Project Summary: Application: Research Design, Strengths and Limitations, and Rationale Note: Complete the Discussion before completing this Assignment. Research designs and methods are not created equal. Each design and method has its strengths and limitations. True experimental research designs, for example, tend to have higher levels of validity compared to ex post facto designs. Once you decide on your research design this week and the method, which you will cover in Week 8, it is important to evaluate limitations of each and consider how you will attempt to prevent or minimize them in your study. Either determining research questions or the research design might come first; most likely, you will circle back from one to the other until they are aligned and one flows logically from the other. It is necessary to have both in place before deciding on your methodology. To prepare for this Assignment, review the Learning Resources for the week. Your research design represents the structure of your study. In other words, the research design includes (a) elements of treatment; and (b) the number, type, relationship, and strategies to control the variables you are studying. It also includes (c) the number and type of individuals or groups in your sample. Finally, the research design includes (d) the measurements; (e) sampling methods; (f) data collection time frame; and (g) setting (Walden University,2010). Research methods are used to carry out research designs; methods fall under two broad categories: (a) Quantitative (e.g., experimental, quasi-experimental) and (b) qualitative (e.g., case study, grounded theory, ethnography) (Trochim & Land, 1982). More on that in Week 8. Again, your problem statement and research questions will help you determine your research design, and your research design will help determine your research method. In this Assignment, you will select a research design and examine its appropriateness for your potential research. QUESTION: In your Discussion assignment, you have posted at least two research questions. In this Application Assignment, using the required readings and media resources on research design, write 1 to 2 pages (a) describing at least one potential research design you could use, (b) the strengths and limitations of that design selection, and (c) the rationale for your selection: Explain why it would be appropriate based on your problem statement and research questions. Be specific. The latter will become part of your Prospectus section on the nature of the study, together with your chosen methodology. Support your Application Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list for all resources, including those in the Learning Resources for this course. ____________________________________________________________________________________ The Nature of the Study, Part 1: Research Questions, Research Design, and Rationale Introduction Although developing research questions is part of the larger process of determining the research design, you will examine research questions first. Methodology will be discussed in Week 8, as it is not possible to determine methodology without having first specified research questions. All components of the Prospectus, Proposal, and Dissertation must be aligned; that is, one follows logically from the other. For instance, one cannot determine methodology without first defining a problem, purpose, research questions, and sources of data. Research questions are generated from the problem statement. Like the problem statement, research questions should be stated clearly, refer to the relationship between two or more variables, and be researchable. If you located no research on your topic, your research questions might be more exploratory and less defined. If there are a few studies that address this topic, the research questions might be more defined, depending on what previous research indicated. For instance, Christina Spoons was interested in examining firefighter fatalities that have taken place during live firefighter training, which was the topic of her Walden University SPPA Dissertation. As she began her mixed methods research, she found that there was a gap in the literature. This was an opportunity for a researchable problem. While she found there was some prior research on live fire training fatalities, this information mainly entailed case studies. These studies were limited to describing one or two events for the purposes of investigating the incidents. What they did not do was to examine the common denominators that played a role in all of the fatal incidents. Also, they did not examine the relationship between these fatalities and the adherence to the guidelines outlined in the national standard on live fire training published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). These NFPA guidelines are intended to make these training exercises as safe as possible. Dr. Spoons main research question addressed the relationship between live fire training fatalities and the degree of adherence to NFPA 1403. Her sub questions focused on two specific elements outlined in NFPA 1403, namely: How do the qualifications of instructors affect adherence to the standard? and How has the use of inappropriate fuels used in training fires (diesel fuel, gasoline, mattresses, and sofas) contributed to deaths and injuries during live fire training? (Live-fire Training Fatalities and the Degree of Adherence to National Fire Protection Association Standards (NFPA 1403), Walden University, 2012). In the example above, Dr. Spoons both recognized the problem of firefighter fatalities during live training, and identified the gap in the literature on this topic. As a result of this process, she determined the research question and the appropriate number of sub questions. The number of research questions and sub questions will vary from one study to another. You might have two or three research questions, or you might have one overarching research question with several sub questions, as Dr. Spoons did. This week, you will create research questions, based on your Dissertation topic, problem statement, and purpose; and, on this basis, determine your research design. Your research design will help determine your research method, which will be a focus in Week 8. Finally, you will also analyze the alignment of all these sections. Objectives Students will: Design research questions Analyze alignment of the Dissertation topic, problem statement, purpose, and research questions Evaluate research designs ____________________________________________________________________________________ Required Resources Readings Public Policy and Administration OSullivan, E., Rassel, G. R., & Berner, M. (2008). Research methods for public administrators (5th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson, Longman. o Chapter 2, Designs for Description (pp. 2555) o Chapter 3, Designs for Explanation (pp. 56100) Dissertation Rudestam, K. E., & Newton, R. R. (2015). Surviving your dissertation: A comprehensive guide to content and process (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN: 978-1-4522-6097-6 o In Chapter 2, Selecting a Suitable Topic, Generating researchable questions (pp. 2126) o Chapter 3, Methods of Inquiry: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches (pp. 2765) o Chapter 5, The Method Chapter: Describing Your Research Plan (pp. 99135) o Readings on research design, pages listed in Subject Index under Research design, (p. 359) o Readings on research questions, pages listed in Subject Index under Research questions, (p. 359) o Chapter 10, Writing (pp. 259279) Brause, R. S. (1999b). Identifying your dissertation topic and your research questions. In Writing your doctoral dissertation: Invisible rules for success (pp. 3747). New York, NY: Routledge. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. Web Center for Social Research Methods. (n.d.). Research Methods Knowledge Base. Retrieved fromhttp://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/index.php Walden University. (2010). Research design: Some thoughts on the research process. Minneapolis, MN: Walden University. Trochim, W., & Land, D. (1982). Designing designs for research. The Researcher, 1(1), 16. Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/desdes.php Walden University Library. (2015). Dissertations. Retrieved fromhttp://academicguides.waldenu.edu/library/dissertations Simon, M. K. (2011a). Developing research questions. In Dissertation and scholarly research: Recipes for success (pp. 13). Seattle, WA: Dissertation Success. Retrieved fromhttp://dissertationrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Developing-Research-Questions.pdf Walden University, Center for Research Quality. (2012). Ph.D. dissertation process and documents. Retrieved from http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/researchcenter/osra/phd o Dissertation Prospectus Guide o Dissertation Student Process Worksheet Media Laureate Education (Producer). (2010a). Dissertation research process [Multimedia file]. Baltimore, MD: Author. Optional Resources Laureate Education (Producer). (2010b). Overview of qualitative research methods. Baltimore, MD: Author. Laureate Education. (Producer ). (2010c). Overview of quantitative research methods. Baltimore, MD: Author.