Slide series for AS6230 Introduction to Research Methods. These slides cover research methods and analysis

1. AS6230: Introduction to
Research 6

2. The Quantitative Process

3. Understanding Sampling

4. Sampling in Quantitative Research
 Sampling to generalize about a population
 Only a census asks everyone
 Random vs Non-Random Sampling … bias
 Sample Size and Response Rate is Important
 Experiment design and allocation to control/condition groups

5. Quantitative methods and
analysis

6. The Setting
 Experimental/Quasi-Experimental or Descriptive design
 The need for empirical data
 Sampling is key (stratified random or purposive)
 Key words are reliability and validity (internal and external)
 Significance is important
 Eliminate bias
 Remember variables – dependent, independent (changing) and
extraneous

7. Testing

8. What to test
 Psychometric variables
 Biological/Physiological
changes
 Educational Changes (IQ etc)

9. Why Test?
 Can be just a measure of specific
variables – weight, height, sleep
hours, grey hair
 Can be established psychometric
tests (reliable and valid)
 Testing before and after an
intervention can show evidence of
change (and the direction of change)
 Tests for significance can occur
(ANOVA, Chi Square)

10. How?
✘If psychometric, don’t
create your own
test instead find
established tests which
have measures of reliability
and validity

11. How to read
 Good statistical analysis will involve samples of 120+
 Often test analysis will appear very complex
 Remember statistical analysis is trying to
find how close the results (data) are to the
null hypothesis
 Always look for p value (probability), the further
away from one, the more significant the result

12. Survey Research

13. Survey Research
 Types
 Text/Document Surveys (primary and secondary sources)
 Questionnaires (with mainly closed-tick-box questions)
 Types
 Cross-sectional surveys (inc. Census, Youth 2000)
 Longitudinal surveys (eg. trend, cohort)

14. Traps in Questionnaire Design
 Ambiguity – unclear questions
 Assumptions
 Multiple responses when really only one is wanted
 Memory stretching
 Knowledge demands
 Double questions
 Leading questions
 Presuming questions
 Hypothetical questions
 Overlapping categories

15. Finding a good survey
 A good survey doesn’t require a person to type or write a lot
 It uses ticks and clicks
 Good surveys allow for a range of opinions with scales (inc. likerts)
 Good surveys have responses connected to questions – it just makes
sense
 Good surveys always ask one question in one question – they NEVER ask
two questions in one!!!
 Good surveys are short (and they are honest on time)
 Good surveys are piloted for all the above and for reliability/validity

16. Observation and Interviewing

17. Observation and Interviewing
 Observation can have an important
function in quantitative designs
especially experiments and observable
results in descriptive research (eg.
resulting behaviors/conditions)
 Interviewing needs to be structured and
tends to be a spoken survey

18. Questions and Reflections