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ERIC Number: ED669301
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: N/A
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-4739-7964-2
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 2016-10-27
The Need for Topical Expertise in Quantitative Methods: The Example of College Test Preparation. Sage Research Methods Cases Part 2
Audrey Devine-Eller
Sage Research Methods Cases
This case study draws on my quantitative study of college entrance exam preparation (also known as "test prep") to illustrate how a researcher goes about setting up a quantitative project using existing datasets. I describe how I decided between two different datasets, a decision which required attention to how the research question was asked. I also discuss how I decided on an analytic strategy, and how to interpret results from logistic regression analysis. I offer a detailed description of the ways that expert background knowledge shape research questions and decisions about the research from the very beginning. In particular, I discuss how the lack of expert knowledge might hinder efforts at understanding the statistical phenomenon at hand or even result in misunderstanding it altogether. I use the case study to illustrate a more general problem ("what does 'no' mean?") in the interpretation of quantitative survey questions which embed time-sensitive processes. Finally, I recommend that researchers draw on subject-matter expertise (their own or others') in designing and interpreting their studies. [This content is provided in the format of an e-book.]
Sage Research Methods Cases. 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; Web site: https://methods-sagepub-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/Cases
Publication Type: Books; Non-Print Media; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A