Step 6: Select a Research Design
Selecting a research design involves making decisions about the specifi c methods
and procedures you will use to conduct the research study. Does your research
question call for the detailed examination of one individual, or would
you fi nd a better answer by looking at the average behavior of a large group?
Should you observe one group of individuals as they experience a series of different
treatment conditions, or should you observe a different group of individuals
for each of the different treatments? Should you make a series of observations
of the same individuals over a period of time, or should you compare the
behaviors of different individuals at the same time? Answering these questions
will help you determine a specifi c design for the study. Different designs and
their individual strengths and weaknesses are discussed in Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11,
and 14.