Research Methods: Chapter 3

• Chapter 3 addresses how researchers answer questions from Chapter 1, focusing on methods and data sources for study.

Methods of Study and Sources of Data

• Key elements include research design, study respondents, data-gathering instruments and procedures, and statistical treatment.

Research Design

• Research design is the framework of research used for a study
• Descriptive design is observational, describing 'what is' without controlling variables.
• Correlational design explores relationships, not causality, among variables without control.
• Quasi-experimental designs test causality with limited variable control, without manipulating the independent variable.
• Experimental designs test causality with optimal variable control, manipulating the independent variable.

Non-Experimental Designs

• These designs include survey studies and various time orientations such as retrospective, cross-sectional, and longitudinal.
• They also have different purposes or objectives (descriptive, comparative, correlational, and evaluative).

Survey Studies

• Conduct investigations through self-reporting to understand attitudes, perceptions, or behaviors.
• Aim to define traits, views, and qualities as they naturally exist within a group.

Time Orientation

• Retrospective studies examine outcomes that have already occurred.
• Cross-sectional studies gather data at a particular moment with subjects at different experience phases.
• Longitudinal studies collect data from the same subjects over time.

Purpose or Objective

• Descriptive designs gather information on characteristics in a specific field.
• Comparative designs assess samples from two or more groups.
• Correlational designs explore the direction and magnitude of variable relationships in a population.
• Evaluative designs judge worth or value, providing input for programs or services, and can be formative or summative.

Experimental Designs

• True experimental design contains researcher manipulation of the independent variable.
• True experimental design involves random assignment of subjects with experimental and control groups, the latter receiving no treatment.
• Pretest-posttest control group design includes random selection, pretests, intervention (X), and posttests for both experimental and control groups.
• Posttest only control group design includes random selection (R), intervention (X), and posttest (O2) for the experimental group, and just the control group.
• Solomon four-group design includes random selection (R), pretests (O1), intervention (X), and posttests (O2) across four groups.
• Quasi-experimental design lacks a control group or random subject assignment.
• Non-equivalent control group design includes pretests (O1) and posttests (O2) for both experimental and control groups, with intervention (X) for the experimental group.
• Time-series design includes multiple pretests (O1, O2, O3), intervention (X), and posttests (O4, O5, O6).
• Pre-experimental design has limited researcher control and is considered weak.
• One-shot case study involves one group receiving a treatment (X) followed by an observation (O).
• One-group pretest post-test design studies a single group, measuring them before (O1) and after (O2) an intervention (X).