Research design Flashcards

1
Q

What is a research design?

A
  • A logical structure of inquiry that specifies the sort of test or evidence that will convincingly confirm or disconfirm a hypothesis in a coherent and logical way.
  • Identifies the type of data necessary, how it will be obtained, what methods of analysis will be applied
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2
Q

What are the various types of research designs used in political research?

A
  • Experimental: closest to true scientific method, most effective to find out if two factors are causally related.
  • Cross- sectional: Sample of pop at a single point in time.
  • Longitudal: Explores changes or trends over time.
  • Comparative: Cross - sectional, case study.
  • Historical: Influence of certain events on others through contextualisation, timing, sequence of social actions
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3
Q

Why should researchers be concerned with a research design?

A

Basic principles:
- Ensuring findings are reliable.
- Decrease of threats to internal and external validity.
- Making explicit the logic, structure, evidence, test.

RD’s allow for in depth and clear use of data in order to investigate a hypothesis without falling into the realm of pure opinion.

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4
Q

Basic principles of a research design.

A
  1. Specifies type of research and techniques of data collection.
  2. Makes explicit the logic which enables you to draw inferences - logical conclusions based on collected info.
  3. Identifies type of evidence that both confirms and tests hypothesis.
  4. Decreases threats to internal and external validity.
  5. Ensures findings are reliable.
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5
Q

What are the potential stakeholder groups in a research project? Ethical concerns?

A
  1. Research participants: informed consent, confidentiality, risk/harm cannot be more than daily life.
  2. Researcher : Bias, incorrect reporting, inappropriate use of information.

3.Sponsoring org : Restrictions imposed/accepted in the way of obtainig/disseminating accurate info, misuse of info.

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6
Q

What is internal validity?

A

Extent to which we can be confident the independent (causal) variable produced the observed effect.

Is structure of study eliminates alternative interpretations we can draw unambiguous conclusions = has internal validity

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7
Q

What is external validity?

A

The extent to which results can be generalised beyond the particular study.

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8
Q

What is reliability?

A

The extent to which a measurement produces the same results on repeated trials.

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9
Q

Different types of questions and how that affects the research design.

A
  • Explanatory: Determine on or more variables causes or affects one or more outcome variables
  • Predictive: Forecast future developments based on analysis of current events and relevant theories
    Event A causes Event B predicting if A increases we will ahve greater amount of B in future.
  • Prescriptive: Inventory avalible options, weigh pros and cons they present for acheiving desired outcome.
  • Normative: Which view has the most convincing argument?
    Test:
    1) Logical consistency of ideas
    2) Consideration of arguments from other theorists
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10
Q

What are the boundaries for a study, decided in advance of data collection?

A
  • Temporal domain.
  • Spatial domain.
  • Actors or units that are relevant for focus.
  • Variables or factors that are important for arriving at answer.
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11
Q

What are the ethical obligations of researchers?

A
  • Data access: References of the data used and access to data collected.
  • Production transparency: Full account of procedures used to generate data.
  • Analytic transparency: Full account of how they draw their analytic conclusions from the data.
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