Unit 3 Flashcards
Research design - an overview
what should the researcher carefully consider before conducting research?
the most effective approach to answer the research questions, achieve their objectives and test their hypothesis
What do Objectives help us with?
- help to stay focused and steer researching required direction
- define and limit scope of research (to manage resource and time)
What are Types of research objectives?
General: state what the research expects to achieve overall (main goal)
Specific: break this down into smaller, logically connected parts
What is an example for the general objective?
determine how work environment affects performance
What is an example for the specific objective?
Determine wether sunlight improves performance, and measures how performance changes
What is a research design?
the overall strategy that you choose to integrate the different components of the study in a coherent and logical way
What are the 2 main types of research designs?
Qualitative and Quantitative
What does Quantitative research focus on?
measuring and analyzing numerical data
-> aims to identify patterns, make predictions and test hypotheses
What does Qualitative research focuses on?
exploring and understanding people’s experiences, thoughts and behaviors
Which kind of research is this?
Developing a questionnaire that you would ask a sample of teenagers to complete. You could ask about the number of hours they work, the type of work they do, their levels of stress, their school grades, and their relationships with family and friends.
Quantitative Research
What kind of research is this?
Series of focus groups in which you gather together groups of 8 to 10 teenagers and engage them in a discussion about their perceptions and experiences with the world of work
Qualitative research
What is the objective of quantitative research?
quantify data and generalize findings from a sample to gain insights into the broader population of interest
What is the objective of qualiitative research?
Understanding underlying reasons or motivations
How is the Sample in Quantitative research?
large and broad, statistically projectable (ability to use data from a sample to make inferences or predictions about larger population)
How is the Sample in Qualitative research?
small and narrow, not statistically projectable
How is data collected in quantitative research?
standardized instruments, operation of variables
How is data collected in qualitative research?
adapted to the situation, variables not defined in advance
What can quantitative research methods be applied to?
descriptive, correlational or experimental studies
What is the aim of descriptive research?
to provide a comprehensive summary of the study variables
What is the focus of correlational research?
on exploring the relationships between the study variables
What is the aim in experimental research?
to systematically investigate wether a cause-and-effect relationship exists between the variables
What is an Experiment?
a type of study designed specifically to answer the question of whether there is a causal relationship between two variables
What are the 2 fundamental features of an experiment?
manipulate the independent variable
minimize the variability in variables other than independent and dependent variable
-> extraneous or external variables
What is an Extraneous variable?
the factors being held constant