When to Use What Research Design

Systematic, practical, and accessible, this is the first book to focus on finding the most defensible design for a particular research question. Thoughtful guidelines are provided for weighing the advantages and disadvantages of various methods, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods designs. The book can be read sequentially or readers can dip into chapters on specific stages of research (basic design choices, selecting and sampling participants, addressing ethical issues) or data collection methods (surveys, interviews, experiments, observations, archival studies, and combined methods). Many chapter headings and subheadings are written as questions, helping readers quickly find the answers they need to make informed choices that will affect the later analysis and interpretation of their data. Useful features include: *Easy-to-navigate part and chapter structure. *Engaging research examples from a variety of fields. *End-of-chapter tables that summarize the main points covered. *Detailed suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter. *Integration of data collection, sampling, and research ethics in one volume. *Comprehensive glossary. See also Vogt et al.'s Selecting the Right Analyses for Your Data, which addresses the next steps in coding, analyzing, and interpreting data.

Table of Contents:
General Introduction: Design, Sampling, and Ethics _x000D_ I. Research Questions and Designs _x000D_ What Is the Role of Theory in Research Questions and Designs? _x000D_ 1. When to Use Survey Designs _x000D_ When Are Surveys Likely to Be a Wise Design Choice? _x000D_ When Should You Use Which Mode of Administering Your Survey? _x000D_ What Design Should You Use to Study Change over Time? _x000D_ What Question Formats Can You Use in a Survey Design? _x000D_ Conclusion on Survey Designs: So Many Questions, So Little Time _x000D_ 2. When to Use Interview Designs _x000D_ Comparing Interviews with Surveys _x000D_ Conclusion on Interview Designs in General _x000D_ Specific Interview Types, Approaches, and Procedures _x000D_ Conclusion _x000D_ 3. When to Use Experimental Designs _x000D_ What’s Wrong with Gold-Standard Thinking? _x000D_ When Is an RCT a Good Option? _x000D_ When Is an Experimental Design a Good Option for Your Research? _x000D_ When Should You Use the Basic Types of Experimental Design? _x000D_ General Conclusion on When to Use Experimental Designs _x000D_ 4. When to Use Naturalistic and Participant Observational Designs _x000D_ Overview of Observational Designs _x000D_ When Is Observation a Good Design Choice? _x000D_ Further Distinguishing between Naturalistic and Participant Observational Designs _x000D_ When Should You Use a Naturalistic Observational Design? _x000D_ When Should You Use Participant Observational Designs? _x000D_ Conclusion: Characteristics of All Observational Designs _x000D_ 5. When to Use Archival Designs: Literature Reviews and Secondary Analyses _x000D_ What Kinds of Archival Data Are Available for Researchers? _x000D_ When Should You Collect and Use Preexisting Data Rather Than Produce Your Own? _x000D_ Types of Archival Research _x000D_ Database Archives _x000D_ Organizational Records _x000D_ Textual Studies of Documents _x000D_ New Media, Including Internet Sources _x000D_ Conclusion _x000D_ 6. When to Use Combined Research Designs _x000D_ Simple versus Multipart Research Questions _x000D_ When to Combine Research Designs _x000D_ Types and Qualities of Combined Designs _x000D_ Logistical Considerations in Combined Research Designs _x000D_ Conclusion and Summary _x000D_ II. Sampling, Selection, and Recruitment _x000D_ 7. Sampling for Surveys _x000D_ Probability Samples _x000D_ Nonprobability Samples _x000D_ When Should You Try to Improve Response Rates? _x000D_ How Big Should Your Sample Be? _x000D_ Conclusion _x000D_ 8. Identifying and Recruiting People for Interviews _x000D_ How Interview Strategies Are Shaped by Research Questions _x000D_ Making Basic Decisions about Interview Sampling _x000D_ Conclusions on Selecting People to Interview _x000D_ 9. Sampling, Recruiting, and Assigning Participants in Experiments _x000D_ Randomized Controlled Trials _x000D_ Alternatives to RCTs _x000D_ Controlling for Covariates _x000D_ Conclusion: Sampling, Recruiting, and Assigning Cases in Experiments _x000D_ 10. Searching and Sampling for Observations _x000D_ Overview of Searching and Sampling Concerns in Observational Research _x000D_ Appropriateness and Relevance of the Sample _x000D_ Accessing Observation Sites _x000D_ Decisions Influenced by Resources and Other Practical Considerations _x000D_ Four Basic Sampling Decisions _x000D_ Sampling and the Five Types of Research Questions _x000D_ Conclusion and Summary _x000D_ 11. Sampling from Archival Sources _x000D_ When Do You Search and When Do You Sample? _x000D_ Sampling Research Literature to Build Upon and Synthesize It _x000D_ Database Archives _x000D_ Organizational Records _x000D_ Textual Studies of Documents

About the Author :
W. Paul Vogt, Dianne C. Gardner, and Lynne M. Haeffele, all at the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations, Illinois State University, Normal, USA

Review :
"A masterful and thorough presentation of 'when to use what.' From beginning to end, it is clear that you are reading the work of very accomplished researchers and educators. The authors use a particularly rich, colorful, and practical set of examples, including classic and contemporary research studies as well as wonderful day-to-day illustrations, such as TV channel surfing to introduce the notion of sampling. Readers can pick and choose individual chapters or read straight through the entire book, depending on their needs. The summary tables are extraordinarily useful and can serve as a quick reference to chapter structure and content." - Karen M. Staller, University of Michigan, USA "I am recommending this book as the core text for our required methods course at the graduate level. The reader is taken on a tour of the main research designs employed by social scientists, including various quantitative and qualitative, experimental and observational, and primary and secondary data designs. Highlighting how decisions about research design should be influenced by the nature of the research question, the authors also acknowledge when other factors come into play, including financial and ethical considerations. The text helps researchers decide when to use a particular research design; teaches how to choose appropriate methods for sampling, recruiting, and assigning treatments (for experiments); and explores the implications of these decisions. I like how the authors talk about debates in the literature and how they point out typical/common shortcomings of different approaches. Their frank language gives the book the feel of a trusted advisor providing honest advice." - Tracey LaPierre, University of Kansas, USA