Foundations of Research Methods

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Constance Sylvia Hoover
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1 1 Foundations of Research Methods Relevant dates and information 09/03/2017 Intermediate test (final test) >> to be defined 1

2 Things to do: Enrol yourself in the page of the course (obligatory) Sign every presence at the course Participate at the given seminars Participate ad the intermediate and final test Bring your own laptop for exercices (at least one every three student) Today General goals of the course Objectives (what do I want to achieve?) To be able to understand general approaches to research; To be able to apply right methods to your research; To be able to draw a general research approach to a given scenario 2. Introductory lecture/discussion/questions Following Trochim s chapter 1 Foundations 3. Suggested elective course: Sociology of (Regional) Development >> slides and tests in English >>> Scenario exercises; Adjunctive seminars 2

3 1.1 The Research Enterprise Modern society relies on research Research allows us to: Explore our universe Explore our environment Use and create new technology Understand ourselves What does research mean to you? 1.1a What is Research? Research is systematic investigation Research is empirical Research is a public effort Our focus is on social research This results in a research project 3

4 1.1a Research Defined A type of systematic investigation that is empirical in nature and is designed to contribute to public knowledge 1.1a Research Enterprise Defined The macro-level effort to accumulate knowledge across multiple empirical systematic public research projects 4

5 1.1b Translational Research Translating knowledge gained from our research into practical applications This process is called the researchpractice continuum The Research-Practice Continuum 5

6 1.1b Basic & Applied Research Basic research Designed to generate discoveries and to understand how the discoveries work Applied research Tests a discovery under increasingly controlled conditions in real-world contexts 1.1b Implementation & Dissemination Research Research that assesses how well an innovation or discovery can be distributed in and carried out in a broad range of contexts Extending beyond the original controlled studies 6

7 1.1b Policy & Impact Research Policy research Research that is designed to investigate existing policies or develop and test new ones Impact research Research that assesses the broader effects of a discovery or innovation on society 1.1c Research Synthesis A systematic study of multiple prior research projects that address the same research question or topic and summarize the results in a manner that can be used by practitioners 7

8 1.1c Types of Research Synthesis Projects Meta-analysis Uses statistical methods to combine the results of similar studies quantitatively in order to allow general conclusions to be made Systematic review Focuses on a specific question or issue and uses specific preplanned methods to identify, select, assess, and summarize the findings of multiple research studies 1.1c Guidelines Defined A systematic process that leads to a specific set of research based recommendations for practice that usually includes some estimates of how strong the evidence is for each recommendation 8

9 1.1c Translational Research With Synthesis 1.1d Evidence-Based Practice A movement designed to encourage or require practitioners to employ practices that are based on research evidence as reflected in research syntheses or practice guidelines 9

10 1.1e An Evolutionary Perspective Research ideas evolve through the process of natural selection A research idea competes with other ideas, and the strongest ones are selected and then built upon 1.2a Where Research Topics Come From Practical problems in the field Literature reviews Requests for research proposals Generating your own research ideas Although these often come from a combination of practical problems and literature reviews 10

11 1.2b The Literature Review A systematic compilation and written summary of all of the literature published in scientific journals that is related to a research topic of interest The literature included should be peer reviewed Peer review is a system for ensuring the accuracy and methodological integrity of published research articles 1.2c Feasibility Issues Feasibility is the practicality of your research project Considerations Cost Time investment Access to the population of interest Ethical constraints 11

12 1.3 The Language of Research Research, like any other endeavor, has its own language and vocabulary 1.3a Research Vocabulary Theoretical Concerned with developing, exploring, or testing the theories or ideas that social researchers have about how the world operates Empirical Based on direct observations and measurements of reality 12

13 1.3b Research Vocabulary (cont d.) Probabilistic Based on probabilities Causal Pertaining to a cause-effect relationship Causal relationships A cause-effect relationship 1.3b Types of Studies Descriptive Studies Answer questions of what? and describe a particular phenomenon Relational Studies Look at relationships between two or more variables (these are not causal!) Causal Studies Look at cause and effect. Does one variable cause a change in another? 13

14 1.3c Time in Research Cross-sectional studies Take place at a single point in time Longitudinal studies Take place at several points in time Repeated measures designs Uses two or a few waves of measurement Time series designs Uses many waves of measurement (more than 20) 1.3d Types of Relationships Correlational relationships When two things are synchronized Causal relationships When one variable causes another to change The third variable problem In a correlational relationship, it is often a third variable that is causing the synchronization between two, correlated variables 14

15 1.3d Patterns of Relationships 1.3d Patterns of Relationships (cont d.) No relationship Positive relationship As one variable increases, the other variable also increases. As one variable decreases, the other also decreases Negative relationship As one variable increases, the other decreases. The relationship is inverse 15

16 1.3e Hypotheses Hypothesis A specific statement of prediction Alternative hypothesis A specific statement of prediction stating what you expect will happen in your study Null hypothesis A specific statement that predicts there will be no effect of a program or treatment you are studying 1.3e Hypotheses (cont d.) One-tailed hypothesis A hypothesis that specifies a direction Two-tailed hypothesis A hypothesis that does not specify a direction 16

17 1.3f Variables Quantitative The numerical representation of some object Attribute A specific value of a variable Independent variable The variable that you manipulate (the cause) Dependent variable The variable that is affected by the independent variable 1.3f Variable Guidelines The attributes of a variable should be: Exhaustive Mutually exclusive 17

18 1.3g Types of Data Qualitative A descriptive, nonnumerical observation Qualitative data Data that are in the form of text, pictures, sounds, etc. Quantitative data Data that is in numeric form 1.3h The Unit of Analysis Individuals Groups Artifacts (books, photos, newspapers) Geographical units (towns, states) Social Interactions (dyadic relations, divorces, arrests) Hierarchical modeling allows you to analyze multiple units of analysis 18

19 Deductive Reasoning Inductive Reasoning 19

20 1.4 The Structure of Research 1.4a Research Components Research question The central issue being addressed in the study, which is typically phrased in the language of theory Operationalization The act of translating a construct into its manifestation for example, translating the idea of your treatment or program into the actual program 20

21 1.4a Components of a Research Study The research problem The research question The program (cause) The units The outcomes (effect) The design 1.5 Validity 21

22 Discuss and Debate Why is psychological research empirical? Why does a research endeavor need structure? Why is it a systematic approach? If two variables are related through a correlation, does that mean one variable caused the other? Why or why not? 22

The Scientific Method. Philosophy of Science. Philosophy of Science. Epistemology: the philosophy of knowledge

The Scientific Method. Philosophy of Science. Philosophy of Science. Epistemology: the philosophy of knowledge The Scientific Method Philosophy of Science Epistemology: the philosophy of knowledge Methodology: the specific approach we use to try to understand our world Philosophy of Science Positivism: the goal