Research Methods Data Research Methods and Data

Research Methods & Data Research Methods and Data College of Advancing Studies Brendan Rapple, Ph. D.

Meaning of Word “Research” • “Research” comes from the French word"recherche“ which means "to go about seeking”. • 1577 is the earliest use of the term.

You have Informally Conducted a Type of “Research” All Your Life: • Compared two types of apple to see which one you preferred. • Collected the statistics of your favorite team or favorite player. • Enjoyed a novel and then read reviews to see what critics thought of it. • Compared brochures to choose a holiday vacation. • Gone on a diet and computed the calories of your meals. • Researched all the literature when deciding to buy a new car. • Compared different daycare centers when selecting one for your children.

• But is it really RESEARCH?

Which of the Following Activities Would Most Likely Involve Research? a) Finding the year when the Battle of the Somme was fought b) Preparing a report on the ten most influential battles of the 20 th century c) Labeling on a map all the capitals of European countries d) Learning about the various causes of anorexia or bulimia.

What is Research? • Simply put, research may be defined as a formal way of seeking answers to serious questions.

Why Do We Use Research Methods? • Why not rely on alternatives? On Authority On Personal Experiences On Common Sense On Intuition

On The Contrary • We should use more scientific methods • Move from limited, biased perceptions and opinions to fact or at least tentative truth. • Research should be open to the public test – that is, one's procedures and data are open to the scrutiny of one's colleagues.

Think About How Our Ancestors First Discovered Fire

Essence of Research Methodology • The above naive example of discovering fire should illustrate two basic facts: 1. The methodology of research is a basic procedure 2. The steps in solving a problem are practically the same for the modern researcher as they were for our first ancestors.

Reviewing These Steps Briefly: 1. In the beginning there was a PROBLEM 2. Data relating to the problem –FACTS 3. A rationalization and a guess -- logical reasoning 4. Sticks began to smoke -- another FACT. 5. Additional data CONFIRMED THE HYPOTHESIS. 6. THE PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED our ancestor's guess (hypothesis) proved to be correct.

N. B. • Though the general research process is conceptually easy, the actual practical research may not be. • Research inevitably involves false starts, dead ends, and changes of direction.

Necessity of a Literature Review • Most research requires a “Literature Review”, a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the principal research about the topic being studied. • This Review helps form the intellectual framework for the study. • The Review need not be exhaustive; the objective is not to list ALL relevant books, articles, reports etc. • However, the Review should contain the most pertinent studies and point to important past and current research and practices in the field.

Literature Review A literature review serves several purposes. For example, it – provides thorough knowledge of previous studies; introduces seminal works. – helps focus one’s own research topic. – identifies a conceptual framework for one’s own research questions or problems; indicates potential directions for future research. – suggests previously unused or underused methodologies, designs, quantitative and qualitative strategies.

Literature Review A Lit. Review • identifies gaps in previous studies; identifies flawed methodologies and/or theoretical approaches; avoids replication of mistakes. • helps the researcher avoid repetition of earlier research. • suggests unexplored populations. • determines whether past studies agree or disagree; identifies controversy in the literature. • tests assumptions; may help counter preconceived ideas and remove unconscious bias.

Goals of Different Types of Research

Descriptive Research • To discover facts, to describe reality e. g. What are people's attitudes towards welfare? Regional variations in unemployment during the Great Depression. What are the feelings of workers faced with redundancy? • The questions WHO; What, WHEN; WHERE; HOW are often asked (but not the question WHY). • Descriptive research is often termed “Survey Research”

Predictive Research • Making projections about what may occur in the future. e. g. Insurance companies by means of actuarial research techniques can predict how long people with certain characteristics are likely to live. In which city would it be most profitable to open a new retail outlet?

Explanatory Research • Determining why something occurred -- goes beyond merely describing something e. g. Why do certain people become criminals? Why do males live shorter spans than females? How can we reduce the number of complaints made by customers? Why did the Renaissance occur?

Evaluation Research • Very important in social science research. • To monitor and determine how effectively programs or clinical practices achieve their goals. e. g. Is a program designed to ameliorate crime in a certain district working?

Quantitative Research • Objective in nature. • Involves collecting and analyzing numerical data. • Often an application of statistical tests.

Qualitative Research More subjective in nature. Involves examining and reflecting on perceptions to gain an understanding of social and human conditions.

A Research Study Into Stress Caused by Working Night Shifts Quantitative Approach: – collect objective, numerical data such as absenteeism rates, productivity levels etc. Qualitative Approach: – collect subjective data about how stress is experienced by night workers in terms of their perceptions, health, social problems etc. Of course, a research study can employ both approaches.

Experimental Research - Used by scientists and medical researchers. - Describes what will be when certain variables are carefully controlled or manipulated. – e. g. experiments with lab. rats or rhesus monkeys

Pure/Theoretical Research • Purpose: advance knowledge with little concern for any immediate practical application. • Often synonymous with “basic research”

Applied Research • Purpose: Research designed with a practical outcome in mind

Historical Research • Many different types of research methods used, including quantitative methods.

Survey Research • e. g. questionnaires • As mentioned, survey research and descriptive research are very close

Ethnographic Research -- carried out in natural or social settings. -- uses participant observation and interviewing e. g. an anthropologist living for a year with a New Guinean stone-age tribe.

• Very often, a research methodology is a mixture of the preceding.