Research Design & Methodology
Research design types, qualitative vs quantitative methods, sampling, validity/reliability -- how research studies are structured and conducted (distinct from data-management-specific rdm subclusters).
Guides
Case Study Research Method: Design, Types, and When to Use It
What qualifies as case study research, when to choose it, Yin’s and Stake’s design types, data triangulation, and analytic vs. statistical generalization.
Generalizability in Research: What It Means and How to Assess It
What generalizability means in research, the different forms it takes (population, ecological, temporal), how it differs from external validity and replicability, and how researchers assess and improve it.
Secondary Data Analysis Explained
What secondary data analysis is, how it differs from primary data collection, where to find real secondary datasets, and the advantages, limitations, and IRB considerations that come with reusing existing data.
Triangulation in Research: Types, Purpose, and How to Apply It
Triangulation means deliberately comparing multiple data sources, investigators, theories, or methods on the same question. Covers Denzin’s four types, how it differs from mixed-methods research, and how to apply and report it.
Phenomenological Research: Method, Approaches, and When to Use It
What phenomenological research is, its descriptive, hermeneutic, and IPA schools, and how to design, sample, and analyze a phenomenological study.
Snowball Sampling: Definition, Method, and When to Use It
How snowball (chain-referral) sampling works, its variants including respondent-driven sampling (RDS), strengths and well-documented biases, ethical issues in referral-based recruitment, and how to report it in a Methods section.
Thematic Analysis: A Step-by-Step Guide to Braun and Clarke’s Six Phases
How thematic analysis works: the six-phase Braun and Clarke framework, the three schools of thematic analysis (coding reliability, codebook, reflexive), inductive vs. deductive coding, and how to report it in a methods section.
Ethnographic Research: Method, Fieldwork, and Reporting
What makes a study ethnographic, core methods (participant observation, fieldnotes), key concepts (emic/etic, reflexivity, thick description), types of ethnography, how it differs from case study and other qualitative methods, reporting standards, and ethics.
Action Research: Method, Cycle, and When to Use It
Action research is a cyclical research approach in which researchers and practitioners jointly plan, implement, and study a change to a real problem, then revise and repeat. This guide explains the plan-act-observe-reflect cycle, its major traditions (technical, practical, emancipatory, PAR), how it differs from program evaluation and quality improvement, and what a rigorous write-up requires.
Longitudinal Study Design: Types, Strengths, and Limitations
A longitudinal study collects data from the same population at multiple points in time, enabling researchers to track within-subject change rather than a single snapshot. This guide covers panel, cohort, and trend designs, common uses, strengths and limitations, attrition benchmarks, and how to plan a longitudinal study from the ground up.
Null Hypothesis Explained: Definition, Examples, and How to Write One
The null hypothesis (H0) is the default claim that no effect, difference, or relationship exists — the position every significance test tries to find evidence against. Learn how it works, how to write one, and common misconceptions.
Confidence Interval Explained: How to Calculate and Interpret One
How to calculate a confidence interval for a mean or proportion, how confidence level and sample size affect its width, and the correct frequentist interpretation.
Stratified Sampling: Definition, Method, and When to Use It
How stratified sampling divides a population into subgroups (strata) for independent random sampling, the difference between proportional and disproportionate allocation, a worked example, and when to choose it over simple random or cluster sampling.
