Lecture 4 Flashcards
Quantitative studies _____ theories.
test
Qualitative studies ______ theories.
generate
Theory:
explanation of observed patterns or supposition about a relationship among phenomena
While a _____ provides a way of looking at something, a _____ seeks to explain what we see.
- paradigm
- theory
Theory is generally derived from…
- observations
- experimentations
- reflective thinking
Theory is composed of…
- verifiable
- testable statements or propositions
Theory often includes _____ statements that …
- relational
- connect 2 or more variables such that knowing something about one variable can help to understand the other
Theories can be used to provide a ____ or _____ to guide _____ or _____.
- blueprint or framework
- research questions or hypotheses
Theory is the basic aim of ______.
science
Theory allows scientists to…
- understand and predict outcomes of interest
- describe and explain a process or sequence of events
Theory prevents scholars from…
being dazzled by the complexity of the empirical world by providing a linguistic tool for organizing it
Theory in quantitative research is generally used to…
guide the entire research process
Give examples of use of theory in quantitative research.
- scientific prediction of the expected relationships between variables
- how and why they are related
- used to develop hypothesis
- goal to understand, explain, predict phenomena in the real world
In qualitative research, theory can provide broad explanations for _____ and _____.
behaviours and attitudes
In qualitative research, theory can provide a _____ ____ or _____ for the study of gender, class, and ethnicity (various marginalized groups).
- theoretical lens
- perspective
How can studies be the end point in qualitative research?
inductive process building from the data to themes to a generalized model or theory
Why can’t theories be explicitly used in qualitative research?
some qualitative studies build from detailed descriptions of phenomenon
Theory in mixed methods research can include…
- theory deductively (theory testing)
- theory inductively (emerging theory or pattern)
- theoretical lens or perspective to provide a framework for the study
Describe the quote “a theory which cannot be mortally endangered cannot be alive”.
- define theory
- people need to constantly try and prove it wrong/test it
- if it’s set in stone, it’s a law
- need to be able to test it (feasible)
- risk involved (has to be the possibility of it proven wrong)
Research question:
a broad inquiry statement regarding the central phenomenon
Research questions do not include ____ ____.
directional words
Research questions often begin with ____, _____, or _____.
- how
- what
- why
Research questions address the ____ of the research to be done.
purpose