RESEARCH DESIGN Also Available Handbook of Emergent Methods Edited by Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber and Patricia Leavy Method Meets Art, Second Edition: Arts-Based Research Practice Patricia Leavy Forthcoming Handbook of Arts-Based Research Edited by Patricia Leavy Research Design Quantitative, Qualitative, Mixed Methods, Arts-Based, and Community-Based Participatory Research Approaches PATRICIA LEAVY THE GUILFORD PRESS New York London Copyright © 2017 The Guilford Press A Division of Guilford Publications, Inc. 370 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1200, New York, NY 10001 www.com All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America This book is printed on acid-free paper. Last digit is print number: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the publisher.
ISBN 978-1-4625-1438-0 (paper) – ISBN 978-1-4625-2999-5 (hard) To Mark Robins, the best spouse and friend anyone could have Thank you for your unfailing support, wisdom, and encouragement during the long process of writing this book. PREFACE I think of research design as building a structure or plan for your research. Just as architects work with many different general types of structure—single-family homes, multifamily homes, nonresidential buildings, and so forth—social research- ers have five primary structures with which they work: quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, arts-based, and community-based participatory. We call these approaches to research design, and the one we select for a given research project depends on considerations including our topic and purpose.
The selected approach provides only the general purpose and structure for the research project, just as an architect with an assignment to design a single-family home still has many choices with respect to the style, layout, and size of the building. Within each of the five major design approaches, there are innumerable pos- sibilities for how research might proceed. We have to consider two questions: What do we want to achieve? and How do we execute that goal? This is the process of building a methodology, which is a plan for how the research will be carried out. There are many tools at our disposal—methods, theories, and so forth—that we use to build a research plan.
The philosophical point of view, professional experience, ethical standpoint, and practical skill set we, as individual researchers, bring to the table also influence how we design a project. We put our own stamp on our research projects the same way an architect might through unique stylistic features. In addition to reviewing these five approaches to design, this book is unique because of its attention to ethical practice, emphasis on writing a research proposal (and how this proposal differs across approaches to design), modeling of the use of appropriate language for each of the five designs, and the extensive pedagogi- cal features employed to make this text user-friendly for students, professors, and researchers. Special Features of This Book A Focus on Ethics Often research design texts present a chapter on ethics in research or, in some cases, just a section of a chapter.
However, ethics are intertwined with all phases vii viii Preface of the research design process. Therefore, in addition to including a robust chapter devoted to ethics, the five chapters that address methods each feature “Ethics in Practice” flags, highlighting some moments in the research process in which ethics have a bearing on decision making. Writing a Proposal Most students of research methods and novice researchers alike need assistance in learning how to write a solid research proposal. Therefore, at the beginning of each of the design approach chapters (Chapters 4–8), I present a template for a research proposal.
The remainder of the chapter elaborates on the elements in the template. So, instead of arbitrarily learning the dos and don’ts of each approach to design, as you learn the nuts and bolts of each approach, you are simultaneously learning how to put it all together in a research proposal. As a pedagogical feature, a summary of the proposal template is presented at the end of each chapter as well. It’s impor- tant to note that the format for writing research proposals bears close similarities to the organization of journal articles.
In other words, writing a proposal mirrors the process of a final write-up intended for publication. So for those readers not planning to write a formal research proposal, the structure of the chapters may help you reflect on how to structure your research write-up, in addition to provid- ing the content you need for your work. Finally, because quantitative research and (often) mixed methods research follow “deductive” research models, whereas quali- tative arts- and community-based participatory research approaches generally fol- low “inductive” designs, I have followed those models in the structuring of the five chapters on methods. In the quantitative and mixed methods chapters, the methods instruction occurs prior to the use of published research examples.
In the quali- tative arts- and community-based participatory chapters, the methods instruction occurs after published research examples are presented. In these subtle ways, each methods chapter models the tenets of that approach to design. A Note about Language The issue of language in how we write research proposals and ultimately repre- sent our research is important and often overlooked in the literature. Researchers using the five different approaches reviewed in this book tend to use different words to describe the components of their work.
These words are meaningful and carry implications about what we, as researchers, can know and how we develop that knowledge. Here are some examples of words that may be employed as a result of the approach with which you are working (this is by no means exhaustive): • respondent, subject, participant, co-creator, collaborator: the people on whom our research is focused. • discover, generate, unearth, collect: how knowledge is acquired. • method, practice: the tools used to gather/generate data.
Preface ix • findings, results, renderings, outcomes: the final product of research. • data, content: raw information. • research study, inquiry: our process. Just taking the first example of the words used to describe the people on whom our research is focused, different approaches lead us to weight words differently.
In quantitative research, we often see the word subject or respondent (although some quantitative researchers have shifted to the word participant); in qualitative research, we may see participant; in mixed methods research, we may see respon- dent, subject, or participant; in arts-based research, we typically see participant, co-creator, or collaborator; and in community-based participatory research we generally see co-creator or collaborator. These differences in language are not ran- dom but rather speak to deeper issues about the philosophical beliefs and research practices guiding inquiry. In order to highlight the importance of language and model how you might write a research proposal with these five approaches in Chap- ters 4–8, I employ the terms commonly used in that type of research. Extensive Pedagogical Features This text is meant to be very user-friendly.
As such, numerous pedagogical fea- tures are employed. Key terms and concepts appear in bold type, and there are easy-to-read tables and figures throughout the book. Every chapter includes mul- tiple “Review Stops” so that readers can review the information in the preceding sections. Readers are then directed to “Go” to the end of the chapter to check their answers.
The “Review Stops” are an opportunity to pause, recap, and make sure the information has been processed before continuing. The end of every chap- ter also includes a “Further Engagement” section, which provides more advanced writing and research activities designed to put the chapter content into practice. Resources (books, chapters, websites) and suggested journals are also provided for each chapter, as appropriate. At the end of each methods chapter, there is a summarized version of the research proposal template.
I also interviewed leading researchers across the disci- plines known for their work with the five approaches reviewed in this text. Some of their top tips appear in “Expert Tip” boxes in Chapters 4–8. The book also includes a glossary of key terms that follows Chapter 8. Lastly, PowerPoints are available for instructors who adopt the book for class use.
Instructors can email Guilford at info@guilford.com (with subject line “PowerPoints for Research Design”) to request the files. Instructors should provide the following information in their email: • Department • University • Name of course and level x Preface • Expected enrollment • Author/title of previous book used, if applicable Audience for the Book This book is appropriate for undergraduate and graduate research methods courses across the social and behavioral sciences. The format of Chapters 4–8, each of which models a research proposal and shows readers how to fill in that proposal, makes the book useful for individual graduate students writing their master’s or dissertation research proposals, as well as researchers at any level looking for assis- tance with this process. Organization of the Book Part I provides a detailed discussion of research design in general: what it is, why we do it, what the five approaches are well s uited for, ethical practice, and the nuts and bolts of starting to design a project.
Part II presents a chapter on each of the five approaches to research design. These chapters can be read independently and out of order (although it’s advisable to read the quantitative and qualitative chapters prior to reading the mixed methods chapter). Chapters that aren’t of interest can also be skipped. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS B ooks are never the result of one person’s work, but rather represent the work and generosity of many.
First and foremost, I am profoundly grateful to my publisher and editor extraor- dinaire, C. There is no one else like you in this business. When I dreamed of being an author as a kid, you were my fantasy editor. Who knew you were real? This is a much better book because of your careful reading of numerous drafts, vast knowledge of the field, advice and suggestions, and, above all, your belief in the value of this project.
You’re simply the best. Not only are you an exem- plary publisher, but you’re a wonderful person and cherished friend. I extend a spirited thank you to the entire team at The Guilford Press, a class act. I’m truly honored to work with you.
In particular, thank you to Seymour Wein- garten, Bob Matloff, Katherine Sommer, Anna Brackett, Judith Grauman, Kath- erine Lieber, Marian Robinson, Margaret Ryan, Paul Gordon, Carly DaSilva, and Andrea Sargent. Thank you to the formerly anonymous reviewers: Barbara B. Levin, Depart- ment of Teacher Education and Higher Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Amanda Byron, Conflict Resolution Program, Portland State Univer- sity; Mary P. Martinasek, Public Health Program, University of Tampa; and Larry Maucieri, Division of Psychology and Counseling, Governors State University.
You provided thoughtful and detailed suggestions that have greatly strengthened this book. Your advice was invaluable and deeply appreciated. I couldn’t do any of this work without my long-time assistant and dear friend, Shalen Lowell. Your assistance with the literature review, creating tables, helping with permissions and rights to republish, keeping me laughing through the long writing process (no small task), and so much more was absolutely instrumental.
Furthermore, had you not kept so many other balls in the air, I would not have been able to give this book the attention it demanded. Thank you! Many generous colleagues have also contributed to this book. Thank you, Gioia Chilton, for your assistance in interviewing the researchers whose “Expert Tips” appear in boxes throughout this book. Thank you kindly to those experts willing to share their insider advice for the betterment of the field.
Your wisdom xi xii Acknowledgments and generosity are deeply appreciated. Marianne Fallon, you’re an exemplary col- league. Thank you for sharing your unpublished manuscript with me and offering advice when I needed it.