Selecting a Study Design
Topics covered• Differences between quantitative andqualitative study designs• Common study designs in quantitativeresearch• Common study designs in qualitative research• Other philosophy-guided designsauthored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGE publications Ltd 2014Differences between quantitative andqualitative study designs• Quantitative studiesdesigns:– Specific– Rigid– Well structured– Ensure validity andreliability• Qualitative researchdesigns:– Flexible– Emergent– Non-sequentialDifferences in philosophical perspectives determine theapproach of enquiryauthored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGEpublications Ltd 2014Study designs in quantitative researchStudy designs can be classified by examiningfrom three different perspectives:
The number of contacts with the studypopulationThe reference period of the studyThe nature of the investigationauthored by Stephanie Fleischer © SAGEpublications Ltd 2014Study designs based on the number ofcontacts• Cross-sectional: most common and take a crosssectionof the population at one point in time• Before-and-after: also known as pre-test/posttestdesign which take two cross-sectional datacollection points on the same population to findout changes.• Longitudinal: the population is researched anumber of times; a series of repetitive crosssectionalstudies collecting the same informationauthored by Stephanie Fleisher © SAGEpublications Ltd 2014Study designs based on the reference period(time-frame)• Retrospective: investigate things thathappened in the past• Prospective: investigate things that are likelyto happen in the future, such as experiments• Retrospective-prospective: focus on both pasttrends and study it into the future, such asbefore-and-after studies without a controlgroupauthored by Stephanie Fleisher © SAGEpublications Ltd 2014Study designs based on the nature of theinvestigation• Experimental: starting from the cause toestablish the effect; the researcherintroduces the intervention that isassumed to cause the change in acontrolled or natural environment.authored by Stephanie Fleisher © SAGEpublications Ltd 2014Experimental designs• Random design• The after-only design• The before-and-after experimental design• The control group design• The double control group design• The comparative design• The ‘matched control’ experimental design• The placebo designauthored by Stephanie Fleisher © SAGEpublications Ltd 2014Study designs based on the nature of theinvestigation – continued• Non-experimental: Starting with the effect toresearch the cause; a phenomenon is knownand the researcher attempts to establish whatcaused it.• Quasi- or semi-experimental: This design haselements of both experimental and nonexperimentalstudies.authored by Stephanie Fleisher © SAGEpublications Ltd 2014Figure 8.1 Types of study designauthored by Stephanie Fleisher © SAGEpublications Ltd 2014Other quantitative designs• Online surveys• The cross-over comparative experimental design• The replicated cross-sectional design• Trend studies• Cohort studies• Panel studies• Blind studies• Double-blind studiesStudy designs in qualitative research• Case studies: In-depth exploration of aatypical case of a particular event, group,instance, etc.• Oral history: Obtaining, recording, presentingand interpreting information in someone’sown words• Focus groups/ group interviews: Facilitatedgroup interviews of an open discussion of atopicauthored by Stephanie Fleisher © SAGEpublications Ltd 2014Study designs in qualitative researchcontinued• Participant observation: Researcher getsinvolved in a social interaction and observes thesituation first hand• Holistic research: More a philosophy, researchfrom every perspective• Community discussion forums: Large groupdiscussion• Reflective journal log: Diary of the researcher’sthoughtsauthored by Stephanie Fleisher © SAGEpublications Ltd 2014Other philosophy-guided designs• Action Research: Research that requires actionto improve practice or take action to an issue• Feminist research: Underpinned by feministconcerns in terms social inequality betweenmen and women• Participatory and collaborative researchenquiry: Based on the philosophy of communitydevelopment involving community membersactively in the research process[Button id=”1″]
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