10/6/2017 Research Designs - How to construct an experiment or study

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Research Designs

Research Methodology

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Research Designs

Oskar Blakstad 1.8M reads 8 Comments

The design is the structure of anyscienti c work. It gives direction and

systematizes theresearch. Different types of research designs have
different advantages and disadvantages.

This article is a part of the guide:

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Research Design

Discover 30 more articles on this topic

Don't miss these related articles:

1 Quantitative and Qualitative Research

2 Literature Review

3 Case Study

4 Quantitative Research Design

5 Qualitative Research Design

Browse Full Outline

1 Research Designs

The method you choose will affect your results and how you conclude the ndings. Most scientists are
interested in getting reliable observations that can help the understanding of a phenomenon.

There are two main approaches to a research problem:

Quantitative Research

Qualitative Research

What are the difference between Qualitative and Quantitative Research?

Different Research Methods

There are various designs which are used in research, all with speci c advantages and disadvantages.
Which one the scientist uses, depends on the aims of the study and the nature of the phenomenon:

Descriptive Designs

Aim: Observe and Describe

Descriptive Research
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Case Study

Naturalistic Observation

Survey, also see our Survey Guide

Correlational Studies

Aim: Predict

Case Control Study

Observational Study

Cohort Study

Longitudinal Study

Cross Sectional Study

Correlational Studies in general

Semi-Experimental Designs

Aim: Determine Causes

Field Experiment

Quasi-Experimental Design

Twin Studies

Experimental Designs

Aim: Determine Causes

True Experimental Design

Double-Blind Experiment

Reviewing Other Research

Aim: Explain

Literature Review
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Meta-analysis

Systematic Reviews

Test Study Before Conducting a Full-Scale Study

Aim: Does the Design Work?

Pilot Study

Typical Experimental Designs

Simple Experimental Techniques

Pretest-Posttest Design

Control Group

Randomization

Randomized Controlled Trials

Between Subjects Design

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Within Subject Design

Complex Experimental Designs

Factorial Design

Solomon Four-Group Design

Repeated Measures Design

Counterbalanced Measures Design

Matched Subjects Design

Bayesian Probability

Which Method to Choose?

What design you choose depends on different factors.

What information do you want? The aims of the study.

The nature of the phenomenon - Is it feasible to collect the data, and if so, would it be valid/reliable?

How reliable should the information be?

Is it ethical to conduct the study?

The cost of the design

Is there little or much current scienti c theory and literature on the topic?

Survey Guide

The full guide - How to create a Survey / Questionnaire

Introduction

Research and Surveys

Advantages and Disadvantages of Surveys

Survey Design

Methods of Survey Sampling

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Planning a Survey

Planning a Survey

De ning Survey Goals

Questions and Answers

Constructing Survey Questions

Questionnaire Layout

Types of Survey Questions

Survey Response Scales

Survey Response Formats

Types of Surveys

Selecting the Survey Method

Types of Survey

Paper-and-pencil Survey

Personal Interview Survey

Telephone Survey

Online Surveys

Preparing an Online Survey

Web Survey Tools

Focus Groups - Pros and Cons

Panel Study

Conducting the Survey

Pilot Survey

How to Conduct a Survey

Increasing Survey Response Rates

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After the Survey

Analysis and Handling Survey Data

Conclusion of a Survey

Presenting Survey Results

Resources

Questionnaire Example

Questionnaire Checklist

Research Study

What Is a Research Paper

Further Reading

"Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches" by John W. Creswell

"Essentials of Research Design and Methodology" by Geoffrey R Marczyk

Back to Overview Next Article

"Research Design" "Pilot Study"

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Full reference:

Oskar Blakstad (Jun 17, 2008). Research Designs. Retrieved Oct 06, 2017 from Explorable.com:
https://explorable.com/research-designs

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Related articles

1 Quantitative and Qualitative Research

2 Literature Review
3 Case Study
4 Quantitative Research Design
5 Qualitative Research Design

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