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An Overview of Research Design:  9. Formulate the Data Collection Strategy
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See Also:  An Overview of Methods
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See Also:  Research Design
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1.  Selecting a Topic:   Finding the topic is the first step in research design
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2.  Formulate the Thesis
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3.  Choose the Types of Analyses
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4.   Research & Write a Literature Review & Refine the Thesis
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5. Formulate Research Objectives ( ROs ) from the Types of Analysis ( TOA )
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6. Conceptualization of the topic
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7.  Choose the methodology / the Research Instrument
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8. Operationalization
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9.  The formulation of the Data Collection Strategy determines the procdures 
      by which the Research Instrument will be applied to suitable Research Participants; 
      e.g. what are the procdures used for giving out a survey 
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       Delineate suitable Participants
       Confirm Experimental Design
       Formulate Instructions to Participants
       Formulate Data Collection Procedures
      Choose a Sampling Method
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 There are FOUR questions to be answered during the Research Design 
      in choosing the Research Instrument & Collection Method
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Note:  these questions must be answered in conjunction w/ choosing the Research Instrument, as discussed above
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      a. How much personal contact is necessary to gather the data?
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      b. Must subjects be contacted in person?
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      c. How much time & expense are involved?
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      d. Would it suffice to contact subject by mail or telephone?
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Choose a sampling strategy
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 Here the researcher must determine how to apply the instrument to a sample of the total population
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          Choose a source of data
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After/while choosing a topic & formulating major concepts, 
     variables, measures, & instruments
     the researcher must decide where to look for the info needed
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You know what you want to generalize about
You need to determine what you will generalize from
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We can look at any of the levels of social life
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 Choosing data source is in part a practical issue
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Some types of data are more expensive & time consuming to collect
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Data source must also be influenced by theoretical concerns
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Data source must reflect the level of human interaction that the 
    researcher is most comfortable w/
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Major types of research examine relationships btwn
btwn 
2 individuals
individual & group
btwn groups
( groups being broadly defined here to include groups, complex organizations, 
  institutions, social structures )
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A topic may be examined from any or all of these levels
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Choose a time frame
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     Cross-sectional design:  a single, unrepeated survey
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     Longitudinal design:  survey is repeated in order to determine the amount, direction, or rate of change 
          Each survey is based a different sample of subjects from the same pop
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     Panel design:  long design that uses the same sample of subjects
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         Examples of choosing a data source
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Big biz
     data about corporations exec's    or
     data about corps
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Politics
     data about politicians
     voters
     via interviews or secondary data
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          Strategies for data collection
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There is no one best technique
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Choice depends on
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  a.  How well formulated is your thesis / theory / hypothesis?
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  b.  What level of social interaction you need or wish to observe?
        Micro:  Individuals, small groups,  peer groups, family, small biz, etc...
        Mid range:  groups of families, churches, large biz...
        Macro:  nation, the economy, religion(s), the military...
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  c.  The "type" of info you want to know
         i.  demographic
         ii.  knowledge
         iii.  activities
         iv.  beliefs ( including values, opinions, etc. )
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   d.  Resources you have for research
          i.  time
          ii.  money
          iii.  access....
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There are FOUR kinds of Survey Execution: 
      a. The Single Self or Researcher-Administered Survey
      b. The Group Self or Researcher-Administered Survey
      c.  The Mass Self-Administered Survey
      d. The Researcher-Administered Interview
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Some features are common to all Surveys
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The longer the questionnaire, the lower the response rate
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a. The Single Self or Researcher-Administered Survey
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b. The Group Self or Researcher-Administered Survey
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c.  The Mass Self-Administered Survey
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These surveys are usually mailed, but they can
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Main problem here is low rate of return
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Mailed surveys are often mistaken for junk mail
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Thus mail surveys must stick to the essentials
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Because they seem less impersonal, prestamped, individually typed 
    return envelopes produce higher return rates than do 
    business-reply enveloped 
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Mail surveys require aggressive & unrelenting follow-up
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Second & 3rd mailing may prod subject into responding
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Telephoning can help
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Through follow-up campaigns, response rate can increase to 50%
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d. The Researcher-Administered Interview
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See:  Consent & Confidentiality in Research & the Researcher's Letter of Introduction to the Participant
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See:  Moral, Ethical & Privacy Issues in Social Research
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See:  Sampling Issues should be contemplated throughout the Researgn Design Process,
          but must be finalized during Operationalization of the Research Instrucment
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10.    Obtain HIC Approval
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11.  Perform a Pilot Study:  the Senior Project is a Pilot Study & so no addition study will be required
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12.  Collect Data utilizing efficient, effective & ethical methodological practices
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13.  Prepare the Data for processing & analysis
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14.  Process & Analyze Data
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15.  Interpret & make Inferences about Data
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16.  Write the Final Report
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17.  Write Final HIC Report
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The End