Chapter 4 Issues in Problem Formulation Flashcards
What are the 5 ways to select an appropriate topic for scientific investigation?
personal interest
current social problems
Utility in testing a particular theory
Addressing prior research limitations
Determine program effectiveness
What generates research questions in Human service practices?
behavior or characteristics of the recipients
the mechanisms of the service delivery
problem selection is very much a _____ issue
political
problem selection process is shaped by what 6 things? (IGNORE)
Powerful and articulate interest groups
Support by influentials at national level
Definition of condition as a social problem
Public awareness and concern
Severity, extent and costs
Publicity
Support by major funding agencies
what was the Issue/example with AIDS?
When viewed as the problem of homosexuals and drug users, AIDS research was a low priority.
Support for AIDS research was given when it became a problem for things such as transfusions.
how to shape research problem
Narrow the scope
Specify concepts
Operationalization
Literature review
Unit of analysis
conceptual development
means identifying and properly defining the concepts on which the study will focus
what are the 2 parts of conceptual development
clearly define the meaning of concepts
narrow the focus of the concept so it encompasses a topic that feasible to research in a single study
(are they measurable?)
what are the 7 elements to a literature review?
theoretical and conceptual issues
research hypothesis, independent and dependent variables
measurement and operational definitions
most appropriate research technique
sampling strategy
statistical technique
notes findings and conclusions of the studies
units of analysis
the specific objects or elements whose characteristics we wish to describe or explain and about which we will collect data
5 common units of analysis
individuals (ex- unwed mothers)
groups (ex- families)
organizations (ex- schools)
programs (ex- may provide service for individuals or may exist as part of an organization)
social artifacts (ex- any material products that people produce, newspapers)
with units of analysis, jumping from one level to another can result in _____ ______ being drawn
erroneous conclusions
ecological fallacy
inferring something about individuals based on data collected at higher units of analysis, such as groups
reductionist fallacy
inferring something about groups or other higher levels of analysis based on data collected from individuals
reactivity
refers to the fact that people can react to being studied and may behave differently than when they don’t think they are being studied
qualitative research
data in the forms of words, pictures, descriptions, or narratives
quantitative research
uses numbers, counts, and measures of things
How to choose between qualitative and quantitative research?
What is the state of knowledge on the topic?
What is the researcher’s position regarding the nature of social behavior?
when to use qualitative research
when knowledge is sketchy
Goal is hypothesis formulation
Descriptive variables
Well developed field
Goal is hypothesis verification
Quantifiable variables
when to use quantitative research
Non-positivist paradigm
Subjective meaning is essential.
Narrative accounts capture richness of experience
Positivist paradigm
Behavior can be reduced to numbers and statistics.
Precise statements and numerical relationships
cross-sectional research
focuses on a cross section of a population at one point in time
Faster and simpler to design and implement
Less reactive
No attrition problem
Less expensive
what is a weakness of cross-sectional research?
we have not actually observed the changes an individual goes through; rather we have observed three different groups of individuals at one point in time
longitudinal research
involves gathering data over an extended period, such as months, years, or even, in a few cases, decades
Most accurate data on change over time
More reactive
Participant attrition
More expensive
two types of longitudinal research are?
panel study - the same people are studied at different times
trend study - different people are observed at different times
what are time considerations with feasibility?
Locate the population
Develop a measurement system
Collect the data
Conduct the analysis
what are financial considerations with feasibility?
Project staff
Equipment and supplies
Incentives for cooperation
Dissemination of results
what steps can be taken to anticipate problems?
learn as much as possible from the experience of others
obtain whatever permissions or consents may be needed early in the planning stage
conduct pilot study - most important one
