Statistics in Quantitative Methods The purpose of the assignment is to develop skills associated with selecting and applying methods for data collection, stationary and time series data analysis and h
Research Paper Part 2- Checklists
Quantitative Research- Surveys Checklist
What is your research purpose and potential benefits?
What is your hypothesis?
What are your variables?
What is the purpose of the survey design?
What are the reasons for choosing the design?
What is the nature of the survey design (e.g., cross sectional or longitudinal)?
How will the survey be administered (e.g. mail, phone, internet)? Justify your selected method (i.e. strengths and weaknesses)? If using an experiment, describe how the experiment will be implemented.
What is the size of the population?
Will your population be stratified (e.g. single stage or multi stage)? If so, how will it be stratified?
What type of sampling will be used (e.g. random sampling, convenience sampling)? What are the strengths and limitations of your type of sampling technique?)
How many people will be included in the sample? How will this size be determined? Will you be using power analysis (association between variables)?
What will be the procedure for sampling these individuals e.g. random or non-random?
What instrument will be used in the survey? Will you develop your own survey or will you use an existing survey. If using an existing instrument, who developed it, how many items/questions does it contain, does it have acceptable reliability and validity?
What procedure will be used to pilot or filed test the survey?
What is the timeline for administering the survey?
How will participants be recruited for the study?
How will the measures be scored and converted into variables?
How will the variables be used to test your research questions?
What steps will be taken in data analysis?
How will response bias be determined?
How will you present a descriptive analysis of data for all variables used in the study?
What statistics and statistical programs are best suited for your study?
What kinds of tests will be carried out to test your hypothesis e.g. t-tests, ANOVA, Chi-square etc.)?
What figures will be used to present your findings and why (e.g. tables, bar graphs, line graphs etc.)?
Will you be using time series? If using a time series:
What method will you choose to analyze and forecast the time series data that you plan to collect?
Have these methods of data analysis and forecasting been applied in similar situations by other authors? Include references and illustrations from the literature to show their advantages and disadvantages.
Attach a worked out examples of analysis and forecasting using simulated or previously published data.
How will you validate your findings/conclusions?
Quantitative Experimental Designs- Checklist
What is your research purpose and potential benefits?
What is you hypothesis?
What are your variables?
Who are the study participants?
How were the participants selected? What was in the inclusion and exclusion criteria?
How will the participants be randomly assigned?
How many participants will be in the study?
What experimental design will be used?
What are the independent variables and how will they be operationalized?
What are the dependent variables? How will they be measured?
Will variables be included as manipulation checks in the experiment? How and when will they be measured?
What instruments will be used to measure the dependent variables (outcomes) in the study? Why did you choose them? Who developed the measures? Do they have established validity and reliability?
How will participants be recruited for the study
What are the sequential step in the procedure for administering the experimental study to participants?
What are the potential threats to internal and external validity for the experimental design and procedures? How will they be addressed?
How will pilot testing of materials and procedures be conducted prior to formal data collection?
What statistics will be used to analyses the data (e.g. descripting and inferential)
Have similar hypotheses been tested by other authors? Include references and illustrations from the literature.
Attach a worked out example of hypothesis testing using simulated or previously published data.
How will the results be interpreted?
Qualitative Studies- Checklist
What is your research purpose and potential benefits?
What is your research question?
What type of qualitative design will be used for yours study? What is the design’s history, definitions, strengths and limitation?
Is the researchers’ role in reflexivity clearly articulated?
What is the purposeful sampling strategy for sites and individuals? What are its strengths and limitations?
What is the recruitment strategy for enrolling participants in the study?
What forms of data collection strategies will be used? What are the strengths and limitation of the strategies based on existing literature?
What are the procedures for recoding your information during the data collection (e.g. audio recording, paper copies)?
Are the data analysis? Which existing studies will inform your data analysis procedures and why?
How will you organize your data for analysis?
How will the research data be coded?
How will your data be represented e.g. tables graphs and figures.
How will your theses be interpreted?
How will biases for interpreting the analysis be specified?
Which strategies will be used to validate the findings?
