,
p.16-17). Qualitative research does not have enough hard evidence, and because the researcher
is involved in the study, a form of bias may be presented due his passion about either who is
being studied or the context of the study which can lead to an inability to examine detailed

4. THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH 4
activities in the study. Due to its focus on small population or case, analyzed information from
study results are presented on a narrow range (Velez, 2008, para.17-20; Creswell, 2009, p.16-
17). In experience, the more profound the qualitative inquiry is, the more it becomes time-
consuming. In qualitative paradigms, errors can and do occur in all stages of inquiry due to its
narrative element. The mixed methods research is rigorous in time and somewhat costly, it is
also a demanding approach that requires flexibility from the researcher to adapt to the needs of
the problem being studied (Velez, 2008, para.22; Creswell, 2009, p.16-17).
An Abbreviated Quantitative Health Disparity Research Plan
Introduction
Health insurance is important in deciding the ability of people to gain access to health
care, medication and use of preventive measures such as exercise and diet to help reduce the
increasing rate of chronic illness and early death for example “The rate of new AIDS cases in
2003 was 3 times higher among Hispanics and 10 times higher among African Americans than
among Whites (26 and 75 per 100,000 vs. 7 per 100,000)” (Kaiser Family Foundation,
2008,para.6) and are linked to individuals with no insurance. Health disparities by definition are
the differences in health outcomes that are closely associated with economic, social, and
environmental disadvantage which are caused by the social circumstances in which individuals
live, learn, work and play (DHHS, n.d). However, some difficulties have decreased or hindered
the ability to gain this access. In health care ethnic and racial disparities are regarded as one of
the major hindrances, accompanied by other various difficulties to cause inequalities in health
status in the United States, such that there is evidence of continual unequal treatments in medical
care for a number of health conditions and services. Eliminating the causes of health disparities

5. THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH 5
in the U.S is these politically complex and challenging, the problem has demanded the analysis
of areas for addressing what would or can be done to reduce these disparities.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this study will be to examine the overview of the risk factors that
contribute to health disparities in the U.S. population and the barriers to its effective prevention
to address lack of insurance, limited or no health insurance preventing them from receiving
adequate health care, medication, and the use of preventive measures such as exercise and diet
(Walden, 2012).
Viable Research Questions and Hypotheses
Viable Research Questions
1. What are the risk factors that contribute to limited or no health insurance?
2. What population group is mostly affected?
3. What percentages of the population are affected?
4. What has been done to address the problem?
The Hypothesis
The study will be based on two hypotheses: (1)There is a significant value identified of
the risk factors (racial and ethnic) (independent variables) that contribute to no health insurance
(dependent variable),(2) that poverty remains the greatest barriers of the risk factor why people
don’t have insurance to gain access to health care. The justification of its viability is related to
social, economic, environmental disadvantage and risk factors e.g. the difference in social
determinants, such as poverty, low socioeconomic status (SES), and lack of access to care, exist
along racial and ethnic lines (DHHS, n.d).
Research Plan

6. THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH 6
This study will be based on two hypotheses listed. The research questions are resulting
from the hypothesis as listed will also be answered. For the duration of the study, data’s will be
collected and analyzed to test these hypotheses and research questions. The study will apply
quantitative research design. This design will best be applicable to the research because the
study seeks to test hypotheses research variables in order to establish the correlation between the
risk factors of health disparities and lack of health insurance. This information will help the
researcher answer the research questions more applicably, because they are useful for testing the
results gained by a chain of qualitative investigations, leading to a final answer and narrowing
down of potential directions for follow-up research to take. The required data for the study will
be formal and quite standardized and will be adopted through a quantitative survey method. The
survey will identify the reasons (risk factors) for the health disparities in the U.S. population.
The research study will be based on the existing literature on the problem, and it will also be
based on existing theory on the issue.
The target audience will be people from racial and ethnic groups of their economic,
social, and environmental conditions in order to understand their access to health status. Data
sampling will be obtained from peer-reviewed websites and journals carried on among this
population to obtain an appropriate sample. Risk factors leading to health disparities will be
posted as the independent variables while the health disparities are the dependent variables. The
data will reflect the number of factors for health disparities, thereby answering the research
questions. The data will be analyzed using statistical test of significant correlation to classify,
categorize and quantify between the variables which will help to understand the nature of the
study, tables and graphs will also be used to exhibit study outcomes for easier interpretation.
An Abbreviated Qualitative Health Disparity Research Plan

7. THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH 7
Introduction
Health insurance is important in deciding the ability of people to gain access to health
care, medication and use of preventive measures such as exercise and diet to help reduce the
increasing rate of chronic illness and early death for example “The rate of new AIDS cases in
2003 was 3 times higher among Hispanics and 10 times higher among African Americans than
among Whites (26 and 75 per 100,000 vs. 7 per 100,000)” (Kaiser Family Foundation,
2008,para.6) and are linked to individuals with no insurance. Health disparities by definition are
the differences in health outcomes that are closely associated with economic, social, and
environmental disadvantage which are caused by the social circumstances in which individuals
live, learn, work and play (DHHS, n.d). However, some difficulties have decreased or hindered
the ability to gain this access. In health care ethnic and racial disparities are regarded as one of
the major hindrances, accompanied by other various difficulties to cause inequalities in health
status in the United States, such that there is evidence of continual unequal treatments in medical
care for a number of health conditions and services. Eliminating the causes of health disparities
in the U.S is politically complex and challenging, the problem has demanded the analysis of
areas for addressing what would or can be done to reduce these disparities.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this study will be to examine the overview of the risk factors that
contribute to health disparities in the U.S. population and the barriers to its effective prevention
to address lack of insurance, limited or no health insurance preventing them from receiving
adequate health care, medication, and the use of preventive measures such as exercise and diet
(Walden, 2012).
Viable Research Questions and Hypotheses

8. THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH 8
Viable Research Questions
1. What are the risk factors that contribute to limited or no health insurance?
2. What population group is mostly affected?
3. What percentages of the population are affected?
4. What has been done to address the problem?
Research Plan
This study will be based on two hypotheses listed. The research questions are resulting
from the hypothesis as listed will also be answered. For the duration of the study, data’s will be
collected and analyzed to test these hypotheses and research questions.
The study will apply Qualitative research design from a phenomenological method. This design
will best be applicable to the research because the study seeks to test hypotheses of research
variables in order to establish the correlation between the risk factors of health disparities and
lack of health insurance from a participant’s point of view (Williams, 2007, p.69). Through this
information the researcher will be guided to answer the research questions more correctly,
because they are useful for testing the results collected from the various qualitative investigations
conducted for the study, thereby leading to a final answer and supporting prospective directions
to take on further research. Qualitative research model occurs in a natural setting and enables the
researcher to develop a detailed association in the actual experiences, such that the social
phenomenon is being investigated from the participant’s view and it involves focused use for
describing, explaining, and interpreting collected data (Williams, 2007, p.67). The required data
for the study will be formal and quite standardized and will be adopted through a qualitative
interview method. The method of collecting data is through prolonged (0-2 hours) interviews in
order to understand and interpret a participant’s viewpoints on health disparities and lack of

9. THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH 9
health insurance. The study will collect data that leads to identifying common subjects in
participant’s views of their experiences.
The research study is centered on the existing literature on the problem, and it will also
be centered on existing theory on the issue (Williams, 2007, p.69). The study targets people
from diverse racial and ethnic groups of their economic, social, and environmental conditions in
order to understand their causes and experience of health disparities and lack of health insurance.
Data sampling of recorded interviews transcribed from interview transcripts will be obtained
from peer-reviewed websites and journals carried on among this population to obtain an
appropriate sample. Risk factors leading to health disparities will be posted as the independent
variables while the health disparities are the dependent variables. The data will reflect the risk
factors leading to health disparities for lack of insurance, thereby answering the research
questions. Content analysis will be applied to analyzed data in order to identify patterns, themes,
or biases (Williams, 2007, p.69) between the variables which will help to understand the
characteristics studied, in addition, tables and graphs will also be used to exhibit study outcomes
for easier interpretation.
Abbreviated Mixed Methods Research Plan
Introduction
Health insurance is important in deciding the ability of people to gain access to health
care, medication and use of preventive measures such as exercise and diet to help reduce the
increasing rate of chronic illness and early death for example “The rate of new AIDS cases in
2003 was 3 times higher among Hispanics and 10 times higher among African Americans than
among Whites (26 and 75 per 100,000 vs. 7 per 100,000)” (Kaiser Family Foundation,
2008,para.6) and are linked to individuals with no insurance. Health disparities by definition are

10. THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH 10
the differences in health outcomes that are closely associated with economic, social, and
environmental disadvantage which are caused by the social circumstances in which individuals
live, learn, work and play (DHHS, n.d). However, some difficulties have decreased or hindered
the ability to gain this access. In health care ethnic and racial disparities are regarded as one of
the major hindrances, accompanied by other various difficulties to cause inequalities in health
status in the United States, such that there is evidence of continual unequal treatments in medical
care for a number of health conditions and services. Eliminating the causes of health disparities
in the U.S is politically complex and challenging, the problem has demanded the analysis of
areas for addressing what would or can be done to reduce these disparities.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this study will be to examine the overview of the risk factors that
contribute to health disparities in the U.S. population and the barriers to its effective prevention
to address lack of insurance, limited or no health insurance preventing them from receiving
adequate health care, medication, and the use of preventive measures such as exercise and diet
(Walden, 2012).
Viable Research Questions and Hypotheses
Viable Research Questions:
1. What are the risk factors that contribute to limited or no health insurance?
2. What population group is mostly affected?
3. What percentages of the population are affected?
4. What has been done to address the problem?
The Hypothesis

11. THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH 11
The study will be based on two hypotheses: (1)There is a significant value identified of
the risk factors (racial and ethnic) (independent variables) that contribute to no health insurance
(dependent variable),(2) that poverty remains the greatest barriers of the risk factor why people
don’t have insurance to gain access to health care. The justification of its viability is related to
social, economic, environmental disadvantage and risk factors e.g. the difference in social
determinants, such as poverty, low socioeconomic status (SES), and lack of access to care, exist
along racial and ethnic lines (DHHS, n.d).
Research Plan
This study will be based on two hypotheses listed. The research questions are resulting
from the hypothesis as listed will also be answered. For the duration of the study, data’s will be
collected and analyzed to test these hypotheses and research questions. The study will apply a
mixed methods research design which is a procedure for collecting, analyzing, and “mixing”
both quantitative and qualitative research and methods in a single study to understand a research
problem (Fischer, 2014). An explanatory sequential design will be employed, where quantitative
data will be collected and analyzed and then followed up with a qualitative data collection &
analysis and interpreted thereafter. This design will best be applicable to the research because
the study seeks to test hypotheses of research variables in order to establish the correlation
between the risk factors of health disparities and lack of health insurance from a participant’s
point of view (Fischer, 2014). Through this information the researcher will be guided to answer
the research questions more correctly, because it follows-up a quantitative study qualitatively to
obtain more detailed information by testing both results collected from the various quantitative
surveys and qualitative interviews conducted for the study, thereby leading to more definite
answer, and with the help towards future directions to take on additional research. Mixed

12. THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH 12
method research model enables the researchers analyze the qualitative data and use results to
build the subsequent quantitative phase. It joins the phases by using the quantitative results to
form the qualitative research questions, sampling, and data gathering. The required data for the
study will be recognized, consistent and will be adopted through a quantitative survey and a
qualitative interview method (Fischer, 2014).
The method of gathering data will be through the different phases of an explanatory
sequential design: in Phase 1, researchers will identify risk factor (RF) indicators leading to
health disparities which will then be used to guide the instrumental case study (CS) design that
forms the second phase of the larger study. Phase 2 will use matched case studies to evaluate the
participant’s viewpoints on health disparities and lack of health insurance. Data will be collected
through survey (observation, documentary analysis), and interviews. Observations will be made
of 22 workers from a small organization, and 22 matched workers in similar large organization,
while they worked. Twenty-five workers will be interviewed, and 100 workers will complete a
survey based on the components of CS and RF identified in Phase 1. A coding framework and
the generation of cross tabulation matrices in NVivo will be used to make clear how the outcome
measures were confirmed and validated from multiple sources. This will build up the possibility
to examine single cases that appeared different, and permit for cases to be redefined. Phase 3
will involve interviews with managers to set the results in framework (Lalor et al., 2013). The
research study will collect data that leads to identifying common subjects in participant’s views
of their experiences; it will be centered on the existing literature on the problem, and will also be
centered on existing theory on the issue.
The study targets people from diverse racial and ethnic groups of their economic, social,
and environmental conditions in order to understand their causes and experience of health

13. THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH 13
disparities and lack of health insurance. Data sampling of outcome measured, retrieved from
interviews and surveys transcripts will be obtained from peer-reviewed websites and journals
carried on among this population to obtain an appropriate sample. Risk factors leading to health
disparities will be posted as the independent variables while the health disparities are the
dependent variables. The data will reflect the risk factors leading to health disparities for lack of
insurance, thereby answering the research questions. A coding framework, and the generation of
cross tabulation matrices in NVivo, will be applied to analyzed data to identify patterns, themes,
or biases between the variables which will help to understand the characteristics studied, in
addition, tables and graphs will also be used to exhibit study outcomes for easier interpretation
(Lalor et al., 2013).
Conclusion
The problem of health disparities in the US requires an urgent intervention because of the
increasing chronic illnesses presenting in the country and many re-emerging diseases due to the
poor economic situation. The quantitative approach is good for finalizing study results. The
qualitative approach to study from a phenomenology method is grounded on the idea that an
individual’s perception/awareness guides actions and responses (Williams, 2007, p.5). The
NVivo tools applied for analysis by the explanatory sequential design of the mixed method
approach is good background for comparisons between and within groups using matrix coding
query (QSR, 2013). The problem of health disparities requires a critical prevention intervention
because of the increasing rate of chronic illness and early death in the population among people
that lack health insurance. This research application leads a study aimed at establishing
background and informing important result to address the problem.

14. THREE ABBREVIATED RESEARCH 14
References
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(Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications - Chapter
1, "The Selection Of Research Design Methods"
DHHS (n.d). HHS action plan to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities: A Nation Free of
Disparities in Health and Health Care: Retrieved from
http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/npa/files/Plans/HHS/HHS_Plan_complete.pdf
Fischer, A. S. (2014). Mixed methods. Retrieved from
http://www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/resources/uploads/app/35/files/arc_doc/mixed_metho
ds.pdf
Kaiser Family Foundation (2008). Eliminating racial/ethnic disparities in health care: What
are the Options? http://kff.org/disparities-policy/issue-brief/eliminating-racialethnic-
disparities-in-health-care-what
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http://explore.qsrinternational.com/survey-data-analysis-with-nvivo
Velez, A.M (2008). Evaluating research methods: assumptions, strengths, and weaknesses of
three educational research paradigms. Retrieved from http://www.unco.edu/ae-
extra/2008/9/velez.html
Walden University (2012). Blackboard class problem assignment: Walden University Assignment
for Research Theory, Design, And Method_RSCH-8101R-1RSCH-8101H_DRPH. Spring
Quarter Class.
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APAJournalArticle&more=yes&nameCnt=1&help=