Module 5: Writing Assignment: Research Design & Pilot Study
Topic: Technology Addiction
- Due Friday by 11:59pm
Please choose quantitative (survey or experiment), OR qualitative approach.* Before you submit, check your work against the grading rubric to confirm that you have covered all graded aspects of the assignment. Please note that the items on the check list are grouped under four overarching grading rubric criteria for qualitative or quantitative design. Some of the criteria apply to all methods, and variations in expectations (for quantitative or qualitative design) are indicated in the description for each grading rubric criterion.
You may use this template
to organize the assignment, if you find it helpful. You may also use the narrative format — as in sentences and paragraphs!
*I am aware that some of you prefer the mixed methods approach. For this assignment, please proceed as if you are using the qualitative or mixed methods for your research at this point. If this presents a problem, please let me know.
Assignment instructions:
Design a quantitative study to address the research question or problem that you have already selected. Identify whether a survey or experimental design would be more appropriate.
If using a survey design, outline a method plan that includes the survey design, population and sample, instrumentation, variables, and data analysis and interpretation.
If using an experimental design, outline a method plan that includes the participants and design, variables, instrumentation and materials, experimental procedures, threats to validity, procedure, analysis, and interpretation.
Use the checklist in Table 8.1 if the study is a survey.
- Is the purpose of a survey design stated?
- Are the reasons for choosing the design mentioned?
- Is the nature of the survey (cross-sectional vs. longitudinal) identified?
- Are the population and its size mentioned?
- Will the population be stratified? If so, how?
- How many people will be in the sample?
- On what basis was this size chosen?
- What will be the procedure for sampling these individuals (e.g., random, nonrandom)?
- What instrument will be used in the survey?
- Who developed the instrument?
- What are the content areas addressed in the survey? The scales?
- What procedure will be used to pilot or field test the survey?
- What is the timeline for administering the survey?
- What are the variables in the study?
- How do these variables cross-reference with the research questions and items on the survey?
- What specific steps will be taken in data analysis to:
- Analyze returns?
- Check for response bias?
- Conduct a descriptive analysis?
- Collapse items into scales?
- Check for reliability of scales?
- Run inferential statistics to answer the research questions?
- How will the results be interpreted?
Use the checklist in Table 8.4 if the study is an experiment.
- Who are the participants in the study?
- What is the population to which the results of the participants will be generalized?
- How were the participants selected? Was a random selection method used?
- How will the participants be randomly assigned? Will they be matched? How?
- How many participants will be in the experimental and control group(s)?
- What is the dependent variable or variables (i.e., outcome variable) in the study? How will it be measured? Will it be measured before and after the experiment?
- What is the treatment condition(s)? How was it operationalized?
- Will variables be covaried in the experiment? How will they be measured?
- What experimental research design will be used? What would a visual model of this design look like?
- What instrument(s) will be used to measure the outcome in the study? Why was it chosen? Who developed it? Does it have established validity and reliability? Has permission been sought to use it?
- What are the steps in the procedure (e.g., random assignment of participants to groups, collection of demographic information, administration of pretest, administration of treatment(s), administration of posttest)?
- What are potential threats to internal and external validity for the experimental design and procedure? How will they be addressed?
- Will a pilot test of the experiment be conducted?
- What statistics will be used to analyze the data (e.g., descriptive and inferential)?
- How will the results be interpreted?
Please submit as a Word document. Your response, like any other writing assignment, will be checked for academic integrity. You will be graded using the attached rubric.
OR
Consider the research problem or question that you have already identified and conceptualize a qualitative study you want to conduct to address the problem. Write a plan for the procedures to be used in your qualitative study. Include your role and reflexivity, data collection procedures, data recording procedures, data analysis procedures, interpretation, and validity and reliability.
Use the checklist in Table 9.1 for a qualitative study. Are the following topics addressed?
- Are the basic characteristics of qualitative studies mentioned?
- Is the specific type of qualitative strategy of inquiry to be used in the study mentioned? Is the history of, a definition of, and applications for the strategy mentioned?
- Does the reader gain an understanding of the researcher’s role in the study (past historical, social, and cultural experiences, personal connections to sites and people, steps in gaining entry, and sensitive ethical issues)?
- Is the purposeful sampling strategy for sites and individuals identified?
- Are the specific forms of data collection mentioned and a rationale given for their use?
- Are the procedures for recording information during the data collection procedure mentioned (such as protocols)?
- Are the data analysis steps identified?
- Is there evidence that the researcher has organized the data for analysis?
- Has the researcher reviewed the data generally to obtain a sense of the information?
- Has coding been used with the data?
- Have the codes been developed to form a description or to identify themes?
- Are the themes interrelated to show a higher level of analysis and abstraction?
- Are the ways that the data will be represented mentioned (such as tables, graphs, and figures)?
- Have the bases for interpreting the analysis been specified (personal experiences, the literature, questions, action agenda)?
- Has the researcher mentioned the outcome of the study (developed a theory, provided a complex picture of themes)?
- Have multiple strategies been cited for validating the findings?
For the second part of the assignment, use this project design to collect and analyze some pilot data for your research project.
- For quantitative studies, collect at least 10 responses (from participants in your research).
- For qualitative studies, collect at least 2 responses (from participants in your research).
Include the following information in your report (these will become the Results section of your proposal):
- When, where and how did you collect the pilot data?
- What data did you collect?
- How did you organize and manage the pilot data?
- How did you analyze the pilot data?
- How do the pilot data inform your research question(s)?
- Based on the results of the pilot data, do you have any insights, adjustments, or predictions about your research project?
Write your report in APA style and submit as a Word document. Your submission will be checked for academic integrity and will be graded using the attached rubric.
Here are examples of the assignment. The first
is mine while this one
is a submission by a student in a previous session of the this class. Also, here’s
a summary guide to writing a research proposal. I hope you find the examples helpful in your decision on how to format/present your assignment for Modules 5 and 6.
Rubric