Chapter 5 - PURPOSE STATEMENTS, RESEARCH QUESTIONS, AND HYPOTHESES: IDENTIFYING THE INTENT OF A STUDY Flashcards
________ is a major aspect of all research studies because it connects all of the steps in the research process.
the study’s purpose
a statement that advances the overall direction for a study.
The purpose statement
statements used to narrow the purpose statement to specific questions that the researcher seeks to answer by conducting a study.
Research questions
statements in which the investigator makes a prediction or conjecture about the relationship that exists among two or more attributes or characteristics (i.e., variables).
hypotheses
Quantitative Researchers Specify Purposes That Are ____ and ____
Specific
Narrow
Qualitative Researchers Specify Purposes That Are ____ and _____
Broad
General
an indicator of a characteristic or attribute of individuals or organizations that researchers measure and that varies among the individuals or organizations studied.
a variable
3 aspects of definition of variables:
Variables are indicators of characteristics and attributes
Variables can be measured
The scores measured for a variable vary for the participants in the study
a type of variable that occurs when researchers measure the variable by grouping the scores into a limited number of groups (or categories)
Categorical variables
types of categorical variables:
nominal
ordinal
A nominal categorical variable example:
political status. Categories: Democratic = 1, Republican = 2, Independent = 3.
An ordinal categorical variable example:
grade level. Categories: Freshman = 1, Sophomore = 2, Junior = 3, Senior = 4.
a type of variable that occurs when researchers measure scores along a continuum of possible scores, from low to high scores and anywhere in between.
Continuous variables
Two examples of continuous variables are:
■ A continuous variable: test performance. Varies: from low of 0% to high of 100%.
■ A continuous variable: level of satisfaction. Varies: from low of 10 to high of 50.
independent variable is AKA?
predictor variable
dependent variable is AKA?
outcome variable
What are the outcomes that the researcher is trying to explain or predict?
(the dependent or outcome variables)
What are the factors that the researcher expects to influence the outcomes?
(the independent or predictor variables)
What other variables does the researcher measure (or control) that might also influence the outcomes?
(the control variables)
What variables might influence the outcomes that the researcher cannot or does not measure in the study?
(the confounding variables)
Researchers also refer to their dependent variables as the: (3)
outcome variables, effect variables, or criterion variables
Researchers also refer to their independent variables as : (4)
treatment variables, manipulated variables, predictor variables, or factors
There are two main types of independent variables:
treatment variables and measured variables
researchers often refer to measured variables as:
factors or predictors instead of as independent variables
When researchers use measured variables as the independent variables in their studies, it also limits their ability to:
make claims of probable cause and effect
There are two types of hypotheses you may read in quantitative reports:
null hypotheses and alternative hypotheses.
the concept, activity, or process explored in a qualitative research study
central phenomenon
There are two types of research questions found in qualitative research reports:
central research questions and subquestions
