I Believed That Posted The Assignment In The Discussion Boar

I Believed That Posted The Assignment In The Discussion Board But Forg

Based on your course reading assignments (Chapters 6 and 7) as well as your pending research problem, what type of study do you believe you are conducting, and please explain why?

Paper For Above instruction

The determination of the type of research study being conducted is fundamental in guiding the methodological approach, data collection, and analysis. After a thorough review of the course readings from Chapters 6 and 7, which focus on descriptive research design, mixed methods, meta-analysis, epidemiology, and longitudinal studies, along with consideration of my pending research problem, I believe the study aligns most closely with a mixed methods research design.

Mixed methods research integrates both qualitative and quantitative approaches to provide a comprehensive understanding of the research problem. According to Creswell and Plano Clark (2018), this approach enables researchers to explore complex phenomena from multiple perspectives, thereby enhancing the validity and richness of findings. In my case, the research problem involves examining both statistical correlations and personal experiences related to health behaviors, necessitating a combination of numerical data and narrative insights.

The quantitative component of my study involves survey data aimed at identifying patterns, relationships, and prevalence of health behaviors within a specific population. This aligns with the descriptive research design discussed in Chapter 6, which emphasizes summarizing and describing characteristics of a population or phenomenon. Descriptive statistics will help elucidate the prevalence of particular health practices, risk factors, and demographic variables.

Complementing this, the qualitative component involves in-depth interviews or focus groups to explore contextual factors, motivations, and perceptions underlying health behaviors. This aspect resonates with the qualitative paradigms covered in Chapter 7, which often utilize phenomenological or exploratory designs to understand lived experiences. The qualitative data will provide nuanced insights that contextualize the quantitative findings and facilitate a more holistic understanding of the research questions.

Furthermore, the research employs a longitudinal aspect, tracking changes over time to observe trends and causality, which relates to the longitudinal studies discussed in Chapter 7 of epidemiology research. This temporal dimension allows for the assessment of behavioral shifts and the impact of interventions, if applicable.

Meta-analysis, while mentioned as a valuable research synthesis method in Chapter 6, is less applicable at this stage since I am collecting primary data rather than synthesizing existing studies. However, if my research progresses towards a systematic review, meta-analytical techniques could then be employed to integrate findings from multiple studies for broader generalizations.

In summary, the nature of my research—aiming to quantitatively measure health behaviors while qualitatively understanding underlying motivations, using a longitudinal framework—exemplifies a mixed methods study grounded in descriptive, epidemiological, and longitudinal designs. This methodological integration is critical for capturing both the breadth and depth of the complex health phenomena I am investigating.

References

  • Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. Sage publications.
  • Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage publications.
  • Hulley, S. B., Cummings, S. R., Browner, W. S., Grady, D. G., & Newman, T. B. (2013). Designing Clinical Research. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
  • Kelle, U. (2007). Combining qualitative and quantitative methods in research practice: Purposes and benefits. Qualitative Research, 7(2), 179–188.
  • Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Johnson, R. B. (2006). Mixing Methods: Instruments, Validity, and Interpretation. Research in the Schools, 13(1), 48–63.
  • Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods. Sage Publications.
  • Sullivan, G. M., & Artino, A. R. (2013). Analyzing and interpreting data from Likert-type scales. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 5(4), 541–542.
  • World Health Organization. (2018). Epidemiology and methods: longitudinal studies. WHO Publications.
  • Yin, R. K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. Sage Publications.
  • Silverman, D. (2016). Qualitative Research. Sage Publications.

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