UNDERSTANDING DATA AND WAYS TO SYSTEMATICALLY COLLECT DATA

TERMINOLOGIES
Research design
- It refers to the overall plan and scheme for conducting the study.
- It is defined as a framework of methods and techniques chosen by a researcher to combine various
components of research in a reasonably logical manner so that the research problem is efficiently handled.
- It provides insights about “how” to conduct research using a particular methodology.

Sampling
- It is a process used in statistical analysis in which a predetermined number of observations are taken from a
larger population.
- It is the process of selecting and getting the respondents of the study with the minimum cost such that
resulting observations will be representative of the entire population

Instruments
- They are the data-gathering devices that will be used in the study.
- It is a testing device for measuring a given phenomenon, such as a paper and a pencil test.

Characteristics of an instrument:
• Usability
• Validity
• Reliability

Quantitative Analysis
- It is the technique utilized for analyzing the data gathered.
- Analysis of data maybe statistical in nature or it may be deterministic
- It aims to interpret the data collected for the phenomenon through numeric variables and statistics.

DESCRIPTIVE DESIGNS
- It refers to the overall plan and scheme for conducting the study.

• Descriptive Normative Surveys

- It is also known as Survey designs. They are procedures in quantitative research in which you administer a
survey questionnaire to a small group of people (called the sample) to identify trends in attitudes, opinions,
behaviors, or characteristics of a large group of people (called population)
- This approach attempts to establish norms or standards based on a wide class of survey data. The survey data
maybe demographic data or they may include also data on “average perceptions” of a set of respondents.

• Correlational Research Studies

- It is used to estimate the extent to which different variables are related to one another in the population of
interest.
- The elements of this design include the identification of the variables of interest, the group of subjects or
respondents where the variables will be applied.
- In this study, the researcher may make use of the results of the descriptive normative surveys.

• Descriptive Evaluative Studies

- The purpose of this study is to judge the “goodness of a criterion measure”.
- Longitudinal studies establish the changes in that criterion measure over a long period of time.
• Assessment/Evaluation Studies
- These studies attempt to determine the effectiveness or efficiency of certain practices or policies when
applied
to a group of respondents.
- These studies imply measurement of certain key indicators without attaching any judgment to them.

• Descriptive Comparative Studies

- These studies endeavor to establish significant differences between two or more groups of subjects on the
basis of a criterion measure. No attempts to control the effects of extraneous factors are made.
- This type of research usually involves group comparisons

General Consideration in Descriptive Research

Limitations of the Descriptive Research Designs
a) The lack of control variables in these designs make them less reliable in terms of actual hypothesis testing.
b) Unless the design is a normative survey where the entire population is considered, conclusion drawn from
descriptive designs are at best tentative.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
- It is any research conducted with a scientific approach, where a set of variables are kept constant while the other set
of variables are being measured as the subject of experiment.
- It is one of the founding quantitative research methods.
- It is also known as longitudinal or repeated-measures studies.
- It is also referred to as interventions, because you do more than just observe the subjects

Pre-test/Post test Control Group Design

- This design requires two groups of equivalent standing in terms of criterion measure.

Factors that threatened the Pre-test/Post-test Control Group Design

* maturation
* test-wiseness
* natural attrition

Single Group Pre-test/Post Test Design

- It may be used in experimental conditions where a limited number of subjects are available.

Solomon Four Group Design

- This design makes use of four equivalent groups
* In this design the subjects are randomly assigned to two study groups and two control groups.

Factors Affecting the Experimental Plan

• History
• Maturation
• Testing
• Mortality
• Interaction effects
• Measuring instruments
• Statistical regression
• Differential selection
• John Henry Effec