Research Design in Social Research

by David de Vaus

• ISBN13: 9780761953470
• ISBN10: 0761953477
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-03-05
• Publisher: Sage Publications Ltd

Summary

With this book David de Vaus has written one of the best general research methods textbooks around. The use of different types of research design as the point of departure is a different and very helpful approach to take, especially since many textbooks confuse issues of method and design. The author outlines with great clarity a wide variety of issues, including testing theories, causation, data analysis, and the main considerations involved in using the different research designs covered. Both students and their instructors will find this an extremely valuable, well-written book' - Alan Bryman, University of Loughborough

Table of Contents

List of Figures	xi
List of Tables	xiv
Preface	xvi
PART I: WHAT IS RESEARCH DESIGN?	1	(52)
The Context of Design	1	(16)
Description and explanation	1	(4)
Descriptive research	1	(1)
Explanatory research	2	(3)
Theory testing and theory construction	5	(3)
Theory building	5	(1)
Theory testing	6	(2)
What is research design?	8	(8)
Design versus method	9	(2)
Adopting a sceptical approach to explanations	11	(5)
Summary	16	(1)
Tools for Research Design	17	(17)
Before design	17	(10)
Focusing and clarifying the research question	17	(5)
Identifying plausible rival hypotheses	22	(2)
Operationalization	24	(3)
Concepts for research design	27	(5)
Internal validity	27	(1)
External validity	28	(1)
Measurement error	29	(3)
Summary	32	(2)
Causation and the Logic of Research Design	34	(19)
Inferring causal relationships	34	(5)
Criteria for inferring cause	34	(2)
Types of causal patterns	36	(3)
Providing a frame of reference	39	(8)
Comparing groups	40	(2)
Comparing time points	42	(1)
Making meaningful comparisons	43	(4)
Interventions and independent variables	47	(1)
Dimensions of research design	47	(1)
A range of research designs	48	(3)
Experimental design	48	(1)
Longitudinal design	49	(1)
Cross-sectional design	50	(1)
Case studies	50	(1)
Summary	51	(1)
Notes	52	(1)
PART II: EXPERIMENTAL DESIGNS	53	(60)
Types of Experimental Design	53	(17)
The classic experimental design	53	(6)
Experimental contexts	56	(3)
Simpler experimental designs	59	(3)
Post-test only with control group	60	(1)
Retrospective experimental design	60	(2)
More complex experimental designs	62	(7)
Multiple post-tests	62	(1)
Multiple groups	62	(1)
Solomon four-group design	63	(2)
Factorial designs	65	(4)
Summary	69	(1)
Notes	69	(1)
Issues in Experimental Design	70	(19)
Methodological issues	70	(8)
The problem of explanatory narrowness	70	(2)
Problems with internal validity	72	(4)
Problems with external validity	76	(2)
Practical issues	78	(5)
How much do you tell participants?	78	(1)
How many participants?	78	(1)
How should participants be recruited?	79	(1)
Gaps between tests and interventions	79	(1)
Which method of data collection?	80	(1)
Problems with randomized assignment	80	(2)
Unevenness of interventions	82	(1)
The self-fulfilling prophecy	83	(1)
Ethical issues	83	(5)
Voluntary participation	83	(1)
Informed consent	84	(2)
No harm to participants	86	(1)
Anonymity and confidentiality	87	(1)
Summary	88	(1)
Notes	88	(1)
Analysing Experimental Data	89	(24)
Selecting the method of analysis	89	(21)
What kind of analysis is required: description or inference?	89	(1)
What sort of sample do we have?	90	(1)
What level of data do we have?	90	(2)
Type of comparisons required?	92	(4)
What type of display is required?	96	(1)
How many groups are to be compared?	97	(4)
Are the comparison groups independent samples?	101	(1)
Is the dependent variable normally distributed?	102	(1)
Is the variance on the dependent variable similar between each comparison group?	103	(1)
How many indepent variables?	103	(1)
Summary process for selecting the right measure	104	(6)
Other issues	110	(1)
Change scores	110	(1)
Truncation effects (floor and ceiling effects)	110	(1)
Trend analysis	111	(1)
Summary	111	(1)
Note	112	(1)
PART III: LONGITUDINAL DESIGNS	113	(57)
Types of Longitudinal Design	113	(18)
Purposes of longitudinal design	114	(4)
Describing patterns of change and stability	114	(1)
Establishing temporal order	115	(1)
Establishing developmental (age) effects	115	(1)
Establishing historical (period) effects	115	(3)
Life course `career' analysis	118	(1)
Types of longitudinal design	118	(11)
Prospective panel designs	118	(8)
Retrospective designs	126	(2)
Quasi-longitudinal designs	128	(1)
Summary	129	(1)
Note	130	(1)
Issues in Longidutinal Design	131	(16)
Methodological issues	131	(7)
Issues of internal validity	131	(4)
Issues of external validity	135	(3)
Practical issues	138	(6)
Standardization of instruments	138	(1)
Panel attrition	138	(1)
Respondent burden	139	(1)
Respondent recall	140	(1)
Cost	140	(1)
Method of data collection	141	(1)
Number of waves	142	(1)
Gap between waves	142	(1)
Sample error	143	(1)
Sample size	143	(1)
Instrument design	144	(1)
Staffing	144	(1)
Ethical issues	144	(2)
Voluntary participation	145	(1)
Informed consent	145	(1)
Harm to participants	145	(1)
Confidentiality and anonymity	146	(1)
Summary	146	(1)
Data Analysis in Longitudinal Design	147	(23)
Missing data	147	(6)
Sources of missing data	147	(1)
Why a problem?	148	(1)
Identifying missing data bias	149	(1)
Dealing with missing data	149	(4)
Measuring change	153	(10)
Aggregate level versus individual level change	153	(1)
Qualitative versus quantitative change	154	(1)
Measuring change in panel designs	155	(8)
Describing change	163	(5)
Tables	163	(1)
Graphical	163	(5)
Summary	168	(1)
Note	169	(1)
PART IV: CROSS-SECTIONAL DESIGNS	170	(49)
Cross-Sectional Design	170	(6)
No time dimension	170	(1)
Reliance on existing differences	171	(1)
The nature of `groups' in the cross-sectional design	172	(1)
Obtaining a time dimension: repeated cross-sectional studies	173	(3)
Issues in Cross-Sectional Design	176	(18)
Methodological issues	176	(9)
Internal validity	176	(8)
External validity	184	(1)
Practical issues	185	(7)
Method of collecting data	185	(2)
Sample sizes	187	(3)
Sufficient variation in the sample on key variables	190	(1)
Information for statistical controls	190	(1)
Length	190	(1)
Types of data	191	(1)
Ethical issues	192	(1)
Summary	193	(1)
Notes	193	(1)
Cross-Sectional Analysis	194	(25)
Descriptive analysis	194	(7)
How many?	195	(1)
Level of detail	196	(1)
Form of data	197	(2)
Who?	199	(1)
Factor structures and scale structures	199	(1)
How general? How close?	200	(1)
Explanatory analysis	201	(2)
The logic of statistical controls	201	(2)
Multiple statistical controls	203	(1)
The elaboration technique	203	(8)
Basic approach	203	(1)
Interpretation	204	(6)
Problems with the elaboration model	210	(1)
Multivariable analysis	211	(1)
Cohort analysis	211	(7)
Constructing and reading cohort tables	212	(5)
Problems with cohort analysis	217	(1)
Summary	218	(1)
PART V: CASE STUDY DESIGNS	219	(48)
Case Study Design	219	(14)
What is a case?	220	(1)
Units of analysis	220	(1)
Holistic and embedded units of analysis	220	(1)
Case studies and theory	221	(5)
Explanatory case studies	221	(3)
Descriptive case studies	224	(2)
Other elements of case study designs	226	(2)
Single or multiple cases?	226	(1)
Parallel or sequential?	227	(1)
Retrospective or prospective?	227	(1)
Types of case study designs	228	(2)
What a case study is not	230	(1)
Not the one-shot case study	230	(1)
Not a data collection method	230	(1)
Summary	231	(1)
Note	232	(1)
Issues in Case Study Design	233	(16)
Methodological issues	233	(7)
Internal validity	233	(4)
External validity	237	(3)
Practical issues	240	(5)
Sampling	240	(2)
Number of investigators: getting consistency	242	(1)
When to go into the field	243	(1)
Presenting case studies	244	(1)
Ethical issues	245	(2)
Summary	247	(1)
Notes	248	(1)
Case Study Analysis	249	(18)
Statistical analysis	249	(1)
Meaning and context	250	(1)
Analysis in descriptive case studies	250	(3)
Theoretical dimension of descriptive analysis	250	(3)
Explanatory case studies	253	(10)
Theory testing analysis	253	(9)
Literal and theoretical replication	262	(1)
Analysis for theory building: analytic induction	263	(3)
Summary	266	(1)
Note	266	(1)
References	267	(4)
Index	271