Unit 9 Survey, Archival, and Ex Post Facto

Designs
Objectives
To successfully complete this learning unit, you will be expected to:
1. Describe the logic of non-experimental, non-correlational research.
2. Identify the variables in a non-experimental, non-correlational design.
3. Analyze the aspects of a non-experimental, non-correlational design that enable a
researcher to draw conclusions about the results.
4. Explain what a researcher can do to reduce the threats to validity.
5. Evaluate non-experimental design methodology.
6. Apply lessons learned from a literature review to the design of a non-experimental
research study.

Learning Activities
u09s1 Studies
Readings
In the Leedy and Ormrod textbook, Practical Research: Planning and Design (10th ed.), read the
section on "Ex Post Facto Designs," pages 242247. This section reviews the basic concept of
ex-post facto and provides an example in which this design is combined with the experimental
approach.
In the Schonlau, Fricker, and Elliott e-book, Conducting Surveys Via E-Mail and the Web, read
the following chapters:

Chapter 1, "Introduction," pages 14.

Chapter 2, "Background on the Survey Process," pages 518.

These chapters discuss the use of survey research via the internet, which can be applied to mail
and face-to-face survey research, as well as important considerations for the survey research
process.
In the Weisburg e-book. The Total Survey Error Approach: A Guide to the New Science of Survey
Research, read the following chapters:

Chapter 1, "Scientific Survey Research," pages 515.

Chapter 2, "Survey Error," pages 1628.

Chapter 3, "Survey Modes," pages 2942.

These chapters cover many aspects of survey research in the context of survey error theory,
including response accuracy, participant selection, and survey administration.
In the Smith e-book, Using Secondary Data in Educational and Social Research, read Chapter 1,
"Secondary Data Analysis: An Introduction," pages 320, and Chapter 4, "Doing Secondary
Analysis," pages 6188. Secondary data is basically the same as archival data. This chapter
explains what secondary data are and how they might be used.
Article Search
Find and read a psychology research article that addresses, or is related to, your research topic in
which the researcher used a non-experimental, non-correlational approach (and which you could
use in your literature review). You may use an article you found previously for your literature
review. You will use this article in the first discussion of Unit 9.
The Search by Methodology library guide is useful for finding research articles and dissertations
that use a specific methodology. You can also use this guide to find resources that explain how to
use a methodology.

Practice Quiz 9

Launch Presentation
Multimedia
Click Launch Presentation to take Practice Quiz 9, which covers some of the concepts in this
unit. Although it is not comprehensive in its coverage of the material, it provides useful feedback
about your mastery of the material and will help you prepare for the graded quizzes. Practice
quizzes are not graded.
Optional Readings

Schonlau, M., Fricker, Jr., R. D. and Elliott, M. N. (2002). Conducting surveys via e-mail and the
web. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. Chapters 1 and 2 are required reading for this unit,
but if you are especially interested in survey research, other chapters in the book cover additional
topics, such as choosing survey instruments and guidelines for implementing the surveys.
Smith, E. (2008). Using secondary data in educational and social research. Bershire, Great
Britain: Open University Press. Chapter 1 is required reading for this unit, but if you are
especially interested in archival research, this rest of this book might be of interest. The book
covers the strengths and weaknesses of using archival data and provides examples.
Crano, W. D. & Brewer, M. B. (2002). Principles and methods of social research. Mahwah, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum.

u09s2 Assignment Preparation

In preparation for next week's assignment, you are encouraged to have a qualitative research
topic ready that you can use. You may use a qualitative research topic or a qualitative SMR form
that you have developed previously in a course or colloquium. Be sure to start drafting your
evaluation of how well these two research topics answer the research questions, as posed by the
research problem and literature review, and your justification for choosing one of these methods.
In addition, familiarize yourself with the Methodology Evaluation and Justification Paper
Scoring Guide.

u09q1 Multiple-Choice Quiz 2

Introduction
Multiple-Choice Quiz 2 will test your mastery of the material contained in all required readings
and other study activities in Units 69 and provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate your
mastery of the following course competencies:

Synthesize knowledge of quantitative research methods.

The quiz consists of 25 randomly-generated, randomly-ordered questions similar to the questions

contained in the practice quizzes.
Instructions

You have three hours to complete the quiz.

Multiple-Choice Quiz 2 is an open-book and open-notes quiz; however, you are not
permitted to consult with your peers or anyone else while taking the quiz, which is

considered cheating. Penalties for cheating will be determined by your instructor. In

addition, you are prohibited from printing, saving, or distributing the quiz.

The quiz will be available this week (Week/Unit 9) only. You must access, take, and
submit the quiz within this time period. Once you start the quiz, you must finish it, so
make sure you are ready. When you access the quiz, read the instructions and
troubleshooting page before you begin.

When you are finished, click Submit to receive credit. The quiz is scored automatically,
and you will receive feedback immediately. There are 100 total points possible. Each
question is worth four points.

You are allowed two attempts on the quiz. The highest grade on the quiz is the one that
will be used in determining your grade. The questions on the second attempt will be
randomly generated and randomly ordered. You can expect about half of the questions in
the second attempt to be different from the questions in the first attempt.

To start the quiz:

Click Multiple-Choice Quiz 2 on the navigation bar.

After you have read the instructions and troubleshooting page, click Begin Assessment.

If you experience any problems with the quiz, contact IT Support and your instructor.

u09d1 Non-Experimental Research

For this discussion, address the logic of non-experimental, non-correlational research. Then, find
and analyze a psychology research article that addresses, or is related to, your research topic in
which the researcher used a non-experimental, non-correlational approach (and which you could
use in your literature review). You may use an article you found previously for your literature
review. Compose your post as follows:

Briefly summarize the article and identify the variables.

Explain how the research exemplifies non-experimental, non-correlational research, and

identify the specific design, if appropriate.

Analyze the aspects of the research that enabled the researcher to draw conclusions about
the results. Include a description of the threats to validity that are particularly relevant to
this study, and describe what the researcher did to reduce these threats.

Explain how various design elements affected the researcher's conclusions.

Discuss how the article contributes to and informs your literature review about your
topic.

Ensure that your post includes proper APA citations. Provide an APA References list at the end of
your post. Provide a persistent link to your article, or submit a PDF file as an attachment to your
discussion post. The Persistent Links and Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) library guide provides
useful information for finding DOIs and persistent links inside different library databases.
Response Guidelines
Read your peers' discussion posts and respond to at least two of them. Ask questions of
clarification or interest and provide feedback on the substance of their posts. In addition, share
any relevant resources with your peers that might be helpful. Your responses are expected to be
substantive in nature and should reference the assigned readings, as well as other theoretical,
empirical, or professional literature to support your views.
Resources

Attributes and Evaluation of Discussion Contributions.

Professional Communications and Writing Guide.

Capella Graduate Online Writing Center APA Style and Format.

Persistent Links and DOIs.

u09d2 Non-Experimental Designs and Your Literature Review

For this discussion, briefly summarize what you have learned about the non-experimental
approach and designs. Identify the material you are most confident about and the material you
are least confident about. Post questions about the material you are least confident about.
Examine the literature review you have compiled thus far on your research topic, especially the
methodology and approaches reported in the articles. Be sure to answer the following questions:
1. Are non-experimental designs used very often in the literature you have reviewed? In
what way?
2. What variables have been investigated?
3. What have non-experimental designs contributed to the knowledge about your research
topic?

4. How will future non-experimental research on your research topic advance the
knowledge base in psychology? What specific variables should be investigated?
Ensure that your post includes proper APA citations. Provide an APA References list at the end of
your post.
Response Guidelines
Read your peers' discussion posts and respond to at least two of them. Ask questions of
clarification or interest and provide feedback on the substance of their posts. In addition, share
any relevant resources with your peers that might be helpful. Your responses are expected to be
substantive in nature and should reference the assigned readings, as well as other theoretical,
empirical, or professional literature to support your views.