Research Design and the Process of Producing Definite Results - Essay Example

?METHODOL Introduction The current paper will discuss research methodologies to be used in the present question; the proposed research will use a mixed methodology, utilizing questionnaires and interviews. There are different research methods available for pursuing the subject at hand, which must be given weight and consideration. Some researchers have chosen a quantitative methodology because these types of designs are more rigid, but they also offer researchers results that are often more solid, and are considered to be more scientifically credible. In some cases researchers using more qualitative designs do not even want to be considered part of the scientific process. Research design defined generally is the form or framework the experimenter uses to get the results of the study. There are many different kinds of research designs, both qualitative and quantitative, and flexible designs represent qualitative for the most part, whereas fixed designs represent quantitative type studies. There are also mixed designs. Quantitative research designs such as the one proposed for the current research serve the purpose of showing causal motivations, observing present conditions and longitudinal comparisons, and establishing relationships with evidence from a sample size that is generally large or, in some cases, deferred to a larger statistical research body (Robson, 2002). Qualitative The key theories behind qualitative research involve the development of research questions, rather than the formulation of absolutes through testable hypotheses. The research instrument is definitely qualitative in nature if it represents a standardized measurement test that is predetermined before the research has even taken place, through measurements taken in other studies using the same survey instrument. This is not the type of measurement tool that is necessarily malleable to researcher interaction with the survey group or the addition of new research questions as they come up, which also makes it a less strong methodology in terms of qualitative features. The qualitative approach is perhaps less appropriate for this research because the author is assumedly examining a survey group of more than twenty individuals, and needs a standardized sort of quantitative test to keep data collection simple. In the case of the research experiment, the qualitative study will seek to find common themes and areas of possibility for further study. The descriptive phase follows, in which the demographic and statistical information on the target population and target program emulations are determined in respective forms of their completeness and efficiency as representative statistics and program models. Quantitative Quantitative methods are suitable for studies into social issues, despite their scientific background and trappings, because they provide demonstrable measurements which can be attributed to larger populations. Even with a relatively small sample size, quantitative research can present results and findings in a way that is verifiable, reliable, and has a degree of repeatability. In other words, a small survey can be reused with a larger population. Overall there are many different facets of methodology that can be applied to an experimental design. This is a generalization that can be made about these different types of designs, which have their respective advantages and disadvantages. Surveys and experiments are examples of fixed research designs, which are more quantitative than qualitative and have more aspects of this type of theory. Quantitative studies such as the one outlined in the current report’s proposed methodology tend to rely on hard data and statistics that can provide generalizable results about a population, whereas qualitative studies could be more of a case example or subjective viewpoint. As the extant literature states about the difference between fixed and flexible designs, “Flexible research designs are much more difficult to pin down than fixed designs. This is in part because it is only in recent years that researchers have given consideration to the design issues which they raise. Previously there had been a tradition in the disciplines of social anthropology of an apprenticeship model” (Robson, 2003). If qualitative designs have less history behind them in the literature on the subject it might be an indication that they are not necessarily as effective. Then again, this could just be the result of a dearth of interest in researchers regarding this subject, or could be a projection of the individual authors. Generally flexible designs offer benefits to research that is willing to change as new variables come up throughout the process, whereas fixed or quantitative designs such as the present proposal offer benefits to research that is about stabilizing and controlling a certain state of variables or predictions. Mixed methods Mixed designs defy type because they are both qualitative and quantitative. They might in a mixed method even combine qualitative and qualitative methods in the same study (Robson, 2002). For example, there could be a case study that is followed by a statistical analysis of a social problem shown in a case study, all in the same scientific paper or article. Therefore, there is no single type: it is two types, and sometimes more. “There are several reasons for using a mixed methods design to conduct a study. In general, you conduct a mixed methods study when you have both quantitative and qualitative data and both types of data together provide a better understanding of the research problem” (Creswell, 552). There are many different types of research that can be done, and many ways of doing research. For example, in an optimal design, flexibility is maximized, and output is also maximized. Mixed designs are often applicable for a variety of research applications. The mixed research methodology chosen by researchers can show a sort of scientific perfection of quantification in the research environment that is chosen by the reflective professional. “The researcher’s task is to assist the manager in formulating a research question that fits the need to resolve the management dilemma. A research question is the hypothesis of choice that best states the objective of the research study. It is a more specific management question that must be answered. It may be more than one question” (Cooper and Schindler, 2003). This type of research allows for many variables, because it opens up the field of inquiry and takes time to allow many possibilities, as well as different methods (Hepworth, 2001). Proposed survey methodology this is unclear, what is a survey and a questionnaire, and how can it be used in social studies. Please use literature throughout The proposed methodology is the quantitative survey method. This methodology differs from explicit ethnography in that it is more rationalized and quantitative in nature, and primarily seeks to answer research questions through the proposition that scientific research cannot be proposed without substantive or grounded data to back it up. This method makes the use of statistical information very popular with other type theorists, but getting statistics on the future is difficult, and therefore this is another appropriate reason for the subject of gerontology to be covered in a quantitative manner, rather than grounded theory or qualitative methods. In the explanatory phase which follows this in turn, the actual research of the experiment itself will employ salient variables and determine relationships answering the overall questions of why and how. “If the members of a population have unequal probabilities of selection into the sample, it is necessary to assign weights to the different observations made in order to provide a representative picture of the total population” (Robson, 2002). This phase also includes the provision of non-spurious interrelationships that have been shown by the experiment, and these relationships will be examined in terms of how they apply to future studies on the subject under investigation. There is also the perceived value that the qualitative overall research design has for the study, because of its focus on attitudes and beliefs. Interviews can be conducted face-to-face, or, as they frequently are to cut costs and expand sample size, on the internet. And issues of confidentiality also apply, in terms of professional skills. “Surveys can be classified by their method of data collection. Mail, telephone interview, and in-person interview surveys are the most common. Extracting data from samples of medical and other records is also frequently done. In newer methods of data collection, information is entered directly into computers” (Robson, 2002). However, in the case of internet surveys, the interviewer will not be present. The survey and interview methods can increase confidentiality and privacy if they are performed correctly, but they can result in bias if they are not performed correctly. It is hoped that the sponsored researcher can formulate an instrument that increases privacy and increases confidentiality by asking general identification questions, not supplying respondents with opportunities to leave information like addresses, phone numbers, and social security numbers, keeping the research results confidential, making the research anonymous by option, and presenting a balance of different types of question-and-answer formats, including open-ended questions. This interview format will, if followed correctly, increase privacy and reduce bias in the study. Sampling The alpha level for this research examination should be very low, to reduce the impact of confounding or extraneous variables. Therefore, to keep this level low, a survey sample of 25-30 participants will be needed. Since this is a proposed test of the general population, randomized sampling can be employed to increase the sample size if necessary. This will produce results that will lower the alpha level, because there will be mixed gender participants, and the results will be more reflective of the general population. It is important to know about sampling in order to evaluate research findings. If a sample size is too small, for example, it may be less reliable as an extension of the variables being studied. Having a sample of 5 participants and having a sample of 25 participants will produce different results. There are also key aspects of choice to apply to sampling. When it comes to the necessity of sampling when conducting research, when research requires quantitative data, sampling is the best way to go about producing this data. It also organizes respondent sets around the lines of their demographic variables (Smith, 2001). Opening the research to invitation is important because it seeks to improve the reliability and validity of the research. For example, if the researcher is free to pick their own subjects, they might only choose people who agree with their hypothesis. Appointment based sampling seeks to curtail this tendency. It decreases the likelihood that there will be a research bias. Reliability and validity The following proposed survey will still have facets of scientific inquiry, which relies on hypothesis testing, verification techniques, and quantitative forms of analysis. In terms of what makes the proposed mixed methods research valid and reliable, the main factor is the degree of transparency of operations, combined with the open-ended nature of the investigation’s impetus. As Robson implies through the categorical division of validity issues in research, the categorization or coding process is just as important as the research itself in many cases: “Literature discussing similar findings is important as well because it ties together underlying similarities in phenomena normally not associated with each other. The result is often a theory with stronger internal validity, wider generalizability, and higher conceptual level” (Robson, 2003). The stronger the validity of the question, the stronger the process will be in eventuality in terms of producing definite results. There are no specific criteria for selecting participants other than proximity, so to that extent, the survey will be somewhat randomized. Anonymity will be highlighted due to the issues of privacy, and also to ensure that self-reportage is as clear and unbiased as possible under research conditions. Since the proposed mixed method research will employ participants who are of all age ranges as well as all genders, parental disclaimers will be necessary to provide ethical conduct, and make sure that parental permission is obtained for all minors. The assurance of research ethics is also bolstered by confidentiality, another key element of the research process that translates from textual to real-life situations fluidly. There are lines to be drawn concerning privacy confidentiality. When the participant is assured that any of their remarks will be made under either explicit or implied confidentiality, however, it is easier for them to feel like they are taking part in a conversation in which they are respected. A feeling of respect is important for participants, who will feel empowered and assured that they are undertaking a professional process in which none of their responses or comments will be shared with others without their express consent. Confidentiality raises issues between the ethical and legal implications of a relationship between a researcher and a participant, in which it is the current proposal’s belief that ethics should take precedence. It is difficult to maintain confidentiality at times, and attention must be paid to the fact that this information should not be disclosed later even if the conditions do not seem to be ones that will adversely affect the participant. “All researchers are faced with the difficult challenges of protecting the privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of research participants, whether for biomedical, behavioral, or social sciences research.  A breach of confidentiality violates an individual’s rights and poses a risk of dignitary harm to the research participant, ranging from social embarrassment and shame, to stigmatization, and even damage to social and economic status.  These threats can affect communities as well” (Hepworth et al, 2001). Roles and responsibilities By looking at the extant research literature with a holistic theme of societal import in mind, the researcher can discern the ways in which methods can show cohesion and result in an optimal research process.  Although surveys do have their drawbacks, in terms of their tendency to give false reports, the possibility of the respondent showing bias, and other associated issues, such as participants purposefully trying to skew results, surveys can shed a lot of light on issues, particularly in a study that seeks to measure attitudes and beliefs in a given population or populations. “Surveys can be classified by their method of data collection. Mail, telephone interview, and in-person interview surveys are the most common. Extracting data from samples of medical and other records is also frequently done. In newer methods of data collection, information is entered directly into computers” (Research, 2007). It is the responsibility of the researcher, as mentioned above, to respect the privacy and protect the identities of respondents. “Protecting the autonomy of all people and treating them with courtesy and respect and allowing for informed consent. Researchers must be truthful and conduct no deception” (Marczyk et al., 2005). In other words, the goal remains of cutting down fabrication, even if their performance is exceptional. Conclusion The stronger the validity of the question, the stronger the process will be in eventuality in terms of producing definite results. Basically whether it is a qualitative of quantitative design, the same goal is in mind: monitoring output, quality and outcomes. There are different implications for research methods and programs. Each type of design may have a different outcome in terms of credibility and validity of results. Qualitative and quantitative designs have different implications. It can be shown that qualitative designs tend more towards theory generation whereas fixed or quantitative designs are more about theory testing, so quantitative designs may be best for the current proposed research. REFERENCE Babbie, Earl (1995). The Practice of Social Research. New York: Wadsworth- Thompson Publishing Cooper, D. and P. Schindler (2003). Research Methods. New York: McGraw- Hill. Cresswell, J (2008). Educational Research. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson- Prentice Hall. Hepworth, Dean H., Rooney, Ronald H., and Jo Ann Larsen (2001). Direct Research Practice. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. Marczyk et al. (2005). Essentials of Research Design and Methodology. New York: Wiley.   Robson, C. (2002). Real World Research. New York: Blackwell. Smith, D (2009). 5 principles for research ethics. APA Monitor. Research: Experimental methods (2007). http://psy1.clarion.edu/mm/General/Methods/Methods.html Read More

 

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