This paper presents a model which illustrates the cyclical and interactive nature of the basic elements of the research design process. Rather than presenting each research design component in isolation, the model emphasizes their interrelationships. A brief discussion is presented on each of the following components of the model: (1) the "words"…

Researchers increasingly recognize that significance tests are limited in their ability to inform scientific practice. Common errors in interpreting significance tests and three strategies for augmenting the interpretation of significance test results are illustrated. The first strategy for augmenting the interpretation of significance tests…

Although there have been frequent calls for over-time research in mass communication, there are still many reasons that researchers use simpler designs. Each approach: two-time point, panel/repeated measures, and time-series experimental designs, offers its own advantages and disadvantages. By examining the benefits and disadvantages of each…

Tested were two elaborations of research design which were implemented to explain inconsistent findings concerning levels of father involvement in child rearing when the mother is employed. The first elaboration was to study separate dimensions of fathering participation, rather than treating it as a unitary factor. The second elaboration was to…

Kaplan (1964) describes the now classic distinction between "logic-in-use," the more or less logical cognitive style and procedures used by the educational scientist, and "reconstructed logic," the scientist's after-the-fact, explicit formulation and idealization of the logic and procedures. However, most technical documents…

Social scientists tend to adopt either a qualitative or a quantitative perspective in research on social support. As single methods, each perspective has unique distinctions, limitations, and trade-offs. These approaches are based on differing epistemological assumptions. Qualitative research attempts to understand human behavior from the…

Examination of seven refereed journals over a 10-year period (1977-1986) identified 28 papers using single-subject research methodology in studies involving preschool-aged children with handicaps or their families. Five types of single-subject designs were found to be used both alone and in various combinations. Of the 30 research designs…

The use of messages as experimental stimuli brings with it problems regarding the interpretability and generalizability of findings. Some psychologists and communication researchers have argued that message stimuli must be treated as random effects. A review of the literature examined data regarding experimental designs used in recent…

A major debate exists in the neuropsychology community concerning whether case study is preferable to group study of brain-damaged patients. So far, the discussion has been limited to the advantages and disadvantages of both methods, with the assumption that neurolinguists pursue a single goal attainable by one or the other method. Practical…

A brief review of research on protective factors that allow some individuals to make healthy adaptations despite debilitating circumstances precedes a critical discussion of symposium papers. The discussion is organized around three questions. First, does the search for protective factors demonstrate an important programmatic shift in…

This paper examines the metatheoretical concepts associated with ethnographic/qualitative educational inquiry and overviews the more commonly utilized research designs, data collection methods, and analytical approaches. The epistemological and ontological assumptions of this newer approach differ greatly from those of the traditional educational…

Present research connected with computer-based instruction indicates that many investigators rely on conventional experimental design and data analysis to address the research question. Although this is appropriate in many cases, the limits of hard and software resources and sample size in other cases have made conventional approaches a poor…

The author criticizes a number of research designs in which he finds two recurring defects: (1) the differentiation between research and evaluation, with the belief that the two concepts are incompatible, and that if one objective is chosen as the field of action, the other must be avoided; and (2) the nature of evaluation itself. This second…

The sharply drawn distinction between research and evaluation, and the equally sharp distinction between the carefully controlled laboratory-type experiment and the study occurring in the field, are seen as arbitrary and not very helpful. In illustrating this thesis, the author develops a design generally regarded as a "research" design…

The best way to get started in conducting measurement research in creative drama is to understand creative drama as fully as possible in order to discover significant issues that need the kind of clarification that measurement research can provide. A few basic research questions that will help people focus on particular projects in creative drama…