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CHAPTER
6 THE RESEARCH PROCESS
Step 6: Elements of
Research Design
TOPICS DISCUSSED
THE RESEARCH DESIGN
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: EXPLORATORY, DESCRIPTIVE, HYPOTHESIS
TESTING, CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
TYPE OF INVESTIGATION: CAUSAL VERSUS CORRELATIONAL
EXTENT OF RESEARCHER INTERFERENCE WITH THE STUDY
STUDY SETTING: CONTRIVED VERSUS NONCONTRIVED
UNIT OF ANALYSIS: INDIVIDUALS, DYADS, GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS,
CULTURES
TIME HORIZON OF STUDY: CROSS-SECTIONAL VERSUS LONGITUDINAL
MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
After completing this chapter you should be able to:
1. Understand the different aspects relevant to designing a research study.
2. Identify the scope of any given study and the end use of the results.
3. Decide for any given situation the type of investigation needed, the study
setting, the extent of researcher interference, the unit of analysis, and the
time horizon of the study.
4. Identify which of the two, a causal or a correlational study, would be more
appropriate in a given situation.
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