This document discusses key elements of research design, including causation, units of analysis, and the time dimension. It explains that causation in social science is probabilistic and there are two models of explanation - ideographic and nomothetic. The main units of analysis are individuals, groups, organizations, and social artifacts. Researchers must avoid ecological and individualistic fallacies by properly matching units of analysis. Research can examine a single point in time via cross-sectional studies or observe changes over time through longitudinal, trend, cohort, and panel studies. Retrospective studies can sometimes approximate longitudinal designs.
talk to women (for example, through interviews or focus groups) about their own experiences with sexism and discrimination.
LO 6
LO 7
LO 8
The Time Dimension (LO 8, 9)
Time sequence is critical in determining causation. Because time order is a requirement for causal inferences, the time dimension of research requires careful planning
Time is also involved in the generalizability of research findings
Observations may be made more or less at one time point, or they may be deliberately stretched over a longer period
Time is a factor in determining what type of researcher administers;
in terms of time, there are two main types of studies cross-sectional and longitudinal. Cross-sectional studies are those that are administered at just one point in time. These offer researchers a sort of snapshot in time and give us an idea about how things are for our respondents at the particular point in time that the study is administered.
cross-sectional studies are administered at one time, and longitudinal studies are administered over time.
LO 8
Cross-sectional studies are those based on observations made at one time. Although such studies are limited by this characteristic, inferences can often be made about processes that occur over time
LO 8
Cross-sectional studies are those based on observations made at one time. Although such studies are limited by this characteristic, inferences can often be made about processes that occur over time
LO 8
Cross-sectional studies are those based on observations made at one time. Although such studies are limited by this characteristic, inferences can often be made about processes that occur over time
n terms of time, there are two main types of studies cross-sectional and longitudinal. Cross-sectional studies are those that are administered at just one point in time. These offer researchers a sort of snapshot in time and give us an idea about how things are for our respondents at the particular point in time that the study is administered.
LO 8
.Longitudinal studies are those in which observations are made at many times. Such observations may be made of samples drawn from general populations (trend studies), samples drawn from more specific subpopulations (cohort studies), or the same sample of people each time (panel studies).
LO 8
Designed to permit observations over an extended period
Three special types of longitudinal studies:
Trend studies
Look at changes within some general population over time
Trend study = slide show: a series of snapshots in sequence over time, allows us to tell how some indicator varies over time
Cohort studies
Examine more specific populations as they change over time. Typically, an age group
Often defined as a group of people who enter or leave an institution at the same time
Panel studies
Observations made on the same set of people on two or more occasions
Panel study = motion picture gives information about individual observations over time
Longitudinal studies tend to be expensive and difficult to conduct; panel studies face the problem of panel attrition
Panel study = motion picture gives information about individual observations over time
Longitudinal Studies
Designed to permit observations over an extended period
to be expensive and difficult to conduct; panel studies face the problem of panel attrition
