Introduction to Research Design

• Students will be able to articulate the purpose, key elements, and the importance of a research design.
• Students will be able to analyze, differentiate philosophical worldviews, and explain how ontological and epistemological assumptions influence research design and methodological choices.
• Students can evaluate strategies of inquiry aligned with research questions, objectives, and philosophical worldviews.
• Students will be able to develop and justify a comprehensive research design that balances rigor and relevance, and considers philosophical assumptions.

Introduction to Research Design

• Research design provides a structured approach to the research process.
• It is the blueprint or framework for conducting a study.
• Research design is about ensuring that all elements align to achieve the aims, purposes, and strategies of a study.
• The framework encompasses methods/procedures used in data collection/analysis to ensure validity/reliability.
• A well-thought-out design organizes research process that is methodical and focused.

Purpose of Research Design

• Translates a research problem into actionable data to answer questions.
• Provides a clear pathway from theoretical frameworks to measurable variables.
• It ensures data addresses research questions and provides a basis to draw conclusions.
• Research design facilitates optimal control over variables, minimizing bias and enhancing internal validity.

Key Elements of Research Design

• Philosophical assumptions
• Strategies of inquiry
• Specific methods

Philosophical Assumptions

• They form the foundation of any research design that include ontology (nature of reality) and epistemology (nature of knowledge.)
• Positivist worldviews often aligns with quantitative research, while constructivist paradigms are suited for qualitative.

Strategies of Inquiry

• This is the overarching methodological approach like qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods.
• Qualitative research explores phenomena in-depth, while quantitative studies emphasize statistical measurement.

Specific Methods

• These are tools/techniques used in research like surveys, interviews, or experiments.
• Aligning these methods with the strategy of inquiry and philosophical assumptions lead to effective research design.

Importance of Research Design

• Ensures rigor, validity, and reliability by giving a logical reasoning.
• It enhances the trustworthiness by ensuring the study is organized and transparent.
• Without a constructed design, conclusions may lack credibility.

Research as a Systematic and Methodical Process

• Research solves problems, generates new knowledge, involves tasks like identifying a problem, literature review, and developing research questions.
• Systematic research ensures adherence to validity and reliability while also including ethical considerations.
• A methodical approach helps researchers produce findings that are both credible and applicable.

Goal of Research

• Research solves problems or contributes to the existing body of knowledge like innovate solutions.
• Research is about creating knowledge that informs policy, advance frameworks, and drive innovation.
• Research design requires consideration of philosophical worldviews and inquiry strategies.

Definition of Worldview

• The foundational set of beliefs and values that guide understanding and actions.
• Worldviews shape how researchers perceive/interact with the world by guiding research strategies and methods.
• They're shaped by factors like a researcher's discipline, leading to preferences for qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods approaches.

Influence of Philosophical Assumptions

• They shape the research that effects questions and interpretation of results.
• These assumptions impact key decisions in research design, data collection, and analysis, ensuring alignment.

Ontology (Nature of Reality)

• Ontological assumptions reflect a researcher's understanding of reality.
• Whether reality is objective/measurable or subjective/constructed impacts research.

Epistemology (Nature of Knowledge)

• Epistemological beliefs guide how knowledge is acquired and validated to determine a researcher's stance.

Key Philosophical Worldviews

• Postpositivism: deterministic worldview emphasizing the identification and testing of causal relationships.
• Constructivism: emphasizes the importance of subjective meaning and the social construction of reality.

Postpositivism Key Features

• Breaks down phenomena into variables with objective observation and numerical data from experimental designs.
• Aims to develop valid and reliable measures that ensure objectivity while minimizing bias.
• It validates or refines existing theories using surveys or experiments which aligns predominantly with quantitative research.

Constructivism Key Features

• Generates inductively from participants' experiences and perspectives.
• Reality is shaped by cultural, social, and historical contexts.
• Constructivist researchers explore phenomena in depth, recognizing their own influence, and is associated with qualitative research.

Advocacy/Participatory

• Closely addresses social and political agendas, focusing on promoting equity and addressing social injustices.
• Features emphases on collaboration with marginalized participants by advocating for empowerment.
• Research is associated with qualitative research but can also inform quantitative.

Pragmatism

• Prioritizes practical solutions and outcomes, focusing on actions and their consequences rather than theoretical antecedents.
• Features flexibility in using multiple methods and acceptance of research in dynamic social/historical/political contexts.
• Pragmatism aligns with mixed-methods research to combine quantitative and qualitative.

Role of Worldviews in Research

• They help researchers perceive and interpret the world, and ask questions and use methods.

Selection of Research Design

• Quantitative Approach: Postpositivist worldview leads to quantitative methods (objective measurement).
• Qualitative Approach: Constructivist researchers favor qualitative methods (subjective experiences).
• Mixed-Methods Approach" Pragmatists use practical solutions, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Influence on Methodology and Methods

• With a postpositivist worldview aim to test theories to generate new theories, while Advocacy/participatory researchers advocate for social change
• Postpositivists use surveys/experiments to measure objectivity, while constructivists use interviews/observations to capture subjective experiences.

Research Questions and Objectives

• Postpositivist questions tests cause-and-effect relationships and findings.
• Constructivist questions aim to understand how individuals ascribe meaning to their experiences.
• Advocacy/participatory questions emphasize on addressing social injustices and empowering marginalized communities.

Interpretation of Findings

• Postpositivist Interpretation emphasizes objective analysis and statistical validation.
• Constructivist Interpretation focuses on understanding the lived experiences of participants.
• Advocacy/participatory researchers interpret findings through social justice to highlight inequities.

Reflexivity

• Researchers need to critically reflect on how their own worldviews influence the research process.
• Reflexivity helps researchers acknowledge and influences.

Rigor and Validity

• Quantitative Research (Postpositivist) prioritizes objectivity, reliability, and validity of measurements.
• Qualitative Research (Constructivist) values dependability, and confirmability.

Researcher's Role

• Postpositivist Role maintains objectivity from participants.
• Constructivist Role engages actively with the participants.
• Advocacy/Participatory Role collaborates with participants to co-create knowledge and promote change.

Ontology (The Nature of Reality)

• Addresses the question “what is the nature of the world?”
• Objectivist Ontology assumes that an objective reality exists independently of human perception.
• Constructionist Ontology views reality with social cultural and historical.

Epistemology (The Nature of Knowledge)

• Addresses questions like 'How do we know what we know?'
• Objectivist Epistemology posits knowledge can be obtained objectively through observation and measurement.
• Subjectivist Epistemology suggests knowledge is co-constructed by the researcher and participants within specific contexts.

Strategies of Inquiry

• Specific types of designs or models of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods.
• They're referred to as inquiry or methodologies that act as a bridge between worldviews and research methods.

Directions for Research Procedures

• Describes a detailed plan for how the study will be conducted.
• States the types of data to be collected/methods while ensuring the research questions are addressed effectively.

Importance of Alignment

• The strategy of inquiry aligns with the philosophical worldview and the answers the specific research.
• Analyzing the research problem with the relevant literature is essential in selecting strategy.
• This ensures coherence, validity, and rigor of the research.

Qualitative Strategies of Inquiry

• Emphasizes the exploration and understanding of meanings that people ascribe to social /human problems using non-numerical data.
• Case studies involve an in-depth examination of a single case like a person or group to give a comprehensive answer.
• Narrative research focuses on collecting/analyzing accounts of events and experiences.
• Phenomenological research seeks explores Lived experiences to identify shared Meanings, and descriptions.
• Grounded theory focuses on developing a theory to collect data through categories and their relationships.
• Ethnography involves the study of the behaviors, language, of a cultural group while immersing themselves in the groups.
• Action research aims to improve a specific situation by identifying a problem, planning an intervention, reflection.
• Historical designs examines past events to understand the implications of the present/future using historical sources.

Quantitative Strategies

• Uses Numerical Data for correlations between variables or causes relying on data from surveys, to measure or study numeric data.
• Experimental research gives cause-and-effect by manipulating the group to receive treatment.
• Random assignments enhance internal validity while Isolating variables control.
• Quasi-experimental does no random but gives feasible solutions.
• Survey with statistical forms, interviews useful when studying natural settings.
• Descriptive surveys summarize characteristics of populations from Analytical, and relations
• Correlation through statistics of association not manipulating variables is useful for behaviors of opinions.
• Descriptive determine the current status for interventions with present data or qualitative.

Mixed-Methods

• Strategies for Combining qualitative/quantitative approaches addressing problem to integrate or understand or solve the complexity by merging the perspectives of data.
• Convergent parallel design analyzes the both separately then compare to see their confirmations for contradictions to explore.
• Explanatory sequential follows with the process to start quantity results then quantity with its popular strong data findings for insights.
• Exploratory sequential for reverse approach.
• Embedded supports with to collect supplementary data to focus on something less manageable to provide additional test.
• Transformative with a lens to have value in an ideological phase to achieves with equity marginalized of social justice to create change.
• Multi-Phasic to examine separate studies to use each to specific data as a stage in to addressing.

Choosing the Right Research Design Factors

• Align questions with the study method while having worldviews in mind.
• Ensure validity and reliability of academic integrity that can measure.
• Have expertise and resources to avoid over looking experiences to have strong measurable components for the researcher to know which trade off of method works for the questions.

Factors to Consider

• Align questions with the study method while having worldviews which requires clear goals.
• Philosophical Assumptions- ensure it makes the practical constraints possible.

Matching Research Questions to Methodologies

• This to ensuring coherence and rigor in the research.
• Quantity focuses of measuring relations of cost of effects.
• Qualitative aims at exploring meaningful experiences by generating theory.
• Mixed combines questions requiring data information.

Balancing Rigor and Relevance

• Has to be essential for the study's academic integrity to maintain methodological soundness.
• Thorough accurate facts of processes and validity.
• Validity/reliability of qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Study Strengths and Limitations

• Weighing research to have meaningful insights and be reliable and to have measurable results .
• Weighing the options to measure objectivity without causing bias.

Explore research design's purpose, key elements, and importance as a study's framework. Understand how ontological and epistemological assumptions influence research design and choices. Learn to develop comprehensive, justified research designs balancing rigor and relevance.