Research Design the Research Proposal Qualitative Quantitative and

Research Design & the Research Proposal Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches Dr. Mary Alberici PY 550 Research Methods and Statistics

The Three Types of Designs n Three types n n Qualitative research Quantitative research Mixed methods research Research design n n Plan or proposal to conduct research Intersection of: n n n Philosophical worldviews Strategies of inquiry Research methods

Four Worldviews for Research Post positivism Constructivism n. Determination n. Understanding n. Reductionism n. Multiple n. Empirical observation and measurement n. Theory verification participant meanings n. Social and historical construction n. Theory generation Advocacy/Participatory Pragmatism n. Political n. Consequences n. Empowerment issue-oriented n. Collaborative n. Change-oriented of actions n. Problem-centered n. Pluralistic n. Real-world practice oriented

Strategies of Inquiry Quantitative Experimental designs n. Nonexperimental designs, such as surveys n Qualitative Narrative research n. Phenomenology n. Ethnographies n. Grounded theory studies n. Case study n Mixed Methods Sequential n. Concurrent n. Transformative n

Research Methods Quantitative Methods n. Pre-determined n. Instrument-based questions n. Performance, attitude, observational, and census data n. Statistical analyses n. Statistical interpretation Mixed Methods n. Both pre-determined and emerging methods n. Both open- and closed-ended questions n. Multiple forms of data drawing on all possibilities n. Statistical and text analyses n. Across databases interpretation Qualitative Methods n. Emerging methods n. Open-ended questions n. Interview, observation, document, and audio-visual data n. Text and image analyses n. Themes, patterns interpretation

Research Designs as Worldviews, Strategies, and Methods Tend to or typically. . . Qualitative Approaches Quantitative Approaches Mixed Methods Approaches n. Use these philosophical assumptions n. Constructivist/ n. Post-positivist n. Pragmatic Advocacy/ Participatory knowledge claims n. Employ these strategies of inquiry n. Phenomenology, n. Surveys & experiments n. Sequential, n. Employ n. Open-ended n. Closed-ended n. Both questions, emerging approaches, text or image data questions, predetermined approaches, numeric data methods these grounded theory, ethnography, case study, & narrative concurrent, & transformative open- and closed-ended questions, both emerging and predetermined approaches, & both quantitative and qualitative data and analysis

Research Designs as Worldviews, Strategies, and Methods (cont. ) Tend to or typically. . . Qualitative Approaches Quantitative Approaches Mixed Methods Approaches n. Use n. Positions n. Tests n. Collects these practices of research, as the researcher him- or herself n. Collects participant meanings n. Focuses on a single concept or phenomenon n. Brings personal values into the study n Studies the context or setting of participants n. Validates the accuracy of findings n. Makes interpretations of the data n. Creates an agenda for change or reform n. Collaborates with the participants of verifies theories or explanations n. Identifies variables to study n. Relates variables in questions or hypotheses n. Uses standards of validity and reliability n. Observes and measures information numerically n. Uses unbiased approaches n. Employs statistical procedures both quantitative and qualitative data n. Develops a rationale for mixing n. Integrates the data at different stages of inquiry n. Presents visual pictures of the procedures in the study n. Employs the practices of both qualitative and quantitative research

Criteria for Selecting a Research Design n The Research Problem n n An issue or concern that needs to be addressed (see Chapter 5) If the problem calls for n n Personal Experiences n n Explanation or theory testing: Quantitative Exploration or understanding: Qualitative One approach alone is inadequate: Mixed methods Training, preferences, time, resources Audience n Advisors, journal editors, graduate committees, etc.

The Research Proposal n n n Introduces the Research Problem or Question Reviews Existing Literature on Topic Outlines Proposed Methodology or Procedure Explains How the Acquired Data will be Analyzed or Interpreted Shows the Importance and Significance of the Proposed Research Addresses Anticipated Outcomes and Relevance to the Larger Community

Appendices n n n Should include Examples of Letters of Inquiry used to Recruit Sample Population Should include Examples of Letters of Informed Consent for Participants Should include Examples of Instruments or Data Gathering Tools Should include Examples of Any Other Materials that will be Used to Conduct Research May also Include Estimates for Budget, Staffing, and Equipment Needs

Ethical Considerations n n Finally, all Internal Revue Boards (IRBs) require that each research proposal must include evidence of compliance with Human Subjects Review Guidelines, in the form of a certificate of completion from the National Institutes of Health’s “Protecting Human Research Participants” Online Training. This online course is free of charge, and can be completed by registering at the NIH website: http: //phrp. nihtraining. com/index. php