Chapter 7 - Research Design Flashcards
The Research Trinity
Design
Measurement
Analysis
Research Design
The “recipe” or “blueprint” for the research project.
The step-by-step plan for obtaining observations to
support sound conclusions about a question of
interest.
Purpose of Study
Exploratory
Descriptive
Causal or “cause-probing”*
Extent of Researcher Interference
Control
____________ is Important for establishing causality
Control
Prominent forms of control
- Manipulation (altering the presumed cause/IV)
- Randomization (random assignment to conditions)
- Elimination (make “constant”)
- Inclusion as variable(s) (e.g., study men & women)
- Statistical
Two Study Settings
- Contrived
- non-contrived
Contrived Study Setting
lab settings
non-contrived Study Setting
field settings
Examples of Unit of Analysis
- Individual
- Dyad
- Group
- Division
- Organization
- Industry
- Culture
- Country
Cross-sectional studies
Data collected on a particular sample at a particular
point in time (snapshot)
Longitudinal studies
Data collected on a particular sample at multiple
points in time
- “Repeated measures” is a similar term, especially for studies
involving two time-periods.
Multiple cross-sectional studies
Data collected on different samples at multiple points
in time.
Research Strategies
- Experiments
- Quasi-experiments
- Survey research
- Observation
- Case studies
- Grounded theory
- Action research
- Mixed methods
– Triangulation (looking for converging evidence)
Cause-Probing Research Strategies
Experiment
Quasi-experiment
Factors of cause-probing Experiment
– Manipulation of IV(s)
– Random assignment of units to conditions
* Control & experimental
– Measure effects on DV(s)
– Control potential
confounds
– Clarification:
* Sometimes researchers will do a pre-test and post-test on the DV
* Pre-testing not a defining feature of an experiment
Factors of cause-probing Quasi-experiment
– Very similar to experiment
– Except: No random assignment
* May use intact or selfselected groups instead
– More likely to measure potential confounds
* Statistical control
– Similar to both experimental & relational designs
Descriptive Research Strategies
Description/Estimation
Relational
Factors of Descriptive Description/Estimation
– Focus on description and estimation
– Various qualitative and quantitative research strategies
* E.g., observation, interviews, focus groups, surveys
– Useful at, but not limited to, exploratory research
Factors of Descriptive Relational
– No random assignment
– No manipulation(s)
– Measure variables (at least two)
* May include “predictor” and “criterion” as well as mediator(s), moderator(s), and control variables
– Cause → Effect inferences?
* “Consistent with” language
* A lot of alternative explanations
Research design
A blueprint or plan for the collection, measurement, and analysis of data, created to answer your research questions.
Survey
A system for collecting information from or about people to
describe, compare, or explain their knowledge, attitudes, and
behavior
Ethnography
A research process in which the anthropologist closely observes, records, and engages in the daily life of another culture and then writes accounts of this culture, emphasizing descriptive detail.
Case study
Focuses on collecting information about a specific object, event or activity, such as a particular business unit or organization.
Noncontrived setting
Research conducted in the natural environment where activities take place in the normal manner (i.e., the field setting).
Contrived setting
An artificially created or “lab” environment in which research is conducted.
Field study
A study conducted in the natural setting with a minimal amount of researcher interference in the flow of events in the situation
Field experiment
An experiment done to detect cause‐and‐effect relationships in the natural environment in which events normally occur.
Lab experiment
An experimental design set up in an artificially contrived setting where controls and manipulations are introduced to establish cause‐and‐effect relationships among variables of interest to the researcher.
Unit of analysis
The level of aggregation of the data collected during data analysis.
Cross‐sectional study
A research study for which data are gathered just once (stretched though it may be over a period of days, weeks, or months) to answer the research question.
Longitudinal study
A research study for which data are gathered at several points in time to answer a research question.
