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Applied Research Design: A Practical Approach

The chapters in this Handbook describe several approaches to conducting applied social research, including experimental studies (Boruch, Weisburd, Turner, Karpyn, & Littell, Chapter 5), qualitative research (Maxwell, Chapter 7; Fetterman,Chapter 17), and mixed methods studies (Tashakkori & Teddlie, Chapter 9). Regardless of the approach, all forms of applied research have two major phases—planning and execution—and four stages embedded within them (see Figure 1.1). In the planning phase, the researcher defines the scope of the research and develops a comprehensive research plan. During the second phase the researcher implements and monitors the plan (design, data collection and analysis, and management procedures), followed by reporting and follow-up activities. In this chapter, we focus on the first phase of applied research, the planning phase. Figure 1.2 summarizes the research planning approach advocated here, highlighting the iterative nature of the design process. Although our chapter applies to many different types of applied social research (e.g., epidemiological, survey research, and ethnographies), our examples are largely program evaluation examples, the area in which we have the most research experience. Focusing on program evaluation also permits us to cover many different planning issues, especially the interactions with the sponsor of the research and other stakeholders. CHAPTER 1