Research MethodsResearch methods are generalized and established ways of approaching research questions (e.g., qualitative vs. quantitative methods). Not all methods can be applied to all research questions, so the choice of method is limited by the area of research that you wish to explore.

Research DesignResearch design involves determining how your chosen method will be applied to answer your research question. The design of your study can be thought of as a blueprint detailing what will be done and how this will be accomplished. Key aspects of research design include: research methodology; participant/sample collection and assignment (if different conditions are being explored); and data collection procedures and instruments.

The flexible research procedure of qualitative research that was touched upon inChapter 1, might suggest that this type of research requires little or no planningand that researchers can work with whatever they encounter. Nothing is furtherfrom the truth. Researchers face the difficult task of finding a balance betweentheir preparations, resulting in a research plan and conducting the research in practice.The research plan contains the research questions, the research purpose, an ethicalparagraph, a plan for disseminating the findings and an outline of the overallresearch strategy as well as the specific methods, techniques and instruments to beused.A plan provides structure, but it should not interfere with flexibility.A planprovides certainty, but should not block other promising options. This chapterprovides pointers for handling this ambivalence in the design of a qualitative researchproject.

RelationshipChoice of research methods and design should be thought of as a reciprocal process extending well into your study. For example, it may arise over the course of your study that there is a flaw in the design. Changing the design of the study may lead to the choice (or addition) of a different method which, in turn, may lead to subsequent changes in the design to accommodate the new method(s).

Difference between method and methodologyThe words 'method' and 'methodology' may sound similar, but there is a big difference between them. A method is the way in which you complete a task, or the steps you take to complete a task. Methodology is the study of a method or methods.

3 req of soc sci experiment

Human subject research/ethical principles

Human Subject Research - Ethical Principles

The Code's standards concerning the treatment of human subjects include federal regulations and ethics guidelines emphasized by most professional science organizations:

Research should cause no harm to subjects, at no point should subjects feel distressed. Deception needs to be left out of the research process, under no circumstance should a researcher lie to their subjects. Participation in research should be voluntary, and therefore subjects must give their informed consent to participate in the research. Researchers should be very cautious when dealing with vulnerable clients (persons who are mentally ill, incarcerated people, or minors) they should make sure to get the proper consent. Researchers should fully disclose their identity. Anonymity or confidentiality must be maintained for individual research participants unless it is voluntary and explicitly waived. Actively attempt to remove from the research records any elements that might indicate the subjects identities. And finally, benefits from a research project should outweigh any foreseeable risks.[5]

The specific structure of a protection program is secondary to its performance of several essential functions. These functions include:

1. comprehensive review of protocols, (including scientific, financial conflict of interest, and ethical reviews),2. ethically sound participant-investigator interactions,3. ongoing (and risk appropriate) safety monitoring throughout the conduct of the study, and4. quality improvement (QI) and compliance activities/[6]

Some principles Jones states in regards to electronic information gathering principles follows:

1. Openness: Existence of data banks should be publicly known2. Individual Access and Correction: People should have access to the data collected about themselves.3. Collection Limitation and Relevance: Personal data should be collected for one specific, legitimate purpose.4. Use Limitations: Information should be used only for purposes specified at the time of collection.5. Disclosure Limitation: Personal data is not to be communicated externally without consent of the subject who supplied the data.

6. Security: Personal data should be reasonably guarded against risks such as loss, unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure. [7]