major types ch 2

basic research

Research whose primary purpose is to build, refine, or expand general knowledge and understanding. It may not have an immediate practical payoff.

applied research

Research designed to address a current, concrete question, problem, or decision. It is often shorter-term and smaller-scale than basic research.

instrumental knowledge

means - ends or task - oriented knowledge

use it to accomplish something, a practical task of what we known about how the world works

reflective knowledge

self-aware, value-oriented knowledge. It is principled and oriented toward an ultimate value or end in itself

intended audience

the group of people who the research is meant to communicate with

why we research

describe social life, explain why things happen, predict patterns, test theories

types of applied research

evaluation, action, social impact assessment

evaluation research

Assesses how well a program, policy, intervention, or organization is working. Schools, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and businesses commonly use it.

formative

type of evaluation research

has built-in monitoring or continuous feedback on a program used for program management

summative

reviews final program outcomes

action research

Research that treats knowledge as a resource for action and often involves people affected by the issue in identifying problems and producing change.

participatory action research

a subtype of action research, emphasizes democratizing the knowledge- creation process, revealing injustices, highlighting social inequality and conflict, and engaging in collective action to improve conditions.

social impact assessment research

Estimates likely social consequences of a proposed program or policy before implementation or during its early stages.

needs assessment

involves collecting data to determine major social needs and their severity.

cost-benefit analysis

It involves estimating the costs and benefits of a proposed action and assigning them monetary values. It is widely used in health care, environmental decisions (pollution control, road expansion, dam building), and other areas

exploratory

Investigates a new, unfamiliar, or poorly understood issue. Its goal is often to learn what is happening and formulate better questions for later research.

descriptive

Creates a detailed picture of a social condition, population, event, or relationship.

explanatory

Attempts to explain why events occur, why patterns exist, or why variables are related.

the “why”

case study research

demonstrate a causal argument about how general social forces shape and produce results in particular settings.

within cases

focuses on one case to understand it in detail

across cases

compare two or more cases to identify patterns

single points - data collection

focusing on one point in time or duration of a time

cross sectional

multiple points - data collection

provides a moving picture of events

longitudinal research

cross sectional research

Observes a collection of cases at one point in time

longitudinal research

Collects or analyzes information across multiple points in time. It is especially useful for examining change and dynamic processes.

time series research

a longitudinal study in which researchers gather data on a category of people or other units across multiple time points to observe stability or change in the features of the units or track conditions over time

panel study

observe or gather data on exactly the same people, group, or organization across several time points.

cohort study

studies a category of people who share a similar life experience in a

specified period

why cross sectional

describe a population, compare groups, generate future questions

cannot establish cause and effect

“what is happening and what factors relate to it”

why longitudinal research

study how people, behavior, or conditions change over time

time consuming, expensive, hard to maintain consistency

examining dynamic processes

data collection - quantitative

experimental research, surveys, nonreactive research. content analysis, existing stats

data collection - qualitative

photos, maps, open-ended interviews, observations, documents

field research and historical comparative research