Verified Document

Designing Effective Research For The Purpose Of Essay

Designing effective research for the purpose of studying administrative or policy issues can be a difficult task. An effective research design elicits the information and data necessary for the researcher to conclude certain results and findings that are both valid and reliable. Theoretically a research design will provide the researcher with efficient tools and a methodology that will be efficient and effective. However, theories are not always practical when it comes to administrative, policy or social concerns. One expert recently wrote "it is important to know that one model may not meet the needs of every locality" (Cimino, 2008, p. 19) and this is true regarding whether to use qualitative, quantitative or mixed research as well. The vast majority of time administrative problems arise because people view events with such diversity. Research that attempts to quantify qualitative findings is oftentimes much more difficult than theory would imagine.

There are some advantages to using quantitative research including the fact that quantitative figures don't often lie, they are real. When assessing qualitative feelings regarding policies or social problems a quantitative response allows the respondent to express those feelings in a numeric manner. Quantitative aspects of a research study will often include the fact that the study will have...

One of the problems with this type of approach is the fact that a researcher will have no clue as to who he is getting to participate in the research. He could be drawing from a large community of citizens who all feel that the current policy being researched is a bunch of bunk.
At the same time, a different group of citizens could have the exact opposite perception. Using quantitative figures in a qualitative atmosphere such as what can often be found in studies focusing on administrative, social or policy issues at least allows the researcher to quantify the participant's responses. This type of research is called mixed research and means that the study is "both qualitative and quantitative" (Zha, Kelly, Park, Fitzgerald, 2006, ab). This type of approach employs aspects of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.

There is also the question of reliability in certain research methodologies and the validity of the numbers. Determining how reliable the responses are in any particular study can be very fractious in the overall results. A quantitative study will often test the same individual with a pre-test and a post-test. Reliability usually refers to that person scoring approximately the same on each test again…

Sources used in this document:
References

Cimino, C. (2008). Diocesan and local leaders use new models to enable schools to survive and thrive, Momentum (Washington, D.C.), Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 18 -- 22

Zha, S.; Kelly, P.; Park, M.K.; Fitzgerald, G.; (2006) An investigation of communicative competence of ESL students using electronic discussion boards, Journal of Resource Technology Education, Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 349 -- 367
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Business Research Purpose of Business
Words: 1729 Length: 6 Document Type: Research Proposal

It is projected that at least 10% of the individuals receiving the survey will respond. There are a variety of reasons for using qualitative methods in a study such as this one. Even though there are drawbacks to the qualitative method including (but not limited to) the fact that respondents are not known and could be lying, the responses are very subjective, and the questions themselves are quantitative in nature,

Designing Effective Work Teams
Words: 639 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

Americans have been up in arms about the current state of public education and demanding changes. While many new schools are being built for new students, bus routes are being changed to accommodate the need and teachers continue to negotiate salaries, the single most important factor to providing a good education is the curriculum choices being made. Once the basic skills are learned and students prepare to enter middle

Designing XML Databases
Words: 7877 Length: 20 Document Type: Term Paper

Designing XML Databases What exactly is a 'web-enabled database? The World Wide Web, as everyone knows, provides the user with a host of tools with which he cane gain access to information and knowledge on the Internet and browse for information using web browsing technologies. Numerous people also use web browsing in order to deliver marketing messages, advertising information, promotional material for any products, and so on. However, what is most

Designing Good Deceptions in Defense
Words: 829 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

" This approach would also help protect computer systems from unauthorized access by insiders as well, he says (3). In the spirit of "fight fire with fire," Rowe says that because computer hackers typically use deceptive practices (e.g., impersonation, viruses/worms, and denial of service attacks), it just makes good sense to turn the tables on the hackers by using honeypots and honeynets to collect the kinds of information required to do

Designing a Speech Course for
Words: 4307 Length: 15 Document Type: Term Paper

Variations are to ask each student to write their own sheet or to have small groups do so. (22) Value Lines: Students line up according to how strongly they agree or disagree with a proposition or how strongly they value something. This gives a visual reading of the continuum of feelings in the group. Next, sort students into heterogeneous groups for discussion by grouping one from either end with

Designing & Implementing a Diversity Training Program
Words: 1109 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

DESIGNING & IMPLEMENTING a DIVERSITY TRAINING PROGRAM DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING A DIVERSITY TRAINING PROGRAM Good evening Designing and Implementing a Diversity Training Program Identify and discuss three objectives of the diversity training program. The purpose of a diversity training program is to protect both employees and employers. If employees feel that they are being unfairly treated, they need to understand what constitutes discrimination and harassment under corporate policy, and what their legal and workplace-specific rights

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now