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Research Methodology Lecture 1
Research Methodology Lecture 1
By
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Course Contents
Course Contents ASR-1
Philosophy of Science-By Senior Teacher
Literature Review-Library
Inventory Review Library
Inventory of Questions
Research Objectives- Dr. Hina Siddiqui
Research Hypothesis- Dr. Hina Siddiqui
Types of Research Methods
Research Phases- Dr. Hina Siddiqui
Research Design/Designing an investigation- Dr. Hina Siddiqui
Creative Thinking
Qualitative and quantitative Approaches
Design of Experiment
Identification of Available Technologies and Expertise
Research Proposal- Dr. Hina Siddiqui
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Research Terminology
Research Terminology
'research methodology'
The study of research methods
'research technique'
A specific means, approach or tool-and-its-use, whereby data is
gathered and analysed, and inferences are drawn
'research method'
The manner in which a particular project is undertaken
It comprises one or more research techniques
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Fundamental Goals...
Of Science:
To Understand, To Predict, To Control
Of Scientists:
To communicate discoveries and findings to a
community of peers
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Coming Up with Creative Thinking
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Coming Up with Creative Thinking
Eliminate negativity
Keep your creativity sharp
Change up your routine
Study another industry
Learn new things.
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Coming Up with Creative Thinking
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Designing Research
Dimensions of Analysis
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Quantitative and Qualitative
Quantitative research designs strive to identify and
isolate specific variables within the context (seeking
correlation, relationships) of the study.
Qualitative design focuses on a holistic view of what is
being studied (via documents, case histories,
observations and interviews).
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Quantitative
and Qualitative
Quantitative
The accumulation of facts and causes of behavior
through careful isolation, measurement and evaluation of
variables.
Predictability and Control over time.
Qualitative
Concerned with the changing and dynamic nature of
reality.
Understanding a Point in time
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Research Methodologies
Qualitative Quantitative
Deals with descriptions Deals with numbers
Data can be observed but Data which can be measured
not measured Length, height, area, volume,
Colors, textures, smells, weight, speed, time,
tastes, appearance, temperature, humidity, sound
beauty levels, cost, members, ages,
Qualitative Quality etc.
Quantitative Quantity
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Example
Academics promoted the use of both quantitative
and qualitative measures to report on “quality”
QUANTITY OF:
Journal publications, conference presentations, books and book
chapters, awards, grants, budget, and so on…
QUALITY OF:
Reputation of publication, reputation of granting agency, quality
of conference, peer reviews of research programs,…
Quality of institutions that hire graduate students
Societal benefit of research
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At the same time, quantitative data can be Discrete
(counted) or Continuous (measured). Data is
Discrete when it only takes certain values (e.g. whole
numbers), and data is Continuous when it takes any
value (e.g. within a range). Both qualitative and
quantitative data is also raw material, which means
that data needs some sort of processing and be put into
context to be useful or usable.
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Discrete Data
Discrete Data can only take certain values.
Example: the number of students in a class (you can't have half a student).
Example: the results of rolling 2 dice:
can only have the values 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
Continuous Data
Continuous Data can take any value (within a range)
Examples:
A person's height: could be any value (within the range of human heights),
not just certain fixed heights,
Time in a race: you could even measure it to fractions of a second,
A dog's weight,
The length of a leaf,
Lots more!
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Research Questions
Qualitative
In qualitative study inquirers state research questions,
not objectives (i.e. specific goals for the research) or
hypotheses (i.e. predictions that involve variables and
statistical tests).
Example: How do students use program development
tools?
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Evaluating Research
Validity
A concern for most social scientists is the complex nature of the phenomena
under study: human behavior.
Multiple perspectives are required in order to adequately reflect the richness
of these complexities.
Reliability
Consistency, Replicability
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Validity and Reliability
Both Quantitative and Qualitative research designs
seek reliable and valid results. For example:
Quantitative Reliability: Data that are consistent or
stable as indicated by the researcher's ability to replicate
the findings.
Qualitative: Validity of findings are paramount so that
data are representative of a true and full picture of
constructs under investigation.
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Data Collection
Quantitative
Emphasis on numerical data, measurable variables
Data is collected under controlled conditions in order to
rule out the possibility that variables other than the one
under study can account for the relationships identified
Qualitative
Emphasis on observation and interpretation.
Data are collected within the context of their natural
occurrence.
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Range of Research Methods
Experimental design
Ethnography
Case study
Survey
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Research Methods
Interviews
Focusgroups
Participant observation (field notes)
Video
Text and Image analysis (documents, media data)
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Experimental Design
Hypothesis testing
Independent and Dependent Variables
For example - Predictor: method of instruction, Resulting
differences: math performance
Sampling of Population
Experimental and Controlled Conditions
Random assignment
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Experimental Research
The researcher does something to the subjects or
objects or research, and then attempts to determine
the effects of these actions
Reporting
Careful description of sampling procedure
Inferential statistics, effect size, and so on.
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Ethnography
Defined: a picture of the “way of life” of some identifiable
group of people
Anthropology - “doing fieldwork”, “going native”
Preoccupied with culture, and how people interact with
each other
Qualitative Methodology - Both a research process and a
product
Outcome: an ethnographic account
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Ethnographic Process
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Field Research Techniques
An Inquiry Process of multiple methods:
Participant observation
privileged, active participant
passive observer
Interviewing
key informants, structured, unstructured
groups, surveys and questionnaires
Making and using records
historical documents, archives, written records
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Case Study
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Case Study Methods
Similar to ethnographic field methods
ASKING - Interviews
Gather narrative and testimony
WATCHING - Observations
SEARCHING - Written records and artifacts
Reporting
Develop a conceptual structure, look for patterns,
consistencies, repetitions, and manifestations pertinent to
your research question(s)
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Validity and Reliability
There are many different stories to be told
Different researchers have different questions to answer,
different conceptualizations of the situation, and set
different boundaries for the case
Generalizability: What is true of one case is often
true about other cases
Consistencies can be found - predictability
How many cases are needed before patterns emerge? It
depends...
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Survey Research Methods
Purpose and Goal
Describe specific characteristics of a large group of
persons, objects, or institutions
Understand present conditions, rather than the effects of
particular intervention (as in experimental research)
Sample of Population
Groups of interest are well defined and chosen using
well defined rules
Representativeness
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Survey Methods
Mail
postage and printing costs, participation rate
Telephone
sampling, wage and time costs, participation rates
Face-to-Face
wage and time costs, participation rates, like structured interview
Web-based
anytime, anywhere, cost effective
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Issues in Survey Construction
Item (question) and scale construction
Pilot Testing and revision
Sampling procedures
Analysis and reporting of results
Generalizability
Drawing conclusions about the conditions, attitudes,
opinions, or status of a population of persons, objects,
institutions, or other entities.
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Data Analysis
Organize and prepare the data for analysis
Read all data, get a sense of the whole
Begin detailed analysis with coding process
Generate a description of the setting/people as well
as categories or themes for analysis
Represent themes (writing, visual, etc.)
Interpret and make meaning out of data
iterative, non-linear process
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Inventory of Questions
Inventory means a list compiled for some formal
purpose
Questions inventory:
made up for keeping records of questions in your
research proposal
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Brain Storming (Creative Thinking)
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