LECTURE 2: overview of research methodology Flashcards
Research design
A plan for the collection, measurement and analysis of data
Planning and operation of an (quasi) experimental research project stages (9)
- Identify the issue or question of interest
- Review relevant literature and theories
- Develop questions and hypothesis
- Identify independent and dependent variable
- Conduct study
- Use descriptive statistics to describe data
- Use inferential statistics to evaluate statistical hypotheses
- Accept or reject hypothesis
- prepare formal report for publication /presentation
Types of research questions (4)
- Descriptive
- Normative
- Correlative
- Impact
Descriptive question
What is happening? which methods are being used?
Normative question
What is happening compared to what should happen?
Correlative question
What is the relationship and the strength of this relationship, between X and Y?
Impact question
What impact does a change in X have on Y?
Sorts of variables (4)
- Dependent
- Independent
- Intervening
- Extraneous
Independent variable
Cause of something, something you change to measure
Dependent variable
resulting effect, dependent of the cause
Operationally defining variables
Give meaning to a variable by setting out the activities or operations that are necessary to measure it
Intervening variables
Variable mediating the relationship between two factors. Such a variable is causally situated between them and accounts at least partly for their association
Extraneous variables
variables, which are not the independent variable, but could affect the results of the experiment. Must be controlled for
Controlling for extraneous variables (2)
- elimination
- randomization
Validity
measuring what you intend to measure
