discussion 6wk6assign8010

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RESPONSE 1

steven stoner 

Week 6: Designing Quantitative Research

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An explanation of a threat to internal validity and a threat to external validity in quantitative research.

A threat to internal validity, among many, is history.  According to Onwuegbuzie (2000), the threat of history refers to the occurrence of events or conditions unrelated to the treatment but occur at some point during the study to produce changes in the outcome measure.  When something happens during a study that can affect the group's view, validity is threatened.  The longer the study lasts (history), the more chances for a threat to validity.  For instance, if a study is being conducted about political beliefs or confidences and in between the initial presentation of the topic and the collection of data, a significant event involving politicians' decisions, the opinions of the selected group could be skewed.  The longer the gap between presentation and collection, the more chance for the event to change the view.

A threat to external validity is selection bias.  According to McDermott (2011), if subjects are drawn from too restrictive a sample, the sample could bias one way or another.  Selection bias can occur if a group is more or less likely to take part in a study based on their motivation or willingness to take part.  Perhaps they know or have had the disease being researched or experienced firsthand the subject being studied; they should not be part of the process because it could affect their honest answering of questions.

Explain a strategy to mitigate each of these threats.  

One way to reduce the threat of selection bias is to conduct an experimental study before conducting the research.  The experimental study can serve two purposes.  First, it can give the researchers an idea if the participants can be non-bias and open-minded about the research.  Second, it will help eliminate some participants who may not be appropriate for the study (McDermott, 2011).

One way to reduce the threat that history can have on internal validity is to manage the timeline and execution of the study.  When the research is conducted with gaps in the procedure, threats to validity can become an issue.  If the researchers plan out each step so that there are no downtimes, the danger of something happening to influence participants' beliefs/feelings is minimized.

Identify a potential ethical issue in quantitative research and explain how it might influence design decisions.

A potential ethical issue in quantitative research is the selection of participants.  For the selection to be ethical, all participants should receive the same benefits. There should not be a favored or non-favored group, there should be no incentives to participate, and there should be a mix of participants' backgrounds (Burkholder, 2020).

When choosing your research design, the decision about participants should be taken into account.  The design should be such that all the criteria listed earlier can be adhered to.  Some designs might not allow for this and, therefore, should be eliminated from consideration.

Explain what it means for a research topic to be amenable to scientific study using a quantitative approach.

For a research topic to be amenable to scientific research, it must be appropriate to the study.  The problem must be solved or designed to ensure that many subjects are used and multiple survey methods are used.  The problem should not be identified in just one method.

Burkholder, G. J., Cox, K. A., Crawford, L. M., & Hitchcock, J. H. (Eds.). (2019). Research design and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-practitioner. Sage Publications.

McDermott, R. (2011). Internal and external validity. Cambridge handbook of experimental political science, 27-40.

Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2000). Expanding the Framework of Internal and External Validity in Quantitative Research.

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RESPONSE 2

Edima Umanah 

Week 6: Discussion

COLLAPSE

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Internal and  External Validity

A quantitative study is an exploratory research that tries to produce information and understanding. Validity assesses the correctness of an idea, and a qualitative study is experimental research that attempts to develop knowledge and understanding (Burkholder et al, 2020). The results of a research study can only be valuable if they can be interpreted with confidence and accuracy. Every discussion of validity revolves around the question of confidence and accuracy. When a proper inference can be drawn from a research study, it is considered to be valid. Making a good study design, selecting appropriate techniques and tests, and directing the investigation carefully and reliably contribute to the findings’study’sparticipants’It’s dependability and validity (Apuke, 2017). The internal and external validity of a study’s findings aids in the elimination of systematics when a study’s findings may be extended to a wider group or population (Torre and Picho, 2016).

 

Threat to both Validity

It is important to identify the validity of the study inside the investigation while developing a technique. Many parameters might distort the data, making the conclusions of the study incorrect. As a result, it is critical to grasp internal and external validity challenges in quantitative research before getting started (Burkholder et al., 2020). When the structure and form of the research techniques are compromised, then impartiality and internal validity might occur (Burkholder et al., 2020). When research participants are picked with differences that might impact the study’s conclusion, internal validity is a common danger (Shadish et al., 2002). Testing can jeopardize internal validity, especially when participants are familiar with the exam (Shadish et al., 2002). Another internal hazard is if participants answer questions in a way that contradicts their real-life experiences (Burkholder et al., 2020).  Validity concerns external influences that may impact a study’s findings (Burkholder et al., 2020). Extenuating variables may cause the results of research to differ from those of a similar study conducted in a different area. External validity threats include the setting in which the test is administered and diverse demographics, which may give different findings as a result of these variables not necessarily supporting the research (Burkholder et al., 2020).

 

A Strategy to Mitigate each of these Threats

Selection bias may be minimized by utilizing the same criteria to choose cases and controls, getting high participation rates, effectively tracing study subjects using a variety of approaches, and considering diagnosis and referral procedures while conducting research (Aschengrau & Seage, 2020). To counteract this risk, the researcher must give each test subject or group one treatment, then assess the effects of the treatments before incorporating them into a multi-treatment design. It is critical to have plans in place. Blind research, participants’ replies are anonymous and hence less likely to be incorrect, is one technique for combating probable participant answer inconsistencies (Burkholder et al., 2020). External risks can be avoided by researching a broad sample group within an area rather than a smaller group of persons with comparable traits who do not represent the overall community.

 

Identify a Potential Ethical Issue in Quantitative Research

In quantitative research, ethics is essential because it prevents data falsification and fabrication, supporting the pursuit of integrity, dependability, and validity, which is the ultimate objective of a research project. Ethics and morality are often confused because both deal with issues of right and evil. Protection against harm is a possible ethical concern in quantitative research, particularly in experimental studies when the study manipulates or does anything that may hurt the subject. The research must not harm subjects, and they should profit from it (Babbie, 2017). In quantitative analysis, the major ethical concern is obtaining voluntary involvement and informed permission (Zyphur & Pierides, 2017). A researcher must ensure that each human subject chosen for the study has been fully informed about the study's methods and potential hazards. As a result, ethics implies having morals and norms, and in quantitative research, prejudice, consent, goodwill, and respect for anonymity and secrecy must all be considered.

 

Amenable to Scientific Study using a Quantitative Approach

A higher number of individuals must be studied for a research topic to be accessible to scientific investigation utilizing a quantitative technique. As a result, because quantitative approaches employ a wider number of subjects in various ways, they may handle a variety of issues (Burkholder et al., 2020). In addition, it evaluates how well the research reflects actual activities.

References

Apuke, O. D. (2017). Quantitative research methods: A synopsis approach. Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 33(5471), 1-8.

 

Aschengrau, A., & Seage, G. R. (2019). Essentials of epidemiology in public health. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.

 

Babbie, E. (2017) Basics of social research (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Burkholder, G. J., Cox, K. A., Crawford, L. M., & Hitchcock, J. H.  (Eds.). (2020). Research designs and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-practitioner. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

 

Shadish, W. R., Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (2002). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin.

 

Torre, D., and Picho, K. (2016). Threats to internal and external validity in health professions education research. Academic Medicine, 91(12). doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000001446

 

Zyphur, M. J., and Pierides, D. C. (2017). Is quantitative research ethical? Tools for ethically practicing, evaluating, and using quantitative research. Journal of Business Ethics, 143(1), 1-16.

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