Research Design Decisions and be competent in the process of reliable data collection and analysis — Statswork
Research Design services may be described as the researcher’s scheme of outlining the flow of his project. It is based on research design, that the researcher goes about gathering data to answer his research question. The plan of the project, namely the planning for the materials and the logistics involved follows this. Similarly, in research as well, the researcher chooses his Data Collection process based on his Research design decision. It enables the researcher to prioritize his work, create better questionnaires and arrive at conclusions with greater clarity.
In the above diagram, table1 shows the type of questions and the data collection methods that were used for the same. For instance, Key informant interviews and Project records were used for collecting information on the quality of the implementation. Quantitative research design may be sub-divided into experimental, Quasi-experimental, Survey and Correlational, while, Qualitative research may be divided into Ethnography, Case study, Historical and Narrative.
Data Collection Techniques and How to choose one
Using a mix of both Qualitative and Quantitative methods can be most beneficial. The most widely used data collection techniques are Interviews and Questionnaires. Interviews may be one to one or in groups. The Questionnaire is developed with the research question in mind. But it is very difficult to determine if the participant is lying or not. Hence reliability is a problem here.
Data Analysis
Probability and non-probability methods are used in Data Analysis. Probability sampling uses random or semi-random methods to select a sample from among the given population and it uses Statistical generalization with a margin for error as no sample will exactly reflect the population exactly. Random Sampling uses a simple process where there is an equal likelihood of every member from the sample being chosen. Stratified Random Sampling uses a method of segregating the sample into mutually exclusive groups and then selecting simple random samples from a stratum.
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References
Peersman, G. (2014). Overview: Data Collection and Analysis Methods in Impact Evaluation: Methodological Briefs-Impact Evaluation â„–10. Retrieved from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ucf/metbri/innpub755.html
Pride-Ferrell. (2006). Foundations of marketing. McGraw-Hill Education London. Retrieved from http://www.shermanchui.com/upload/file/20161020/1476955790263897.pdf
Shields, P. M., & Rangarajan, N. (2013). A playbook for research methods: Integrating conceptual frameworks and project management. New Forums Press. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263046108_A_Playbook_for_Research_Methods_Integrating_Conceptual_Frameworks_and_Project_Management
