Educational Research
Chapter 4
Preparing and Evaluating a Research Plan
Gay, Mills, and Airasian
10th Edition
Topics Discussed in this Chapter
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Characteristics of a research plan
General considerations in developing a
research plan
Components of a quantitative research
plan
Components of a qualitative research
plan
Evaluation of a research plan
Characteristics of a Research Plan
A research plan is a detailed description
of the procedures that will be used to
investigate your topic or problem.
Characteristics of a Research Plan
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General components of a research plan
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A justification for the hypotheses or
exploration of the research problem
A detailed presentation of the steps to be
followed in conducting the study
Characteristics of a Research Plan
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Purposes of a written research plan
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Forces the researcher to think through
every aspect of the study
Facilitates the evaluation of the proposed
study
Provides detailed procedures to guide the
conduct of the study
Additional Purpose of
Research Plan
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Internal (or Institutional) Review Board (IRB)
approval.
Before you can work with human subjects,
you MUST get approval from your IRB.
All school districts and universities have an
IRB.
The IRB protects subjects from unethical
and/or harmful research.
IRB approval is required for ANY TYPE of
research that involves human subjects.
Characteristics of a Research Plan
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Benefits of a written research plan
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A well thought out research plan…
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saves time,
provides structure to the study,
reduces the probability of costly mistakes, and
generally results in a higher quality research
study.
General Considerations
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Three general issues to consider when
developing a research plan
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Ethics of research
Legal restrictions
Cooperation from participants
General Considerations
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Ethics of research
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Five ethical principles
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Beneficence and non-malfeasance
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Fidelity and responsibility
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Accuracy, honesty, and truthfulness in results.
Justice
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Act in a way that is respectful to others and provide
research for the sake of the field.
Integrity
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Research should benefit others at no harm to participants.
Research is nonbiased and fair.
Respect for people’s rights and dignity
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Respect diversity in research subjects and take care to
treat all subjects in a dignified manner.
General Considerations
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Legal restrictions
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National Research Act of 1974
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Protects participants
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Protection from harm – not exposing subjects to risks
Informed consent – subjects participate of their own free
will with an understanding of the nature of the study and
possible risks
Stipulates that proposed research activities involving
human subjects must be reviewed and approved by an
authorized group
Internal Review Boards and Committees on Human
Subjects
General Considerations
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Legal restrictions
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Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
of 1974
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Protects students’ privacy
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Access to students’ records
Need for written permission to use data identifying
students
Known as the Buckley Amendment
General Considerations
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Two additional issues related to ethical
and legal responsibilities
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Deception
Cooperation of participants
General Considerations
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Deception
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Situations in which complete information
related to the study is not given to participants
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Such information would influence or change
participants’ responses
Studies can be negatively affected by informing
participants of certain details
Use of deceptive practices must be undertaken
very, very carefully
General Considerations
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Cooperation of participants
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Gaining entry to the research site
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Approval needed at several levels
 Site
 Administrators
 Teachers
 Students
Approval is not cooperation
General Considerations
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Cooperation from participants (continued)
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Strategies to enhance cooperation
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Clearly explain the benefits of the study
Afford stakeholders the opportunity to review drafts
of the report for their approval
Brief stakeholders on the findings
Provide professional development sessions for
stakeholders
Quantitative Research Plans
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Four major components
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Introduction
Method
Data analysis
Timeline and budget
Quantitative Research Plans
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Introduction
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Three sections
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Statement of the topic
Review of the literature
Statement of the hypotheses
Statement of the topic
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The topic is identified with a discussion of the
background and rationale
Stated at the beginning of the plan
Quantitative Research Plans
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Introduction (continued)
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Review of the literature
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Provides an overview of the topic and positions
the study in the context of what is known, and,
more importantly, what is not known about the
topic
Completed at the beginning of the study and
placed in the beginning of the plan
Quantitative Research Plans
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Introduction (continued)
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Statement of the hypotheses
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A formal statement specifying the hypothesis,
support for expected relationships between
variables, and operational definitions of all
variables
Operational Definitions:
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An operational definition
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identifies specific observable conditions or events
tells the researcher how to measure that event.
Operational definitions must be valid -- do
they measure what they are supposed to
measure and are they described in a
meaningful and appropriate manner?
Operational definitions must be reliable -- the
results should be the same when done by
different people or by one person at different
times.
Quantitative Research Plans
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Method
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Five major sections
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Participants
Instruments
Design
Procedures
Data analyses
Participants
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Identifies the characteristics of the population and
sample as well as the sampling technique used
Quantitative studies typically use large samples and
probability sampling techniques (everyone in a
population has a chance of being in the sample)
Quantitative Research Plans
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Method (continued)
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Instruments
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Descriptions of the specific measures of each variable,
the technical characteristics of the instruments, and the
administration and scoring techniques
Quantitative studies typically use non-interactive
instruments
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Tests
Questionnaires
Surveys
Quantitative Research Plans
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Method (continued)
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Design
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Descriptions of the basic structure of the study
and the specific research design chosen (e.g.,
experimental, causal-comparative, etc.)
Quantitative studies typically use highly
structured, static designs
Quantitative Research Plans
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Method (continued)
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Procedures
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Detailed descriptions of all the steps that will be followed
in conducting the study, assumptions, and limitations
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Gaining entry to the site
How subjects will be selected
The ways data will be collected and analyzed
Assumptions – any important “fact” presumed to be true
but not verified
Limitations – some aspect of the study that could have a
negative effect upon the results
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Size of the sample
Length of the study
Quantitative Research Plans
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Method (continued)
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Data analysis
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Descriptions of the techniques used to analyze
the data
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Descriptive statistics – statistics that summarize data
in terms of central tendency (e.g., means), variation
(e.g., standard deviations), relative position (e.g.,
standard scores), or relationships (e.g., correlations)
Inferential statistics – procedures used to infer the
likelihood of the results happening in the population
rather than just the sample
Quantitative Research Plans
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Method (continued)
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Data analysis (continued)
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The hypotheses usually determine the specific
research design which in turn influences the
specific analyses used
Quantitative studies usually focus on the
appropriate statistical procedures to analyze
numerical data
Quantitative Research Plans
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Timeline and budget
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Timeline
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Description of the major activities and
corresponding anticipated completion dates
Help assess the feasibility of conducting the
study
The resulting structure helps avoid
procrastination
A general strategy is to allow more time than
you initially think you will need!!!
Quantitative Research Plans
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Timeline and budget (continued)
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Budget
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Descriptions of anticipated costs that are likely
to be incurred
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Salaries
Copying
Telephone
Travel
Optional in many plans
Qualitative Research Plans
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Qualitative studies are characterized by openended, emergent designs
Research plans must be responsive to the
context and setting as well as the flexibility of
the design
The influence of prior fieldwork
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The authors recommend pre-proposal fieldwork to
help understand the socio-cultural context of the
setting
Alternatives include drawing on one’s own
experiences or the literature
Qualitative Research Plans
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Additional ethical issues in qualitative
research
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Unique emerging nature of qualitative designs
increases the likelihood of unanticipated and unreviewed ethical issues
Unique personal involvement with participants
raises issues
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Objective collection and interpretation of data
Possibility of observing potentially illegal or
unprofessional behavior
Aligning professional and personal ethical
perspectives
Qualitative Research Plans
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Six general components
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Title of the study
Introduction to the study
Research procedures
Potential contributions of the study
Limitations
Appendices
Qualitative Research Plans
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Title
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Conveys key concepts of the study
Provides a framework for continued
reflection
Serves as a conceptual point of reference
Qualitative Research Plans
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Introduction
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Four sections
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Purpose statement
Framing the study
Initial research question
Related literature
Purpose statement
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A clearly written, concise statement that sets
the stage for the rest of the plan
Qualitative Research Plans
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Introduction (continued)
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Framing the study
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An attempt to demonstrate the relevance of the
study using a frame of reference to which the
reader can relate
Describes the contribution of the study to
existing theory, educational policy, or the
solution of a practical problem
Qualitative Research Plans
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Introduction (continued)
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Initial research question
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Specifying research questions is difficult at this
stage given the ongoing, emergent nature of
qualitative research
Linked closely to the theory, policy, or practical
problem used to frame the study
Qualitative Research Plans
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Introduction (continued)
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Review of the literature
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Links the study to any underlying assumptions and
theories related to the initial research question
Accomplishes several things
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Assesses the researcher’s preparedness to conduct the
study
Identifies potential gaps in the literature
Suggests promising educational practices
Refines the initial research question
Embeds the research questions in “guiding hypotheses”
Qualitative Research Plans
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Procedures
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Eight sections
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Description of the overall approach and rationale for the
study
Site and sample selection
Researcher’s role
Data collection methods
Data management methods
Data analysis strategies
Trustworthiness features (validity and reliability of the
information)
Ethical considerations
Qualitative Research Plans
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Procedures (continued)
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Overall approach and rationale
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Identifies the qualitative approach (e.g.,
ethnography, historical study, grounded theory,
etc.)
Provides the rationale for why the particular
approach is appropriate
Provides a link to the appropriate literature on
research methods
Qualitative Research Plans
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Procedures (continued)
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Site and sample
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Describes the rationale for choosing the
particular sample
Describes the process for gaining entry to the
site
Describes the site
Discusses the likelihood of building trusting
relationships with the participants
Qualitative Research Plans
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Procedures (continued)
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Researcher’s role
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Describes any negotiations needed to gain entry to the
site
Discusses participants’ expectations in terms of
reciprocity
Anticipates any ethical dilemmas
Data collection methods
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Describes the fieldwork techniques and tools for
collecting data
Identifies multiple data sources
Qualitative Research Plans
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Procedures (continued)
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Data management methods
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Provides insights into ways by which the large
quantity of data will be manipulated
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Data sources
Volume of data
Storage
Information such as times, dates, locations, etc.
Qualitative Research Plans
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Procedures (continued)
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Data analysis strategies
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Interpretive nature of the analyses of data from
fieldwork, observations, interviews, etc.
Describes procedures for collating data
Discusses the manner by which the data will be
categorized in terms of emergent themes
Provides a rationale for the conclusion and
interpretations
Qualitative Research Plans
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Procedures (continued)
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Trustworthiness features
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The researcher’s efforts to address traditional validity
and reliability issues
The use of triangulation – multiple data sources and
collection methods
Ethical considerations
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Demonstrates sensitivity to the ethical issues related to
informed consent
Describes the plan to obtain informed consent
States the researcher’s personal/professional ethical
perspectives
Qualitative Research Plans
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Potential contribution of the research
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Describes how the study will contribute to an
understanding of the phenomenon being studied
Provides a link from the possible implications of
the study to the broader framework under which
the study was begun
Limitations
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Discusses any limitations related to the
researchers’ ability to deal with situations over
which they have no control
Qualitative Research Plans
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Appendices
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Provide information helpful in assessing the
value and feasibility of the study
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Timeline
Proposed table of contents
Sample consent form
Internal Review Board (IRB) approval
Sample of data collection protocols
Evaluation of a Research Plan
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Informal assessment
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Formal assessment
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Critiques by the researcher, advisors, peers and
colleagues, etc.
Critiques by experienced researchers
Field tests
Pilot studies
Modifications based on the results of both
informal and formal evaluations