Sampling in Action [Due Sept. 12]
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Due Friday by 11:59pm
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to give students hands-on experience in designing a robust data collection strategy for a quantitative study. Students will demonstrate their ability to connect a research question to appropriate instruments, address issues of validity and reliability, and anticipate challenges in implementation.
Assignment Instructions
Part 1: Conceptual Foundations (200–300 words)
· Define quantitative data collection and explain how it differs from qualitative approaches.
· Describe at least two quantitative data collection methods (e.g., surveys, experiments, structured observations, secondary datasets).
· Discuss the role of
measurement validity and reliability
in quantitative research. Provide examples of threats to each and how they can be minimized.
Part 2: Applied Data Collection Plan (200-300 words)
Use the research questions that you developed in Module and develop a data collection strategy that includes:
· Population and sample: Who will provide the data, and how will they be selected?
· Instrument(s): Describe the survey, test, or observational protocol you would use. Include at least five example survey or test questions/items.
· Mode of administration: Online, in-person, mailed, or mixed-method. Justify your choice.
· Timeline and procedures: How long will data collection take? What steps will be followed?
· Reliability and validity checks: How will you ensure your measures are consistent and accurately capture your concepts?
· Ethical considerations: How will you protect participants’ rights, confidentiality, and consent?
Here are the research questions:
Research questions
1. How does ethical leadership influence employee decision-making?
2. In what ways does organizational culture strengthen or weaken the effects of ethical leadership?
3. What cultural characteristics foster the most effective alignment between ethical leadership and ethical decision-making?
Part 3: Critical Evaluation of an Existing Study (200-300 words)
· Return to the annotations of sources that you did in Module 2. Choose an article that utilized the quantitative data collection method.
· Summarize how the researcher(s) collected their data (sample, instruments, procedures).
· Critique the strengths and weaknesses of their approach (validity, reliability, feasibility, ethics).
· Suggest one improvement to the study’s data collection design.
Evaluation Criteria (100 points total)
· Conceptual Foundations (20 pts): Clarity and accuracy in defining, comparing methods, and discussing validity/reliability.
· Applied Plan (40 pts): Rigor and feasibility of data collection strategy; creativity in instrument design; strong attention to reliability, validity, and ethics.
· Critical Evaluation (25 pts): Depth of analysis in critiquing published research and offering improvements.
· Writing & APA (15 pts): Graduate-level clarity, structure, and proper citation style.
Rubric
