Research Methodology:

GE4

http://goo.gl/NbUljd

Course Overview

Course Overview

Course Overview

Course Overview

Course Overview

Course Overview

Ways of Knowing1. Methods of Tenacity/Tradition/Customs/Superstition/Magic/Mystery

Truth is true because one believes it even in front of contradicting evidence.

2. Method of Authority: Religion

Truth is true because an authority says so.

3. Method of Intuition: PhilosophyTruth is true because it is logical. It derives from reasoning but does not bear empirical support.

4. Method of Science Science is a method of seeking truth. This method only accounts for solvable problems that have empirical solutions based on observable events.

http://researchmethods.imem.nl/survey/index.php/admin/statistics/sa/index/surveyid/293483

4. Method of Science

Proximity and Student Density as Ecological Variables in a College Classroom

Abstract

A study of the relationship between student grades and: (a) proximity (distance from the student to the instructor), (b) centrality (seating in the center of the room compared to seating toward the sides), (c) student density (presence of other students to the front, sides, and back of the student), and (d) aisle seating is reported. Volunteer students (N = 141), who selected their own seats in two Introductory Psychology classes, served as subjects. Students who occupied the front rows received higher grades than those who sat farther back . Centrality, student density, and aisle seating were not related to grades. Although these findings cannot be generalized freely, they indicate the value of studying ecological factors in classrooms.

W. B. Holliman1,2H. N. Anderson1

What is Research Methodology?

Re (again) + Search

defined as a highly intellectual human activity used in the investigation of nature and matter and deals specifically with the manner in which data is collected, analyzed and interpreted

Statistics

Complex

Useless

Theoretical Inquiry

Academic exercise

Out of my life Pay more

Difficult

Calculations

(Sakesan Tongkhambanchong, )

Misconception about Research

Objectives of Research

• To test and develop new theory• To describe the human life in society

Characteristics of Research• Research originates from a question or a problem.• Research requires a clear articulation of a goal.• Research follow a specific plan of procedure.• Research usually divides the principal problem into more

manageable sub-problems.• Research is guided by the specific research problem, question,

or hypothesis• Research accepts certain critical assumptions. These

assumptions are underlying theories or ideas about how the world works.

• Research requires the collection and interpretation of data in attempting to resolve the problem that initiated the research

• Research is circular which originates and summarizes from research

(Paul Leedy, Practical research: Planning and design)

Components of Research• The Question (Is coming from somewhere)

• Do students who are generally sitting in the back of a classroom (lecture hall) have lower study results compared to students who are generally sitting in the front.

• The Research process• Method of research• Measuring tool• The measurements ( how exactly)• Results

• Answer• Conclusions• Discussion/Debate

Quality in Research

-Transparency

-Reliability

-Validity

-Credibility

-Generalizability/ Transferability

-Ethical Practice

Research and its perspectivesOntology

- The way the social world is seen to be and what can be assumed about the nature and reality of social phenomena

Epistemology- The theory of knowledge and how we know things

Objectivism- Social Phenomena have an existence of their own apart from their social actors

Constructivism- Social Phenomena making up our social world and are only real in a sense they are constructed ideas by

those who are involvedRealism

- Social Phenomena has a eality that is separate from its actors involved this can be measured by our sences, but in addition there is a dimension that can not be directly observed

Positivism- Knowledge of social phenomena can is based on what can be observed and recorded rather than

subjective understandingsInterpretivism

- Social Phenomena and understanding derive from the peoples SUBJECTIVE interpretations and understandings

Research and TheoriesTheory

- A set of ideas or related concepts which can be used to explain and understand an event, situation, social phenomena

Theory of relativity and E = mc²

Two views into Research

Pure or Basic or Fundamental Research

Pure or basic or fundamental research

Research carried out to increase understanding of fundamental principles

The end results have no direct or immediate commercial benefits: basic research can be thought of as arising out of curiosity. However, in the long term it is the basis for many commercial products and applied research.

Different focus of Research

Applied Research

research that is applied, accessing and using some part of the research communities' (the academy's) accumulated theories, knowledge, methods, and techniques, for a specific, often state, commercial, or client driven purpose.

Descriptive Research

Attempt to describe systematically a situation, problem, phenomenon, service or program, or provide information about, say, the living conditions of a community, or describes attitude towards anissues

Examples Aim Main Theme Type of Research

Socioeconomic characteristics of residents of a community

To describe what is prevalent regarding:- A group of people- A community- A phenomeon- A situation- A program- An outcome

To describe what is prevalent

Descriptive research

Attitudes of students towards quality of teaching

Types of service provided by an agency

Needs of community

Sales of a product

Attitudes of nurses towards death and dying

Attitudes of workers towards management

Number of people living in a community

Problems faced by new immigrants

Extent of occupational mobility among immirants

Consumers’ likes and dislikes with regrard to a product

Effects of living in a house with domestic violoence

Strategies put in place by a company to increase productivity of workers

Correlational Research

To discover or establish the existence of a relationship/association/interdependence between 2 or more aspects of situation

Examples Aim Main Theme Type of Research

Impact of a program

To establish or explore:- A relationship- An association- An interdependence

To ascertain if there is a relationship

Correlational research

Relationship between stressful living and incidence of heart attacks

Impact of technology on employment

Impact of material and child health services on infant mortality

Effectiveness of marriage counselling service on extent of marital problem

Impact of an advertising campaign on sale of a product

Impact of incentives on productivities of workers

Effectiveness of an immunisation program in controlling infectious disease

Explanatory Research

To clarify why and how there is a relationship between 2 aspects of situation or phenomenon

Examples Aim Main Theme Type of Research

Why does stressful living result in heart attacks?

To explain:- why a relationship, association or interdependence exists- why a particular event occurs

To explain why the relationship

is formed

Explanatory research

How does technology create unemployment/employment?

How do maternal and child health services affect infant mortality?

Why do some people have a positive attitude towards an issue while others do not?

Why does a particular intervention work for some people and not for others?

Why do some people use a product while others do not?

Why do some people migrate to another country while others do not

Why do some people adopt a program while others do not?

Exploratory Research

To explore an area where little is known

To investigate the possibilities of undertaking a particular research study

Types of Research

From the viewpoint of

Application Objectives Inquiry mode

Pure research

Applied research

Descriptive research

Exploratory research

Correlational research

Explanatory research

Quantitative research

Qualitative research

Ways of doing Research

Qualitative Research: Research Methodology that emphasize on depth of understanding and the deeper meanings of human experiencehuman experience, and that aim to generate theoretically richer observations.

Methods: Participant Observation, Direct Observation, Unstructured or Intensive Interviewing (In-dept Interview), Focus Groups.

Quantitative Research: Research Methodology that emphasize on precise, objectivity, and Generalizability .

Methods: Measurement Design, Sampling Design and Statistical Analysis Design

Qualitative & Quantitative Research

(Sakesan Tongkhambanchong,)

Starting points of Research

Research

Trochim’s Classifications…descriptive

e.g., percentage of regular exercisersrelational

e.g., link between age and exercisecausal

e.g., effect of behavior change intervention on exercise participation

Deduction and Induction

Deduction

Induction

Research Deduction Induction

Designing Research

A plan , structure, and strategy of investigation to obtain answers to research questions or problems

Needs for Research Results

For a measurement to be useful, it must be reliable and valid.

• Reliability refers to consistency in measurement.

• Validity means precision in measuring exactly what one intends to measure.

Research

Classified from other perspectives such as

Interpretive Research

Naturalistic Research

Field Research

Participant Research

Cross-sectional Research

Functional Research

Experimental Research

Laboratory Research

Nonparticipant Research

Longitudinal Research

Ways to get Research results

- Experiments- Cross Sectional- Longitudinal- Case Study- Comparative- Ethnography

Needs for ResearchConcepts, variables, and measurement.

1. Concepts are mental constructs that represent some part of the world, inevitably in a simplified form.

2. Variables are concepts whose value changes from case to case, Constants do not change value.

3. Measurement is the process of determining the value of a variable in a specific case.

4. Statistical measures are frequently used to describe populations as a whole.

a) This requires that researchers operationalize variables, which mean specifying exactly what one is to measure in assigning a value to a variable

Variables

Variable Attribute

age

Examples

Variable Attribute

age 18, 19, 20, etc...

Examples

Variable Attributesatisfaction 1 = very satisfied

2 = satisfied

3= somewhat satisfied

4 = not satisfied

5 = not satisfied at all

The Research Question

Research Question Is there a relation between the proximity of the students towards the teacher in study results of that student

The Hypotheses

hypothesis There is a relationship between proximity of the student and the study results of the student

HA there is a relationship

Structure of Research

begin with broad questions

narrow down, focus in

operationalize

OBSERVE

analyze data

reach conclusions

generalize back to questions

The "hourglass" notion of researchThe "hourglass" notion of research

Flow of Research

Writing a research proposal

Research design 48

Item1. A title

2. An abstract

3. An introduction

4. A literature review

5. A topic

6. A theoretical framework

7. A research method

8. A qualitative data analysis approach

9. A timeline to completion

10. A list of references

The website http://researchmethods.imem.nl/

The website http://researchmethods.imem.nl/

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