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Slide 1

LIS 570

Methods of observation - Collecting data 

Slide 2

Summary

	Definition
	Criteria for selection
	Type of research

• Explanatory

• Descriptive

Slide 3

Research Design: Definition

• Framework which guides the collection of data

• Blueprint for the study

• Goal -  to select the strongest design  for the  type of research

• Two major types of research

• descriptive

• explanatory

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Choice of research design (Bouma)

• Depends on the hypothesis or research objective of the study

• Case study - What is happening?

• Longitudinal study - Has there been a change in A

• Comparison - Are A and B different?

• Longitudinal comparison - Are A and B different through time?

• Experiment -  Is the difference between A and B due to a change in the independent variable?

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Case study

• Most primitive design

of little use when trying to analyse causal processes

• would rely on plausible conjecture

Collecting information from one group at one point in time

Aim - description - what is going on? Is there a relationship between A and B?

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The longitudinal study

• Two or more case studies of the same group separated by an interval of time

• Measurement of a variable at both points of time

• Intervention

• cannot conclude a causal influence

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Comparison study

• Cross-sectional design

• Most common

• Collect measures from at least two groups of people at one point in time

• Compares the extent to which the two groups differ on the dependent variable

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Comparison Study

• Select variable related to the concept under study

• Devise a way to measure the variables

• Develop a data recording devise

• Measure the same variable in the same way in two or more  groups at the same or nearly the same time

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Longitudinal comparison

• Quasi-panel design

• different groups of people are studied at the two points of time

• Can avoid problems of keeping track of people over time

• Problems

• can’t draw causal inferences

• difficulties with matching the samples at time 1 and time 2

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Explanatory Research: Basic Requirements

• A relationship between the variables needs to be established

• All other reasons for the relationship must be able to be eliminated

• Strongest research design is an experimental design
  
  

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Classic Experimental Designs:  Minimum Requirements

• Two groups

• Experimental group

• Control group

Random Assignment of units of analysis to C and E groups

Active intervention for the E group

• Purposefully changes the conditions of the Independent Variable (X)

• Synonyms

• Manipulation of the IV

• Treatment            

Measurement of Dependent Variable Y at the end of intervention for E and C groups

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Collecting data

• How the data will be collected

• observation

• in-depth interview

• content analysis

Questionnaire

Which questions to ask?

• Research problem

• indicators

• hunches about the link between variables

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Questionnaires

• Explanatory research

• Measures of the dependent variable

• Measures of the independent variable

• Measures of the test variable

• Background measures

Descriptive research

• the phenomenon we are describing

• background characteristics

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Question content

• Behavior

• what people do

Beliefs

• what people believe is true or false

Attitudes

• what people think is desirable

Attributes

• characteristics

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Wording questions (De Vaus, Babbie)

• Is the language simple?

• Can the question be shortened

• Is the question double-barrelled?

• Is the question leading?

• Is the question negative?

• Is the respondent likely to have the necessary knowledge?

• Will the words have the same meaning for everyone?

• Is there a prestige bias?

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Wording questions

• Is the question ambiguous?

• Do you need a direct of indirect question?

• Is the frame of reference for the question sufficiently clear?

• Does the question artificially create opinions?

• Is personal or impersonal wording preferable?

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Wording questions

• Is the question wording unnecessarily detailed or objectionable?

• Does the question have dangling alternatives?

• Is the question likely to produce a response set?

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Question types (De Vaus)

• Open and closed questions?

• Closed question formats

• Category rating scales

• Semantic differential formats

• Checklists

• Ranking formats

• Attitude choice

Slide 19

Conclusion

• Simple case study -> What is happening?

• Longitudinal study -> Has there been a change in A

• Comparison -> Are A and B Different?

• Longitudinal comparison -> Are A and B different through time?

• Experiment -> Is the difference between A and B due to a change in the independent variable