Which of the following could be considered the “context” of a study? Select all that apply.
A. Cultural understandings and beliefs of study participants.
B. The physical setting of the study.
C. The sample selected for the study.
D. The number of subjects in the study.
E. The research design used.
Correct Answers: A, B
Contextual perspective is an essential aspect of a research proposal and requires critical attention while writing the proposal. In the Introduction section of the proposal, the writer should try to create interest in the readers about the proposed research.
Option A: Contextual perspectives consider the relationship between individuals and their physical, cognitive, and social worlds. They also examine socio-cultural and environmental influences on development.
Option B: Simply put, a research setting is the physical, social, or experimental context within which research is conducted. In a research paper, describing this setting accurately is crucial since the results and their interpretation may depend heavily on it.
Option C: The sample is not included in the context of the study. Make sure to include relevant references and citations. If presented adequately, the contextual perspective effectively establishes not only the need for the proposed research but also indicates the expertise of the writer in that specific research area.
Option D: The number of subjects is not included in the context of the study. It is also called a sample. Establish context by providing a brief and balanced review of the pertinent published literature that is available on the subject. The key is to summarize for the reader what is known about the specific research problem before the researcher did an analysis. This part of the introduction should not represent a comprehensive literature review–that comes next.
Option E: The research design used is seen in the methodology. The context of the study consists of a general review of the important, foundational research literature [with citations] that establishes a foundation for understanding key elements of the research problem.