Lecture 1+2 - RD & RQ

Question 1

(!) What is research, a research question and what defines a good one?

Answer 1

Research:
- Evidence based conclusion on IRL problems

Research question:
- Aim of study
- Answered by claims
- Direction, relevance & coherence within boundary
- If answered –> Project success

Good research questions include:
- Reason for research
- Specific unit, data, analysis, area & theory
- A starting point

Question 2

Describe the different quality criteria for research

Answer 2

General:
- RQ & RD must match

Criteria:
- Validity: Study what we think we study
- Causality: Important if causal relation
- Replicability
- Generalizability: Important if population
- Reliability: Appropriate tool & theory
- Authentic: Convincing/plausible
- Coherent: Consistent

Question 3

(!!) Describe different types of sampling

Answer 3

Convenience sampling:

• Friends

___________
___________

Purposeful sampling:

Theoretical:

General:
Ref. Cases

___________

Snowball samling:
- Participants point out new participants

Question 4

(!!) What is important in an argument?

Answer 4

General:
- Organize the text
- Stack after each other: Flow
- Claim –> Warrant <– Reason –> Evidence –> Concl.
- Internal consistent

__________

Claim:
- What?
- Main claim = Thesis
- Answer/Solve RQ
- Because of reason
- Require reason support
- Postulate
- Important not only to have these
- R: F + T + C + A increase student worker engagement

__________

Reason:
- Why?
- Support claim
- Based on evidence: Backed up
- Lead to claim accept
- Assertion: Dansk: Påstand
- R: Since we would be more engaged
- R: Fordi generel teori om emne

__________

Evidence:
- How?
- Data/facts to support reason
- What we measure
- Objections
- R: Survey + Interview + Analysis

Quality considerations:
- Different types: Eg. hard numbers
- Not accurate: Eg. Numbers
- Not precise: What does “many” mean?
- Not current
- Not representative
- Not authoritative
- Require more evidence: More data points
- Counter examples
- Other definitions

__________

Warrant:
- How?
- Connect claim & reason: Relevance
- What is your logic?
- R: We are student workers

___________

In use:¨

1. Topic:
   - “We´re studying…”
2. Question:
   - “..because we wanna figure out..”
3. Significance:
   - “in order to help readers understand..”

Question 5

Describe the interrelation between a practical and a conceptual/research problem

Answer 5

General:
- Iterative process

Process:
- Practical problem motivate RQ
- RQ define conceptual problem
- Conceptual problem lead to research answer
- Research answer help solve practical problem

Question 6

(!) Describe research design in general & considerations to it

Answer 6

General:
- Research strategy to answer RQ
- Ensure coherence between steps of research process
- Guide gathering & analysis of data
- Differ from research method
- Control mechanism

Considerations:
- Role of theory
- Unit & level of analysis: Person or departments
- Tight or loose design
- How much instrumentation
- Sampling
- Limitations
- Trade offs

Question 7

Describe the two pictures from slides

Answer 7