Experimental design and analysis strategies: What experts do butfail to report
Document Type
Presentation
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association
Publication Date
4-1-2007
Abstract
The purposes of this study were to identify the cognitive skills and strategies that research experts use in experimental research and to evaluate the extent to which experts and non-experts can accurately report their problem-solving processes. Analysis identified three strategies used across levels of expertise: (1) begin with a strong prediction about a theory and interpret results in relation to it; (2) begin with a highly complex exploratory design to maximize the likelihood of patterns suggestive of a hypothesis; or (3) use the least complex designs possible and interpret the cumulative results in a linear fashion. Despite clear articulation of these strategies, participants omitted at least 48% of the steps they took to generate research designs and evaluate results.
Recommended Citation
Feldon, D. F. (2007). Experimental design and analysis strategies: What experts do but fail to report. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association. Chicago, Illinois: April, 2007.
