Qualities of Good Research

Research, including experimental studies, is directed at understanding why a course, program, or experience produced a particular result. Thus, whereas program evaluation gives useful information about a particular program and its outcomes, research contributes to a knowledge base that informs others about future program design and practice by evaluating the usefulness and scope of a theory that is the basis for the program or intervention. Furco (in Gelmon, Furco, Holland, & Bringle, 2005) notes that good quantitative research, (a) provides a theoretical frame (see Bringle, 2003), (b) uses scientific design (e.g., experimental method, such as analysis of covariance to control for pre-existing differences) to control for extraneous explanations and allow causal inferences (see Bringle & Hatcher, 2000), (c) uses measurement techniques that possess demonstrable validity and reliability (see Bringle, et al., 2004), (d) uses appropriate statistical procedures for analysis, and (e) generalizes beyond the idiosyncratic case so that others can learn from the results (see Bringle & Hatcher, 2000). Bringle (in Gelmon et al., 2005) posited that convincing research, whether quantitative or qualitative, involves:

• Guidance or grounding in theory
• Clear constructs
• Control for differences among groups (quantitative research)
• Multiple indicators
• Multiple methods
• Converging results across different methods
• Confidence in conclusions
• Implications for teaching and learning in general