There are three special cases that are listed in the
quantitative checklist that we will examine today: a pilot study, conducting an
intervention, and archival data. I am a fan of pilot studies, but you do need to explain why you are
doing one and who will be participating in it. Pilot studies are typically done
to give you an opportunity to practice your procedures, check the clarity of
the measure, and to determine how long the full study will take (so you can
report that in your consent form).
Doing an intervention, which means introducing any new
training, treatment, or information to your participants is a very tricky
proposition at Walden. Even something as simple as having a control group may
come under the intervention rules. So if you have been thinking along these
lines, I caution you to write to the IRB today (irb@waldenu.edu) and talk to
them about it. You, as the researcher, will not be allowed to do the
intervention. So, some other group or institution will have to sponsor it. You
are only allowed to collect the data on it. After you talk to the IRB about
this, if it still makes sense to do an intervention, you will need to clearly
describe what will be done and who will do it. Also, clearly indicate your role
and what you will and will not be doing with it.
Archival (or secondary) data, using already collected data
in your dissertation, is a great method to use. You will need to relate all the information
about how the original study was done, including recruitment and data
collection. Then you will need to describe the procedure used to access the
data, including any permission letters you needed (include them in the
appendix). If you are using historical or legal documents (this is uncommon),
describe how you know they are accurate and why they are the best possible
sources to use.
Next time we will switch to qualitative and mixed methods
studies and look at Chapter 3: Participant Selection. Do you have an issue or a
question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me
your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu
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