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HPPR 404 Research and Evaluation

Sherrell Steele

Research Decisions and Data Collection

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Objectives

List three key questions to ask prior to research

Differentiate between formal/informal research

Explain sampling methods esp. probability sampling

Define and defend high research standards: accuracy, precision, reliability, validity

List the eight steps of research design

Before research starts ask: What do we already know? Where are the gaps in our

information? What other research exists to fill

the gaps?

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Formal vs. Informal

Formal: systematic, fully representative sample e.g. surveys

Informal: variable, unrepresentative sample e.g. personal interviews

In between: e.g. partially systematic, purposefully selected sample e.g. focus groups

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Representative sample

Page 85 in text: When a sample is representative, it

has the same distribution of characteristics as the population from which it was drawn.

e.g. Voters in Victoria

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Sampling methods

Ideal: Random sampling (where every person in the population has an equal chance or probability of being included) Most accurate.

Practical: Convenience or incidental sampling (selection based on availability)

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High research standards

Accuracy (error free data) Precision (exact results) Reliability (research can be

repeated with exactly the same results)

Validity (the research questions tests what needs to be tested and does not “dig up” unrelated data

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Validity

External validity: how representative or transferrable are the results?

Internal validity: Are we measuring what we think we’re measuring?

Face validity: Does the research appear to measure what we want to measure in an obvious way?

Content validity: How comprehensive are the research measures?

Predictive or criterion validity: How sound is the research measure compared to an external standard?

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8 step research process

1. Define research problem 2. Review the literature 3. Develop research question or

hypothesis 4. Determine research methodology 5. Collect data 6. Analyze data 7. Make recommendations 8. Replicate studies (future benchmarks)

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Summary and conclusions Sampling methods esp. (systematic, fully

representative) probability sampling Key terms: accuracy, precision,

reliability, validity Eight steps of research design