Research Design Worksheet: Interdisciplinary Research Methods Course
Research Design Worksheet: Interdisciplinary Research Methods Course
Research Design Worksheet: Interdisciplinary Research Methods Course
The specific research design that you select for your research proposal is based upon your
research question. You have a quantitative and qualitative research question and will use a
quantitative and qualitative research design, respectively. This worksheet will help you align
each design with the associated research question.
Quantitative
Research question:
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Research hypothesis:
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Null hypothesis:
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Are your research questions and hypotheses manipulating variables (e.g. treatment/control,
introduction of an intervention) or working with variables as they occur naturally in the
environment (e.g. gender)? Are you comparing, considering cause/effect, or predicting? Based
upon your responses, what type of design is appropriate?
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What data collection methods will you use? (Surveys, other data files) Where and how will data
be obtained and from whom?
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Qualitative
Research question:
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Are you asking a question about a cultural group or experience, an experience bounded by
space/time, the perspective of participants related to a specific experience, or interpretations of
experiences to form theory? Based upon your response, what type of design is appropriate?
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What data collection methods will you use? (Interviews, observations, document reviews)
Where will data be collected and from whom/what?
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