Research I

(magsi)
How is research important?
 With the field of Technology, (it
Research in everyday life: Challenges and
provides a) better way of living
Opportunities
 Health: new medicine, superbugs
 Agriculture: GMOs, pest control
What is research?
 Awareness and Preparedness (natural
Re – again, anew
disasters)
Search – look thoroughly
 Alternatives: biofuels
 Environment: (helps combat)
“…gathering of data, information, and facts
pollution
for the advancement of knowledge.”
 Also helps in the fields of
(Shuttleworth, 2008)
Biodiversity, Business, Sports
“…to collect and analyze information to
 Discoveries beyond the Earth
increase our understanding.” (Creswell,
 Discoveries and Inventions:
2008)
elements, inventions, innovations,
etc.
Research is an organized and systematic
way of finding answers to questions.
A researcher systematically investigates
Organized: research involves planning
hypothesis, suggests new interpretations of
Systematic: research looks for the most
data, and poses new questions for future
appropriate methodology
exploration.
Finding answers: the ultimate goal of
research
Science
Questions: essential part of research
 Systematic study of the natural world
based on facts gathered through
 Answers the questions who, what,
scientific method, observation, and
when where, why, and how?
experimentation
 A voyage of discovery, a movement
 Makes observations
from the known to the unknown
 Perform experiments
 A systematic and objective analysis
Scientific Method
and recording of controlled
 Evidences refer to any observations
observations that may lead to the
and/or results from experiments
development of theories, etc.
 Objective
 Should not be biased
Why do we research?
 Can be verified by more than one
To get…
source
1. A degree
2. Recognition
The Scientific Method
3. A challenge
 Researching and experimentation
4. A solution to a problem
1. Define Question – formulate the
5. Intellectual joy
problem
6. To serve society
2. Gather Information – on your topic;
- increase standard of living (science
don’t go too broad
and technology)
3. Form Hypothesis – should be
- showing the right path to society
quantifiable
(social and behavioral sciences)
 4. Test Hypothesis – interviews, Criteria for Selecting a Topic
questionnaires, experimentation, etc.  Interest (topic should be interesting
5. Analyze Data – statistical methods to you)
6. Interpret Data – give conclusions to  Problem Solving
your analysis; summarize findings  Previous Research
7. Publish Results – presenting of  Theory
results  Relevance / Applicability /
8. Retest – to verify if data is true; data Importance
should be replicable  Novel / Interesting
 Feasibility
Hypothesis – an educated guess  Ethical Acceptability
Control – factor in an experiment that is
missing the variable but is the same as Define your field of interest; take into
others in every other way consideration the available information,
Data – written / recorded observations made available literature, and your time
while using the scientific method availability
Theory – a hypothesis that has been tested
many times and is supported by data Avoid topics that are:
Single Variable – factor being tested; factor 1. Controversial
that is different from all others 2. Highly technical
3. Hard-to-investigate
Creating a Topic – Identify Inquiry, State 4. Too broad
Problem 5. Too narrow
 Topic 6. Vague
Area you want investigated
Wider notion Who – which groups have interest in this
Done prior to investigation topic?
Starting point; is broad What – are the most important issues at
 Title stake?
Attracts reader’s attention Where is the topic relevant?
Represents entirety of paper When did the situation start?
Done after investigation
Works of a summary Sources
Specific 1. Peer-reviewed journals, books,
government publications (preferred)
2. Mass-media communications
Subject Matter of the Research 3. Professional periodicals
 Begin with a problem 4. General periodicals
 Inferential, critical, integrative, 5. Previous reading assignments
creative 6. Work experience
 A topic is researchable if the
knowledge and information about it  The research problem enables you to
are supported by evidence tat is generate a set of research questions
observable, factual, and logical  To give your study a clear direction,
you have to break the general
 question into several specific relationship between two or more
research questions characteristics
 Lay the foundation for the research 7. Control – requires an understanding
study of an event or situation; needs to
 1 general question that reflects the know what the cause and effect
study, and 2-4 specific questions relationships are; all of technology
relies on this ability to control
Guidelines
1. Establish a clear relation between the Characteristics of Research
research questions and the  Realistic – undertaking must result
problem/topic to empirical data
2. Formulate questions that can arouse  Logical – follows valid, definite
curiosity with discoveries principles, frameworks, and
3. Should include all dependent and procedures
independent variables  Cyclical – starts with a problem and
4. S.M.A.R.T (specific, measurable, ends with another
attainable, realistic, time-bound)  Analytical – empirical data is
analyzed to elicit desired meaning
Purpose of Research from the obtained information
1. Categorize – forming a typology of  Objective – analysis and
objects, events, concepts; useful for interpretation must be free from any
which things belong together bias
2. Describe – observation as means of  Critical – careful and precise in
collecting data; examines situations; processing of ideas and judgment
what is the norm?  Replicable – being able to repeat the
3. Explain – deals with complex procedure for verification (at least 3
issues; aims to move beyond ‘just replicates per experiment)
getting the facts’ in order to make
sense of the myriad of other elements Factors to Consider in Doing Research
involved, such as human, political,  Timeframe
social, cultural, and contextual  Money
4. Evaluate – involves making any  Facilities and data
judgment about the quality of objects  Expertise
and events; methods must be
relevant to the context and intentions Types of Research
of the research  Basic Research (Fundamental, Pure)
5. Correlate – investigates the (Patton, 1990)
relationship between the phenomena search for basic knowledge
to see whether and how they aims to understand, explain,
influence each other; phenomena are formulate, or test theoretical
measured as levels of association construct and propositions
6. Predict – done in research areas more descriptive; exploring what,
where the correlations are already why and how questions
known; predictions of possible future  Applied Research (Patton, 1990)
behavior or events are made on the aims to find potential solutions to
basis that if there has been a strong human and social problems
 more prescriptive; explores the how  Active
question  Practical
based on basic researches  Inventive
 Honest
 Evaluation Research (Patton, 1990)  Cost-effective
Undertaken to see whether a
program or activity has met the Research Ethics
objectives set for it “Ethics is knowing the difference between
1. Summative Evaluation – (ex.) what you have a right to do and what is right
exams given to students in school to do.” (Potter Stewart)
to assess the effectiveness of
teaching or the deployment of a Ethical Principles
curriculum  Honesty
2. Formative Evaluation – (ex.)  Objectivity
tests/activities given to students  Integrity: sincere and consistent
to shape teaching methods that  Carefulness: free from careless errors
will result in optimal learning  Openness
 Respect for intellectual property
 Action Research (Patton, 1990)  Trustworthiness
Aims at solving problems within a  Social and legal responsibility
program, organization, or
community Ethical Issues in Research
Enables the practitioners to bring  Human rights in research
about an improvement in their own  Animal rights and welfare
practice
Human
Qualitative  Right to voluntary participation
 Deepens understanding of a  Right to informed consent
phenomenon  Right to be protected from harm
Quantitative  Right to confidentiality
 Generalize ideas or concepts in a  Right to anonymity
broader perspective
Animals
The Research Process (as much as possible, try to)
Topic -> Literature Reviews -> Research  reduce
Questions / Hypothesis -> Research Design  refine
-> Research Ethics Clearance -> Data  and replace
Collection -> Data Analysis -> Report animal subjects
Writing
(Warry and Park, 2006) Animal Welfare Act of 1998 – protects and
promotes animal welfare
Qualities of a Successful Researcher Data Privacy Act of 2012 – right of an
 Curious; inquisitive individual
 Efficient; time management
 Logical Areas of Scientific Dishonesty
 Effective  Fabrication and falsification of data
 Non-publication of data 3. Observation
 Faulty data gathering procedures  Quantitative: precise
 Plagiarism numerical observations
 Qualitative: descriptive
1. Types of Data observations
 Quantitative Data:
information that can be 4. Inference
measured or written down  A reasonable conclusion
with numbers drawn from your gathered
 Qualitative Data: observation
information expressed by
means of natural language 5. Prediction
descriptions  Educated guesses about
future events that can be
2. Variables drawn from inferences
 something that varies in each
experiment or test Scientific Reasoning
 A representation of persons  Deductive Reasoning
or objects that can be (general to specific)
manipulated, controlled, or Testing known concepts and data using new
merely measured for the sake empirical data; Theory testing; top-down
of research approach; conclusion follows logically from
 Independent – what you change premises
 Dependent – change that happens Theory -> Hypothesis -> Observation ->
because of the independent variable Confirmation
 Control – remains constant and
unchanging  Inductive Reasoning
Test groups – receives independent (specific to general)
variable Infers theoretical concepts and patterns from
Control group – exists for basis of your observations; Theory-building; bottom-
comparison up approach; conclusion is likely based from
premises
Observation -> Pattern -> Tentative
Hypothesis -> Theory