Assigned Readings
deVaus, Ch. 2-3

Nardi, Ch. 1

Research Designs Read this. Bring this to class with you and refer to it throughout the semester.

The Goals of Research Design Read this carefully. Bring it to class with you and refer to it throughout the semester.

Recommended Readings
Shoemaker et al., Ch. 7

Discussion Guide
Discussion Guide - Internal & External Validity

Advance Preparation
Research design is all about enhancing internal and external validity and explanatory power. We will deal with this for the rest of the semester and will in fact address every research design from the perspective of potential threats to these three goals of research design.. This exercise will help you understand how different aspects of design affect the researcher's ability to reach these goals. Some students consistently lose points on assignments because they fail to meet the requirement that you include additional materials about research design in your assignments. Every assignment you submit should demonstrate that you are consulting literature about research design above and beyond the assigned readings. This in-class exercise will help you understand how to do that.

This exercise involves two kinds of preparation on your part.

1. You will work in groups of two for this step. Select your own partners. Your group must select one of the articles listed below to read and analyze for class. No two groups may select the same article. Prepare a one-page (maximum) summary of three to five key points about research design that you learn from reading and studying the article. Your key points should deal with the issues that the article raises about research design, and especially issues relating to internal and external validity and explanatory power. Do NOT report what the study was about, what the findings were, etc. Focus on research design and what the article can teach us about design considerations. Send your summary to me no later than noon, Friday, September 14, 2007. Title the e-mail with the last name of the first author on the paper your review - e.g., the title of the file for the first article would be larzelere.

2. I will send a copy of each summary to everyone in class. Take a few minutes to review the summaries prior to class. I will expect you to be able to comment on the summaries, ask questions about them, and share ideas with your colleagues in class.

Larzelere, R.E., Kuhn, B.R. & Johnson, B. (2004) The intervention selection bias: an underrecognized confound in intervention research. Psychological Bulletin 130(2), 289-303.

Lucas, J.W. (2003) Theory-testing, generalization, and the problem of external validity. Sociological Theory 21(3), 236-253.

Moffitt, R. (2003) Causal analysis in population research: an economist's perspective. Population & Development ReviewI 29(3), 448-458.

Morrison, K.H., Bradley, R. & Westen, D. (2003) The external validity of controlled clinical trials of psychotherapy for depression and anxiety: a naturalistic study. Psychology & Psychotherapy Research & Practice 76, 109-132.

Morse, J.M., Barrett, M., Mayan, M., Olson, K. & Spiers, J. (2002) Verification strategies for establishing reliability and validity in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 1(2), 1-19.

Moscoso, S.C., Tello, F.P.H. & Lopez, J.L.L. (2006) Using generalizability theory to assess the validity of the evaluation process. Quality & Quantity 40(3), 315-329.

Pyett, P.M. (2003) Validation of qualitative research in the "real world." Qualitative Health Research 13(8), 1170-1179.

Safer, D.L. & Hugo, E.M. (2006) Designing a control for behavioral group therapy. Behavior Therapy 37(2), 120-130.

Whittemore, R., Chase, S.K. & Mandle, C.L. (2001) Validity in qualitative research. Qualitative Health Research 11(4), 522-537.

Zarit, S.H., Stephens, M.A.P. & Femia, E. (2003) The validities of research findings: The case of interventions with caregivers. Alzheimer's Care Quarterly 43(3), 216-228.