Quantitative Research Designs

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Quantitative Research
Designs
Dr. Suphat Sukamolson
CULI

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A research design is …
• A set of procedures that guide the gathering of
research data.
• A plan for collecting and utilizing data so that desired
information can be obtained with sufficient precision
or so that an hypothesis can be tested properly.
• A systematic planning of research, usually including
(1) the formulation of a strategy to answer a particular
question; (2) the collection and recording of the
evidence; (3) the processing and analysis of these
data and their interpretation; and (4) the publication of
results.

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What are quantitative research designs?
• In quantitative research your aim is to determine
the relationship between one thing and another
in a population.
• Quantitative research designs are either
descriptive (subjects usually measured once) or
experimental (subjects measured before and
after a treatment).
• A descriptive study establishes only associations
between variables. An experiment establishes
causality.

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2 Main Types of Research Designs
1. Descriptive or
observational
• case
• case series
• cross-sectional
• cohort or prospective or
longitudinal
• case-control or
retrospective
• etc.
2. Experimental or
longitudinal or
repeated-measures
• without a control group
time series
crossover
• with a control group

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RESEARCH DESIGN & PURPOSE
• RESEARCH DESIGN
is the overall plan for
collecting and
analyzing data,
including
specifications for
enhancing the
internal and external
validity of the study.
• The PURPOSE OF A
RESEARCH DESIGN
is to be sure that you
get the RIGHT answer
to your research
question.

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Different types of research

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Different types of research

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True Experimental Research

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Quasi-experimental Design

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More types of quantitative research
1. Action Research
2. Applied Research
3. Basic or Pure Research
4. Case Study
5. Causal-Comparative
Research
6. Classroom Action Research
7. Classroom-Based Research
8. Cohort Studies
9. Comparative Research
10. Collaborative Research
11. Content Analysis
12. Correlational Research
13. Cross-Sectional Research
14. Descriptive Research
15. Developmental Research
16. Ethnographic Research
17. Evaluation Research
18. Ex Post Facto Research
19. Experimental Research
20. Explanatory Research

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More types of quantitative research
21. Exploratory Research
22. Field Research
23. Follow-up Study
24. Formative Evaluation
Research
25. Futuristic Research
26. Historical Comparative
Research
27. Historical Research
28. Integrated Interdisciplinary
Research
29. Interdisciplinary Research
30. Longitudinal Research
31. Mega-Analysis
32. Meta-Analysis
33. Needs Assessment Research
34. Panel Study
35. Participatory Research
36. Quasi-Experimental Research
37. Research and Development
38. Secondary Analysis Research
39. Summative Evaluation
Research
40. Survey Research
41. Teacher Research
42. Time Series Research
43. Trend Study
44. Focus Groups Study

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Common Instruments
for
Quantitative Research

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Questionnaires, Surveys
Checklists
• -can complete anonymously
-inexpensive to administer
-easy to compare and analyze
-administer to many people
-can get lots of data
-many sample questionnaires
already exist
• might not get careful feedback
-wording can bias client's
responses
-are impersonal
-in surveys, may need
sampling expert
- doesn't get full story
To quickly and/or easily get lots
of information from people in a non threatening way.

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Interviews
• get full range and depth of
information
-develops relationship with
client
-can be flexible with client
• can take much time
-can be hard to analyze and
compare
-can be costly
-interviewer can bias client's
responses
To fully understand someone's impressions or
experiences,
or learn more about their answers to questionnaires.

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Documentation Review
• -get comprehensive and
historical information
-doesn't interrupt program or
client's routine in program
-information already exists
-few biases about information
• often takes much time
-info may be incomplete
-need to be quite clear about
what looking for
-not flexible means to get data;
data restricted to what already
exists
To get impression of how program operates without
interrupting the program;
is from review of applications, finances, memos, minutes, etc.

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Observation
• -view operations of a program
as they are actually occurring
-can adapt to events as they
occur
• can be difficult to interpret
seen behaviors
-can be complex to categorize
observations
-can influence behaviors of
program participants
-can be expensive
To gather accurate information about how
a program actually operates, particularly about processes.

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Some Common
Quantitative
Research Studies

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Case Study
• -fully depicts subjects’
experience in program input,
process and results
-powerful means to portray
program to outsiders
• -usually quite time consuming
to collect, organize and
describe
-represents depth of
information, rather than
breadth
To understand or depict subjects’ experiences in a program fully ,
and conduct comprehensive examination
through cross comparison of cases.

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Focus groups Study
(a type of case study)
• -quickly and reliably get
common impressions
-can be efficient way to get
much range and depth of
information in short time
- can convey key information
about programs
• -can be hard to analyze
responses
-need good facilitator for safety
and closure
-difficult to schedule 6-8 people
together
To explore a topic in depth through group discussion, e.g.,
about reactions to an experience
or suggestion, understanding common complaints, etc.;
useful in evaluation and marketing.

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How to Develop a Case Study
1. All data about the case is gathered.
2. Data is organized into an approach to highlight the
focus of the study.
3. A case study narrative is developed.
4. The narrative might be validated by review from the
participants (subjects).
5. Case studies might be cross-compared to isolate
any themes or patterns.

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TYPES OF SURVEY RESEARCH
• A. IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS
• Advantages
• High response rates (80% or higher).
• Interviewer can make relevant observations
on sensitive variables.
• Immediate feedback/ probing is possible.
• Disadvantages
• High cost of recruiting and training
interviewers.
• Interviewer bias: appearance, tone of voice,
questioning style, etc. may bias respondent.
• Supervision of interviewers is more difficult
compared to phone surveys.
• B. MAIL SURVEYS/ SELF-
ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRES
• Advantages
• Inexpensive.
• Can cover a wide geographical area.
• Respondent can complete questionnaire at
his/ her convenience. (Can check personal
records if necessary.)
• Anonymity possible (not in self-administered
questionnaires?).
• Avoids interviewer bias.
• Disadvantages
– Low response rates.
• Response rates can be improved
through reminder letters and/ or
incentives.
– Slow.
– Cannot control conditions of response.
– Researcher cannot make observations.
– Some types of questions may not be
possible, especially if sequencing is
involved.
– Literacy of respondent is required.

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TYPES OF SURVEY RESEARCH
• C. TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS
• Advantages
• Can use random digit dialing (RDD) for
easy sampling.
• Quick turn around, especially with
computer assisted telephone
interviewing (CATI) terminals.
• High response rates possible (with
several callbacks).
• Can cover a wide geographical area.
• Interviewer can control question
sequences.
• Disadvantages
• Relatively high cost, especially for long
distance calls.
• Limited interview length.
• Cannot use visual stimuli.
• May need several callbacks.
• Anonymity is limited.
• Possible interviewer bias.
• Difficult to use open-ended questions.
• D. ONLINE SURVEYS
• Advantages
• Inexpensive.
• Can cover a very wide geographical
area.
• Anonymity can be assured through
encryption/ secured browsers.
• Compilation of data is relatively easy.
• Drawbacks
• Internet access is limited.
• Difficult to recruit a representative
sample.
• Multiple responses from same person
are hard to track.
• Difficult to use open-ended questions.

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True Experimental Research
• All experiments
involve
– treatment
– outcome
– units of assignment
– comparison from
which change can be
inferred and
attributed to the
treatment.
• Characteristics of
True Experiments
– manipulation
– control
– randomization

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Some Types of
True Experimental Design
• Post-test Only Design
• Pre-test-Post-test Design
• Solomon Four Group Design
• Completely Randomized Design
• Randomized Block Design
• Factorial Design

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Some Types of
Quasi-experimental Designs
• Non-Equivalent Control Groups Design
• Time Series Designs

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Ten Considerations for
a Research Design
1. For what purposes is the research being done?
2. What level of research findings is aimed at?
3. Who are the audiences for the information?
4. What kinds of data are needed?
5. From what sources should the data be collected?
6. How can the data be collected?
7. What instruments are available to collect the data?
8. How can the findings be generalized?
9. How can the data be analyzed?
10. How can the findings be interpreted?

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Four Levels of Research Findings
1. Reactions and feelings (feelings are
often poor indicators that your service
made lasting impact)
2. Learning (enhanced attitudes,
perceptions or knowledge)
3. Changes in skills (applied the learning to
enhance behaviors)
4. Effectiveness (improved performance
because of enhanced behaviors)

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Food for Thought
Follow the 10 considerations mentioned previously
and write research designs for the following purposes:
1. To investigate the scenarios of tourism in Thailand in
the year 2020
2. To study the fixed phrases and jargons of English used
in legal international trade agreements
3. To survey the attitudes of foreign customers towards
handicraft OTOPs
4. To compare verbal and non-verbal communication
strategies used by male and female front office
receptionists in a leading hotel
5. To find the relationships between code-mixing, code
switching and types of occupation

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What else do you have to know?
• Do you have to know
some statistics and tests?
• What kinds of statistics
should you know?
• What kinds of statistical
tests should you know?
• How can you select an
appropriate statistics and
tests for your research
design?
• Yes, absolutely yes.
• Both descriptive and
inferential statistics.
• rxy , t-test, F-test, x2,
ANOVA, ANCOVA
• Match their basic
assumptions and usage
with your objectives and
the scales of your data.