Key Points

Research Designs:
Quantitative & • Research Design is the overall plan
Qualitative for answering the research question

M. Highfield, PhD, RN
• Purpose of Design - to get the
HSci310  most ACCURATE answer to the
question/hypothesis 

Oct­09  HSci 310 

Research Design is the overall plan

Quantitative Design includes:  for answering the research question

•  Whether there is intervention (IV)  What type of

data in
•  Comparisons 
1. Quantitative
•  Control of extraneous variables  design?

2. Qualitative
•  Timing & location of data collection 
design? 

Oct­09  HSci 310 

Research Design is the overall plan Quantitative Design 

for answering the research question  Characteristics 
–  Controlled 
–  Objectivity valued 
•  QUANTITATIVE 
•  QUALITATIVE  –  Specific, small piece of  reality 
1.  Experimental 
1.  Grounded theory  –  Experimental, Quasi­experiment, Nonexperimental 
2.  Quasi­experimental 
2.  Phenomenology  –  Short or long involvement 
3.  Nonexperimental 
3.  Ethnography  –  Tool = instrument; Avoid researcher influence 
4.  Historical  –  Data analyzed as specific time point 
5.  Other  –  Hypotheses possible 
–  Independent & dependent variables usually (may have 
only 1 variable) 
–  Typically within group or between group comparisons
Oct­09  HSci 310 

1 
 Purpose of Design:
Qualitative Characteristics  To get the MOST ACCURATE ANSWER (valid
answer) to the question/hypothesis

•  Flexible 
•  Holistic understanding  Internal External
•  Intense, long involvement 
validity = validity =
Confidence Confidence
•  Researcher = instrument  that IV is that results
•  Ongoing analysis  influencing DV are
generalizable
•  No independent & dependent variables 
to similar
•  NONexperimental, descriptive, natural setting  settings &
•  Typically no group comparisons  samples 

Research Designs:
Overview: QUANTitative Design  Quantitative
1. Experimental

2. Quasi-experimental

3. Non-experimental 

Oct­09  HSci 310  Oct­09  HSci 310 

Details: Single study

Quantitative Design QUANTitative Design
• Experimental
1. Randomization
2. Control group
3. Manipulation of IV/intervention
• Quasi-experimental
1. Lacks randomization? &/or
2. Lacks control group?
3. Manipulation of IV/intervention
• Non-experimental
– ex post facto
– Descriptive
– NO Manipulation of IV/intervention 

Oct­09  HSci 310  Oct­09  HSci 310 

2 
 Experimental Designs
– TYPES • ADVANTAGES
• Post-test only Strongest CAUSE & Effect
• Pre-test/post-test 1. Cause precedes effect
• Factorial designs (p. 227-8) 2. Empirical relationships
3. Rival hypotheses
• Repeated measures/ minimized
Crossover
• LIMITATIONS
– Some variables can‛t or
shouldn‛t be manipulated
– Hawthorne effect 

Oct­09  HSci 310  Oct­09  HSci 310 

p.227­8, Polit&Beck 

Conditions for Causation  Correlation is NOT causation: 
(Lazarsfeld, cited in Polit & Beck) 
Where are the 3 elements of causation? 
1. Presumed cause precedes presumed
effect
2. Empirical relationships between
presumed cause & presumed effect
3. Relationship cannot be due to a 3rd
variable (rival hypotheses minimized)

– ?Remember the advantages of

experiments? 

Oct­09  HSci 310 

Non-experimental Design
Quasi-experimental Designs • Useful:
– When can‛t or
• Characteristics • Advantages shouldn‛t manipulate
• Advantages
– Manipulation – Useful when IV Reflects ‘real world‛
– Absence of impractical to – Descriptive research Useful when other
randomization &/or conduct a true designs not
experiment [note: Phenomenological
of control group or other qualitative possible
also nonexperimental]
• Types
• Limitation
– Nonequivalent – Usually at least • Types (retrospective & • Limitations
control group one rival prospective) Functional
design hypothesis  – Description only relationships only
– Time series design – Ex post facto Self-selection =
– Correlational bias(?)
Oct­09  HSci 310  Oct­09  HSci 310 

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 Directional perspective 
Other Design Considerations  of design 

•  Directional perspective  1.  Retrospective data 

•  Time dimension 
•  Purpose of study  2.  Prospective data 
•  Research control 
•  Question:  Which of above is stronger 
design? (which one is more like to give 
accurate answer) 

Oct­09  HSci 310  Oct­09  HSci 310 

Time Dimension Purposes

of design of quantitative design
• Clinical trials (video)
1. Cross-sectional • Survey
vs. • Evaluation
• Needs assessment
2. Longitudinal
• Methodological
– Trend • Meta-analysis
– Panel • Qualitative
– Follow-up  – Field research
– Historical
– Meta-synthesis
– ?Case studies? 
Oct­09  HSci 310  Oct­09  HSci 310 

Control of Variables
& quantitative design
Control of Variables
(cont.)

• Control of INTERNAL extraneous

• Control of EXTERNAL extraneous
variables
variables – Sampling (randomization*, homogeneity,
– Environment matching)
– Timing – Statistics (ANCOVA) 
– Communication
– Treatment/intervention 
* randomization is the most effective

Oct­09  HSci 310  Oct­09  HSci 310 

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 Research Design is the overall plan
ANCOVA  for answering the research question 

•  QUANTITATIVE  •  QUALITATIVE 
1.  Experimental  1.  Grounded theory 
2.  Quasi­experimental  2.  Phenomenology 
3.  Nonexperimental  3.  Ethnography 
4.  Historical 
5.  Other 

Oct­09  HSci 310  Oct­09  HSci 310 

Good Control in the Design Yields 
Trustworthy Answers  Internal & External Validity
•  Statistical conclusion validity – confidence  Internal = External =
that used the statistical tests revealed empirical  Confidence that Confidence that
relationships (or lack thereof)  IV is influencing results are
DV generalizable to
• Threats are other settings &
•  Internal validity  samples
history, selection,
maturity, • Threats are
•  External validity  mortality/attrition inadequate control
or sampling 
Oct­09  HSci 310  Oct­09  HSci 310 

Statistical validity = References 

Whether the conclusions drawn from the analysis reflect the
real world. (Statistical power) Polit, D.F., Beck, C.T., & Hungler, 
B.P. (2010). Essentials of 
nursing research: Methods, 
• Type I error = rejecting true null appraisal, and utlization (7 th 
– No difference between experimental & control groups, but ed.). Lippincott: Philadephia, 
researcher mistakenly identifies one. PA. 
– like a false (+) clinical test

• Type II error = accepting false null

– Experimental & control groups are statistically different,
but researcher mistakenly finds no difference & concludes Examples were derived from 
IV makes no difference betweent groups. CINAHL online search on 
– like a false (-) clinical test  10/16/02

Oct­09  HSci 310  Oct­09  HSci 310 

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