Descriptive Research Methods

1
Descriptive Research Methods

• Goal is to generally identify, describe or
  characterize phenomena.
• Determine what people do (e.g., how they act).
• Determine if and what type of relationships
  (e.g., correlation) exists between variables.

2
Archival Research

• Uses preexisting information (data) to help
  answer research questions.
• Archival data is often recorded by individuals
  other than the researchers, for other purposes
  (e.g. public health records and census data)

3
Types of Archival Research

• Statistical Records
• e.g., Does heat relate to aggression? (Reifman,
  Larrick Fein, 1991)
• Survey Archives
• e.g.,The General Social Survey a series of
  surveys funded by the National Science Foundation
  as a resource for social scientists (see
  website-General Social Survey Series
• Written and Mass Communication Records
• e.g., Do peoples preferences for others vary
  based on the economy? Pettijohn_Archival Study.pdf

4
Limitations to Archival Data

• Availability/Survival of relevant records (e.g.,
  Rosetta Stone, Dead Sea Scrolls)
• Accuracy of records/Selective Deposit
• (e.g., McCarthys Blacklist Titchener on Wundt)
  
• Negative Case Analysis

5
Telling a story from Archival Data

• Use of Content Analysis
• A technique for drawing inferences by
  systematically and objectively identifying
  specified characteristics in archival data.
• Involves a systematic application of a coding
  system across a representative sample of material
  
• Applies theory to inform decision rules for
  organizing the data into relevant variables.

6
Steps in Performing a Content Analysis

• Choose the phenomena to be coded
• Select the archival data to be used (be careful
  that the data be representative)
• Derive a coding scheme (i.e., specify categories
  of interest).
• Choose a sampling strategy (e.g., every other
  issue of a magazine over a years period)
• Train coders or decide on criteria for inclusion
  of content into the categories
• Analyze the data