For the research of this paper, I will use the Interpretive Sociology research orientation to study how the general public really sees the mentally ill and how they judge mentally ill persons. I will also be using the Social-Conflict approach to show that misconceptions have caused discrimination towards the mentally ill, and in doing so disadvantaged many persons with disorders by the general public not excepting them. These two approaches will shape this paper and guide the research to prove the theoretical position that the general public has negative misunderstandings of the mentally ill. 
The method I will be using is the survey method. I will give approximately 25 people who do not have a mental illness a survey regarding how they feel about specific mental health questions. Every question will be answered using the liker scale, with 5 possible answers. I will also give approximately 25 more people who do have a mental illness a survey regarding how they feel they are perceived or misunderstood and how they feel that has disadvantaged them. Every question can be answered using the liker scale, with 5 possible answers. In addition to this survey, each question will have available space for comments. The use of the comments box will allow each question to be answered in more detail if the person wants to add more insight to the situation being questioned. Each survey will also include questions about age, race, gender, and education level. These questions will be used to help categorize what type of people feel a certain or specific way about mental illness. 
I will find participants to take the surveys from Ivy Tech and a mental health group for which I am a part of. All participants will be guaranteed anonymity, and told the information taken from the surveys will only be used for a student research paper.
For each survey, if someone feels uncomfortable answering a question, they will in no way be told that they have to answer the question, and the decision to answer each of the questions will be up to the person taking the survey.   
