In this article, which is the first part of a series on study designs, we provide an overview of research study designs and their classification. Here, four of the major qualitative research designs namely phenomenology, ethnography, grounded theory and case study are introduced. Descriptive research refers to research that describe a phenomenon or else a group under study. Hookah cafes are an increasingly popular venue for socializing. The study design used to answer a particular research question depends on the nature of the question and the availability of resources. Unlike in the case of descriptive research, in experimental research, the focus is not on describing the population. Analytic study designs the architecture of the various strategies for testing hypotheses through epidemiologic studies, a comparison of their relative strengths and weaknesses, and an indepth investigation of major designs. Descriptive studies include case reports, caseseries. Descriptive research is a study designed to depict the participants in an accurate way. Ecologic study and crosssectional study see chapter 4 are the most commonly applied in descriptive epidemiologic studies. A descriptive study design is one in which your primary goal is to assess a sample at one specific point in time without trying to make inferences or causal statements. Study designs are primarily of two types observational and interventional, with the former being loosely divided into descriptive and. Aggarwal 2008 descriptive research is devoted to the gathering of information about prevailing conditions or situations for the purpose of description and interpretation. Methods of sampling, data collection and data analysis.
In general, there are three primary reasons to conduct descriptive studies. Assumptions in this study were discussed in detail in chapter 1, section 1. Descriptive research design 12 is a valid method for researching specific subjects and as a precursor to more quantitative studies. Studies suggest that waterpipe users perceive smoking the waterpipe as less addictive and harmful than cigarette smoking. Selecting the appropriate study design for your research.
Download a pdf by jeremy howick about study designs. Supplement for chapter 14 qualitative descriptive studies m any nursing studies that involve the collection and analysis of qualitative data do not have roots in one of the disciplinary traditions described in the textbook. So, they are observational, case study and survey method. Data type versus data analysis article pdf available in language teaching research 192. A crosssectional survey is a specific method you could use in a descriptive research study. Descriptive designs d o not have an intervention or treatment and are considered nonexperimental. To learn about the characteristics of a population at one point in time like a photo snap shot. Common uses of descriptive accounts in education research and practice 7 box 6. This is an extension of the descriptivesurvey, with the addition being the normative element. Polit and beck, in a paper that won an award from sigma theta tau international in. It allows the researcher to study and describe the distribution of. We have referred to cohort studies, crosssectional, and casecontrol studies as the sources of the measures we examined, but the study designs themselves were. Experimental, quasiexperimental, and descriptive chapter outline introduction experimental study designs quasiexperimental designs descriptive quantitative designs additional types of designs researcher interview. Study designs in epidemiologic research ju medicine.
Practice questions test your understanding of case studies and. Analytic study designs the architecture of the various strategies for testing hypotheses through epidemiologic studies, a comparison of their relative strengths and weaknesses, and an indepth investigation of. This article discusses the subtypes of descriptive study design, and their strengths and limitations. In the descriptive normative survey, the results of the study should be compared with the norm. The subsequent articles will focus on individual designs. The researcher employed a phenomenological research design and methodology to achieve the objectives of this study. This is an extension of the descriptive survey, with the addition being the normative element. Crosssectional study objective to estimate the magnitude and patterns of violence against pregnant women study populationbased, household, crosssectional study in mbeya and dar es salaam, tanzania, 20012002 result violence experienced by 7% in dar es salaam and 12% in mbeya. Seminar objectives provide an overview of different types of study designs. With this type, we can observe both animal and human behavior.
A fundamental element of descriptive reporting is a clear, specific, and measurable definition of the disease or condition in question. Our first distinction is whether the study is analytic or nonanalytic. Next month, will discuss how to choose a statistical. Its purpose is to get how many people think, act or feel in one concrete way. Whilst there are some valid concerns about the statistical validity, as long as the limitations are understood by the researcher, this type of study is an invaluable scientific tool. A fundamental element of descriptive reporting is a clear, specific, and measurable definition of. Simple random, convenience, systematic, cluster, stratified statistics help duration. Exploratory descriptive designs, usually field studies in natural settings, provide the least control over variables. Waterpipe smoking started as a cultural phenomenon but has become a social phenomenon. Descriptive research design observing a phenomenon.
More simply put, descriptive research is all about describing people who take part in the study. Some designs gather information from people with y and without y and then see who was exposed to x in the past. The research design should be carefully developed to ensure that the results are valid and reliable surveys. A descriptive study of the perceptions and behaviors of.
A crosssectional descriptive study was conducted with a sample of first year students at a historically black university in the western cape, south africa. Crosssectional means that you conduct the survey at just one point in time. We need to understand what research design is and what it is not. Basic research study designs in epidemiology study design is the arrangement of conditions for the collection and analysis of data to provide the most accurate answer to a question in the most economical way. Descriptive studies are helpful in revealing patterns and connections that might otherwise go unnoticed. Descriptive research design definition, methods and examples.
If the limitations are understood, they can be a useful tool in developing a more focused study. Difference between descriptive and experimental research. Descriptive epidemiology an overview sciencedirect topics. An example of using descriptive analysis to interpret causal research 5 box 5. Research designs are developed to meet the unique requirements of a study.
An example of using descriptive analysis to evaluate plausible causes and generate hypotheses 4 box 4. Quantitative projects are concentrated in big groups, and they concentrate only on the number of concrete responses. Descriptive studies often surveys also known as statistical research, describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied. It allows the researcher to study and describe the distribution of one or more variables, without regard to any causal or other hypotheses. For example, the national health and nutrition examination survey is a crosssectional study.
For example, an organization that wishes to test the skills of its employees by a team may have them take a skills test. The aim of this study was to assess the beliefs, and associated behaviours, regarding the healthrisk. In this type of research study, either the entire population or a subset thereof is selected. Experimental research refers to research where the researcher manipulates the variable to arrive at conclusions or else to come across findings. Polit and beck, in a paper that won an award from sigma theta tau international in 2011, analyzed more. To identify areas for further research to help in planning resource allocation needs assessment. Descriptive epidemiology can thus generate hypotheses of etiologic research. The term descriptive research refers to the type of research question, design. Of the various observational study designs, the descriptive design is the simplest.
Descriptive study designs can help you show whether your program is operating as planned, provide you with feedback about the services you offer, determine whether your program is producing the types of outputs and outcomes you want, and help clarify. A nonanalytic or descriptive study does not try to quantify the relationship but tries to give us a picture of what is happening in a population, e. The data collected either contribute to the development of theory or explain phenomena from the perspective of the persons being studied. Introduction to study designs moazzam ali geneva foundation for. The term descriptive research refers to the type of research question, design, and data analysis that will be applied to a given topic. Understand key considerations in designing a study, including randomization, matching and blinding. Provide an overview of different types of study designs. There are different types of experiments such as quasiexperiments. Test your knowledge of descriptive research design in this quiz and worksheet combo. Experimental design regular use of control groups in psychosocial and educational research dates.
Learn more about the characteristics, methods, examples and disadvantages of descriptive research. Descriptive research can use both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Overview of study designs university of california, davis. The 3 basic types of descriptive research methods were mentioned before, and now we will open them widely. Descriptive research does not fit neatly into the definition of either quantitative or qualitative research methodologies, but instead it can utilize elements of both, often within the same study. Steps in a descriptive analysisan iterative process 8 box 7. Exploratorydescriptive designs, usually field studies in natural settings, provide the least control over variables. It allows the researcher to study and describe the distribution of one or more. Next are quasiexperimental designs with an in tervention but no randomization. Experimental research is a research where the variables are manipulated by the researcher to arrive at conclusions or come across findings. Epidemiologic study designs johns hopkins medicine. One of the most common and wellknown study designs is the crosssectional study design.
Descriptive research is often used as a precursor to more quantitative research designs with the general overview giving some valuable pointers as to what variables are worth testing quantitatively. Descriptive research is often used as a precursor to quantitative research designs, the general overview giving some valuable pointers as to what variables are worth testing quantitatively. In our previous article in this series, we introduced the concept of study designs as the set of methods and procedures used to collect and analyze data on variables specified in a particular research question. Epidemiologic study designs descriptive studies seeks to measure the frequency of disease andor collect descriptive data on risk factors analytic studies tests a causal hypothesis about the etiology of disease experimental studies compares, for example, treatments. The aim of this study was to assess the beliefs, and associated behaviours, regarding the healthrisk of smoking the waterpipe. In the descriptivenormative survey, the results of the study should be compared with the norm. Supplement for chapter 14 qualitative descriptive studies. Quantitative research design has an interesting interpretation and aim.
Descriptive research is defined as a research method that describes the characteristics of the population or phenomenon that is being studied. Survey research allows you to gather large volumes of data that can be analyzed for frequencies, averages and patterns. Quantitative experiments are often expensive and timeconsuming so it is often good sense to get an idea of what hypotheses are worth testing. Also learn about the reasons to use descriptive research and its disadvantages. Descriptive study designs are useful for simply describing the desired characteristics of the sample that is being studied, e. The nature of the study is descriptive, rather than evaluative, with the following goals.
The experimental and quasiexperimental designs, along with their strengths and drawbacks, are discussed in this chapter. Understand the strengths and limitations of each type of study design, as applied to a particular research purpose. Kristian filion, mcgill university, montreal kristian. First are experimental designs with an in tervention, control group, and randomization of participants into groups.
389 1097 1452 860 688 1361 63 119 292 533 624 1215 595 658 992 753 1110 1617 877 880 963 995 53 813 213 1021 1530 766 702 665 931 735 157 505 1164 276 1452 352 1179 1017 658 280 893 181 1452 427 980 147 1420