Sequential research is concerned with studying the processes of psychological growth during the age stages. By following up with a specific group of children and subjecting them to all psychological tests using standard means and tools during fixed periods on a regular basis that may be every week, every month, or every day.
Sequential research is a research method in which multiple studies are conducted in a predetermined sequence, with the findings from each study informing the design and execution of the next study in the sequence. This approach allows researchers to build upon previous work and progressively refine their understanding of a research question or phenomenon. Sequential research is often used in fields such as psychology, sociology, and public health, where complex phenomena are being studied and a comprehensive understanding is sought through a series of smaller, more focused studies. There are several types of sequential research designs, including a simple sequential design, in which one study follows another, and a more complex design known as a multiphase sequential design, in which multiple studies are conducted concurrently or in parallel.
Studies on a sequential research usually take a long period of time. Because it is the process of recording the different variables that children are exposed to during the stages of development in which they go through by tracking psychological phenomena and keeping abreast of their origin and development in the individual.
In sequential research example, the researcher may use various psychological tests or the process of direct observation. The results of these studies are considered accurate, stable, and generalizable, as they show the growth path of many normal and healthy children.
And among the most prominent studies and research based on the sequential research design is Terman\’s study, which relied on following up on all changes affecting the child\’s intelligence over several years.
Where he was interested in studying the changes to which the level of mental intelligence is exposed to gifted children, in addition to studying all aspects of growth for those children, physical, mental, and social growth, starting from the kindergarten stage up to the postgraduate stage.
what is sequential research?
Sequential research is one of the types of descriptive approaches, and it is used to measure the relationship between two variables (independent variable and dependent variable), and whether this relationship is positive or negative.
And then predicting a certain level of significance in a numerical form, and sequential research design is considered as a step A preliminary study directs the researcher toward a more comprehensive study.
Then advances to the next steps towards sequential research that is more capable of reaching more logical results. As many correlation coefficients (Pearson, Spearman, Kendl) are used to measure the correlation between variables, and the ratio ranges between -1: 1).
Sequential research also came to address one of the aspects of criticism directed by methodologists to descriptive studies in their classical form, and this is represented in limiting the general descriptive approach to defining a phenomenon for the study.
And then carrying out a process of accurate description, and after that carrying out questions, then the process of collecting information and data and analyzing it, and following That is the setting of the conclusions of the research.
And here we find a big gap that made the empiricists direct their arrows at the descriptors, which is the inability to determine the nature of the relationships between the variables included in the research, and then this results in a deficiency in reasoning and proof.
Where the sequential research design follows the approach of studying interrelationships, and the latter in turn follows the descriptive approach, where the scientist (Van Dalen) classified the descriptive approach.
Into three main categories, namely: the survey studies approach, the development and growth studies approach, and the interrelationships study approach, and for each of the above. So we find that:
- The survey studies methodology is followed by: the educational methodology, the public opinion studies methodology, the market methodology, the functional methodology, the content analysis methodology, and the methodology of the social survey.
- The developmental studies approach is followed by: the growth approach (longitudinal research, transverse research), and the study of trends approach.
- The relationship study approach: It is followed by the comparative causal approach (causality), the case study approach, and the Sequential research.
What is time-sequential research?
Time-sequential research is a research method in which data are collected from the same individuals or group of individuals at multiple points in time, with the goal of examining how a particular phenomenon changes or evolves over time. This approach allows researchers to track changes in attitudes, behaviors, and other characteristics of a population over a period of time and to identify trends or patterns in those changes. Time-sequential research is often used in fields such as sociology, psychology, and public health to study how social, psychological, or health-related phenomena change over time. Some common examples of time-sequential research designs include longitudinal studies, which follow the same individuals over a period of years or decades, and panel studies, which follow the same individuals over a shorter period of time, typically a few years.
The sequential research design is considered one of the best research methods in psychology, and it is used to conduct an accurate study of the processes of psychological growth during different age stages.
And this study is conducted through careful follow-up of the sample, and subjecting the sample to all psychological tests, through a set of standard tools and methods minute at fixed intervals.
If you follow the sequential research example, the studies related to it will take a long period of time, and these studies depend on recording all the variables that children face.
Especially in the period of growth, through a careful study of the stages of child development in the case of tracking psychological phenomena.
Sequential research is also used in conducting all psychological tests, and this is done through direct observation operations, and if a group of studies are conducted through the tracer method, then you can generalize the results of this study to the community as a whole.
What is sequential study design?
A sequential study design is a research design in which multiple studies are conducted in a predetermined sequence, with the findings from each study informing the design and execution of the next study in the sequence. Sequential study designs are often used in fields such as psychology, sociology, and public health, where complex phenomena are being studied and a comprehensive understanding is sought through a series of smaller, more focused studies. There are several types of sequential study designs, including a simple sequential design, in which one study follows another, and a more complex design known as a multiphase sequential design, in which multiple studies are conducted concurrently or in parallel. The main advantage of a sequential study design is that it allows researchers to build upon previous work and progressively refine their understanding of a research question or phenomenon. However, this approach can also be more time-consuming and costly than other types of research designs. The steps for applying the sequential research design are as follows:
1- Defining the research problem:
the beginning of using Sequential research, like all scientific research, and this is represented in defining a specific problem, and among the conditions for choosing the problem.
Is that it is related to the researcher’s specialization, that it is clear and evident, that it is repeated in terms of occurrence, and that it is not transient; So that the researcher can study it carefully.
2- Description of the problem of the study:
In this step, the researcher formulates a description of the problem, identifying all aspects related to it, and that step is shared by all branches of sequential research.
3- Formulating research questions and hypotheses:
In light of the description of the research problem, the research begins with an important step in applying Sequential research.
This is represented in setting a set of questions; whether main or sub-pop-up, after which the researcher sets hypotheses, meaning relationships between independent and dependent research variables.
And those relationships represent probabilistic answers that require evidence, such as the higher the temperature, the lower the attendance of employees to work, and the greater the population, the lower the national income.. .. And so on.
4- Choosing the research sample:
In light of the hypotheses formulated, the researcher chooses vocabulary that represents the research community, and the method of selection is subject to the theory of statistical probabilities.
Among those methods: are the objective sample, the quota sample, the systematic sample, the geographical sample, the cluster sample, and the stratified sample.
The researcher may choose the method that suits the nature of the research topic, but he should make it clear that the sample size is appropriate, and it can be used to generalize the conclusions at the end of the study.
5- Choosing research tools and collecting information:
In that procedure of sequential research design, the researcher chooses one or more scientific research tools (questionnaire, observation, tests, interview) to collect information from the respondents (the research sample).
6- Correlation Measurement:
After the data collection process, the most important steps of the sequential research design come, represented in measuring the correlation between the variables.
In this, the researcher uses the Pearson correlation coefficient, which measures the relationship between categorical or relative variables, and the Spearman correlation coefficient in the event that.
The level of measurement is ordinal between the two variables (the number of items is 30 or more), and the Kendall correlation coefficient and the level of ordinal measurement between the two variables (the number of research items is 15 or less), There are other equations to measure the correlation of a variety.
7- Drawing conclusions:
After the researcher finishes measuring the correlation between the research variables; Through statistical analysis equations, he draws conclusions.
8- Note:
Sequential research is not used in isolation from other scientific approaches, and the researcher may choose other approaches that limit the defects of that approach, especially with regard to the process of interpreting the results.
What is an example of sequential research?
Sequential research is a study in which the researcher is interested in describing the relationships between variables, and the correlational research design is achieved in the relationships between two or more variables without the researcher controlling or manipulating any of them.
It is one of the types of descriptive approaches that follow quantitative research that is based on statistical programs to analyze Its data and show its results, and in the relational design, variables are measured without any processing of any of them.
Sequential research design refers to a non-experimental research method that studies the relationship between two variables with the help of statistical analysis.
As the sequential research example does not study the impact of extraneous variables on the study variables. Moreover, a sequential research is also concerned with knowing the type of relationship, whether it is negative or positive, direct or inverse.
Sequential research is also concerned with determining the type and size of relationships between the data. As the sequential research design is widely used in predictive studies.
There is a wide range of topics and sequential research example, and some applied examples can be addressed, including:
- The relationship between student dropout and the level of academic achievement. In this example, the researcher deals with the relationship between school dropout rates and the level of academic and academic achievement on the other hand.
- The relationship between strategic planning and the level of satisfaction of workers, where the researcher studies the relationship between the strategic planning of an institution, including its professional environment, relationships, incentives, and salaries on the one hand, and the level of satisfaction of workers on the other hand.
- The relationship between domestic violence and the phenomenon of divorce Using the descriptive correlational approach, the relationship between rates of domestic violence and levels of divorce can be addressed.
What are the advantages of sequential research?
Similar to other research methods and statistics, Sequential research has advantages and disadvantages, so we will learn about the sequential research advantages and disadvantages:
1- Studying the relationship between man and the influence of the social environment in the formation of motives, desires, and behavior that afflict human beings in their different stages of life.
2- The sequential research design contributes to the design and development of the school curricula according to the nature of the students\’ age stages and their intellectual capabilities.
3- Sequential research helps to know the influence of genetic factors on human attitudes.
4- Learn about the nature of the dental stage that a person goes through, and the way to deal with that situation, as this requires parents, social workers, psychologists, and other relevant groups.
With the aim of taking appropriate measures, and avoiding human negatives, through the use of sound scientific methods.
5- Recognizing the nature of the relationship between the variables that govern human behavior, whether the relationship is negative or positive, and determining the exact ratio of the relationship.
6- The results obtained from the study of behavioral or educational problems according to a sequential research help in drawing up plans on the part of educators, and improving the educational environment.
7- Using scientific observation to collect information: One of the most important characteristics of Sequential research is that it is based on accurate scientific observation, through which information is collected in a realistic way.
And in a real way to a large extent, the scientific researcher may collect information in quantitative or qualitative ways, depending on the field of scientific research that he is doing.
8- The neutrality of Sequential research: neutrality is one of the important characteristics of the sequential research example, as it is a method that depends primarily on the presence of the phenomenon in reality.
And this makes it move away from the personal whims of the scientific researcher, and its results are characterized by a large and adequate amount of impartiality.
And it depends to a large extent on what he finds. As the scientific researcher studies the phenomena without interference with the results related to them.
9- Objectivity and rationality:
The data collected from the Sequential research is subject to mental processes, whether in analyzing, measuring, or issuing results through it.
This makes them objective results that do not depend on speculations or fantasies, as it is a scientific approach that can be applied to many purely scientific phenomena, in addition to the possibility of its application to social and human phenomena.
10- It is possible to rely on collecting the largest amount of information through Sequential research: the scientific researcher may be at a loss when he wants to study a phenomenon that needs to collect a lot of information about it.
But a sequential research is one of the most important scientific approaches through which a lot of data and information can be gathered about a specific phenomenon, given the principle of organized observation that is subject to It has phenomena during its research by the descriptive method.
11- The Sequential research does not depend on scientific assumptions, but rather depends on case studies and comparisons: As the scientific method often departs from scientific hypotheses, what is most relied upon in research and issuance of results is factual information resulting from a case study.
Or that data that is collected from comparisons between different phenomena, as these are among the most important characteristics of Sequential research.
12- Follow-up studies are powerful; Because it allows longitudinal and cross-sectional comparisons, changes or stability with age over time can be measured and compared to differences between age groups and cohorts.
Sequential research also allows for the examination of the combination and time of measurement effects.
13- The Sequential research differs from other subjective and experimental research approaches in that individuals of different ages are enrolled in.
A study at different time points to examine age-related changes, and development within the same individuals as they age, and to account for the possibility of a cohort effect or time of measurement.
14- The sequential research design includes elements of research designs, especially longitudinal and sectional, and it differs from them, as the traceable approach is characterized by the participants who are followed up over time, and the follow-up approach in psychology includes participants of different ages.
related question
how is the sequential research design different from longitudinal research?
Sequential research is a research method in which multiple studies are conducted in a predetermined sequence, with the findings from each study informing the design and execution of the next study in the sequence. This approach allows researchers to build upon previous work and progressively refine their understanding of a research question or phenomenon. In contrast, longitudinal research is a research method in which data are collected from the same individuals or group of individuals at multiple points in time, with the goal of examining how a particular phenomenon changes or evolves over time.
Both sequential research and longitudinal research involve collecting data from the same individuals or groups of individuals at multiple points in time. However, the main difference between the two approaches is the purpose of the research. While longitudinal research is primarily focused on examining changes over time, sequential research is focused on building upon previous work and progressively refining understanding of a research question or phenomenon. In addition, longitudinal studies typically follow the same individuals over a longer period of time, often several years or decades, while sequential studies may be conducted over a shorter period of time.
Longitudinal research is what is done to directly measure the amount of growth and development or change in the response, as the study is conducted more than one time.
And by comparing the results of the study the first time with the results the second time, for example, it becomes clear the effect of the time factor on growth and development, or the change in response towards the situation at hand. As the longitudinal research has three designs:
1- Trend Study:
The study is applied to a sample and then reapplied again, but to a second sample, provided that the two samples are selected from a changing population [i.e. not restricted to specific individuals].
For example, the researcher may choose a sample of students from the Faculty of Education in the first semester of the academic year to ask them about their opinion about the hour’s system.
Then choose a second sample in the second semester of the academic year to ask them the same questions. The questions are the same, and the research community is one (students of the Faculty of Education).
While the research sample is – as it turns out – variable. The sample members the second time do not contribute to the members of the first time.
2- The Cohort Study:
The study is applied to a sample and then reapplied again but to a second sample chosen from a fixed research population [i.e. restricted to certain individuals].
For example, the researcher may choose a sample of the students of the College of Education at the beginning of the first semester to ask them about their opinion about the clock system.
Then choose the second sample in the middle of the first semester to ask them the same questions, and he may repeat the questions for a third sample at the end of the first semester.
The questions are the same, and the research community is one (students of the Faculty of Education enrolled in the first semester only).
While the research sample is variable, as the members of the first sample are different from the members of the second sample..and so on.
3- Panel Study:
In this design, the same study is repeated on a fixed sample.
For example, the researcher may choose a sample of the students of the College of Education at the beginning of the semester to ask them about their opinion about the hour\’s system.
Then he repeats the same questions to the same sample again in the middle of the semester, and he may repeat them a third time to the same sample at the end of the semester… and so on.
In conclusion,
Sequential research is the most widely used, especially in the field of psychology, as it helps research in studying and examining the developments that research samples go through for long periods of time.
In addition, sequential research design gives good and accurate results, so we mentioned in detail during our article how to design a sequential research, as well as the sequential research advantages and disadvantages.
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