Chapter 1 Flashcards - Intro to Research Methods
Understanding how knowledge within a field is generated is important because…?
Allows us the skills to critique existing bodies of literature as well providing background needed to answer RQ’s that have yet to be answered.
Sometimes what we know is based on our own experiences. What is the issue with that?
Limited experience if it is personal and it can vary substantially
What does Kinesiology refer to?
The study of movement
* Diverse field inclusive of a wide range of subdisciplines and professions
* Research easily recognized as core to discipline
The terms science and research are commonly used by researchers in Kine, but what do they actually mean?
Science: Discovery of knowledge
Research: Specific method used to discover knowledge
What are the three different approaches to research and how are they different?
Quantitative (number), Qualitative (non-numerical), Mixed Methods (Both)
- Differ in underlying assumptions, types of questions asked, specific methods used, type of data that results, analysis of the data
What are quantitative research designs best suited for?
Best suited to questions relating to testing of theory, status on variables, differences among groups
Data should be generated as precise as possible
Example of quantitative research in the textbook about Moreside and McGill (2012)
Recruited students at UofW for hip-joint ROM intervention study. Randomizing groups & found that objectivity was obtained through this as well as measurements of key variables done by research assistant who did not share it with the primary researcher to keep objectivity
Note: Quantitative b/c data collection methods resulted in numerical data that were analyzed using stats to answer RQ
What is qualitative research well suited for?
Understanding people’s meanings of experiences and it is often emergent & flexible
Note: Themes generate from the data collected and researcher is recognized as being an integral part of the research process
Example of Qualitative research used in the textbook?
Exploring P.A. of young adolescent girls by interviewing, participating with the girls in activities to gain their trust and transcribing the data into a verbatim (typed out word for word)
Note: Themes will arise such as: 1) Physical activity lets girls shine 2) “Taking care of myself, inside and out”
What is Mixed Methods Research and what is best suited for?
Combination of quantitative and qualitative, best suited for studies that proritize one over the other (sequential), or conducted simultaneously (concurrent)
Note: Used by researchers to see the value in using both quantitative and qualitative data to answer their RQ
Research has two meanings. What are they?
Research as a verb: Follow a logical process that uses concepts, principles and techniques to produce knowledge
Research as a noun: A collection of information representing what we know about a particular topic
Remember: It’s about finding solutions to problems or discovering new knowledge in a logical, orderly, and systematic fashion
Where could research be found?
- Academic and scholarly journals
- Research monographs
- Textbooks
- Journals/Newspaper/Magazines
- Corporate research reports
- Legislative action and policy actions
- Databases
What is a peer review?
Reseachers knowledgable about a particular area are asked to review or comment on another researcher’s work and recommend if it should be published
Enhances quality of research
Research is important when we want…?
- Respond to critical social problems
- Allocate limited resources wisely
- Base policy decisions on evidence rather than ideology
Characteristics of research include?
- Generated by specific question, hypothesis or problem
- Follows specific plan or procedure - research process
- Empirical - reaches conclusions based on evidence
- Requires reasoned argument to support conclusions
- Continual - based on previous knowledge and may develop further RQ’s
Components of a research design say what about the research approach and the methods?
The research approach (qualitative, quantitative, mixed) and the methods used in the study are linked
E.g. A quantitative research approach requires you to use quantitative methods like surverys, questionnaires, etc.
What are the steps in the research process?
- Identify the research topic
- Ask a RQ
- Conduct a literature review - overview of previously published work on the topic
- Refine the RQ
- Define the concepts
- Create the Measures
- Determine a Method/Approach
- Collect the Data
- Analyze the Data
- Interpret the Results
- Communicate the findings
What is a philosphical worldview and how does that relate to the components of a research design?
Philosophical worldview is how the researcher sees the world from their perspective so they determine what they consider as knowledge based on what they believe
- This affects the entire research process from beginning to end because it’s based on how the researcher looks at the topic and answers it
What are ontology and epistemology and how do they align with philosophical worldview?
Ontology: Studying nature of reality; refers to someone’s belief in nature of truth and reality;general orientation of the world
Epistemology: Study of knowledge; refers to someone’s belief about how we acquire knowledge about truth and reality - nature of research
- Philosphical worldview looks at what you believe so you can either have an epistemological view or ontological view
Set of beliefs related to one’s general orientation to the world and nature of research
Explain what this picture means?
It is saying that with whatever philosophical worldview you have, it will dictate what type of research approach you choose (quan. qual. or mixed) and based on that you can choose specific methods of collecting data, analyzing, etc. Research Design
Note: This is the three components of research design
Creswell identified four worldviews common in literature. What are they?
- Postpositivism
- Constructivism
- Pragmatism
- Transformative
Explain Constructivism and what research approach?
- Based on notion that multiple realities exist and that meaning is varied and complex
- Researchers seek to understand the “why” of events
- Researchers recognize own realities and views shape the research process - Qualitative
Note: experience are subjective and socially constructed, constructing own understandings of the world through their experiences - qualitative
What is postpositivism and what research approach is?
- Notion that there is a single reality or objective truth
- Assumptions of determinism (cause determine effects - Quantitative) and reductionism (ideas can be reduced to testable RQ’s than be tested and experimented
- Relies on theory to uncover objective reality
- Characteristics of the quantitative approach align with postpositivism
What is pragmatism and what research approach is it?
- Concerned with solutions to problems rather than describing
- Belief that “reality” is constantly changing
- Incorporate all research approaches that are appropriate and necessary to understand the research problem
- Characteristics of mixed methods
Note: Can either do a quantitative approach or qualitative which is why it says reality is changing hence why we can consider this a mixed methods approach
What is transformative and what approach is it?
- Notion of being connected with politics and having an action agenda
- Focus on reform and change for unempowered people
- Inherently collaborative - qualitative characteristics
- Guided by specific theoretical frameworks
- Characteristics of qualitative approach
