Designing Quantitative Research

Researchers consider validity and reliability with each new study they design. This is because validity and reliability are not fixed but rather reflect a particular study’s unique variables, research design, instruments, and participants.

In the context of research design, two types of validity, which speak to the quality of different features of the research process, are considered: internal validity and external validity. Assuming that the findings of a research study are internally valid—i.e., the researcher has used controls to determine that the outcome is indeed due to manipulation of the independent variable or the treatment—external validity refers to the extent to which the findings can be generalized from the sample to the population or to other settings and groups. Reliability refers to the replicability of the findings.

For this Discussion, you will consider threats to internal and external validity in quantitative research and the strategies used to mitigate these threats. You will also consider the ethical implications of designing quantitative research.

With these thoughts in mind:

WRITE an explanation of a threat to internal validity and a threat to external validity in quantitative research. Next, explain a strategy to mitigate each of these threats. Then, identify a potential ethical issue in quantitative research and explain how it might influence design decisions. Finally, explain what it means for a research topic to be amenable to scientific study using a quantitative approach.

Be sure to support your Main Issue Post and Response Post with references to the  Learning Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA Style.

Readings

• Course Text: Babbie, E. (2016) Basics of social research (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
  • Chapter 3, “The Ethics and Politics of Social Research”
• Course Text: Burkholder, G. J., Cox, K. A., & Crawford, L. M. (2016). The scholar-practitioner’s guide to research design. Baltimore, MD: Laureate Publishing.
  • Chapter 7, “Quality Considerations”
• Handout: Threats to Internal Validity (PDF)
• Website: Walden University: Center for Research Quality. (2015b). Research ethics & compliance: Application & general materials. Retrieved fromhttp://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/orec/application

  Download the “Research Ethics Planning Worksheet” document.

• Website: Walden University: Center for Research Quality. (2015c). Research resources: Research planning & writing. Retrieved fromhttp://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/resources/planning

  Download the “Litmus Test” document.

• Website: Walden University. (2015a). How do I find an article that reports on research that uses a specific methodology? Retrieved from http://academicanswers.waldenu.edu/faq/72633
• Website: Walden University Writing Center. (2015). Common course assignments: Annotated bibliographies. Retrieved fromhttp://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/assignments/annotatedbibliographies

Media

• Endicott, L. (n.d.). IRB ethics review at Walden [Online tutorial]. Retrieved December 30, 2015, fromhttps://crq.adobeconnect.com/irb/
• Price, S. (2015). Annotated bibliographies [Online webinar]. Retrieved fromhttps://waldencss.adobeconnect.com/p7d6uqxv8g3?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal