A statement of the exact behaviors a researcher is looking for in a research study

A statement of the exact behaviors a researcher is looking for in a research study

Qualitative vs Quantitative Research:  Why it Matters


The research supporting many popular reading programs is problematic because it is based on qualitative research.

  • Qualitative research uses the subjective measure of observations which is not based on structured and validated data-collection.
  • Study groups are not randomly selected, nor are they controlled for variables.
  • Qualitative research is bottom up research: it generates a theory based on the data collected rather than testing a theory with the data.
  • Qualitative research is not double-blind, and allows bias into the research:  this alone invalidates an entire study and makes it worthless.

Criteria

Qualitative

Quantitative

Purpose
  • To understand and interpret social interactions
  • Test hypotheses
  • Look at cause and effect
  • Make predictions
Group Studied
  • Smaller
  • Not randomly selected
  • Larger
  • Randomly selected
Variables
  • Study of the whole, not variables.
  • Specific variables studied
Type of Data Collected
  • Words
  • Images
  • Objects
  • Numbers
  • Statistics
Form of Data Collected Qualitative data such as:
  • open- ended responses
  • interviews
  • participant observations
  • field notes
  • reflections
 Quantitative data based on:
  • precise measurements
  • using structured validated data-collection instruments
Type of Data Analysis Identify
  • patterns
  • features
  • themes
Identify
  • statistical relationships
Objectivity and Subjectivity
  • Subjectivity is expected
  • Objectivity is critical
Role of Researcher
  • Researcher & their biases may be known to participants in the study
  • Participant characteristics may be known to the researcher
  • Researcher and their biases are not known to participants in the study
  • Participant characteristics are deliberately hidden from the research (double blind studies)
Results
  • Particular or specialized findings that is less generalizable
  •  Generalizable findings that can be applied to other populations
Scientific Method Exploratory or bottom–up:
  • the researcher generates a new hypothesis and theory from the data collected
 Confirmatory or top-down:
  • the researcher tests the hypothesis and theory with the data
View of Human Behavior
  • Dynamic
  • Situational
  • Social
  • Personal
  • Regular
  • Predictable
Most Common Research Objectives
  • Explore
  • Discover
  • Construct
  • Describe
  • Explain
  • Predict
Focus
  • Wide-angle lens
  • Examines the breadth and depth of phenomena
  • Narrow-angle lens
  • Tests a specific hypothesis
Nature of Observation
  •  Study behavior in a natural environment.
  • Study behavior under controlled conditions
  • Isolate causal effects
Nature of Reality
  • Multiple realities
  • Subjective
  • Single reality
  • Objective
 Final Report
  • Narrative report with contextual description
  • Direct quotations from research participants
 Statistical report with
  • correlations
  • comparisons of means
  • statistical significance of findings

The content in the above table was taken directly from an Xavier University Library publication using the following sources:

  • Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2008). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches (p. 34). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  • Lichtman, M. (2006). Qualitative research in education: A user’s guide (pp. 7-8). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.


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What is the term for a research method in which the researcher observes and records behavior and mental processes without manipulating variables?

Revised on September 14, 2022. Naturalistic observation is a qualitative research method where you record the behaviors of your research subjects in real world settings. You avoid interfering with or influencing any variables in a naturalistic observation.

When participants in research respond differently than they normally would because of what they believe the researcher wants?

Participants will sometimes second-guess what the researcher is after, or change their answers or behaviors in different ways, depending on the experiment or environment [1]. This is called participant bias, or response bias, and it can have a huge impact on research findings.

What is a statement of the procedures used to define research variables?

Operational Definition. A statement of the procedures used to define research variables. For example, human intelligence may be operationally defined as what an intelligence test measures.

What type of research design do investigators use for studying the same group of participants at many points in time?

Longitudinal study So, once again, researchers do not interfere with their subjects. However, in a longitudinal study, researchers conduct several observations of the same subjects over a period of time, sometimes lasting many years.