For Prof. Moses 3

Assessing and Recommending Quantitative Research Designs

Last week and this week focused on types of quantitative research designs. For this assignment, you will select the design most appropriate for your research plan and justify your choice. Furthermore, you will be asked to explain why other designs were not appropriate.

To prepare for this Application:

• Review Chapter 5, "Research Designs: Experiments" and Chapter 6, "Research Designs: Cross-Sectional and Quasi-Experimental Designs" in the course text Research Methods in the Social Sciences. What are the strengths and limitations of each of the designs presented in these chapters?
• Consider the quantitative research plan you are developing and your research questions, hypotheses, and variables. What kind of design would you recommend for your plan? What is your rationale for this choice? What is your rationale for NOT selecting another design?
  
  
• What threats to validity must you consider and avoid with your design? How might you increase internal and external validity?
  

The assignment:

• Craft a 5- to 7-page paper in which you do the following:
  
  
  • Assess the strengths and limitations of each of the research designs presented in Weeks 2 and 3.
    
    
  • Recommend a quantitative design for your research plan. Include a rationale for why that design would be most appropriate.
    
    
  • For the designs that you did not choose, state why each one is not appropriate for your research questions, hypotheses, and variables.
    
    
  • Support your work with references to the literature.