Descriptive
Research
Design/Quality
Improvement
test questions
and answers
descriptive research
A category of research that is concerned with providing accurate
descriptions of /exploring phenomena
components of strong descriptive designs
-Matched to the purpose of the study
-Feasible
-Quality
-Limitations minimized
classifying descriptive research
-the topic
-number of subjects
-the time dimension
, descriptive research can be used to
-Identify problems
-Provide information about decisions
-Determine what others are doing
-Develop theory
in descriptive research there is no...
No manipulation of variables
No cause and effect determined
data collection in descriptive research
-tools or instruments
-Surveys
-Questionnaires
-observations
-Interviews with individuals or groups
types of descriptive research designs
Survey
Cross-sectional
Correlation/ecologic
Longitudinal
Case study
Predictive
cohort
case-control
survey design
Descriptive design type involving data obtained through subjects' self-
report
-most common descriptive design
strengths and weaknesses: Survey Design
Strengths: Large samples, inexpensive, anonymous
Limitations: Superficial answers, socially desirable answers
Prospective Studies
Studies over time with presumed causes that follow subjects to determine
whether the hypothesized effects actually occur
Retrospective Studies
Research designs when researchers look back in time to determine
possible causative factors
cross-sectional