Comparison of Research Designs Essay

1.What two factors did you investigate in your procedure, and why did you choose to compare these two factors?

This paper will review different styles of research design along with how different variables within research can be measured.

Researchers or research teams who elect a quantitative study are going to determine the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable within a population (Babbie, E.R., 2010). There are two types of quantitative study designs: descriptive and experimental. A descriptive design typically measures the subject once and establishes the association between the independent and dependent variables (Mujis, D, 2010). An experimental design measures the subject before and after a treatment and establishes causality between the variables (Brians, C.L. et al, 2011).

A single-subject design of research was utilized. This research design is a prevailing and practical tool that is applicable for assessing interventions with the participant seeking specific habitual behavioral changes under a given set of circumstances (monitoring SSB intake). The design involves a AB structure, where “A” is the baseline (regular daily SSB consumption) phase and “B” refers to intervention phase (limiting SSB intake). Outcome was recorded during both phases, which made it easier to understand because it showed (intake) what happened on a day-to-day basis. Baseline data will be collected daily at the home (setting) of the participant for one week and entered into a questionnaire and chart at the end of the week. The following week the participant did the same thing, but only this time SSB intake was monitored daily to see if limits could be put on consumption, the behavior the participant wanted to change.

Creswell, J. (2009). Research Design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. (3rd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

The study is a qualitative study, which explores subjective and descriptive information from its participants to gather information such as opinions, ideas, and behaviors. The information that is gathered can help provide an understanding of a problem or provide possible resolutions to problems

a.Were the subjects randomly assigned to the experimental or control groups? If no or yes, what impact does this have on the study?

This study will implement a mixed methods design to include both quantitative and qualitative methods.

Choose a study design that you feel would work to answer your research question and answer the following below:

Analyze the scientific merit of the selected design. How might you have designed this study differently?

In any mixed methods study, you should clearly indicate that you are collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. Methods of data collection are typically associated with either numbers or numeric data and words or text and image data. Mixed methods researchers collect both quanti­tative and qualitative data.

When both research designs are used together, more information can be gathered. Mixed methodology uses the numerical portion of the quantitative study design in combination with the descriptive aspect of the qualitative study. There are many similarities between these two designs, which make them compatible with each other.

"With the development and perceived legitimacy of both qualitative and quantitative research in social and human sciences, mixed methods research, employing the combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches, has gained popularity." (Creswell, p. 203). Describe the development of mixed methodology in educational research. Discuss the steps that need to be taken to develop a viable mixed methods research study.

A study design is the procedure that guides a researcher on how to collect, analyze and interpret observations. It is a logical model that guides the investigator while he navigates through the various stages of the research. Study types can be classified severally depending on the research strategy employed. A study type can be non-interventional that is ‘observational’ where a researcher just observes and analyses researchable objects or situations without intervening. Non-interventional study designs can be exploratory, descriptive or comparative. A study can also be

The study for this thesis will be exploratory research using secondary data collected by the communication agency, MESH Planning. The agency developed an innovative approach called ‘real-time experience tracking’, which involves three stages of data collection. And both qualitative and quantitative data will be collected and used in this context in order to get an insight of critical incidents.