Research Guides: Research Methods, Management, &amp; Funding Guide: Research Methods

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Subjects: OER: Open (or Free) Educational Materials, Scholarly Communication

Research Methods

Selecting the Right Analyses for Your Data: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods
Call Number: H62 .V6228 2014 (4th floor) - Or Read Online
Publication Date: 2014
What are the most effective methods to code and analyze data for a particular study? This book reviews the selection criteria for coding and analyzing any set of data--whether qualitative, quantitative, mixed, or visual. The authors systematically explain when to use verbal, numerical, graphic, or combined codes, and when to use qualitative, quantitative, graphic, or mixed-methods modes of analysis.
Scholarly Publishing and Research Methods Across Disciplines
Call Number: Read Online
Publication Date: 2018
There is no singular 'best' method of research. The differing nature of research endeavors warrant multiple ways of generating knowledge, sharing knowledge, and avoiding errors. This is a collection of innovative findings on the methods and applications of research in scholarly publishing, ranging from the analyzation of mixed methods and qualitative/quantitative research, to Dewey's scientific method and more from a cross-disciplinary viewpoint.

The Oxford Handbook of Quantitative Methods
Call Number: BF39 .O927 2013 v.1-2 (4th floor)
Publication Date: 2013
Practical Data Analysis Cookbook
Call Number: Read Online
Publication Date: 2016

FIND MORE BOOKS: Quantitative Research

Coding Qualitative Data: How to Code Qualitative Research
Strong introduction to the what's, why's, and how's of coding qualitative research data.
Qualitative Data Coding 101: How to code qualitative data, explained simply
Another strong introduction, using clear examples to explain what coding is and how to do it.

The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research
Call Number: REF H62 .H2455 2018 (2nd floor)
Publication Date: 2017
Note: SHSU faculty and staff can check out Reference books.
The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Collection
Call Number: REF H62 .S264 2018 (2nd floor)
Publication Date: 2018
Note: SHSU faculty and staff can check out Reference books.
Essentials of Publishing Qualitative Research
Call Number: Read Online
Essentials of Consensual Qualitative Research
Call Number: H62 .H5115 2021 (4th floor)
Describes consensual qualitative research (CQR), an inductive method characterized by open-ended interview questions, small samples, a reliance on words over numbers, the importance of context, an integration of multiple viewpoints (for example, the consensus of the research team and auditors), and a high emphasis on rigor and replicability. CQR is especially well suited to research that requires rich descriptions of inner experiences, attitudes, and convictions, and is therefore widely used by psychotherapy researchers.
Essentials of Descriptive-Interpretive Qualitative Research
Call Number: BF76.5 .E435 2021 (4th floor)
Principles for using a generic approach to descriptive-interpretive qualitative research.
BOOK SERIES: Qualitative Designs and Methods in Nursing
Mixture of print and electronic books. Follow link for specific titles and call numbers.
Method Meets Art: Arts-based research practice
Call Number: Read Online
Publication Date: 2015
Addresses all eight major ABR genres--narrative inquiry, fiction-based research, poetry, music, dance, theatre, film, and visual art.

FIND MORE BOOKS: Qualitative Research

Approaches to Ethnography
Call Number: GN33 .A55 2018 (4th floor)
Publication Date: 2017
Illustrates the various modes of representation and analysis that typify participant observation research.
Participant Observation
Call Number: GN346.4 .D48 2011 (4th floor)
Basic primer for the beginning researcher and as a useful reference and guide for experienced researchers in many fields who wish to reexamine their own skills and abilities in light of best practices of participant observation. Includes discussions of participant observation in nontypical settings, such as the Internet, participant observation in applied research, ethics of participant observation, and the use of computer-assisted analysis of textual data.
Essentials of Autoethnography
Call Number: GN346.6 .P68 2021 (4th floor)
Step-by-step guide to writing autoethnography, an approach to research and writing that seeks to describe and systematically analyze one's personal experience in various contexts, and thereby understand its cultural, social, and emotional meaning.

Focus Group Discussions (from the Understanding Research series) by Monique M. Hennink
Publication Date: 2014
addresses the challenges associated with conducting and writing focus group research. It provides detailed guidance on the practical and theoretical Considerations in conducting focus group discussions including: designing the discussion guide, recruiting participants, training a field team, moderating techniques and ethical considerations. Includes case study examples of field research across a range of disciplines and international contexts.
Group Depth Interviews: Focus Group Research (Ch. 18 of The SAGE Handbook of Applied Scial Research Methods) by Leonard Bickman, Debra J. Rog
Publication Date: 2009
Good overview of focus groups generally; also includes a section focused on virtual focus groups

Online Focus Groups (Generally Synchronous)

Differences between Online and Face to Face Focus Groups, Viewed through Two Approaches
Journal article, 2012 - useful for researchers migrating from one modality to the other or trying to select the most appropriate modality for their use case
Guide to Conducting Online Focus Groups
From Vital Strategies and the Global Food Research Program at Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, circa late 2020 or early 2021
Synchronous online focus groups in health research: application and further development of methodology based on experiences from two mixed-methods research projects
Journal article, Feb 2023
Dematerialized participation challenges: Methods and practices for online focus groups
Journal article, April 2023
Using Creative Approaches and Facilitating Remote Online Focus Groups With Children and Young People: Reflections, Recommendations and Practical Guidance
Journal article, 2022

Asynchronous Online Focus Groups

Asynchronous online focus groups for research with people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and family caregivers: usefulness, acceptability and lessons learned
Journal article, 2023

Mixed Methods Research for Improved Scientific Study
Call Number: Read Online
Publication Date: 2016

FIND MORE: Mixed Methods Research

A systematic review attempts to collate all empirical evidence that fits pre-specified eligibility criteria in order to answer a specific research question.

SHSU Guide - Systematic Reviews: How-To in Detail

What Type of Review is Right For You? (Flowchart/Decision Tree)
(From Cornell University Library) Not all research questions are well-suited for systematic review types; this tool can help you determine if a different evidence synthesis methodology might be more appropriate.

Methods for Research Evidence Synthesis: The Scoping Review Approach
"A scoping review is a relatively new approach to evidence synthesis and differs from systematic reviews in its purpose and aims. The purpose of a scoping review is to provide an overview of the available research evidence without producing a summary answer to a discrete research question. Scoping reviews can be useful for answering broad questions, such as 'What information has been presented on this topic in the literature?' and for gathering and assessing information prior to conducting a systematic review."
Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach
Munn, Z., Peters, M.D.J., Stern, C. et al. Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach. BMC Med Res Methodol 18, 143 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0611-x
Scoping reviews: what they are and how you can do them
Videos and slides from a five-part Cochrane Learning Live webinar (2017).
1. Scoping reviews: an overview with examples
2. Example: Strengthening clinical governance in low- and middle-income countries
3. Examples of non-health related scoping reviews
4. Doing scoping reviews
5. Polling questions and Q&A session

College of Education (COE) Research Center
"The College of Education (COE) Research Center provides research and evaluation support to students and faculty, as well as other constituents outside of the COE. We aim to support constituents in their goals of designing contextually relevant studies and meaningful findings... Methodological consultation is available for qualitative, quantitative, and mix-methods approaches... Our support efforts also include connecting students and faculty with relevant resources such as data analysis software, readings, webinars, and other scholarly materials."