Writing Qualitative Research Proposals Using the Pathway Project Mapping Tool

This article describes using the Qualitative Pathway Project Mapping Tool (QL-PPMT) to guide the development of rigorous qualitative research proposals. The original PPMT was initially developed to assist nursing students in planning their quantitative research proposals and has been widely used by faculty to advise student research projects. In this paper, we have adapted the 26 sections of the PPMT to provide a comprehensive checklist and road map for qualitative proposal planning. Further, we describe each section of the QL-PPMT in detail with examples and suggest additional resources to guide the development of evidence-based qualitative research proposals for new investigators, students, and trainees.