Research Design Research designs - experimental, observational, and beyond PADMN 6289// WEEK 4

More non-experimental designs… 03 Observational Designs 02 Experiemental Designs 01 This Videocast

RQ The Research Design Concept identification Definitions and measurement Data collection Data analysis Findings Conclusions The Research Process Epistemic approach Literature review

Research Design A study’s framework for anwering a research question/ realizing research objectives. A research design is shaped by a researcher’s epistemic approach/assumptions and establishes the type of – as well as the methods used to collect and make sense of – study data/evidence.

Experimental Designs The (so-called) “gold standard” of positivist social science 01

Experimental Designs Treatment Treatment Group Comparison Group X Obs 1 Obs 1 Obs 2 Obs 2 Treatment = Phenomenon of interest (primary IV) such as an event, policy, intervention, etc. Random assignment Obs = Observation (data collection measurement)

Quasi-Experimental Designs Treatment Treatment Group Comparison Group X Obs 1 Obs 1 Obs 2 Obs 2 Treatment = Phenomenon of interest (primary IV) such as an event, policy, intervention, etc. Non-random assignment Obs = Observation (data collection measurement)

Experimental Quasi-Experimental Non-Experimental (Observational) Measurement before/after treatment* Yes Yes Maybe Comparison/control group Yes Yes Maybe Random assignment Yes No No *Treatment = Phenomenon of interest (primary IV) such as an event, policy, intervention, etc. Experimental vs. Quasi- vs. Non-Experimental Designs

Observational Designs A variety of non-experimental research designs 02

Observational Designs Most Relevant Epistemic Approaches Single or multiple data types? Quant or qual? Examples: Large-n (>100) descriptive or associational studies Empiricism/Positivism Usually single Quant Large-n surveys, administrative/secondary data Medium-n (30-100) descriptive or associational studies Empiricism/Positivism Interpretivism Usually single Quant or Qual Surveys, interviews, administrative/secondary data Small-n (<30) descriptive or explanatory studies Empiricism/Positivism Interpretivism Critical Single or multiple Quant or Qual Surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, documents Mixed-methods descriptive or explanatory studies Empiricism/Positivism Interpretivism Critical Multiple Quant and qual Surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, documents Case studies Empiricism/Positivism Interpretivism Critical Multiple Quant and/or qual Surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, documents

More Research Designs Additional popular non-experimental research designs 03

—John Gerring A case study may be understood as the intensive study of a single case where the purpose of that study is – at least in part – to shed light on a larger class of cases (a population). Case study research may incorporate several cases, that is, multiple case studies. ”

Used to gain an in-depth understanding of a single or few situations (cases) Typically involve multiple types of data, data collection methods, and methods of analysis Are often descriptive, but can develop or test theory Require purposive case selection Case Studies Within-Case: analysis of a single case Process Trace: analysis of how phenomena/events interact and unfold over time Cross-Case: Comparative analysis of multiple cases Characteristics Types

—Michael Cox [S]ynthetic studies…rely on aggregating secondary data and information from existing analyses…The most informal type of synthetic research design is simply a qualitative literature review that seeks to summarize the findings of a set of previous projects. ”

Stand-alone hypothesis/RQ/ objective driven exercise Epistemic Approaches & RQs Aggregation of individual case study findings in a systematic manner Analysis of secondary data (rather than simply aggregation of findings) Literature Review Case Study Meta-Analysis Systematic Review Synthetic Studies Historical or contemporary analysis of discriminatory policies and/or ideas, and their impacts Critical Review/Analysis