Quantitative Research Designs

In order to find the best information on a topic, not only should you develop a question and search for resources, but you should also know how to analyze the value of the resources that you identify. There are different ways to evaluate resources, such as using the hierarchy of evidence, which you explored in Week 4 of this course. Another way to evaluate resources is to consider the appropriateness of the research design. Understanding how research designs contribute to the quality of a study is essential for being able to analyze resources when conducting a literature review or locating evidence for practice.

In this Discussion, you consider the different research designs and evaluate how these designs have been used to research a specific topic. You also consider strategies for selecting an appropriate research design.

To prepare:

- Review the information in the course texton quantitative research designs. Focus on the information in Box 9.1, "Guidelines for Critiquing Research Designs in Quantitative Studies" located on page 230 of the course text.

- Select a topic from the list below and search the Walden Library to find two different quantitative research studies addressing that issue:
o Caregiver stress
o Anxiety in children
o Sleep apnea
o Depression in college freshmen
o Rural health care issues
o Post-traumatic stress syndrome
o Traumatic brain injury in veterans
o Health effects of environmental contaminants
o Bipolar disorder
o End-of-life ethical issues
o Alternative medicine

- For each of the sources that you select, identify the type of quantitative research design used, and evaluate whether it is the most appropriate approach to the research.

- Consider the ramifications of choosing an inappropriate design for a research study.