Chapter 3: Research designs Flashcards
(15 cards)
What is a research design?
A framework for the collection and analysis of data.
Example: Choosing a case study design to investigate one company in depth.
What is reliability in research?
The consistency or repeatability of a measure.
Example: A job satisfaction survey giving the same results when repeated a week later.
What is replicability?
The ability for another researcher to repeat a study using the same methods.
Example: Another team conducts your same study and gets similar results.
What is validity in research?
The extent to which a study accurately reflects or measures what it aims to.
Example: A questionnaire measuring “stress” actually captures stress levels—not just workload.
What is an experimental design?
A research design that tests causal relationships using control and experimental groups.
Example: Testing whether a training program improves productivity by comparing two employee groups.
What is a cross-sectional design?
A design that collects data at one point in time from multiple cases.
Example: Surveying 300 employees from different departments in a single week.
What is a longitudinal design?
A study that collects data from the same subjects over time.
Example: Interviewing the same team every six months over two years.
What is a case study design?
An in-depth analysis of a single case (organization, team, individual, etc.).
Example: Exploring leadership changes within one nonprofit organization.
What is a comparative design?
Research comparing two or more cases to identify similarities and differences.
Example: Comparing leadership styles in a tech startup and a government agency.
What is internal validity?
Whether a causal relationship exists between variables within the study.
Example: Confirming that it was the new software—not other changes—that improved sales.
What is external validity?
The extent to which findings can be generalized beyond the study context.
Example: Applying results from one bank to banks in other regions.
What is ecological validity?
How well research findings reflect real-life settings.
Example: Studying teamwork in an actual office instead of a lab.
What is measurement validity?
Whether the chosen measures accurately capture the concepts.
Example: Using peer feedback—not just self-reports—to assess communication skills.
Why is choosing a research design important?
It shapes how research questions are answered and data are interpreted.
Example: Choosing an experiment vs. a case study can lead to very different insights.
How do strategy and design work together?
The research strategy (quantitative/qualitative) influences the choice of design.
Example: A qualitative strategy may use a case study design, while a quantitative one may use a survey.
