This document discusses conceptual frameworks, theories, and research questions/hypotheses in qualitative and quantitative research. It provides:
1. An overview of what conceptual frameworks are and how they are used to define variables and relationships in a study.
2. Descriptions of how theories are applied differently in qualitative versus quantitative research, such as testing theories deductively in quantitative research and generating theories inductively in qualitative research.
3. Guidelines for writing good qualitative research questions, quantitative research questions/hypotheses, and mixed methods research questions/hypotheses.
27. Conceptual framework
It is the researcher’s own position on the problem and gives direction to the study.
It may be an adaptation of a model used in a previous study, with modifications to
suit the inquiry.
Aside from showing the direction of the study, through the conceptual framework,
the researcher can be able to show the relationships of the different constructs that
he wants to investigate.
28. Conceptual Framework. News values, and the pressures and
constraints shape the newspapers and television newscasts.
The result of this relationship is selective reporting of
events.
Conceptual Framework
29. Operational Framework. Foreign news sections of Philippine
newspapers and foreign news segments of television newscasts are
shaped by the interests of owners, editorial policies, audience and
advertisements. The criteria for selection of foreign news, the news
values, also affect the foreign news coverage. These factors result in
unequal treatment of stories and paved way for the dominance of some
topics and of some regions in foreign news coverage of media.
30. Based on the foregoing example, how should the
conceptual framework formulated?
1. cite your conceptual framework or paradigm;
2. Identify your variables;
3. Point out the dependent and intervening variables;
4. Show the direction of the study.
Once the conceptual framework has been determined, the next for
the researcher is to determine what research methods to employ to
best answer the research problem through the proposed
framework.
31. Research design depends on the nature of the data to analyzed.
Quantitative data – when your thesis problem requires numerical
measurements of traits, trends, characteristics or attributes of the subject
matter;
Analysis leads researcher to:
• depict what is typical and atypical among the data;
• show the degree of difference or relationship between two or more
variables;
• determine the likelihood that the findings are real for the
population as opposed to having occurred only by chance in the
sample.
32. Qualitative data – when your thesis problem focuses on the meanings,
perceptions, symbols or description of the subject matter.
Analysis leads researcher to:
• observe behaviors, situations, interactions and environments;
• scrutinize these observations for patterns and categories;
• answer research questions based on what can be deduced from
the findings.
34. FORMS OF THEORIES
• THEORY
– INTERRELATED SET OF CONSTRUCTS FORMED INTO PROPOSITIONS THAT SPECIFY
THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG VARIABLES
– DESCRIBES HOW AND WHY VARIABLES ARE RELATED
• FORMS INCLUDE
– SET OF HYPOTHESES
– SERIES OF IF-THEN STATEMENTS
– VISUAL MODEL
35. THE DEDUCTIVE APPROACH USED IN
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Researcher measures or observes variables
using an instrument to obtain scores
Researcher defines and operationalizes
variables derived from the theory
Researcher tests hypotheses or research
questions from the theory
Researcher tests or verifies a theory
36. PLACING THEORY IN A QUANTITATIVE
STUDY
Placement Advantages Disadvantages
In the introduction Common approach; familiar to
readers; conveys a deductive
approach
Difficult for a reader to isolate
theory base from other components
of the research process
In the literature
review
Including theories in a literature
review is a logical extension or
part of the literature
Difficult for a reader to see the
theory in isolation from the larger
literature
After hypotheses or
research questions
The theory discussion explains
how and why variables are related
May leave out an extended
discussion about the origin and use
of the theory
In a separate section Clearly separates the theory from
other components of the research
process, enables a reader to
better identify and to understand
the theory base
The theory discussion is isolated
and may not easily connect with
other components of the research
process
37. THEORY USE IN QUALITATIVE
RESEARCH
• THEORY MAY BE USED AS:
• A BROAD EXPLANATION
• A THEORETICAL LENS OR PERSPECTIVE
• FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
• RACIALIZED DISCOURSE
• CRITICAL THEORY
• QUEER THEORY
• DISABILITY INQUIRY
• AN ENDPOINT, A THEORY THAT IS GENERATED
• RESEARCHER MAY ALSO CHOOSE NOT TO EMPLOY THEORY IN A QUALITATIVE
STUDY
38. THE INDUCTIVE LOGIC OF RESEARCH
IN A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Researcher asks open-ended questions of participants
or records fieldnotes
Researcher analyzes data to form themes or
categories
Researcher looks for broad patterns, generalizations,
or theories from themes or categories
Researcher poses generalizations, or theories, and
compares to past experiences and literature
Researcher gathers information
39. USE OF THEORY IN MIXED METHODS
• MIXED METHODS STUDIES MAY:
• INCLUDE THEORY DEDUCTIVELY (THEORY TESTING)
• INCLUDE THEORY INDUCTIVELY (AN EMERGING PATTERN)
• USE A THEORETICAL LENS OR PERSPECTIVE TO GUIDE THE STUDY
41. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• QUALITATIVE RESEARCHERS POSE RESEARCH QUESTIONS
• NOT OBJECTIVES
• NOT HYPOTHESES
• TWO TYPES OF QUALITATIVE RESEARCH QUESTIONS TO FOCUS A STUDY'S
PURPOSE:
• CENTRAL QUESTION
• BROAD QUESTION THAT ASKS FOR EXPLORATION OF THE CENTRAL
PHENOMENON
• SUBQUESTIONS
• QUESTIONS THAT NARROW THE FOCUS OF THE STUDY
42. WRITING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
QUESTIONS
• ASK 1-2 CENTRAL QUESTIONS AND NO MORE THAN 5-7 SUBQUESTIONS
• THESE QUESTIONS SHOULD:
• RELATE THE CENTRAL QUESTION TO THE STRATEGY OF INQUIRY
• BEGIN WITH "WHAT" OR "HOW"
• FOCUS ON A SINGLE PHENOMENON OR CONCEPT
• USE EXPLORATORY VERBS LIKE DISCOVER OR DESCRIBE
• AVOID DIRECTIONAL WORDS SUCH AS "AFFECT" OR "IMPACT"
• EVOLVE DURING THE STUDY
• BE OPEN-ENDED WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE LITERATURE
• SPECIFY THE PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH SITE (UNLESS STATED
PREVIOUSLY)
43. A SCRIPT FOR WRITING A
QUALITATIVE CENTRAL QUESTION
• (HOW OR WHAT) IS THE (“STORY FOR” FOR NARRATIVE RESEARCH; “MEANING
OF” THE PHENOMENON FOR PHENOMENOLOGY; “THEORY THAT EXPLAINS THE
PROCESS OF ” FOR GROUNDED THEORY; “CULTURE-SHARING PATTERN” FOR
ETHNOGRAPHY; “ISSUE” IN THE “CASE” FOR CASE STUDY) OF (CENTRAL
PHENOMENON) FOR (PARTICIPANTS) AT (RESEARCH SITE).
44. QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESES
• QUANTITATIVE RESEARCHERS POSE RESEARCH QUESTIONS OR HYPOTHESES TO FOCUS
THE STUDY'S PURPOSE
• QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
• QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG VARIABLES THAT THE INVESTIGATOR SEEKS TO
KNOW
• QUANTITATIVE HYPOTHESES:
• PREDICTIONS THAT THE RESEARCHER MAKES ABOUT THE EXPECTED RELATIONSHIPS AMONG
VARIABLES
• PREDICTIONS ABOUT THE POPULATION VALUES THAT THE RESEARCHER WILL ESTIMATE BASED ON
DATA FROM A SAMPLE
• QUANTITATIVE OBJECTIVES:
• INDICATE A STUDY'S GOALS
• USED FREQUENTLY IN PROPOSALS FOR FUNDING
45. WRITING QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESES
• WRITE QUESTIONS OR HYPOTHESES, NOT BOTH
• CONSIDER 3 APPROACHES TO THE VARIABLES FOR A QUESTION OR HYPOTHESIS:
• COMPARE GROUPS
• RELATE VARIABLES
• DESCRIBE RESPONSES
• SPECIFY QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESES BASED ON THEORY IF POSSIBLE
• MEASURE THE INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT VARIABLES SEPARATELY
• GENERALLY USE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION AS INTERVENING VARIABLES
• USE CONSISTENT WORDS AND ORDERING FOR INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT
VARIABLES
46. SCRIPTS FOR WRITING QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESES
• DOES (NAME THE THEORY) EXPLAIN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
(INDEPENDENT VARIABLE) AND (DEPENDENT VARIABLE), CONTROLLING FOR
THE EFFECTS OF (CONTROL VARIABLE)?
• THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN (THE CONTROL AND
EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS ON THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE) ON (DEPENDENT
VARIABLE).
47. FORMS FOR WRITING QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESES
• IF WRITING HYPOTHESES, USE A CONSISTENT FORM:
• NULL HYPOTHESES (PREDICT NO DIFFERENCE OR NO RELATIONSHIP)
• DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESES (PREDICT DIRECTION OF DIFFERENCE OR
RELATIONSHIP)
• NONDIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESES (PREDICT A DIFFERENCE OR RELATIONSHIP,
BUT NOT ITS DIRECTION)
• IF WRITING RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
• FIRST, SPECIFY DESCRIPTIVE QUESTIONS FOR EACH IMPORTANT VARIABLE
• NEXT, STATE INFERENTIAL QUESTIONS THAT RELATE VARIABLES OR COMPARE
GROUPS
• FINALLY, ADD QUESTIONS IN WHICH VARIABLES ARE CONTROLLED
48. MIXED METHODS RESEARCH
QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESES
• ADVANCE BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH QUESTIONS (OR HYPOTHESES)
• USE GUIDELINES FOR WRITING GOOD QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE QUESTIONS AND
HYPOTHESES
• ORDER QUESTIONS TO MATCH THE MIXED METHODS DESIGN
• IN A TWO-PHASE DESIGN, ORDER TO MATCH THE PHASES
• IN A ONE-PHASE DESIGN, ORDER ACCORDING TO THE METHOD GIVEN THE MOST WEIGHT
• INCLUDE A MIXED METHODS RESEARCH QUESTION THAT
• DIRECTLY ADDRESSES THE MIXING OF THE TWO STRANDS
• IS WRITTEN TO CONVEY THE PROCEDURES OR THE CONTENT OF THE STUDY
49. DIFFERENT WAYS TO WRITE QUESTIONS AND
HYPOTHESES INTO A MIXED METHODS STUDY
• WRITE SEPARATE QUALITATIVE QUESTIONS AND QUANTITATIVE QUESTIONS
OR HYPOTHESES:
• AT THE BEGINNING OR AS THEY EMERGE IN PHASES
• THIS PLACES EMPHASIS ON THE TWO APPROACHES
• WRITE SEPARATE QUESTIONS OR HYPOTHESES FOLLOWED BY A MIXED
METHODS QUESTION:
• THIS HIGHLIGHTS THE TWO APPROACHES AS WELL AS THEIR COMBINED STRENGTH
• WRITE ONLY A MIXED METHODS QUESTION:
• THIS EMPHASIZES THE INTEGRATION AND NOT THE INDIVIDUAL PARTS