Selecting Research Designs

Quantitative Research use

Test hypotheses, measure variables, analyze numerical data to find patterns, correlations, or evidence of causal relationships

Qualitative Research Use

Explore ideas, understand experiences, interpret meaning through non numerical data such as interviews, observations, or open-ended surveys

Quantitative Designs

• Data consists of numbers

• Goals include describing relationships, understanding causality,

• Assumptions

• Truth can be discovered and is singular

• Truth is objective

• Deductive process

Qualitative Designs

• Data consists of words, stories, pictures, etc.

• Goals are to understand experiences in-depth

• Assumptions

• Multiple truths exist and may change

• Truth is largely subjective

• Inductive process

Where to Begin

• Your research question will drive the methods you select

• Various goals include to describe, explain, predict, and explore

• Descriptive → what is happening?

• Typically involves one variable

• Correlational → what relationships exist?

• Identifying relationship between two variables

• Causal → what causes something to occur?

• Involves random assignment between comparison groups

• Exploratory → how can knowledge be leveraged?

Is one approach best?

• Depends on your question!

• Many students think experimental designs are superior, but this is not true

• Look to your question to determine which method is most appropriate!

• Research Goals

• If you want to measure variables and identify relationships → quantitative

• If you want to explore meanings, experiences, or perspectives → qualitative

Selecting the Appropriate Design

• Quantitative designs are focused on generalizability where the findings of a study explain a broader aspect of human behavior

• Qualitative designs are focused on particularizability where the findings of a research project explore a smaller sample intensely with trustworthiness

Selecting a Design

• Experimental

  Used to determine the causes of behavior that can explain why it occurs

• Quasi-experimental

  Used to identify the relationship between preexisting variables

• Nonexperimental

  Used to describe variables and predict the relationship between variables