Sources of knowledge

•Beliefs
•Tradition
•Authority
•Emotions
•Personal Experience
•Intuition
•Research
 Sources of knowledge

Research

Process Limitations
•Select problem •Human subjects
•Review literature •Public institution
•Write research hypothesis •Complexity of research
•Collect data problem
•Analyze data •Methodological difficulties
•Interpret findings
•State conclusions

Characteristics
•Empirical
•Public methods (Verifiable)
•Objective
•Logical
•Precise
 Research

Functions
of

Basic Research
Applied
•Concerned with knowing, •Often conducted “in the
explaining, and predicting field” rather than laboratory
natural and social
phenomena •Focused on solution to
practical problems
•Often starts with theory,
principle or generalization •Less concern about
generalization
•Tests theories
•Uses inductive logic

Evaluation
•Assesses merit and worth of
particular programs and/or
practices
 Research

Approaches to

Quantitative: Qualitative:
(Numbers) (Narrative)

Differ in:
•Assumptions
•Research Purpose
•Research Methods and processes
•Prototypical studies
•Researcher role
•Importance of context
•Description only or generalizability
 Research

Process for Developing

Knowledge

Identify Problem

Conduct Empirical Studies

Replicate Studies

Synthesize prior Studies

Adoption and Evaluation