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Understanding the Research Process 2

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3 views

Understanding the Research Process 2

Uploaded by

shahirah_jay
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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UNDERSTANDING

THE RESEARCH
PROCESS
STAGES OF THE
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
Question Identified

Steps within
Hypothesis Formed the research
process

Research Plan

Data Collected

Results Analyzed

Conclusions
STEPS IN CONDUCTING
RESEARCH
Specific steps guide the research process
Number of steps is indeterminate
Various steps may be combined
Order of steps may vary somewhat
Importance of specific steps is variable
“12 Steps of Research”
“12 Steps of Research”

1. Identify the research question


2. Initial review of literature
3. Distilling the question to a researchable problem
4. Continued review of literature
5. Formulation of hypothesis
6. Determining the basic research approach
7. Identifying the population and sample
8. Designing the data collection plan
9. Selecting or developing data collection instruments
10. Choosing the method of data analysis
11. Implementing the research plan
12. Interpreting the results
THE RESEARCH
QUESTION
The foundation of the research process
It all begins with a question
FINDING A RESEARCH
QUESTION
From where ???????
 Curiosity
 Information Gaps
 Controversy
 Replication
 Literature Review
 Other People
 ...???
TYPES OF RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
Conceptualize that a research study can ask three
types of questions:
 Descriptive question
 Relationship question
 Difference question

This general classification scheme helps not only with


the design of the study, but also in choosing the type
of data analysis procedure
DESCRIPTIVE QUESTION
Seeks to describe phenomena or characteristics of a
particular group of subjects being studied
 Answers the question “what is”
 Asking questions of the research participants
 Testing or measuring their performance
 Survey research

Example
 What are the attitudes of rural parents toward the inclusion of
sexuality education in the school curriculum? (Welshimer &
Harris, 1994)
RELATIONSHIP
QUESTION
Investigates the degree to which two or more variables
are associated with each other
 Does not establish “cause-and-effect”
 Only identifies extent of relationship between variables

Example
 Is there an association between self-esteem and eating behaviors
among collegiate female swimmers? (Fey, 1998)
DIFFERENCE QUESTION
Seeks to make comparisons between or within
groups of interest
 Often associated with experimental research
 Is there a difference between the control group and the experimental group?
 Comparison of one group to another on the basis of existing
characteristics

Example
 Does participation in Special Olympics affect the self-esteem of
adults with mental retardation? (Major, 1998)
CRITERIA FOR
SELECTING
Interest
A PROBLEM
 Most important

Significance
 Theoretical value
 Practical value
 Timeliness
 External review

Manageability
 Expertise, time, resources
 Free from personal bias
PROBLEM DISTILLATION
The process of refining the question or idea into a
problem and making it sufficiently specific so that it is
amenable to investigation
This process should lead to the development of a
“statement of the problem” that is clear, concise, and
definitive
STATEMENT OF THE
PROBLEM
A very specific statement which clearly identifies the
problem being studied; will usually identify the key
variables as well as give some information about the
scope of the study
May be in either question or declarative form
May include inherent sub-problems, if appropriate
Formulation of problem statement takes place after an
initial review of related literature and the distillation
process
PROBLEM STATEMENTS
“The problem of this study was to …”
“This study was concerned with …”
“This study is designed to …”
“The purpose of this investigation is to …”
SAMPLE PROBLEM
STATEMENTS
1.The problem was to investigate the effects of exercise on blood lipids among
college-age females.
2.This study was designed to determine the relationship between stability
performance and physical growth characteristics of preschool children.
3.The present study was designed to identify those characteristics which
differentiate between students who binge drink and those that do not.
4.The problem of the study was to determine is there is a relationship between
self-efficacy and self-reported alcohol usage among middle-aged adult females.
DELIMITATIONS
Delimitations define the scope of the study. That is,
they set the boundaries of the study
Normally under control of the researcher
Examples include
 number and kinds of subjects
 treatment conditions
 tests, measures, instruments used
 type of equipment
 location, environmental setting
 type of training (time and duration)
LIMITATIONS
Limitations are very similar to delimitations, but they
tend to focus on potential weaknesses of the study
Examples include
 sampling problems (representativeness of subjects)
 uncontrolled factors and extraneous variables
 faulty research design and techniques
 reliability and validity of measuring instruments
 compromises to internal/external validity
LIMITATIONS
CONTINUED
Possible shortcomings of the study . . . usually cannot
be controlled by the researcher
 the researcher will, of course, try to eliminate extremely serious
weaknesses before the study is commenced

May be a result of assumptions not being met


No study is perfect; the researcher recognizes the
weaknesses
ASSUMPTIONS
Assumptions are basic, fundamental conditions that
must exist in order for the research to proceed
Basic premises required in the study... the researcher
does everything possible to increase the credibility of
the assumptions, but does not have absolute control
Assumptions could be made about (1) the motivation
of the subjects, (2) whether subjects responded
truthfully, (3) the validity of the measuring instrument,
and (4) whether subjects followed directions correctly
CONCEPT OF VARIABLES

A variable is a characteristic, trait, or attribute of a


person or thing that can be classified or measured
 Attitude
 Gender
 Heart rate
 Hair color

Variable - the condition or characteristic which in a


given study may have more than one value
CLASSIFICATION OF
VARIABLES
Quantitative – measured numerically
 Discrete
 Continuous

Qualitative – categorical in nature


INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
A variable that is presumed to influence another
variable; the variable under study or the one that the
researcher manipulates
Two types
 Active – variable is actually manipulated
 Attribute – cannot be manipulated because it is preexisting trait;
sometimes called a “categorical” variable (e.g., race, gender)
DEPENDENT VARIABLE
The variable that is expected to change as a result of
the manipulation of the independent variable; that
which is measured in a study
EXTRANEOUS VARIABLE
A variable that could contribute some type of error in a
research study
Also referred to as . . .
 Confounding variable
 Intervening variable
 Modifying variable

Error-producing variable that the researcher should


attempt to eliminate or control
May affect the relationship between the independent
variable and the dependent variable if not adequately
controlled
CONTROLLING EXTRANEOUS
VARIABLES

Excluding the variable


Random selection of research participants
Matching cases according to some criterion

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