ARAŞTIRMA YÖNTEMLERİ

The dependent variable is subjected to pretest and post-test procedures prior to testing the independent variable experimentally in this version of time series design, a.k.a intervention analysis or interrupted time series analysis. Just like the other non-randomized designs, formation of the independent variable is observed but not interfered by the researcher. The correct answer is A.

Common descriptive analysis techniques often employed in quantitative research include frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, weighted mean, mode, median, range, and standard deviation. The correct answer is B.

Similar to quantitative research, identifying the research problem is the very first step of a qualitative research process. Literature, researcher’s personal and professional experience, and social issues discussed in the field bear a crucial role in terms of identifying the research problem. Literature review includes reading and learning about theories, research studies, and documents, which eases problem identification. The correct answer is D.

Ethnography is a design rooted in social research tradition, and it analyzes the routines regulating daily lives of individuals that form a social group from those individuals’ point of views. As usual, the researcher should first decide if ethnography is the most appropriate design to examine her/his research question during the planning stage. Ethnography design would be the right choice if the research aim is to explore the principles that regulate daily routines such as language, religion, tradition, power relations, and sovereignty of a specific cultural group. The correct answer is B.

Mixed-methods research has many advantages. But it does not lead to more consistency in research findings. The correct answer is C.

Mixed method is a research approach where both quantitative and qualitative data sets are gathered and integrated so as to find answers to research questions. Mixed method approach accommodates philosophical assumptions of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The correct answer is A.

Grounded theory is a design mostly employed to develop a theory that would explain processes, actions, and interactions among people. In grounded theory, the researcher strives to explore social processes, behavioral patterns, and acceptance among participants, and the meanings they form. The correct answer is D.

-Experimental designs provide the researcher with the opportunity to determine the independent variable’s effect.

-The researcher should assign the participants in each group randomly. Subjects cannot decide which group they are going to be in.

-Classical experimental design employs randomization to assign participants to
groups whereas quasi-experimental design makes use of non-randomized procedures.

-Research studies contain two types of populations: target population and
accessible population. Target population is the one that is almost impossible to reach out.

-It is only the accessible population that is defined in the scientific reports of research studies, and it is referred as research population.

Unlike quantitative approach, there is no need for hypotheses to develop research question(s) in a qualitative research study (Creswell, 2003). Likewise, the aim is not to figure out variables and the relations among them. In addition, questions directed to determine specific features such as cause-effect, relation, and difference are not used in qualitative research. The overall aim of qualitative
research is to comprehensively understand perceptions and processes.

Phenomenology is a qualitative research design focusing on perceptions and meanings that individuals develop based on their experiences.

-While qualitative research studies utilize a rather small-scale sample outlined purposefully, quantitative endeavors mostly employ probabilitybased sampling strategies (Patton, 2002).

- Unlike quantitative research, no statistical process is run to determine the significance of the data set. 

-Unlike quantitative research, formulas are not used for data analysis in qualitative research. Instead, the researcher tries to unfold the meanings and patterns embedded in the data set through her/his perspective.

The Convergent Design: This design aims to integrate the results obtained
from both qualitative and quantitative data analyses. Researchers adopting this design collect both qualitative and quantitative data simultaneously. In other words, collection of neither qualitative nor quantitative data is prioritized.

A research problem has to be compatible with empirical studies, which is the criterion to distinguish what is scientific from what is not. Therefore, issues regarding metaphysical events, philosophy, theology, and astrology are not suitable to form research problems in a scientific sense as they cannot be examined in empirical studies.

The term variable is used to refer to features that can change.

A variable can bear at least two different values.

Depending on their values and control types, variables are classified in two groups.

With respect to their values, they are labeled as either discrete or continuous variables. If a variable can only assume certain values or options, and if it can be expressed through only whole numbers, then it is a discrete variable. Continuous variables, on the contrary, are those that can take any value between their bottom and top limits, that is to say, they can be expressed in fractions. 

As for the control types, variables are classified into three: dependent, independent, and control variables.

Survey serves to determine general tendency, attitude, or opinions of a population quantitatively or in numerical values by working on a sample chosen from that population. The researcher draws inferences about the population based on the data collected from the sample. Survey can be employed to assess individuals’ attitudes, opinions, tendencies, and beliefs. Most frequent data collection tools for survey are questionnaires, scales, or interviews. Survey can be implemented once (cross-sectional) or at different times (longitudinal).

In this design, a researcher should foresee the formation of two groups: one (or more) is the experimental group consisting of participants given an experimental intervention, and the other is the control group composed of participants who are not either given any experimental manipulation or provided with any test stimuli. The researcher should assign the participants in each group randomly. Subjects cannot decide which group they are going to be in. This random assignment of participants to any of the groups is known as randomization, and placement in any group is a matter of chance. Subsequently, the researcher administers the experimental intervention. In other words, s/he provides the experimental group with relevant stimuli by determining the time, setting, and situation on her/his own. Using this design, the researcher establishes a dependent variable that can be measured both before and after the independent variable is introduced. These are termed as pre-test and post-test measurements, and they indicate if the experimental process has any effect or not. This gauges the effect that the independent variable has over the dependent variable, namely the main focus of that experimental research.

Primary non-parametric statistical techniques utilized in quantitative research involve chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, Spearman Rank Correlational Coefficient P, and Kruskal Wallis Variance Analysis. Likewise, some of the frequently used parametric statistical techniques are correlational analysis, regression analysis, t-Test, one-way variance analysis (ANOVA), and multi-way analysis of variance (MANCOVA).

Qualitative research strives to build up a theory by investigating and understanding social phenomena in their natural environments. During a qualitative research process, researchers focus on people’s behaviors, actions, and interactions. Research process aims to comprehensively understand human behaviors in their natural environments, which requires the researcher be flexible, re-arrange the research process in accordance with obtained data, adopt interpretive approach, and conduct data analysis through an inductive approach.

Unlike quantitative research, qualitative research is not composed of structured processes that a researcher can follow. Thus, a well-defined starting point or rigid procedures that a researcher should follow are not among the properties of a qualitative research process. Rather, it entails a flexible approach, and the research process can be re-arranged depending on circumstances emerging during the research process. Yet, during the planning stage, researchers should

1) form a theoretical framework as the foundational basis,

2) determine a systematic, manageable, and flexible research design, and,

3) turn the research into a meaningful, consistent, and reader-friendly report.

Action research is a cyclical and spiral process that is conducive to development and change, that encompasses individuals’ own practice, that entails systematic data collection, that enables reflective questioning, and as a result of these, that provides opportunities to plan and apply new action. For instance, Let’s say that members of a political party have low levels of participation in the democratic processes within that party. In this regard, action plan can help determine the obstacles preventing members from participating in the democratic processes within the party and increase members’ participation into decision making processes by eliminating those obstacles through planning relevant actions. Action plans and implementation continues until participation is achieved. During drafting an action plan design, a researcher should keep in mind that action plans to be administered should be dynamic and flexible. In other words, a researcher should know that s/he may have to review, and revise action plans depending on their success and develop new action plans from scratch. Moreover, s/he should consider if s/he will include or exclude unforeseen issues pertinent to the research question and emerging during the process.