To ensure high external validity, it’s important to draw a sample that’s representative of the population you want to generalize to. It’s always best to choose a probability sampling (also known as random sampling) method for this.
The most popular sampling methods are stratified sampling, systematic sampling, simple random sampling, and cluster sampling.
A probability sampling method also increases other types of validity, such as internal validity, and it reduces bias.
Continue reading: What kind of sample is best for external validity?
Random assignment can increase external validity, but it has a bigger impact on internal validity.
Random assignment helps to reduce confounding variables and ensures that the treatment and control groups are comparable in all aspects except for the independent variable.
This increases the confidence that any observed differences between the groups can be attributed to the treatment rather than other factors, which means an increase in internal validity.
It can also improve external validity because random assignment of participants prevents researchers from inadvertently selecting participants who may be more or less likely to respond to the treatment.
However, the external validity may still be limited by sampling bias if the participants are not representative of the target population, which is why choosing the appropriate sampling method is also important to ensure external validity.
A probability sampling method, such as simple random sampling, stratified sampling, cluster sampling, or systematic sampling, is always the best choice.
Continue reading: Does random assignment increase external validity?
Content validity and criterion validity are two types of validity in research:
- Content validity ensures that an instrument measures all elements of the construct it intends to measure.
- A survey to investigate depression has high content validity if its questions cover all relevant aspects of the construct “depression.”
- Criterion validity ensures that an instrument corresponds with other “gold standard” measures of the same construct.
- A shortened version of an established anxiety assessment instrument has high criterion validity if the outcomes of the new version are similar to those of the original version.
Continue reading: What is the difference between content and criterion validity?
Content validity and predictive validity are two types of validity in research:
- Content validity ensures that an instrument accurately measures all elements of the construct it intends to measure.
- A test designed to measure anxiety has high content validity if its questions cover all relevant aspects of the construct “anxiety.”
- Predictive validity demonstrates that a measure can forecast future behavior, performance, or outcomes. It is a subtype of criterion validity.
- A test designed to predict student retention has high predictive validity if it accurately predicts which students still participate in the study program 2 years later.
Continue reading: What is the difference between content validity and predictive validity?
Ecological validity is a subtype of external validity that is specifically concerned with the extent to which the study environment, tasks, and conditions reflect the real-world settings in which the behavior naturally occurs.
External validity also consists of population validity, which refers to the extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to the larger population from which the sample was drawn.
Continue reading: What is the difference between ecological validity and external validity?
When a study has high ecological validity, the findings are more likely to generalize to real-world situations, making them more applicable and useful for practical purposes, such as improving witness testimony and investigative procedures.
High ecological validity minimizes the influence of factors that can affect results, such as laboratory settings or overly structured procedures, which can lead to biases or unrepresentative data.
Ecological validity is a subtype of external validity.
Continue reading: Why is it important for a study of eyewitness memory to have a high level of ecological validity?
As you research, write down citation information for any sources you plan to use. Record quotes and ideas carefully, along with the page numbers where you found them. You can write them on note cards, on paper, or in a digital document.
When writing your first draft, include enough citation information in the text to ensure accurate referencing. After finishing the draft, you can go through your paper and add the full citations, following the style guide.
QuillBot’s Citation Generator can help you automatically generate in-text citations and a reference list for your paper.
Finally, use QuillBot’s Plagiarism Checker to double-check your work and avoid plagiarism.
Continue reading: How do I cite sources for a research paper?
Most research papers contain at least an introduction and sections for methodology, results, discussion, and references. Many also include an abstract and a literature review. Some other common elements are a title page, a table of contents, tables and figures, and appendices.
A title is an important part of a research paper that can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. QuillBot’s free title generator can help you come up with a compelling title quickly.
Continue reading: What are the parts of a research paper?
These are three major mistakes to avoid when writing a research proposal:
- Failing to connect your potential research to previous studies, from the research question to the contribution your research will make.
- Failing to maintain a clear and cohesive focus on the research topic throughout your research questions, aims, objectives, and methods.
- Failing to determine realistic research steps and explain them clearly enough.
You also should tailor your research proposal to its audience. If the people approving your study do not have much technical knowledge, it may be helpful to run your proposal through a humanizer to reduce jargon.
Continue reading: What are some major mistakes to avoid when writing a research proposal?
A research proposal has three main parts: the introduction, the literature review, and the methods section.
For help structuring and refining your research proposal, try QuillBot’s free AI project proposal generator.
Continue reading: What are the 3 chapters of a research proposal?
