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Research Design

Research Design. Purposes for Research Criteria for Causation Units of Analysis The Time Component. Three Purposes of Research. Exploration Description Explanation. Criteria for Causation . Two Things Must be Related (Correlation) The Cause Must Precede the Effect (Time ordering)

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Research Design

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  1. Research Design Purposes for Research Criteria for Causation Units of Analysis The Time Component

  2. Three Purposes of Research • Exploration • Description • Explanation

  3. Criteria for Causation • Two Things Must be Related (Correlation) • The Cause Must Precede the Effect (Time ordering) • The Relationship Must be “Non-Spurious”

  4. Common Mistakes • “Complete” causation • Exceptional cases • Majority of cases

  5. Necessary / Sufficient • A Necessary Cause • X must be present for Y to occur • A Sufficient Cause • If X is present, Y must occur

  6. Units of Analysis • This is the “what” that is being studied • Social scientists can have almost anything as the unit of analysis • It is even possible to have a study with multiple units of analysis • Be CAREFUL • Knowing that a person studied “people” does not necessarily tell you the unit of analysis

  7. Some of my tricks… • Look at what a researcher is predicting or counting—if something is expressed in “rates,” it is a group level unit of analysis • Rephrase a persons research hypothesis or statement in way that makes the unit of analysis more explicit • If “groups” are a part of the study, figure out whether the researcher is comparing groups, or simply using group status as an “attribute” in order to compare individuals

  8. The Individual Level • Typically, individual people • Don’t confuse “generalizing” with units of analysis • You can study “groups” or “classes” of people, but still have individuals as unit of analysis • Non-people examples • Social artifacts and Social interactions • Typically individual, but could be aggregates

  9. Group (Aggregate) Level • KEY = the group is the entity we study—looking at attributes of the group • May sometimes studies individuals to construct such attributes (e.g., construct rate) • Organizations • Corporations, churches,

  10. TIME • Why is “time” important? • Causal ordering • Generalization • Cross-Sectional Research • Longitudinal • Trend • Cohort • Panel

  11. Ways to Get Around Longitudinal Research (e.g., Cheating) • Logic can sometimes dictate cause and effect • Sometimes the data can help draw conclusions about cause and effect • Retrospective studies • Use age differences within sample to reach conclusions • Repeat a prior cross-sectional study

  12. Designing a Research Project • Research is MESSY!!! • Theories and Ideas • Starting Point • Read, read, read • Purpose of research • Conceptualization • Choice of Research Method

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