Book Summary
Research Methods – THE ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE BASE
Academic Project 2017-2018
1
,Book Summary – Academic Project 2017-2018
Amber Plantinga
Table of Contents
1. Foundation of Research Methods ............................................................................. 4
1.1 The Research Enterprise .................................................................................................... 4
1.2 Conceptualizing Research .................................................................................................. 5
1.3 The Language of Research.................................................................................................. 6
1.4 The Validity of Research .................................................................................................... 8
2. Ethics ........................................................................................................................ 9
2.1 Foundations of Ethics in Research ...................................................................................... 9
2.2 Historical cases of Unethical Research ............................................................................... 9
2.3 Evolution of a Modern System of Research Ethics ............................................................ 10
2.4 Ethics in the Production and Publication of Scholarly Work ............................................. 11
3. Qualitative Approaches to Research ....................................................................... 13
3.1 Foundations of Qualitative Research ............................................................................... 13
3.2 The Context for Qualitative Research ............................................................................... 13
3.3 Qualitative Traditions ...................................................................................................... 14
3.4 Qualitative Methods ........................................................................................................ 15
3.5 Qualitative Data .............................................................................................................. 16
3.6 Assessing Qualitative Research ........................................................................................ 16
4. Sampling ................................................................................................................. 17
4.1 Foundations of Sampling ................................................................................................. 17
4.2 Sampling Terminology ..................................................................................................... 17
4.3 External Validity .............................................................................................................. 18
4.4 Sampling Methods ........................................................................................................... 18
4.5 Nonprobability sampling ................................................................................................. 19
4.6 Probability sampling ........................................................................................................ 19
4.7 Probability Sampling: Procedures .................................................................................... 20
4.8 Threats to External Validity .............................................................................................. 21
4.9 Improving External Validity.............................................................................................. 21
5. Introduction to Measurement ................................................................................. 22
5.1 Foundations of Measurement .......................................................................................... 22
5.2 Quality of Measurement .................................................................................................. 23
5.3 Integrating Reliability and Validity ................................................................................... 27
6. Scales, Tests and Indexes ........................................................................................ 28
6.1 Foundations of Scales, Tests and Indexes ......................................................................... 28
6.2 Scales and Scaling ............................................................................................................ 28
6.3 Tests ................................................................................................................................ 31
6.4 Indexes ............................................................................................................................ 32
7. Survey Research ...................................................................................................... 33
7.1 Foundations of Survey Research ...................................................................................... 33
7.2 Types of Survey Research ................................................................................................ 33
7.3 Selecting the Survey Method ........................................................................................... 34
7.4 Survey Design .................................................................................................................. 35
2
, Book Summary – Academic Project 2017-2018
Amber Plantinga
7.5 Interviews........................................................................................................................ 37
8. Introduction to Design ............................................................................................ 39
8.1 Foundations of Design ..................................................................................................... 39
8.2 Research Design and Causality ......................................................................................... 39
8.3 Developing a Research Design ......................................................................................... 42
8.4 Types of Designs .............................................................................................................. 43
8.5 Expanding on Basic Designs ............................................................................................. 43
9. Experimental Design ............................................................................................... 45
9.1 Foundations of Experimental Design ................................................................................ 45
9.2 Introduction: The Origins of Experimental Design ............................................................ 45
9.3 Classifying Experimental Designs ..................................................................................... 46
9.4 Signal Enhancing Designs: Factorial Designs ..................................................................... 47
9.5 Noise-Reducing Designs: Randomized Block Designs ........................................................ 48
9.6 Noise-Reducing Designs: Covariance Designs ................................................................... 48
9.7 Hybrid Designs: Switching-Replications Experimental Designs ......................................... 49
9.8 Limitations of Experimental Design .................................................................................. 49
10. Quasi-Experimental Design ..................................................................................... 50
10.1 Foundations of Quasi-Experimental Design .................................................................. 50
10.2 The Non-Equivalent-Groups Design .............................................................................. 50
10.3 The Regression-Discontinuity Design ............................................................................ 50
10.4 Other Quasi-Experimental Designs ............................................................................... 51
11. Introduction to Data Analysis .................................................................................. 53
11.1 Foundations of Data Analytics ...................................................................................... 53
11.2 Conclusion Validity ....................................................................................................... 53
11.3 Data Preparation .......................................................................................................... 54
11.4 Descriptive Statistics .................................................................................................... 55
12. Inferential Analysis ................................................................................................. 56
12.1 Foundations of Analysis for Research Design ................................................................ 56
12.2 Inferential Statistics ..................................................................................................... 56
12.3 General Linear Model ................................................................................................... 56
12.4 Experimental Analysis .................................................................................................. 58
12.5 Quasi-Experimental Analysis ........................................................................................ 59
3
Research Methods – THE ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE BASE
Academic Project 2017-2018
1
,Book Summary – Academic Project 2017-2018
Amber Plantinga
Table of Contents
1. Foundation of Research Methods ............................................................................. 4
1.1 The Research Enterprise .................................................................................................... 4
1.2 Conceptualizing Research .................................................................................................. 5
1.3 The Language of Research.................................................................................................. 6
1.4 The Validity of Research .................................................................................................... 8
2. Ethics ........................................................................................................................ 9
2.1 Foundations of Ethics in Research ...................................................................................... 9
2.2 Historical cases of Unethical Research ............................................................................... 9
2.3 Evolution of a Modern System of Research Ethics ............................................................ 10
2.4 Ethics in the Production and Publication of Scholarly Work ............................................. 11
3. Qualitative Approaches to Research ....................................................................... 13
3.1 Foundations of Qualitative Research ............................................................................... 13
3.2 The Context for Qualitative Research ............................................................................... 13
3.3 Qualitative Traditions ...................................................................................................... 14
3.4 Qualitative Methods ........................................................................................................ 15
3.5 Qualitative Data .............................................................................................................. 16
3.6 Assessing Qualitative Research ........................................................................................ 16
4. Sampling ................................................................................................................. 17
4.1 Foundations of Sampling ................................................................................................. 17
4.2 Sampling Terminology ..................................................................................................... 17
4.3 External Validity .............................................................................................................. 18
4.4 Sampling Methods ........................................................................................................... 18
4.5 Nonprobability sampling ................................................................................................. 19
4.6 Probability sampling ........................................................................................................ 19
4.7 Probability Sampling: Procedures .................................................................................... 20
4.8 Threats to External Validity .............................................................................................. 21
4.9 Improving External Validity.............................................................................................. 21
5. Introduction to Measurement ................................................................................. 22
5.1 Foundations of Measurement .......................................................................................... 22
5.2 Quality of Measurement .................................................................................................. 23
5.3 Integrating Reliability and Validity ................................................................................... 27
6. Scales, Tests and Indexes ........................................................................................ 28
6.1 Foundations of Scales, Tests and Indexes ......................................................................... 28
6.2 Scales and Scaling ............................................................................................................ 28
6.3 Tests ................................................................................................................................ 31
6.4 Indexes ............................................................................................................................ 32
7. Survey Research ...................................................................................................... 33
7.1 Foundations of Survey Research ...................................................................................... 33
7.2 Types of Survey Research ................................................................................................ 33
7.3 Selecting the Survey Method ........................................................................................... 34
7.4 Survey Design .................................................................................................................. 35
2
, Book Summary – Academic Project 2017-2018
Amber Plantinga
7.5 Interviews........................................................................................................................ 37
8. Introduction to Design ............................................................................................ 39
8.1 Foundations of Design ..................................................................................................... 39
8.2 Research Design and Causality ......................................................................................... 39
8.3 Developing a Research Design ......................................................................................... 42
8.4 Types of Designs .............................................................................................................. 43
8.5 Expanding on Basic Designs ............................................................................................. 43
9. Experimental Design ............................................................................................... 45
9.1 Foundations of Experimental Design ................................................................................ 45
9.2 Introduction: The Origins of Experimental Design ............................................................ 45
9.3 Classifying Experimental Designs ..................................................................................... 46
9.4 Signal Enhancing Designs: Factorial Designs ..................................................................... 47
9.5 Noise-Reducing Designs: Randomized Block Designs ........................................................ 48
9.6 Noise-Reducing Designs: Covariance Designs ................................................................... 48
9.7 Hybrid Designs: Switching-Replications Experimental Designs ......................................... 49
9.8 Limitations of Experimental Design .................................................................................. 49
10. Quasi-Experimental Design ..................................................................................... 50
10.1 Foundations of Quasi-Experimental Design .................................................................. 50
10.2 The Non-Equivalent-Groups Design .............................................................................. 50
10.3 The Regression-Discontinuity Design ............................................................................ 50
10.4 Other Quasi-Experimental Designs ............................................................................... 51
11. Introduction to Data Analysis .................................................................................. 53
11.1 Foundations of Data Analytics ...................................................................................... 53
11.2 Conclusion Validity ....................................................................................................... 53
11.3 Data Preparation .......................................................................................................... 54
11.4 Descriptive Statistics .................................................................................................... 55
12. Inferential Analysis ................................................................................................. 56
12.1 Foundations of Analysis for Research Design ................................................................ 56
12.2 Inferential Statistics ..................................................................................................... 56
12.3 General Linear Model ................................................................................................... 56
12.4 Experimental Analysis .................................................................................................. 58
12.5 Quasi-Experimental Analysis ........................................................................................ 59
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