assignment 3

Investigate Different Research Designs

Akita Roberson

ED-5100 V2: Scholarly Writing and Using Research

Northcentral University

December 12, 2020

Research methods are strategies, processes, and techniques used in the collection of data or evidence. The collected data is analyzed to unveil new data and develop a better understanding of the research topic. There are various research methods, and they are used based on the type of study that the researcher wants to undertake. A researcher can use qualitative methods, quantitative methods, or mixed methods when conducting research. This paper analyses the research methods outlining how they are used to develop an understanding of the context.

Qualitative research

The qualitative data collects data concerning lived experiences, emotions, behaviors, and the meaning to the given individuals. It helps the researcher to develop a deeper understanding concerning the complex concepts of social interactions and cultural phenomena. The research explores how things occur and investigates why particular things arise. It is useful in the interpretation of events and describes the actions or the occurrences.

Qualitative research is commonly used in conducting studies in humanities and social sciences. It is used in anthropology, sociology, education, and health sciences (Bergin, 2018). Qualitative research methods include interviews, focus groups, observations, document analysis, and oral history. Interviews can be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured in-depth sessions between the researcher and the participants. The focus groups include a group of participants discussing a given topic, guided by the research questions. The documented analysis involved the interrogation of correspondence or reports. Oral history involves memories of experiences told to the researcher.

Quantitative tools

Qualitative research is a process that collects and analyses numerical data. It is purposed to find patterns and averages. It is used in making predictions, test casual relationships, and generalize results to broader populations. The research tools of qualitative research include questionnaires, observation, document screening, and experiments. Questionnaires are executed to a large population, ask the same questions to the participants, and analyze the collected data. Observation involves counting the number of times a given phenomenon takes place. Experiments test the hypothesis in labs. They affect relationships through field experiments or natural experiments.

Mixed methods

Missed research design integrates qualitative and quantitative data in a single investigation (Schoonenboom, & Johnson, 2017). It integrates the data during data collection, analysis, and discussion. Missed methods research designs are used in the evaluation context, including randomized and non-randomized research designs.

Most relatable research design

The missed research methods are the most relatable methods to use in research. The research design integrates both qualitative and quantitative research, which increases the credibility of the results. The designs integration helps understand contradictions between the quantitative results and the qualitative findings (McKim, 2017). Mixed methods give the participants a voice and ensure that the findings are based on the participant's experiences.

Research can collect data to investigate the participants' knowledge and risk perception of the genetically modified food using a survey tool that mixes qualitative and quantitative questions. The main idea in the research is ensuring that the questions are both open-minded and closed-minded. The two forms of data are integrated and analyzed.

Conclusion

Mixed methods foster scholarly interaction in the study. They also provide research methodology flexibility. With flexibility, the researcher can employ many study designs such as observational studies and randomized trials. The research method's main advantage is that it collects two sets of data reducing time and resources that could be used to conduct the research separately. Research plays a vital role in creating a better understanding and a broader educational experience for the researcher and the audience.

References