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UNDERSTANDING QUANTITATIVERESEARCH DESIGN

UNDERSTANDING QUANTITATIVERESEARCH DESIGN. Dr. Anne Snowdon Professor Lisa High University of Windsor. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH. based on the philosophy of “ logical empiricism ” or “ positivism ” Application of logical principles and reasoning

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UNDERSTANDING QUANTITATIVERESEARCH DESIGN

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  1. UNDERSTANDING QUANTITATIVERESEARCH DESIGN Dr. Anne Snowdon Professor Lisa High University of Windsor

  2. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH • based on the philosophy of “logical empiricism” or “positivism” • Application of logical principles and reasoning • Researcher adopts a distant and non-interactive posture = to prevent bias

  3. DEFINE – QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH • It is a formal, objective, systematic process in which numerical data is utilized to obtain information about the world • It is a method used to describe variables, examine relationships among variables, and determine cause-and-effect interaction between variables

  4. Quantitative Research Design Involves decisions: • Will there be an intervention? • What types of comparison will be made? • What procedures will be used to control extraneous variables? • When and how many times will data be collected from study participants? • In what setting will the study occur?

  5. Types of Quantitative Designs Designs & Major Features: Control over the “independent variable” • Experimental • Quasi-experimental • Non-experimental

  6. Designs & Major Features Designs & Major Features: Type of “group comparisons” • Between Subjects • Within Subjects

  7. Designs & Major Features Designs & Major Features: Number of “data collection points” • Cross-sectional • Longitudinal

  8. Designs & Major Features Designs & Major Features: Occurrence of “independent and dependent variable” • Retrospective • Prospective • Descriptive

  9. Designs & Major Features Designs & Major Features: “Setting” • Naturalistic • Laboratory

  10. Quantitative Designs Discussion EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Characteristics: • Manipulation – treatment/intervention • Control – control group/experimental group • Randomization – random assignment – no systematic bias

  11. Quantitative Designs Discussion Types of experimental designs: • After-only or Post-test only • Factorial Design • Repeated measures design • Clinical trials

  12. Advantages Most powerful Controlling properties Greater corroboration – independent variable affects the dependent variable Disadvantages Number of variables are not amenable to manipulation Many variables could technically be manipulated but not ethically Not feasible due to environmental aspects Hawthorne Effect Experimental Design

  13. QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL Types of quasi-experimental designs: Two most common are: • Nonequivalent Control-group before-after design (Pre-test Post-test) • Time Series Designs (one-group before-after design)

  14. Advantages Practical – not feasible to conduct true experiments Introduces some control – full experimental rigor is not possible Disadvantages Lack randomization or control group features Cause-and-effect inferences cannot be made easily – may alternative explanations for results “Rival hypotheses”- one plausible rival explanaton QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

  15. NON-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH Types of non-experimental designs: (a) Ex Post Facto (Correlational research) • Retrospective studies (ex post facto investigations) (c) Prospective studies (case-control design) • Descriptive (descriptive correlation study)

  16. Advantages Nursing – problems not amenable to experimentation Correlational efficient & effective means of large data collection Realism is high vs. artificial Disadvantages Inability to reveal causal relationships conclusively Self-selection NON-EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH

  17. Quantitative Research Designs and the “Time Dimension Time Series Studies • four situations: • Time-related processes • Time sequenced phenomena • Comparative purposes • Enhancement of research control

  18. CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES Cross-sectional Studies • data collection at one point in time • Appropriate for describing the status of a phenomena or relationships among a phenomena at a fixed point • Retrospective studies are usually cross-sectional • Weaker than longitudinal studies • Main advantage – economical and easy to manage

  19. LONGITUDINAL STUDIES Longitudinal Studies • data collected over an extended period of time • Main value – to demonstrate changes over time – temporal sequencing = causality • 3 types: (1) trend studies (2) panel studies (3) follow-up studies Attrition – may cause problems

  20. SPECIFIC TYPES OF QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH SURVEY -self reports EVAULATIONS • find out how well a program, treatment, or policy works • Types of evaluations: (1) process analysis (2) outcome analysis (3) impact analysis (4) cost-benefit analysis

  21. Outcomes Research • Nursing and allied health disciplines are involved • Overlaps with evaluation research • Purpose to document the effectiveness and efficiency of today’s health care system – to justify care practices, to improve patient outcomes and costs • A very global assessment of health care • Derived from quality assessment and quality assurance

  22. RESEARCH CONTROL TECHNIQUES • main purpose of quantitative research – maximize control over the research situation • Confidence that the conditions of the environment are not influencing the data • maintain a true relationship b/w independent and dependent variables • Control external and intrinsic factors CONSTANCY OF CONDITIONS: controlling “external factors” • minimize situational contaminants – laboratory vs. natural setting? • time control – time of day or year data collected • Communications with study participants – formal research protocols

  23. RESEARCH CONTROL TECHNIQUES Methods of controlling “Intrinsic Factors”: • Randomization • Homogeneity • Matching • Statistical control

  24. INTERNAL & EXTERNAL VALIDITY INTERNAL VALIDITY Define – the extent to which it is possible to make an “inference” that the independent variable is truly influencing the dependent variable • high degree of validity – experimental vs. quasi-experimental/correlation why?

  25. INTERNAL & EXTERNAL VALIDITY Threats to Internal Validity: • History • Selection • Maturation • Mortality

  26. INTERNAL & EXTERNAL VALIDITY EXTERNAL VALIDITY Define – the “generalizability” of the research findings to other settings or samples • adequacy of the sampling design • environmental or the research situation influences a study’s external validity

  27. Critiquing Quantitative Research Designs See page 198 – Box 8-1 Suggest to refer to for you term paper

  28. MAKING CONNECTIONS IDENTIFY THE “INDEPENDENT & DEPENDENT” VARIABLE • Nurses’ attitudes toward mental retardation vary according to their clinical speciality area. • The type of nursing care primary versus team is unrelated to the frequency of turning patients. • The incidence of decubitus ulcers is related to the frequency of turning patients. • Baccalaureate and associate degree nurses differ in use of touch as a therapeutic device with patients. • First time blood donors experience greater stress during the donation than donors who have given blood previously. • Surgical patients who give high ratings to the informativeness of nursing communications experience less level preoperative stress than do patients who give low ratings.

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