CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research design
What is a research design?
Provides a framework for the collection & analysis of data
Choice of RD depends on priority given to a range of dimensions:
- Expressing causal connections between variables
- Generalizing to larger groups of individuals than those actually forming part
of investigation
- Understanding behaviour & that meaning of that behaviour in its specific
social context
- Having a temporal appreciation of social phenomena & their
interconnections
What is a research method:
- A technique for collecting data
- Can involve specific instrument( questionnaire pr interviews) or participant
observation
Criteria in social research
Three criteria for the evaluation of social research:
1. Reliability:
- Concerned with questions of whether the results of a study are repeatable
2. Replication:
- Study must be capable of replication = must be replicable
- Researcher must spell out his/her procedures in great detail
1
,3. Validity:
- Concerned with the integrity of the conclusions that are generated from a piece
of research
3.1 Measurement validity
- To do with the question of whether a measure that is devised of a concept really
does reflect the concept that it is supposed to represent
- Applies primarily to quantitave research
- Also referred to as construct validity
3.2 Internal validity
- Concerned with the question of whether a conclusion that incorporates a causal
relationship between two o more variables holds water
- Relates to the issue of causality
- Causal impact = the independent variable (IV) & the effect = dependent variable (DV)
- How confident can we be that the IV really is at least in part responsible for the
variation that has been identified in the DV
3.3 External validity
- Concerned with the question of whether the results of a study can be generalized
beyond the specific research context
3.4 Ecological validity
- Concerned with the question of whether social scientific findings are applicable to
people’s everyday, natural social settings.
- If research findings are ecologically invalid = artefacts of the social scientist’s
gathering of data collection
- The more social scientist’s intervene in natural setting = more ecologically invalid
2
, Relationship with research strategy
Criterion of how good a qualitative study is:
Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness:
Each aspect has a parallel with the qualitative research criteria
1. Credibility
Parallels internal validity
How believable are the findings?
2. Transferability
Parallels external validity
Do the findings apply to other contexts?
3. Dependability
Parallels reliability
Are the findings likely to apply at other times?
4. Confirmability
Parallels objectivity
Has the investigator allowed his/her values to intrude to a high degree?
Naturalism:
Three different meanings:
1. Naturalism means viewing all objects of study as belonging to the same realm & a
consequent commitment to the principles of natural science method
- All units belong to the same order of things
- There is no difference between the objects of the natural sciences & those of
the social sciences
2. Naturalism means being true to the nature of the phenomenon being investigated
- Represents a fusion of elements of an interpretivist epistemology &
constructionist ontology (chapter 2)
3. Naturalism is a style of research that seeks to minimise the intrusion of artificial
methods of data collection
3
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research design
What is a research design?
Provides a framework for the collection & analysis of data
Choice of RD depends on priority given to a range of dimensions:
- Expressing causal connections between variables
- Generalizing to larger groups of individuals than those actually forming part
of investigation
- Understanding behaviour & that meaning of that behaviour in its specific
social context
- Having a temporal appreciation of social phenomena & their
interconnections
What is a research method:
- A technique for collecting data
- Can involve specific instrument( questionnaire pr interviews) or participant
observation
Criteria in social research
Three criteria for the evaluation of social research:
1. Reliability:
- Concerned with questions of whether the results of a study are repeatable
2. Replication:
- Study must be capable of replication = must be replicable
- Researcher must spell out his/her procedures in great detail
1
,3. Validity:
- Concerned with the integrity of the conclusions that are generated from a piece
of research
3.1 Measurement validity
- To do with the question of whether a measure that is devised of a concept really
does reflect the concept that it is supposed to represent
- Applies primarily to quantitave research
- Also referred to as construct validity
3.2 Internal validity
- Concerned with the question of whether a conclusion that incorporates a causal
relationship between two o more variables holds water
- Relates to the issue of causality
- Causal impact = the independent variable (IV) & the effect = dependent variable (DV)
- How confident can we be that the IV really is at least in part responsible for the
variation that has been identified in the DV
3.3 External validity
- Concerned with the question of whether the results of a study can be generalized
beyond the specific research context
3.4 Ecological validity
- Concerned with the question of whether social scientific findings are applicable to
people’s everyday, natural social settings.
- If research findings are ecologically invalid = artefacts of the social scientist’s
gathering of data collection
- The more social scientist’s intervene in natural setting = more ecologically invalid
2
, Relationship with research strategy
Criterion of how good a qualitative study is:
Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness:
Each aspect has a parallel with the qualitative research criteria
1. Credibility
Parallels internal validity
How believable are the findings?
2. Transferability
Parallels external validity
Do the findings apply to other contexts?
3. Dependability
Parallels reliability
Are the findings likely to apply at other times?
4. Confirmability
Parallels objectivity
Has the investigator allowed his/her values to intrude to a high degree?
Naturalism:
Three different meanings:
1. Naturalism means viewing all objects of study as belonging to the same realm & a
consequent commitment to the principles of natural science method
- All units belong to the same order of things
- There is no difference between the objects of the natural sciences & those of
the social sciences
2. Naturalism means being true to the nature of the phenomenon being investigated
- Represents a fusion of elements of an interpretivist epistemology &
constructionist ontology (chapter 2)
3. Naturalism is a style of research that seeks to minimise the intrusion of artificial
methods of data collection
3
