1. What are the major methods for collecting data? These full blown approaches for collecting data are mutually exclusive. The descriptive research is assessing the current status of a situation, and it (1) answers what is (what is the nature of a variable), (2) makes no attempt to control extraneous variables (it is not experimental or inferential), and (3) does not have a hypothesis (the researcher asks a research question). The survey research means that populations are sampled to discover prevalent attitudes, ideas, and sentiments (Gallop poll). Data is gathered through questionaires and opinion surveys, and it may or may not have a hypothesis. The historical research studies the past through primary documents and eyewitness accounts. This form of collecting data may or may not have a hypothesis. The qualitative research method for collecting data is the up and coming style. It is a study of a population through interviews and direct contact. The hypothesis develops as the study develops. Then, the researcher collects more data to prove or disprove that hypothesis and to modify it into a new hypothesis. Ethnography, naturalistic studies/inquiries, case studies, field work/studies, and participant observations are examples. This type of data collection does not have inferential statistics, but it is probably the most demanding type of research.

2. What are the different types of descriptive research? The types of descriptive research are: (1) developmental studies, content analysis, trend analysis, and correlational studies. Developmental studies look at growth and change over time. Content analysis studies documents concerning a particular variable. This one can be part of descriptive research, or it can stand alone on its own. Trend analysis (1) follows a trend in economics and/or business, (2) is a study of the direction and rate of change, (3) can be cross-sectional or longitudinal, and (4) tries to use present trends to predict future events. The problem with this one is that short range is pretty accurate but long range is not. Correlational studies are foundational to the whole research process. They describe the relationship between items, hope to use future predictions, and are formulated through multiple regression, discriminant analysis (predict how a single person will do), and factor analysis.

3. What are the types of developmental studies? The types of developmental studies are: (1) the longitudinal method, (2) the cross-sectional method, (3) the cross-sequential method, and (4) the follow-up studies. The longitudinal method follows the same group of subjects over time, and that time could be for years and years. Some advantages are: (1) following the same individuals and (2) allows opportunities to establish patterns. Some disadvantages are: (1) getting subjects committed to the study are a problem because of the length of time, (2) takes a lot of time and energy, (3) cannot introduce new variables that will be effective back to the beginning of the study, and (4) mortality (people move, they drop out, and they die). Those who drop out might skew the results of the study because the researcher may be left only with those who agree by time the study ends. The cross-sectional method is a way to get around some of the above problems. This type of study looks at multiple groups of people at multiple ages so that the same people do not have to be studied over a very long time. Some advantages are: (1) easy to have a large sample, (2) can make immediate comparisons, and (3) much less time and energy. Some disadvantages are: (1) cannot observe change (researcher infers change) and (2) the cohort effect (major disadvantage – studying the effects of war on people whose experience is Desert Storm and/or Viet Nam and/or World War II will influence how subjects respond). The cross-sequential method is the best and worst of both worlds. The researcher collects all groups at once, gathers initial data in the beginning to infer possible conclusions, and then, gathers more data from all the groups over time.

4. What are the different methods of survey research? The types of survey research are the interview, questionaires, and the telephone interview. Some advantages to interviews are: (1) flexibility (the researcher sees the subject), (2) naturalistic observation (can take in extra information), (3) personal contact, and (4) can control the subject’s knowledge of the questions by not showing him or her all of them upfront, and (5) can explain or clarify questions. The disadvantages are that it is time consuming and expensive. When conducting the interviews, (1) be friendly and confident, (2) avoid biasing the respondent by using evaluative words, (3) keep the respondent on track, (4) standardize the interview process if you want to compare what people say, and (5) record complete, accurate information (if at all possible, use a tape recorder). On questionaires, the researcher has to deal with nonresponders. He or she must know that nonresponders are often very similar and might be a group among themselves and that the research question might have to be restated to take into account a large number of nonresponders. With the telephone interview, the researcher must exercise precaution because he or she is possibly disturbing the respondent. The researcher must also disclose identity and purpose of the interview.

				Tom of Bethany

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Lesson 25. Historical and Qualitative Research

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