READING GUIDE: Practical Research Planning and Design Chapter 1&2 (p.

19-31, 45-54) About 45 minutes

**This is intended to be exposure to the resources available to you. This entire text is helpful for many parts of the research
process. So, while we may not be reading all of it, it is always available to you! Pro-tip, the detailed table of contents and section
headers are hyperlinked**

As you read, note helpful sections in the boxes below and answer the questions for each section.

CHAPTER1 - THE NATURE AND TOOLS OF RESEARCH:

What sections/ pages will be helpful for you to consider as you develop your own research question?
-Tools of Research
- Language
-Exploring research in your field
-Reflections on noteworthy research

What questions do you have from this chapter?

Do you think when a researcher releases his/her data she is targeting a specific group of people and bases/creates
their data based on that?

What is Research NOT?

Research is not just gathering information, looking for unreachable information, and moving information around from
place to place.

What IS Research?
Research is analyzing and processing data in order to further understand a topic that we may be interested in
- Beginning with a problem
- Creates a goal
- Divides the problem into small sections to better articulate

Using the research cycle, what step of the process is NEXT for you?
In the research process, based on the research cycle the next place for me to begin is honestly number one. I have a
really good idea of what my question may look like, but no pencil to paper yet.

Which part of that step do you think will be the most challenging? Why?
In the research cycle, I think that the hardest step for me will be number 5 - a plan to address/answer the question. I
don’t want to have people fill out a survey, but rather use research from other professionals in order to create a better
understanding of my question, along with some of my own research.

What limits should be placed on your acceptable data?

“Criteria for the admissibility of data”
- Narrowing down the data in order to create a better understanding for the reading
- Identifying and subdividing vocabulary words that may be unfamiliar to the reader in order to create a more
narrow and concrete set of data.
- May sure your information isn’t on too broad of a spectrum where the reader easily gets lost in what your trying
to tell them
What is an assumption (as defined by Leedy) and why is it an important consideration in the research process?
Coming straight from the text, Leedy describes an assumption as “ a condition that is taken for granted.” He goes on
to say that professional researchers set their assumptions in the beginning of their research in order to set a “bedrock”
for the rest of the paper.

What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative research?

Quantitative: Researches/looks at amounts of variables. Usually relies on looking at these variables in a numerical
way (measures of the physical world).

Qualitative: Looking at the characteristics of data/variable. Look at the complexities of the thing and it cannot be
researched or described in a numerical way and most likely has to involve humans in order to conduct some sort of
research.

After reading about the philosophical assumptions underlying research methodologies, which do you believe yourself
to be? (Positivist, Pospositivist, or Constructivist) Why?
I think that I am more of a positivist when it comes to research. I believe that with the right research and in a good
orderly fashion, research can be correctly conducted and identified. While I’m aware that some questions are just
unanswerable, I believe that with today’s technology and advancements, any research question can be moderately or
even fully understood through extensive research.

What is the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics?

Descriptive: Give a general idea of data and numbers. Everything may be averaged out or rounded
Inferential: Helps researched to make decisions about data or two groups of data (can be used as a comparison)

CHAPTER 2 - THE PROBLEM: THE HEART OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS?

What sections/ pages will be helpful for you to consider as you develop your own research question?
-Finding research Projects
-Research problem into subproblems
-Using brainstorming

What questions do you have from this chapter?

At this point, do you see yourself as more likely to participate in basic research or applied research? Why?
I think that my topic can most likely be put into basic research. It’s not something that can be specifically applied to
something at the moment, but it’s good and useful information that may be beneficial in the future.
Which of Leedy’s four situations to avoid when considering problems to research do you feel presents the biggest
potential trap? (In other words, which one do you think could be easy to fall into and/or hardest to distinguish your
research from?)
I think that in my case number one - research projects should not be simply a ruse for achieving self-enlightenment -
This is something that could potentially become a future problem because it is a topic that I am generally curious
about learning about and something that could potentially benefit me. I think that this motive or desire to know could
be an issue as a research.

Which strategy or strategies for choosing an appropriate problem have you participated in and which do you think
could be a good use of your time over the next few weeks?
Some of the strategies I have participated in include finding a topic that intrigues/motivates me and a topic that others
could possibly relate to/find interesting. Some of the strategies that I think could be a good use of my time include
being realistic about what I want to accomplish. I need to really figure out what exactly my end goal of this project is
going to be and most importantly how I choose to do so.

CREATE AND EVALUATE A RESEARCH PROBLEM BASED ON YOUR INTEREST AREA AT THE MOMENT:
For this exercise, use the guidelines on pages 50-53

Write a clear statement of a problem for research here:

Gen X’s and Baby boomers lack of appreciation for pop culture music created in Gen Z

**Review step 2**

Edit your original written statement here:

There is a problem with the lack of appreciation from baby boomers and gen X on pop culture music created by gen Z.
Despite older generations learning to understand the messages behind this music and the positive effects on gen Z,
people disregard this music solely through the language of the song. This problem has affected the younger
generations such as gen Z because older generations don’t completely understand the music created by these newer
artists. A possible cause of this problem is the creation of new genres, beats, or harmonies of songs. Perhaps a study
that investigates the reasons for the language of new songs directly from artist could “solve” this solution.

**Have this statement ready for work in class next week!**