Developing your Research Plan

for FemNorthNet

Community Case Studies1

Developing your research plan

• Your research plan will tell the story of what you plan to do over the next four years:

• The research questions you want to explore• How you will carry out the research and • Who you will involve as researchers and

participants.

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Steps to develop your research plan:

• Decide who should be on your research planning team and invite them to participate

• Review relevant documents (FemNorthNet goals & key research questions, local economic development plans, other useful reports on your community)

• Identify the questions you need to answer to develop your plan (suggested questions provided below)

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To develop your research plan:

• Decide who you would like to consult to develop your plan and the best way to engage them, keeping in mind that the project seeks to include Aboriginal women, disabled women and immigrant women

• Undertake your community consultations (Fall 2010)

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To develop your research plan:

• Draft your research plan and present it to the Fem North Network for feedback

• Finalize your plan and submit it for university ethics review (if required) and to Fem North Net by December 2010.

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Questions to help develop your research plan

• What is the purpose of your research?

• What are your key questions? (Consider refining and expanding on FemNorthNet’s four key research questions - next)

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FNN Key Research Questions1.What are women’s experiences of economic restructuring and

related community transformations in the North?2.How do economic development plans and programs for the

community address these experiences?3.What can women do collectively to address their experiences

and any gaps in community or economic development initiatives?

4.What do women’s experiences and responses teach Canadians about how to address economic restructuring and related community transformations?

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Questions to develop your research plan

• Will your research questions address any of the four theme areas? (Community Infrastructure and Economic Development; Community Engagement and Governance; Community Inclusions and Exclusions; Migration, Immigration and Mobility)

• If so, how? And how will you work collaboratively with one or more thematic research teams?

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Questions to develop your research plan

• What background materials could the thematic research teams develop that would be useful to your research?

• How will you use an intersectional feminist framework in your research?

• How will you identify the diversity of women in your community and engage with the diversities present? Specifically, how will you promote the engagement of Aboriginal, disabled and immigrant women in your research project?

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Questions to develop your research plan

• How will the project build capacity in individual women, women's organizations and other stakeholders in your community to plan and conduct the research and analyze the findings?

• What research methodologies will you use to gather data (for example: literature review, focus groups, interviews, survey, community mapping, participatory video or photovoice, etc.)?

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Questions to develop your research plan

• How will you analyze and interpret the data?

• How will the project create capacity in individual women, women's organizations and other stakeholders in your community to take action to ensure that economic development opportunities take into account and address women's specific needs?

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Questions to develop your research plan

• How will students be involved in the research? What knowledge and skills will they develop?

• How will you share research findings in your community?

• How will you evaluate the community research?

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Elements of your plan

• a brief introduction to your community• the purpose of your research • the key research questions• a description of methodologies• an outline of activities and timelines

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Elements of your plan• A description of the role that students will play in the

research • Strategies to support inclusion of Aboriginal, disabled

and immigrant women in the project• Deliverables (i.e. material you will develop) including

data or findings that will be made available to thematic research teams

• an evaluation plan.

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Elements of your plan

• Your research plan should also confirm or revise the proposed budget, below.

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Budget

PROJECT COST CATEGORIES

March 2011 – Feb. 2012

March 2012 – Feb. 2013

March 2013 – Feb. 2014

Personnel CostsStudent salaries 7,000 7,000 7,000

Travel & Subsistence Costs

Team members (see below)

Students 1,333 1,333 1,333

Other Expenses

Disability Accommodations 2,000 2,000 2,000

Community Support 3,333 3,333 3,333

Translation & Interpretation

500 500 500

Total

Team Member Travel Costs to Communities

Community March 2011 – Feb. 2012

March 2011 – Feb. 2012

March 2011 – Feb. 2012

La Loche 1,400 x 3 1,400 x 3 1,400 x 3

Thompson 1,400 x 3 1,400 x 3 1,400 x 3

HV-GB 2,500 x 2 2,500 x 2 2,500 x 3

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