Research Methods including Statistics

I enjoy discussing research methodologies encompassing the diversity of qualitative methodologies and statistics. I am excited to work together through the journey of identifying research questions, data needs, and analyses. My background includes Quantitative, Mixed Methods, Survey and Qualitative analysis combined with experience facilitating workshops, consulting, teaching and tutoring.

Qualitative

I was drawn to qualitative for its ability to answer questions of experiences, interconnections, and meaning making that shape human experience of the world.

Some of the most helpful resources I have found include:

  • Exhibit 9.7. “Alternative sets of criteria for judging the quality and credibility of qualitative inquiry” on page 680 of Patton’s 2016 book Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods that outlines 9 separate sets of criteria. It illuminates tensions of interdisciplinary research and struggles researchers face when one’s “meaningful reasons” for research conflicts with one’s “shoulds”.
  • The practical resource that is Hays & Singh’s Qualitative Inquiry in Clinical and Educational Settings. That wrestles both with the fundamental concepts and ways of seeing, as well as the practicalities of data storage.
  • R. Yin for crisp yet detailed approaches Case studies,
  • Linda Tuhiwai Smith for challenging the notion of what it means to do research and be researchers in her Decolonizing methodologies book.
  • and more

Quantitative, Statistics

My workshop on quantitative methods for educational development, Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and statistical literacy has been offered at national and international conferences, and as a guest speaker.

Created Resources

The following resources were developed and co-developed as Creative Commons documents. They are free to use and adapt. I would love to hear where they go and what new use they take (comment below or email me)!

Reading Quantitative Research articles for Alignment  tables for taking notes and tips on reading efficiently!
Reading-Quantitative-Research-articles-for-Alignment.docx

Planning Template – detailed template to work through when planning quantitative research or program evaluation.
Planning-Template.docx

Template Process Sheet – instructions and information for each step in the template including categorical and continuous data.
Template-Process-Sheet.doc

Descriptive Statistics – Outlines sample size, central tendency and variability measures such as means and standard deviations.
Descriptive-Statistics.doc

Decision Tree – Select specific inferential statistical tests based on data type, number of variables etc. through this handy decision tree.
Decision-tree.pdf

Inferential Statistics – Details the inferential statistics tests mentioned in the decision tree, discusses Likert Scales and introduces more complex analyses.
Inferential-statistics-Tests-Table.doc

Survey Design – Outlines criteria for judging a good survey question, common question formats, and steps when working with multi-item scales.
Survey-Design-handout.docx

Data – Describes strategies for effective data coding, data entry/formatting and data screening/preparation.
Data-handout.docx

Have a suggestion on what to add or revise? Think I should add a specific test? Comment below or email me!

Favourite Found Resources:

Basics of Survey and Question Design by the U.S. Government
http://www.howto.gov/customer-experience/collecting-feedback/basics-of-survey-and-question-design  (no longer live but available if you ask them) Excellent guide for surveys with a great list of possible Likert-scale labels (e.g., “not at all important“ to “very important”)

Fluid Survey how-to videos http://fluidsurveys.com/fluidsurveys-video-tutorials-non-youtube  FluidSurveys is free at the University of Saskatchewan (http://www.usask.ca/its/services/websurvey_tool/fluid-surveys/index.php)

Hays, D. G., & Singh, A. A. (2012). Qualitative Inquiry in Clinical and Educational Settings. The Guilford Press: New York. A practical, yet theoretically-versed, resource that is comprehensive in its introduction to the range of qualitative methodologies and methods, as well as details around the practical skills and steps of qualitative research. This resource contains many of the primary readings of the course that are complemented by focused articles or other resources.

Healey, J. F. (2009). Statistics: A tool for social research (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Covers categorical inferential statistics, and the theory & math underlying statistics.

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2006). Research in Education: Evidence-Based Inquiry (6th ed.). New York: Pearson Education, Inc. – Covers research design, qualitative & quantitative methodology. A practical concise reference to a range of research in education methods and methodologies including both qualitative and quantitative.

Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2007). Using Multivariate statistics (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Details data screening, Multiple regression, MANOVA, Logistic regression, Factor analysis, & most complex tests. 

Have a resource to recommend, comment below or email me!

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