Types of Research Studies

Posted on Sep 11, 2024 in Psychology and Sociology

UNIT VII: DESIGN METHODOLOGY

The determination of strategies and procedures to follow to respond to the problem and test hypotheses.

UNIT VII: Type of Study

The general outline or strategic framework that gives unity and coherence, sequencing and practicality to all activities that are undertaken to seek a solution to the problem and objectives. The type of study is defined from the stage of preliminary identification and formulation of the problem and objectives to address these.

CLASSIFICATION OF TYPES OF STUDY: Types of Quantitative Research Study

A) .- According to the Time of Occurrence of Events and Records of Information:

  • Retrospective: The researcher investigates events in the past.
  • Prospective: The investigator records the information as it is happening.
  • Retroprospective (Ambispective): The researcher records information about events that occurred previously to the study design, and the record continues on the facts.

B) .- According to the Period and Sequence of Study:

  • Cross-Sectional: Study variables simultaneously in a given time, making a cut in time. In this type of study, time is not important in relation to the way in which phenomena occur.
  • Longitudinal: Study one or more variables over a period that varies according to the research problem and the characteristics of the variable studies.

C) .- According to the Researcher’s Control of the Variables in Groups of Individuals or Units:

  • Case-Control: This study aims to understand what portion of the population that presented a particular health problem or phenomenon was exposed to the cause or associated factor. It investigates the relationship between the effect (E) and the cause (C).
  • Cohort: This study aims to understand what proportion of the population exposed to the cause or conditioning variable developed a particular outcome. It investigates the relationship from the cause (C) or variable condition to the effect (E) or outcome. The study group in this design is the one with the cause or condition variable.

D) .- According to Analysis and Scope of the Results:

D.1 .- Non-Experimental:
  • Descriptive:
    • Research: Characteristics of the population, magnitude of the problem (prevalence, incidence, proportion), factors associated with the problem, epidemiological, sociological, educational, and administrative events.
    • Characteristics: This is a first level of investigation. It presents the facts or phenomena but does not explain them. The design is not focused on testing hypotheses, even when based on general implicit assumptions. According to study variables, studies can be cross-sectional or longitudinal, prospective, retrospective, or ambispective.
  • Analytical or Explanatory:
    • Research: Factors related to specific phenomena, the cause or risk factor, the risk to a phenomenon, risk factors or aspects that have more influence on the phenomenon being studied.
    • Features: It is a more advanced level in relation to descriptive. Hypotheses are proposed aimed at verifying causal explanatory relations. Study of problems from cause to effect and vice versa. Requires the grouping of the sample or the study population into categories of analysis.
    • Results that May Be Obtained: Validate or reject the assumptions made. Provide groundwork for other analytical or experimental studies.
D.2 .- Quasi-Experimental:

This design has many experimental features, but the difference is that groups are not chosen randomly. Used when the control group cannot be left without intervention and made several variants to measure the effect of the causal factor. This design applies a combination of variables so that the control group will not remain without intervention.

Experimental:
  • Manipulation or application of the independent variable.
  • Random assignment of experimental and control groups.
  • Control variables.
By Post:
  • Research: Effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of operations. Effect of new educational methods, administrative and service delivery.
  • Characteristics: Fundamentally, the process evaluates the implementation and impact of programs and actions for health, education, and others. Tests some technologies, evaluates the process and effect for global application. Its main feature is embedding research into the implementation of programs. Making adjustments allows simultaneous execution. Prospective and longitudinal are mostly, but there may be other designs.
  • Results that May Be Obtained: Evaluative analysis of the actions being undertaken. Basis for adding rules. Innovations in action: health services, administration, and evaluation.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE SELECTION OF THE TYPE OF STUDY

  • The type of research problem.
  • The socio-political context in which the problem exists.
  • The researcher’s view on the problem and the production of knowledge.
  • The interests and biases of the researcher.
  • The type of variables and their measurement.
  • The risk they may pose to the subjects.
  • The relationship between variables that seeks to establish.
  • The time required for observation of the phenomenon.
  • The resources available to conduct the study.
  • The design that provides the greatest amount of information required to respond to the problem.