Ed 603 - Lesson 9 - Historical and Qualitative Research

Lesson 9 will consist of the following topics

· Text Assignment for Lesson 9

· Reasons to Study the Different Types of Research Designs

· Historical Research

· The Process for Conducting Historical Research

· Qualitative Research

· Lesson 9 Assignment

· Lesson 9 Quiz

Text Assignment for Lesson 9

For lesson 9, read pages 163-182 in Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Application, Seventh Edition by L. R. Gay and Peter Airasian (2003, Merrill/Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-099463-4)

or read pages 398-411 in Educational Research: Competencies for Analysis and Application, Eighth Edition by Lorrie Gay, Geoffrey Mills, and Peter Airasian (2006, Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0-13-118534-9)

or read pages 511-531 in Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 3^rd Edition by John W. Creswell (2008, Merrill/Prentice Hall, ISBN-13: 978-0-13-613550-0)

Reasons to Study the Different Types of Research Designs

Once you have formulated a research problem, conducted a review of related research, formulated a research hypothesis, described a sample (subjects), and selected one or more measuring instruments you are ready to prepare the methods section of your research proposal or report.
The methods section of your proposal should include sections on

a description of the subjects
a description of the instruments to be used in the study
a description of the research design
a description of the specific procedures to be followed in your study.

The methods section of your study will be followed by a description of methods you intend to use to analyze your data.
In Lessons 9-14 of this course we will study the six type of research in order to find out more information about how to design an experiment and carry out the procedures to conduct the research. In this lesson we will start out historical and qualitative research.

Historical Research

Historical Research is the systematic collection and objective evaluation of data related to past occurrences in order to test hypotheses concerning causes, effects, or trends of these events that may help to explain present events and anticipate future events. (Gay, 1996)

The Process for Conducting Historical Research

The process for conducting historical research is the same as for other research.

Definition of a problem
Formulation of questions to be answered or hypotheses to be tested
Systematic collection of data
Evaluation of data
Production of a verbal synthesis of findings or confirmation/disconfirmation of hypotheses.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative Research involves intensive data collection (lots of many variables), over an extended period of time, in a naturalistic setting (variables are studied when and where they naturally occur).

Sometimes qualitative research is called naturalistic inquiry or field studies.

Sometimes qualitative research is called ethnographic or anthropological research.