CONTENT
Analytic Contents of Research Techniques xv
Preface xix
Purpose xix
Audience xix
Format xx
Outline of Chapters xxii
Acknowledgments xxvii
About the Author xxix
Part I: Preliminary Considerations 1
1. The Selection of a Research Design 3
The Three Types of Designs 3
Three Components Involved in a Design 5
Philosophical worldviews 5
The Postpositivist Worldview 6
The Social Constructivist Worldview 8
The Advocacy and Participatory
Worldview 9
The Pragmatic Worldview 10
Strategies of Inquiry 11
Quantitative Strategies 12
Qualitative Strategies 12
Mixed Methods Strategies 14
Research Methods 15
Research Designs as Worldviews, Strategies, and Methods 16
Criteria for Selecting a Research Design 18
The Research Problem 18
Personal Experiences 19
Audience 19
Summary 20
Writing Exercises 20
Additional Readings 20
2. Review of the Literature 23
The Research Topic 23
The Literature Review 25
The Use of the Literature 26
Design Techniques 29
Steps in Conducting a Literature Review 29
Searching Computerized Databases 30
A Priority for Selecting Literature Material 32
A Literature Map of the Research 33
Abstracting Studies 36
• Example 2.1 Literature Review in a Quantitative Study 37
• Example 2.2 Literature Review in
a Study Advancing a Typology 37
Style Manuals 38
The Definition of Terms 39
• Example 2.3 Terms Defined in a Mixed
Methods Dissertation 42
• Example 2.4 Terms Defined in an
Independent Variables Section 43
A Quantitative or Mixed Methods Literature Review 43
Summary 45
Writing Exercises 46
Additional Readings 46
3. The Use of Theory 49
Quantitative Theory Use 49
Variables in Quantitative Research 49
Definition of a Theory 51
Forms of Theories 53
Placementof Quantitative Theories 55
Writing a Quantitative Theoretical
Perspective 57
• Example 3.1 A Quantitative Theory Section 59
Qualitative Theory Use 61
Variation in Theory Use in Qualitative
Research 61
Locating the Theory in Qualitative
Research 65
• Example 3.2 A Theory Early in a Qualitative Study 65
• Example 3.3 A Theory at the End of a Qualitative Study 65
Mixed Methods Theory Use 66
• Example 3.4 Theory in a Transformative-Emancipatory
Mixed Methods Study 69
Summary 69
Writing Exercises 70
Additional Readings 71
4. Writing Strategies and Ethical
Considerations 73
Writing the Proposal 73
Sections in a Proposal 73
Format for a Qualitative Proposal 74
• Example 4,1 A Qualitative Constructivist/
Interpretivist Format 74
• Example 4,2 A Qualitative Advocacy/
Participatory Format 75
Format for a Quantitative Proposal 76
• Example 4.3 A Quantitative Format 76
Format for a Mixed Methods Proposal 77
• Example 4.4 A Mixed Methods Format 77
Designing the Sections of a Proposal 78
Writing Ideas 79
Writing as Thinking 79
The Habit of Writing 80
Readability of the Manuscript 82
• Example 4.5 An Illustration of the
Hook-and-Eye Technique 84
Voice, Tense, and "Fat" 85
Ethical issues to Anticipate 87
Ethical Issues in the Research Problem 88
Ethical Issues in the Purpose and
Questions 88
Ethical Issues in Data Collection 89
Ethical Issues in Data Analysis and Interpretation 91
Ethical Issues in Writing and Disseminating the Research 92
Summary 93
Writing Exercises 93
Additional Readings 94
Part II: Designing Research 95
5. The Introduction 97
The Importance of Introductions 97
Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Introductions 98
A Model for an Introduction 100
An Illustration 100
The Research Problem 102
Studies Addressing the Problem 104
Deficiencies in Past Literature 106
• Example5.1 Deficiencies in the
Literature—Needed Studies 106
• Example 5,2 Deficiencies in the Literature—Few Studies 107
Significance of a Study for Audiences 107
• Example 5.3 Significance of the Study Stated in an Introduction to a Quantitative Study 108
Summary 108
Writing Exercises 109
Additional Readings 109
6. The Purpose Statement 111
Significance and Meaning of a Purpose
Statement 111
A Qualitative Purpose Statement 112
• Example 6.1 A Purpose Statement in a
Qualitative Phenomenology Study , 114
• Example 6.2 A Purpose Statement in a
Case Study 115
• Example 6.3 A Purpose Statement
in an Ethnography 115
• Example 6.4 A Purpose Statement
in a Grounded Theory Study 116
A Quantitative Purpose Statement 116
• Example 6.5 A Purpose Statement
in a Published Survey Study 118
• Example 6.6 A Purpose Statement
in a Dissertation
Survey Study 119
• Example 6.7 A Purpose Statement in
an Experimental Study 120
A Mixed Methods Purpose Statement 120
• Example 6.8 A Concurrent
Mixed Methods Purpose Statement 123
• Example 6.9 A Sequential
Mixed Methods Purpose Statement 124
• Example 6.10 A Transformative Concurrent
Mixed Methods Purpose Statement 125
Summary 125
Writing Exercises 126
Additional Readings 126
7. Research Questions and Hypotheses 129
Qualitative Research Questions 129
• Example 7.1 A Qualitative Central Question From
an Ethnography 131
• Example 7.2 Qualitative Central Questions From
a Case Study 132
Quantitative Research Questions and Hypotheses 132
• Example 7,3 A Null Hypothesis v 134
• Example 7,4 Directional Hypotheses 134
• Example 7,5 Nondirectional and
Directional Hypotheses 135
• Example 7,6 Standard Use of Language
in Hypotheses 136
A Model for Descriptive Questions andHypotheses136
• Example 7.7 Descriptive and
Inferential Questions 136
Mixed Methods Research Questions and
Hypotheses 138
• Example 7,8 Hypotheses and Research Questions in a Mixed Methods Study 139
• Example 7.9 A Mixed Methods Question Written in Terms of Mixing Procedures 141
Summary 141
Writing Exercises 142
Additional Readings 142
8. Quantitative Methods 145
Defining Surveys and Experiments 145
Components of a Survey Method Plan 146
The Survey Design 146
The Population and Sample 147
Instrumentation 149
Variables in the Study 150
Data Analysis and Interpretation 151
• Example 8.1 A Survey Method Section 154
Components of an Experimental Method Plan 155
Participants 155
Variables 157
Instrumentation and Materials 158
Experimental Procedures 158
• Example 8.2 Pre-Experimental Designs 160
• Example 8.3 Quasi-Experimental Designs 160
• Example 8.4 True Experimental Designs 161
• Example 8.5 Single-Subject Designs162
Threats to Validity 162
The Procedure 165
Data Analysis 166
Interpreting Results 167
• Example An Experimental
Method Section 167