Research Design and Qualitative Research Overview

Study Notes

Research design is a blueprint, a guide, or a pattern for conducting a research study
It is a plan or conceptualization of how the study will be structured
Crucial steps in deciding on the appropriate research design:
- Determining the purpose of the research.
- Establishing philosophical underpinnings.
- Identifying data types.
- Outlining data collection and analysis methods.

Qualitative research explores intricate phenomena, yielding rich, descriptive data
Various types of qualitative research exist, each with distinct approaches and applications
Types and examples:
- Phenomenology: Explores lived experiences (e.g., coping mechanisms of cancer patients).
- Ethnography: Examines cultures and communities (e.g., daily routines of indigenous tribes).
- Case Study: Delves into a single subject in depth (e.g., operations of a high-performing school).
- Grounded Theory: Develops theories from data (e.g., business adaptation to crises).
- Narrative Research: Focuses on personal stories (e.g., refugee resettlement journeys).

Research data encompasses the information gathered by researchers from study subjects
Data formats vary considerably, including intangible information (e.g., demographics) and tangible materials (e.g., physical samples)
Common research data formats:
- Documents, spreadsheets, lab notebooks, questionnaires, transcripts, diaries, codebooks
- Experimental data, test responses, artifacts, specimens, models, algorithms, scripts, focus group recordings, interview notes.

Data categories include observational (behavior monitoring), experimental (active intervention), simulation (imitating processes), and derived (transforming existing data)

Conclusions interpret and generalize findings, answering research questions, and outlining factual discoveries

Recommendations should be concise, clear, specific, prioritize beneficiary needs, and be logically connected to findings, avoiding new conclusions, discoveries, or assumptions

Observation methods, including participant and non-participant observation, along with overt and covert approaches.
Tools like field notes, audio/video recordings, checklists, and observation grids are crucial for gathering observational data

Various validity types are critical in assessing research, including construct validity (measuring concepts), internal validity (controlling for extraneous variables), external validity (generalizability), and content validity (appropriateness of content).