DESIGNING QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH

Researchers consider validity and reliability with each new study they design. This is because validity and reliability are not fixed but rather reflect a particular study’s unique variables, research design, instruments, and participants.

In the context of research design, two types of validity, which speak to the quality of different features of the research process, are considered: internal validity and external validity. Assuming that the findings of a research study are internally valid—i.e., the researcher has used controls to determine that the outcome is indeed due to manipulation of the independent variable or the treatment—external validity refers to the extent to which the findings can be generalized from the sample to the population or to other settings and groups. Reliability refers to the replicability of the findings.

For this Discussion, you will consider threats to internal and external validity in quantitative research and the strategies used to mitigate these threats. You will also consider the ethical implications of designing quantitative research.

Post an explanation of a threat to internal validity and a threat to external validity in quantitative research. Next, explain a strategy to mitigate each of these threats. Then, identify a potential ethical issue in quantitative research and explain how it might influence design decisions. Finally, explain what it means for a research topic to be amenable to scientific study using a quantitative approach.

Be sure to support your Main Issue Post and Response Post with reference to the week’s Learning Resources and other scholarly evidence in APA Style.

RESOURCES

• Babbie, E. (2017) Basics of social research (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
  • Chapter 3, “The Ethics and Politics of Social Research”
• Burkholder, G. J., Cox, K. A., Crawford, L. M., & Hitchcock, J. H.  (Eds.). (2020). Research designs and methods: An applied guide for the scholar-practitioner. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Chapter 12, “Quality Considerations”
  • Chapter 13, “Ethical Considerations”
• Document: Threats to Internal Validity (PDF)Download Threats to Internal Validity (PDF)
• Walden University Office of Research and Doctoral Services. (n.d.-a). Identify a Research ProblemLinks to an external site.. Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/research-center/student-research/identify-problem

  Download the “Litmus Test for a Doctoral-Level Research Problem” document.

• Walden University Office of Research and Doctoral Services. (n.d.-b). Tools and guidesLinks to an external site.. Retrieved from https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/research-center/research-ethics/tools-guides

  Download the “Research Ethics Approval Checklist”. Read this document to understand the ethical standards that researchers must address during the research planning process.

• Walden University. (n.d.). Essential elements for writing annotated bibliographiesLinks to an external site.. Walden University Quick Answers. https://academicanswers.waldenu.edu/faq/358634
• Links to an external site.Walden University. (2015a). How do I find an article that reports on research that uses a specific methodology?Links to an external site. Retrieved from http://academicanswers.waldenu.edu/faq/72633
• Walden University Writing Center. (2015). Common course assignments: Annotated bibliographiesLinks to an external site.. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/assignments/annotatedbibliographies
• Document: Annotated Bibliography Template with Example (Word document) Download Annotated Bibliography Template with Example (Word document)