Muhammad Rizky Asmen

19/449096/PSP/06643

A. Book Summary

Source: Creswell, John W. 2009. Research Design. California: SAGE Publication Inc.

Chapter 1

The Selection of a Research Design

Research designs are defined as a plan or structure for research that include the steps
from broad assumptions to detailed methods of information collection, analysis, and
interpretation. Researchers make several decisions on this plan such as choosing a
research design based on the nature of the problem that being addressed. There are
three types of design:

1. Qualitative research
This type is used by researcher to explore and understand the meaning of a
social or human problem from individuals or groups. It uses inductive analysis,
use flexible structure for the final report, and focus on individual meaning and
the importance of rendering the complexity of a situation (Cresswell, 2007).
2. Quantitative research
Researcher use this kind of reasearch to test objective theories by testing the
relation of some variables. It uses deductive analysis, use statistical procedures
for analyzing numbered data, use a set of structure for the final report, and
controlling for alternative explanations (Cresswell, 2008).
3. Mix method research
This method is combining both of qualitative and quantitative methods. It
involves philosophical assumptions and the use of both qualitative and
quantitative methods, which is make the study has a greater overall strength
than either of those methods (Cresswell & Plano Clark, 2007).

Three components involved in a design

When researchers want to plan a research, they have to think about some components
that are involved in the design such as philosophical worldview assumptions, the
strategy inquiry that is related to the worldview, and the research methods. The
following diagram will describe the interaction of those components.

A framework for design

Philosophical Worldviews
The first major element in the framework is philosophical worldviews. According to
Creswell, the worldviews arise based on discipline orientations, student
advisors/mentor inclinations, and past research experiences. Creswell presents four
worldviews with each of those major elements in the following table.

Four Worldviews
Postpositivism Constructivism Advocacy/Participatory Pragmatism
 Determination  Understanding  Political  Consequences of
• Reductionism • Multiple participant • Power and justice actions
• Empirical observation meanings oriented • Problem-centered
and measurement • Social and historical • Collaborative • Pluralistic
• Theory verification construction • Change-oriented • Real-world practice
• Theory generation oriented

Strategies of Inquiry
The next major element is strategies of inquiry. Creswell says that strategies of inquiry
are types of inquiry within qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches
that provide specific direction for procedures in a research design. Meanwhile, Denzin
and Lincoln (2011) call them as approaches to inquiry. The researchers have to decide
the strategies of inquiry based on the method that they choose earlier. There are three
alternative strategies of inquiry:

Alternative Strategies of Inquiry

Quantitative Strategies Qualitative Strategies
 Experimental designs  Narrative research
 Nonexperimental designs,  Phenomenology
such as surveys  Grounded theory
 Ethnographies
 Case study
Mixed Method Strategies
 Convergent
 Explanatory sequential
 Exploratory sequential
 Transformative,
embedded, or multiphase

Research Methods
The last major element in the framework of research design is the research method. It
involves the forms of data collection, analysis, and interpretation that researchers
propose for their studies. Research methods are categorized in three categories method:
1. Quantitative Methods
The methods are pre-determined and use instrument based questions. In these
methods, researchers use some kind of data such as performance data, attitude
data, observational data, and census data. Also, this methods use statistical
analysis and statistical interpretation.
2. Qualitative Methods
Different with quantitative methods, qualitative methods are emerging methods
and use an open-ended questions. The types of data in these methods are
interview data, observation data, document data, and audiovisual data. These
methods use text and image analysis and themes pattern interpretation.
 3. Mixed Methods
On the mixed methods, researchers combine both of quantitative and qualitative
methods like both predetermined and emerging methods, using both open and
closed-ended questions, using multiple forms of data drawing on all possibilities,
using statistical and text analysis, and across databases interpretation.

Research Approaches as Worldviews, Designs, and Methods

From the three major elements which are described in the previous explanation, there
are four scenarios that can illustrate how those three major elements combine into a
research design. The scenario will be depicted in the following explanation.
1. Quantitative approach
This scenario combines post positivist worldview, Experimental strategy of
inquiry, and pre and post-test measures of attitudes.
2. Qualitative approach
This scenario combines constructivist worldview, ethnographic design, and
observation of behavior.
3. Qualitative approach
This approach combines participatory worldview, narrative design, and open-
ended interviewing.
4. Mixed methods approach
This mixed methods approach combines pragmatic worldview, collection of both
quantitative and qualitative data sequentially.

Criteria for selecting a research design

Creswell argues that making a research design is based on the research problem, the
researcher’s personal experiences, and targeted audience(s).

Firstly, researchers have to think about the research problem. A different approach is
needed by the different issue like if an examination of a theory is needed, then a
quantitative approach should be selected. On the other hand, if a phenomenon is not
well-understood because little research has been done on it, then a qualitative approach
is the best option. In addition, if the quantitative and qualitative approach cannot
provide the best understanding, then the researchers could choose the mixed methods
approach.

Secondly, the researcher’s personal experiences could be the variable that encourages
researchers to choose a research design. People have a tendency to use a tool that they
are familiar with. This issue is also happen when researchers choose an approach. If
they are familiar with statistic calculations and quantitative journals would most likely
choose quantitative approach. Otherwise, they will choose another approach.

Finally, the target audience(s) is the last variable that influences the researcher to
decide about the choice of approach. For example, students should consider the
approaches supported and used by their advisors.
 B. Journal/article Summary

Source: Article “Why Do Women Pay More Than They Should? A Mixed Methods
Study of Implementation Gap in A Policy to Subsidize the Costs of Deliveries in
Burkina Faso” by Valery Ridde, Seni Kouanda, Maurice Yameogo, Kadidiatou Kadio, and
Aristide Bado

Background
Burkina Faso government create a policy to reduce maternal death level by giving
subsidy or government incentive for women who are giving normal delivery in hospital..
After the subsidy policy is applied, the women just need to pay 20% (900 F CFA) of
normal delivery cost.

Research design
According to the Creswell’s book that has been explained before, we can say that this
research design use pragmatism worldviews, sequential mixed strategy, and mixed
methods.
1. Pragmatism worldviews
This study focused on measuring and analyzing the gaps between what is planned
and what is implemented, conducted in the Ouargaye health district.
2. Sequential mixed strategy
This research uses quantitative first for testing the hypothesis that amounts paid
by women in normal deliveries were more than the official fee, then uses
qualitative for understanding the reasons for the gap.
3. Mixed methods
This study uses questionnaire for collecting information, and formulated four
potential for the observed gap by analyzing and interpreting the results of
quantitative data.

Research result
From the research, it is reported that about a half of the women pay more than the
official cost, the average payment was twice as much as the official fee. After
interviewed, some of the health workers deny those results then questioned the validity
of the test and felt that the respondents were telling lies.
Researcher insisted three most reasonable explanations for this payment disparity are:
(i) the payments were for products used that were not part of the delivery kit covered
by the official fee; (ii) the implementers had difficulty in understanding the policy; and
(iii) there was improper conduct on the part of some health workers.

C. Question

1. What will happen if we use a wrong research method for our research problem?
2. How can we assured that the research design that we have made is correct for our
research problem?