The Information School of the University of Washington LIS 570 Session 5.1 Research Design and Data Collection

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LIS 570Session 5.1

Research Design and Data Collection

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LIS 570 Research Design Mason; p. 2

Objectives• Place sampling and research

design in context • Recall components of research

design• Further develop the research

projects• Get feedback on research designs

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Agenda• Research in context• Review of research design

– Definition– Criteria for selection– Research goal (type): explanatory;

descriptive• Common designs• Exercise: “elevator speech”• Exercise: developing questions

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Sampling and Research

• Reality, models, & research findings• Absolutes, certainty, beliefs, & decisions • Sampling: done if a census is not

feasible because of resources or other constraints

• Point of research (including sampling):– Building knowledge through

• communication with others• storing and making accessible results

– Following “accepted” methods

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Research Design: Definition

• Framework which guides the collection of data

• Roadmap or blueprint for the study• Goal: select the strongest (or most

appropriate) design for the type of research

• Two major types of research– descriptive– explanatory

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Choice of research design (Bouma)

Depends on hypothesis or research objective • Case study: What is happening?• Longitudinal study: Has there been a

change in A• Comparison: Are A and B different?• Longitudinal comparison: Do A and B differ

over time?• Experiment: Is the difference between A

and B due to a change in the independent variable?

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Case study• Simplest (most primitive?) design

– Rich in detail– Requires “plausibility” to establish

generality– Documentation/write up is not trivial

• Collecting information from one group at one point in time

• Aim: description—what is going on? Are there discernable relationships among the factors?

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The longitudinal study

• Two or more case studies of the same group separated by an interval of time

• Measure a variable at both points of time

• Intervention: cannot conclude a causal influence

InterventionTime 1 Time 2

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Comparison study• Cross-sectional design• Most common• Collect measures from at least two

groups of people at one point in time

• Compares the extent to which the two groups differ on the dependent variable

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Comparison Study• Select variable related to the concept

under study• Devise a way to measure the variables• Develop a data recording method• Measure the same variable: use same

technique, measure at the same/nearly the same timeA

B

Do A and B differ?Time 1

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Longitudinal comparison

• Study different groups at two points of time

• Can avoid problems of keeping track of individuals over time

• Problems– Can’t draw causal inferences– Matching the samples at time 1and time 2

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Explanatory Research: Basic Requirements

• A relationship between the variables needs to be established

• All other reasons for the relationship must be able to be eliminated

• Strongest research design is an experimental design– Vary independent variable– Control for other variables

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Classic Experimental Designs: Minimum

Requirements• Two groups– Experimental group – Control group

• Random Assignment of units of analysis to C and E groups– Active intervention for the E group

• Purposefully change the value of the Independent Variable

• Synonyms (other “jargon” in the literature): “treatment,” “manipulation of the IV”

– Measure dependent variable after intervention for E and C groups

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Collecting data• How the data will be collected

– Observation– In-depth interview (structured, semi-

structured)– Content analysis

• Questionnaire• Which questions to ask?

– Research problem– Indicators– Hunches about the link between variables

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Questionnaires• Explanatory research

– Measures of the dependent variable– Measures of the independent variable– Measures of the test variable– Background (measures of control variables

—ceteris paribus)• Descriptive research

– The phenomenon we are describing– Background characteristics

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Question content• Behavior: what people do• Beliefs: what people believe is

true or false• Attitudes: what people think is

desirable• Attributes: characteristics

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Wording questions (De Vaus, Babbie)

• Is the language simple?• Can the question be shortened?• Is the question double-barrelled

(compound)?• Is the question leading?• Is the question negative?• Is the respondent likely to have the

necessary knowledge?• Will the words have the same meaning for

everyone?• Is there a prestige bias?

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Wording questions• Is the question ambiguous?• Do you need a direct or indirect

question?• Is the frame of reference for the

question sufficiently clear?• Does the question artificially create

opinions?• Is personal or impersonal wording

preferable?

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Wording questions• Is the question wording

unnecessarily detailed or objectionable?

• Does the question have dangling alternatives?

• Is the question likely to produce a response set?

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Question types (De Vaus)

Open or closed questions?• Open Questions: how to code

responses• Closed question formats

– Category or rating scales– Semantic differential formats– Checklists– Ranking formats– Attitude choice

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SummarySimple case study

Longitudinal study

Comparison

Longitudinalcomparison

Experiment

What is happening?

Has there been a change in A

Are A and B Different?

Are A and B different through time?

Is the difference between A and B due to a change in the independent variable

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Elevator Speech20-30 second synopsis; intent: to

elicit interest• Who you are and what you are

doing• With whom• Where/How• Why: What you hope to find, why

the results may be important

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Exercise• In teams, prepare your “elevator

speech”• Practice so that everyone can

deliver it

5 minutes

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Exercise• Discerning problems in question

construction• In teams, review the handout

questions—how can they be improved?

Documents

The Information School of the University of Washington LIS 570 Session 5.1 Research Design and Data Collection