At the end of this section, you will be able to:

‹ Explain the relationships among the study purpose, literature review, research

questions or hypotheses, study framework, and the study design

‹ Define key concepts relevant to quantitative research designs including experimental,

nonexperimental, causality, probability, control, manipulation, bias, randomization,

between-subjects, within-subjects, and study validity

‹ List elements to be considered when appraising quantitative designs

Key Principles of Quantitative

Designs

Rosalind M. Peters

6.1 Chart the Course: Selecting the Best

Design

You will see the term research design used two different ways. Many people use the term broadly to en-
compass multiple aspects of the research process including the sampling plan, data collection procedures,
implementation strategies, and data analysis. In this context, the broad use of the term implies the overall
method of the research study. Another way the term can be used is to refer to the specific plan or blueprint
that will be used to meet the stated purpose of the study. When you evaluate the appropriateness of the
research design, it is important to realize that the design is not developed in a vacuum. Instead, it should
reflect an integration of the theoretical and empirical literature that was presented in the review of the

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CHAPTER 6