What is Research?
What Defines Research?
According to the federal Office of Human Subjects Research, research is defined as “a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to general knowledge.”
Qualitative Studies
Sometimes you want to know about someone’s experiences with some phenomenon or how students are perceiving the school counseling program. Perhaps you want to understand how teachers perceive the role of a school counselor. These are examples of ideas for a qualitative study, which would employ methods such as interviews and observations to gain a better understanding of the qualities of the experiences.
Quantitative Studies
Sometimes you want numbers and concrete data to understand the effect of an intervention or to find out how people perceive the program. Quantitative studies rely upon surveys, formal assessments and inventories, and quantifying something to better understand it.
Action Research
Here you are performing some sort of intervention, activity, or programming and measuring effectiveness at the same time.
Non-Significant Research Findings: What You Thought You Didn’t Find Could Be Important!
School counselors can benefit from learning about the successes and failures of interventions employed by peers. Studies that produce no impact but identify missing elements, opportunities for improvement, and other lessons learned also advance the profession.