CONCEPTUALIZING YOUR STUDY: FROM A METHODOLOGY

STANDPOINT

Philip Adu, Ph.D. Methodology Expert National Center for Academic & Dissertation Excellence (NCADE) The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

Research Process (Maintaining Consistency)

1. Problem Statement Gap found in the literature

2. Research Purpose: Determine Understand Explain Describe Illustrate Explore Conceptualize

3. Research Question: Confirmatory in nature Exploratory in nature

4. Research Design: Research Plan - logical description of how data would be collected, and analyzed to address the research question (s)

Research Approach Sampling Strategy Data Collection Strategy

6. Quality Assurance Reliability Validity Credibility Transferability Dependability

7. Analysis of Data

5. Philosophical Assumptions OR Paradigm Ontology (about reality) Epistemology (about knowledge) Axiology (about value)

Researcher’s role(s), background, beliefs, perspectives, and biases (for a qualitative study)

8. Presentation and Interpretation of Results

(Yilmaz, 2013)

Outline

Transitioning from Research Problem to Research Question(s)

a. Problem statement b. Purpose of the Study c. Research Question

Determining an Appropriate Research Approach 1. Having working knowledge about frequently used

research approaches 2. Engaging in:

a. Research Approach Elimination (for qualitative study)

b. Variable Examination (for quantitative study) c. Mixed Methods Design Assessment (for Mixed

Methods study)

Transitioning from Research Problem to Research Question(s)

Transitioning from Research Problem to Research Question(s) a. Problem statement b. Purpose of the Study c. Research Question

Problem Statement

Describing the specific problem you want to address in your study

• Problem needed to be addressed • Recommended by previous researchers • Highlighted in the existing studies • Inferred from existing studies

• Techniques of identifying a gap in existing studies

• Confusion spotting • Neglect spotting • Application spotting • Methodological flaw spotting

(Sandberg & Alvesson, 2010)

Based of the gap identified, what do you

want to study?

Research Purpose (Characteristics)

Action’ or ‘operative’ words

Phenomenon, case, situation, or process

Participants and location/setting/ context

Explain, describe, illustrate, develop, explore, conceptualize, or determine the effect or relationship

Specific issue you plan to investigate in your study

Specific participants with their respective location/setting/context you want to study

Considering your purpose statement, does your study fall

under a qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods

study?

(Creswell, 2013)

Example Purpose statement #1 • The purpose of the study is to explain how mental health stigma

influences help seeking behavior among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana.

Purpose statement #2 • The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of mental health

stigma on help seeking behavior among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana.

Purpose statement #3 • The purpose of the study is to determine the relationship between

mental health stigma and help seeking behavior among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana. In addition, the study will focus on examining how they seek for help to address their mental health problems.

Criteria Quantitative Study Qualitative Study Mixed Methods Study

Collection or assessment of observations

Measuring observations using numbers

Describing observations using words (i.e. narratives)

Both

Type of reasoning Deductive reasoning (Testing hypotheses)

Inductive reasoning (Developing themes/theories)

Both

Type of investigation

Confirmatory in nature Exploratory in nature Both

Focus on the phenomenon, case or situation

Breadth of the phenomenon, case or situation

Depth of the phenomenon, case or situation

Both

Features of variables/ concepts involved

Variables are clearly stated and relationship between them are clearly defined

Concepts are normally generated from data and well defined after arriving at the findings

It depends on the specific mixed methods design chosen

Number of participants

Large number of participants

Small number of participants

It depends on the specific mixed methods design chosen

Criteria for Determining the Type of Study

Example Purpose statement #1 • The purpose of the study is to explain how mental health stigma

influences help seeking behavior among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana.

Purpose statement #2 • The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of mental health

stigma on help seeking behavior among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana.

Purpose statement #3 • The purpose of the study is to determine the relationship between

mental health stigma and help seeking behavior among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana. In addition, the study will focus on examining how they seek for help to address their mental health problems.

(Mixed methods study)

(Qualitative study)

(Quantitative study)

Research Question(s)

Research question: It is the question to be addressed using data collected

• Functions: • It drives the study • Informs research approach • Informs data collection and analysis process

Research Question(s) cont...

(Saldana, 2013; Trochim, 2006)

Type of Research Question Examples

Qualitative Research Question

(Exploratory)

Ontological research question

(Capturing participants‘ realities)

“What is the nature of…?” “What are the lived experiences

of…?” “What is it like being…?”

Saldana, 2013, p.61) Epistemological research

Question (Understanding phenomenon)

“How does…?” “What does it mean to be…?” “What factors influence…?”

(Saldana, 2013, p.61)

Quantitative Research Question

(Confirmatory)

Descriptive research question

What is happening? (Trochim, 2006)

Relational research question

What is the relationship between…? (Trochim, 2006)

Causal research question What is the effect of …. on …? (Trochim, 2006))

Research Question(s) cont...

Example #1 Purpose statement • The purpose of the study is to explain how mental health stigma

influences help seeking behavior among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana.

Research Question • How does mental health stigma influence help seeking behaviors

among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana?

Example #2 Purpose statement • The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of

mental health stigma on help seeking behaviors among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana.

Research Question • What is the effect of mental health stigma on help

seeking behaviors among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana?

Example #3 Purpose statement • The purpose of the study is to determine the relationship between

mental health stigma and help seeking behaviors among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana. In addition, the study will focus on examining how they seek for help to address their mental health problems.

Research Question 1. What is the correlation between mental health stigma and help

seeking behaviors among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana?

2. How do teens with mental health problems seek for help or mental heath services?

Determining an Appropriate Research Approach

Determining an Appropriate Research Approach

1. Having working knowledge about frequently used research approaches

2. Engaging in: a. Research Approach Elimination (for

qualitative study) b. Variable Examination (for

quantitative study) c. Mixed Methods Design Assessment

(for Mixed Methods study)

Determining Appropriate Methodology

(Creswell, 2013; Creswell, Plano Clark, Gutmann, & Hanson, 2003; Keele, 2011)

1. Having working knowledge about frequently used research approaches

Research Approach Elimination (for a Qualitative study)

1. Reviewing characteristics of the research question(s) 2. Eliminating the research approaches that are not consistent

with the research question(s) 3. Determining the kind of data needed to address the research

question(s) 4. Compare the expected data with the methodological

rationale/purpose of each potential research approach

Reviewing

Eliminating Determining

Comparing

REDC

Example Purpose statement • The purpose of the study is to explain how mental health stigma influences

help seeking behavior among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana.

Research Question • How does mental health stigma influence help seeking behaviors among

teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana?

1. Phenomenological approach

2. Grounded theory approach

3. Narrative approach 4. Case study 5. Ethnography

Reviewing

Eliminating Determining

Comparing

REDC

Variable Examination (for a Quantitative study)

1. Reviewing characteristics of the research question(s) 2. Examining the features of the variable(s) or concept(s) involved

a. Operational definition b. Variable type – in terms of the role (independent/predictor, or dependent/outcome

variable) c. Level of measurement (Nominal, interval, or ratio) d. Relationship with other variables (causal relationship, predictive relationship or

correlation/association)

3. Determining whether the study falls under descriptive, correlational, non-experimental, quasi-experimental, or experimental study.

Review

Examine

Determine

RED

Example Purpose statement • The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of mental health stigma

on help seeking behavior among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana.

Research Question • What is the effect of mental health stigma on help seeking behaviors among

teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana? Review

Examine

Determine 1. Descriptive study 2. Correlational study 3. Non-experimental study 4. Quasi-experimental study 5. Experimental study

RED

Mixed Methods Design Assessment (for a Mixed Methods study)

1. Reviewing characteristics of the purpose statement and research question(s)

2. Examining the features of the features of mixed methods designs – looking at:

a. Theoretical Lens, Timing, Integration, Purpose, and Priority (TTIPP) a. Using Mixed Methods Design Decision Tool (MMDDT)

a. (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Choosing_Appropriate_Mixed_Methods_Design) – free to use

3. Choosing the mixed methods design that best fit your study

Review

Examine

Choose REC

(Creswell, Plano Clark, Gutmann, & Hanson, 2003)

Mixed Methods Design

Theoretical Lens Timing Integration Methodological Rationale

Priority

Sequential Explanatory Design

Implicit (Post-positivist lens)

Sequential – beginning with quantitative phase

Data Analysis stage (connected) and Interpretation stage (merged)

Complementarity Quantitative data

Sequential Exploratory Design

Explicit (constructivist lens)

Sequential – beginning with qualitative phase

Data Analysis stage (connected) and Interpretation stage (merged)

Development, complementarity, and/or expansion

Qualitative data

Sequential Transformative Design

Explicit – advocacy lens

Sequential – beginning with either quantitative or qualitative phase

Data Analysis stage (connected) and Interpretation stage (merged)

Complementarity, development and/or expansion

Either quantitative or qualitative data (Sometimes both…)

Concurrent Triangulation Design

Implicit Concurrent

Data analysis (separated) and Interpretation stages (merged)

Triangulation

Equal – both quantitative and qualitative data

Concurrent Nested Design

Implicit or explicit

Concurrent

Data analysis (data transformed and/or merged) and Interpretation stages (merged

Complementarity, initiation, and/or expansion

Unequal

Concurrent Transformative Design

Explicit – advocacy lens

Concurrent

Data analysis (separated) and Interpretation stages (merged)

Complementarity, initiation, and/or expansion

Equal or unequal

Types of Mixed Methods Design

Example Purpose statement • The purpose of the study is to determine the relationship between mental health stigma and help

seeking behavior among teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana. In addition, the study will focus on examining how they seek for help to address their mental health problems.

Research Question 1. What is the correlation between mental health stigma and help seeking behavior among

teens with mental health problems in a low income neighborhood in Accra, Ghana? 2. How do teens with mental health problem seek for help or mental heath services?

1. Sequential Explanatory Design 2. Sequential Exploratory Design 3. Sequential Transformative Design 4. Concurrent Triangulation Design 5. Concurrent Nested Design 6. Concurrent Transformative Design

Review

Examine

Choose

Becoming Familiar with Methodology Terminologies

Knowing the Common Terms used in Describing Research Method Process • Reviewing research methods textbooks • Reviewing methodology sections of peer reviewed research articles

Essence 1. Clearly describe

your actions in the study

2. Provide justifications

Additional Resources

a. Getting started with your Dissertation (Webinar)

i. http://www.slideshare.net/kontorphilip/getting-started-with-your-dissertation-webinar

b. Delimitations and Limitations

i. http://www.slideshare.net/kontorphilip/difference-between-delimitations-limitations-and-assumptions-33114428

c. Conceptual Framework i. http://www.slideshare.net/

kontorphilip/conceptual-or-theoretical-framework

Ncade.me@thechicagoschool.edu

Philip Adu, Ph.D. Methodology Expert

National Center for Academic & Dissertation Excellence (NCADE)

References Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing

Among Five Approaches (3rd). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Creswell, J. W., Plano Clark, V. L., Gutmann, M. L., & Hanson, W. E. (2003).

Advanced mixed methods research designs. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie (Eds.), Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioral research (pp. 209–240). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Keele, R. (2011), Nursing research and evidence-based practice. MA: Jones & Bartlett, LLC.

Saldana, J. (2013). The coding manual for qualitative researchers. London: Sage

Sandberg, J., & Alvesson, M. (2011). Ways of constructing research questions: Gap-spotting or problematization? Organization, 18(23), 23-44. doi:10.1177/1350508410372151

Trochim, W. M. (2006, October 20). Types of questions. Retrieved from Research methods knowledge base website: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/qualval.php

Yilmaz, K. (2013). Comparison of quantitative and qualitative research traditions: Epistemological, theoretical, and methodological differences. European Journal of Education, 48(2), 311-325.