Step 1 Flashcards
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
Confirmatory or “from top-to-bottom tests”
Exploratory or “from bottom-to-top
tests”
ONTOLOGY
(nature of reality)
Objective (material and causal), agreed upon
Subjective, mental personal, and constructed
EPISTEMOLOGY
(theory of knowledge)
Scientific realism
Relativism
VIEW OF HUMAN
THOUGHT & BEHAVIOR
regular and predictable
situational, social, contextual, personal, and unpredictable
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
quantitative / numerical description
qualitative / subjective description, empathetic understanding, & exploration
NATURE OF OBSERVATION
study behavior under controlled conditions
study groups & individuals in natural settings
SAMPLE
Representative sample
Small sample
SAMPLING METHODS
Probability & non-probability sampling
Probability & non-probability sampling
TYPES OF RESPONSES
close-ended and instrument-based
open-ended
FORM OF DATA TO BE COLLECTED
data based on precise measurement using structured & validated data collection instruments
in-depth interviews, participant observations, field notes, and open-ended questions
DATA ANALYSIS
statistical analysis
identify statistical
relationships among variables
descriptive data
local patterns, themes, & holistic features
INTERPRETATION
OF DATA
statistical interpretation
themes, patterns interpretation
RESULTS
Generalizable findings
Particularistic findings
FORM OF THE
FINAL REPORT
Formal statistical report
Less formal narrative report
