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IT 497 - Research Methodology > Chapter 1 - Research > Flashcards

Chapter 1 - Research Flashcards

0
Q

What is research, as a definition?

A

Research is the systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data in order to increase our understanding of phenomenon about which we are concerned.

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1
Q

What are three main misconceptions of research?

A

The three main misconceptions of research are:
- Research is merely information-gathering.
- Research is the gathering of hard-to-find information.
- Research is not merely transporting facts from one location to another.
All these things lack the interpretation of the data, the posing of possible facts.

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2
Q

What is the difference between formal research and standard research?

A

Formal research is when research is undergone intentionally, with the intent of enhancing our understanding of a phenomenon, and sharing what we learn with the community.

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3
Q

What are the eight characteristics of research?

A

The eight characteristics of research are:

  • Research originates with a question or a problem.
  • Research requires clear articulation of a goal.
  • Research (usually) divides the principle problem into smaller sub-problems.
  • Research is guided by the problem, or hypothesis.
  • Research requires a plan for proceeding.
  • Research rests on specified critical assumptions.
  • Research requires the collection and interpretation of data in order to resolve the question that started it.
  • Research is by nature cyclical, or helical.
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4
Q

How must a research question be phrased? Why?

A

A research question must be posed clearly and grammatically correctly, with no room for ambiguity in regards to what is wanted to be known. This allows things to be managed much more easily.

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5
Q

What is the importance of having sub-problems, instead of one main problem.

A

It is only natural to divide a large question or problem into sub-problems that its answering relies upon. These sub-points are the starting points for research, and keeps things from getting cumbersome.

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6
Q

What is a hypothesis? Why are the important?

A

A hypothesis is an educated guess or conjecture. It’s expected to provide a tentative explanation for the phenomenon. A good project will usually start with a hypothesis, and they generally guide any experimentation.

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7
Q

What is the importance of research being purposeful and planned?

A

Research is purposeful and planned so that research and experimentation done is on-point and relevant.

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8
Q

What is an assumption? Why is it important?

A

Assumptions are things that are taken for granted (IE, not tested to be true), and any research project takes them as its foundation. Assumptions are self-evident; it’s obvious the sky is blue, or that the air has oxygen in it.

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9
Q

Why is research methodology important? How does it play into the eight main characteristics of research?

A

Research methodology fits into the theme of research requiring a specific plan. Research methodology guides the research project through its parts, giving it direction for data collection, how the data is to be arranged, and dictates the tools used.

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10
Q

What makes data important or useful?

A

Data isn’t important or useful on its own; it’s just numbers and whatnot. It becomes important when the researcher extracts meaning from them.

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11
Q

What do we mean when we say that research is cyclical or helical?

A

Research is cyclical, or rather, iterative. Rarely is a project concluded without leaving room for more questions to be answered. Research generally brings about one or more additional questions, thus either going back into another loop (cyclical) or multiple loops (helical).

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12
Q

What are the six main resources or tools of research?

A

The six main resources or tools of research are:

  1. The library & its resources
  2. Computer technology
  3. Measurements
  4. Statistics
  5. Language
  6. The human mind
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13
Q

What are the two forms of statistics?

A

The two forms of statistics are:

  • Descriptive statistics
  • Inferential statistics
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14
Q

What are descriptive statistics?

A

Descriptive statistics are statistics that describe the data as it is; they summarize a sample, or show how two pieces of data differ or are similar.

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15
Q

What are inferential statistics?

A

Inferential statistics are those that are used to make deductions about data.

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16
Q

What is the ultimate point of statistics?

A

Statistics exist to help us make sense of massive amounts of data, and to see trends in them.

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17
Q

Why are libraries still useful?

A

Libraries are still useful because they are “linked” together, allowing them to loan material back and forth between one another. They usually have access to large databases of material, older material, and have information on most any topic.

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18
Q

What are the two main classification systems in a library?

A

The two main classification systems in a library are the Dewey Decimal system and the Library of Congress system. The DDS breaks materials into one of ten base areas of knowledge, and then divides from there. The library of congress system classifies using alphabetical categories, and is used by most colleges and universities.

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19
Q

Why are computers useful for research?

A

Computers are great, they can hold great sums of information, analyze them extremely fast, can be used to access information, and can even be used to communicate with others elsewhere.

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20
Q

What is measurement?

A

Measurement is the act of limiting the data on a particular phenomenon, so that data can be compared to a standard, qualitative or quantitative. This gives it meaning.

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21
Q

What are the two types of measurements?

A

The two types of measurements: substantial and insubstantial. Substantial measurements are things that can clearly be measured, like distance or weight. Insubstantial measurements are things like concepts, feelings, ideas, and so on.

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22
Q

What is key to measurement?

A

The key to measurement is having valid and reliable instruments to measure with.

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23
Q

What are the five main tools of the human mind as a research implement?

A

The five main tools of the human mind as a research implement are:

  1. Critical thinking
  2. Deductive logic
  3. Inductive reasoning
  4. The scientific method
  5. Theory building
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24
Q

What is critical thinking?

A

Critical thinking is the act of evaluating information or lines of thinking for value, credibility, and accuracy.

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25
Q

What is deductive reasoning?

A

Deductive reasoning is the act of taking premises or assumptions and drawing conclusions from them, like making hypothesis. It is valuable for being able to be used to create hypotheses, and for testing theories.

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26
Q

What is inductive reasoning?

A

Inductive reasoning is very similar to deductive reasoning, but instead of starting with a known fact or assumption, it begins with an observation (like an apple falls when dropped). The observation of one action allows for the theory that things like it may do similar things (everything falls when dropped).

27
Q

What is the scientific method?

A

The scientific method is a process by which a:

  1. Problem is found
  2. A hypothesis is formed
  3. Data is collected that is relevant to the hypothesis
  4. The data is analyzed to see if it supports the hypothesis, and resolve the question.
28
Q

What is theory building?

A

Theory building is the process by which theories are made by thinking deliberately about known facts, also known as abduction.

29
Q

What is the difference between a juried and a non-juried research report?

A

A juried research report has been vetted by a group of experts in a field that it is good and deserves to be published. A non-juried research report is one that appears in a journal or in a publication.

30
Q

What are the two types of research?

A

The two types of research are:

  • Basic research
  • Applied research
31
Q

What is basic research?

A

Basic research is research is meant to enhance basic knowledge on the world that we know, or shed light on phenomena.

32
Q

What is applied research?

A

Applied research is research that is being done to address current issues, and will be applied to something quickly, often in the local environment.

33
Q

What are the main criteria for a good research problem?

A

The main criteria for a good research problem are:

  • It should address an important problem or question, so that the answer makes a difference.
  • It should advance the frontiers of knowledge, have possible applications, or at least open up new avenues of future research.
34
Q

What are the four main types of BAD research problems?

A

The four main types of bad research problems are:

  • Research that is being used for “self-enlightenment” (i.e. to learn how it works). This doesn’t lead to new knowledge.
  • Research that simply compares two sets of data. This doesn’t lead to new knowledge.
  • Calculating a coefficient between two data sets to show correlation isn’t enough. Correlation is not causation.
  • If it can be answered with a Yes/No, it’s not a good research problem.
35
Q

What are the six main ways of finding a good research problem?

A

The six main ways of finding a research problem are:

  1. Look around you. Think about what makes the things about you work.
  2. Read the literature. It’ll tell you what’s known, and often what isn’t.
  3. Ask experts “what don’t we know?”
  4. Attend conferences, see what others are looking at.
  5. Choose a topic you find interesting. You won’t work on it if you don’t.
  6. Choose a topic others will find interesting as well.
36
Q

What are the five main points towards stating a research problem?

A

The five main points of stating a research problem are:

  1. State it clearly and completely. No ambiguity.
  2. Think through the feasibility of the project you’re proposing. Think budget, manpower, time, etc.
  3. Say exactly what you mean. Make sure words can be taken at face value. Make the first words of the abstract the problem.
  4. State the problem in a way that suggests an open mind, not where you’ve already decided what the solution is.
  5. Jesus H. Fuckin’ Christ, edit your work, re-read, etc.
37
Q

What is a subproblem?

A

A subproblem is a problem that’s a subset of the main problem. Subproblems must be compact and completely researchable, clearly tied to the collection and interpretation of data, must, along with the rest of the subproblems, add up to the whole problem, and should be small in number.

38
Q

What is a pseudo-subproblem?

A

A pseudo-subproblem is a problem that, while not related to the hypothesis or research question, is related to completing the research, such as “how will data be sampled” or “how large a sample size should we use”?

39
Q

Beyond subproblems, how else can the main research problem be “delineated”, or be represented wholly and accurately?

A

Beyond subproblems, further delineation can be found by:

  • Fully stating the hypothesis or research problems.
  • Fully disclose what is intended to be done by the researcher, what isn’t going to be done.
  • Defining terms
  • Stating assumptions
40
Q

What is a null hypothesis?

A

A null hypothesis is a hypothesis that states that there will be NO differences between groups, or no consistent relationships between variables… basically, no patterns in the data at all. They are made to be disproven, to show that they aren’t true (generally).

41
Q

What is a variable?

A

A variable is any value or characteristic in research that could have two or more possible values.

42
Q

What is an independent variable?

A

An independent variable is a variable that is generally the cause of some other thing; independent variables are manipulated by the researcher to see how dependent variables change.

43
Q

What is a dependent variable?

A

A dependent variable is one that changes based on changes made to an independent variable. Generally, the relationship between dependent and independent variables are the focus of research.

44
Q

What is a mediating variable?

A

A mediating variable is a variable that is both affected by an independent variable, and affects a dependent variable.

45
Q

What is a moderating variable?

A

A moderating variable is one that, while not intervening in the relationship between dependent and independent variables, has a modulating effect on their relationship. Things known as “risk factors” often are modulating variables; they affect the likelihood that a cause-effect link will occur.

46
Q

What does delimiting the research do?

A

Delimiting the research states exactly what the researcher will NOT do. It halts scientific “scope creep” and sets boundaries on what is related to the project, and what isn’t.

48
Q

What is the order of topics in a research proposal?

A

In a research proposal, the topics should go in this order:

  • Problem & Setting
  • Subproblems, hypotheses, and questions, in logical order.
  • Statements of delimitation, definition of terms, and assumptions
  • The importance of the study.
49
Q

T/F: You can specify the base font size of an entire document with a documentclass option.

A

Using documentclass, you can define the base font size for an entire document, as so:
\documentclass[12pt]{article}

50
Q

In LaTeX, how would you create bold text?

A

In LaTeX, you’d create bold text by using the \textbf{} command.

51
Q

In LaTeX, how would you create italicized text?

A

In LaTeX, you’d create italicized text by using the \emph{} command.

52
Q

In LaTeX, how would you create a horizontal line?

A

In LaTeX, you’d create a horizontal line through the use of the \hrulefill command.

53
Q

In LaTeX, how would you show a mathematical formula?

A

In LaTeX, to show a mathematical formula, you’d surround it with “(” and “)”.

54
Q

In LaTeX, how would you create double-left quotation marks (“)?

A

To create double-left quotation marks in LaTeX, you’d use two back ticks (``).

55
Q

In LaTeX, how would you create double-right quotes?

A

To create double-right quotes in LaTeX, you’d use two apostrophes (‘’).

56
Q

How are bulleted lists formatted in LaTeX?

A 
Lists are formatted in LaTeX using the following format:
\begin{itemize}
    \item The first item
    \item The next item
\end{itemize}
57
Q

How are numbered lists formatted in LaTeX?

A 
Numbered lists are formatted in latex using the following format:
\begin{enumerate}
    \item The first item
    \item The second item
\end{enumerate}
58
Q

How are footnotes formatted in LaTeX?

A

Footnotes are formatted in LaTeX using the following format:
\footnote{Footnote text goes here!}
This is placed where you want the footnote number to be placed.

59
Q

What are the beginning and ends of a LaTeX document?

A 
A LaTeX document begins with:
\documentclass{the class of document}
 \begin{document}
stuff
 \end{document}
60
Q

How is the header formatted with LaTeX?

A

The header of a LaTeX document is created using the \title, \author, and \date commands, and is generated using the \maketitle command after them.

61
Q

What is the R function that combines two arrays into a table?

A

The R function that combines two arrays into a table is called “cbind”.

62
Q

What is the R function that combines two arrays of different data types into one table?

A

The R function that combines two arrays of different data types into one table is the “data.frame” function.

63
Q

What R function is used to add column names to a table?

A

The row.names R function is used to add values to the “names” row above each column. It can also be used to retrieve this information.

64
Q

What R command is used to prevent code from being displayed in the final PDF?

A

To prevent code from being displayed in the final PDF, the echo=FALSE command needs to be put within the «»

65
Q

What are code chunks in regards to R?

A

Code chunks in R are code that is going to be executed within the R document. They generally begin with ``` in markdown, or «» in sweave.

66
Q

What is the format of the command used to create bar charts in R using ggplot?

A

To create a bar graph in R using ggplot, you would run the following command:
ggplot(data=dataFile, aes(x=xaxis, y=yaxis) + geom_bar()

IT 497 - Research Methodology (3 decks)

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