I am finishing up my syllabus for an "intro to research" grad course,
and I continue my struggle for a better term for the aspect of research
that we usually call "research design." By this, I mean that class of
choices/techniques that include panel study, case study,
cross-sectional, time-series, etc., designs. I don't like to use
"research design" because I argue that all choices in planning a
research project are about its design (including measurement, sampling,
etc. choices, and even choices about stating the research question). In
the past few years, I have been using the phrase "observational plan,"
but I don't really like that much either. Any suggestions? 

Chris
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Chris Mooney
Institute of Government and Public Affairs, PAC 466
University of Illinois at Springfield
One University Plaza, MS PAC 466
Springfield, IL  62703-5407
USA

voice: (217) 206-6573
fax: (217) 206-6542

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