W2 Flashcards
Descriptive rq
describes a certain phenomenon or differences
who, what, which, when, how, what is the difference, how often, etc.
e.g. What percentage of the population voted for the Democratic Party
In which part of the empirical cycle is the scientific, societal relevance and rq found?
Induction
Explanatory rq
explain why a phenomenon occurs
why, how is that, what is the reason, etc.
e.g. Why did people vote for the Democratic Party
or mutual or causal relationship
Predictive rq
predictions about future phenomenons
which, what leads to, what happens if, etc.
e.g. Which political party will readers of sensational newspaper vote for?
or mutual or causal relationship
Research objective
describes the goal of the research
fully reflects what you want to achieve
achievable by scientific method
fits rq
Scientific relevance
1) short overview of scientific knowledge on the topic (what we know)
2) explain the gap of knowledge missing
3) why is it important to close the gap
4) wrap up of what your research gives to the literature
Societal relevance
Hypotheses
Reasoning to fill the gap
1) adding nuance
adding a moderator and explaining how your study interacts with it subtly
2) explaining an underlying process
attempts to provide explanation for the interaction between your variables
3) expanding earlier findings to a different context
study is repeated in a completely different context to see if findings are applicable to other situations
One tailed h
specific explanation about the direction of relationship between variables
Two tailed h
non specific explanation about the direction of relationship between variables
Symmetrical relationship
both variables affect each other and vice versa
Asymmetrical relationship
cause-effect
Positive relationship
as x increases y increases
Negative relationship
as x increases y decreases
Mediated relationship
explains why a direct relationship exists
mediator depends on iv
dv depends on both mediator and iv
e.g. …“this is explained by”…
Moderated relationship
under what conditions a direct relationship exists
e.g. …“this is different for xxx”…
Causal or mutual
mutual relationship <-> it isn’t clear which variable has an effect on the other
causal relationship –> it is clear which has an effect on the other (cause and effect)
Applied research
directly aim at solving a problem
applies knowledge in order to improve human condition
Fundamental research
aims to obtain knowledge just for the sake of knowing and having a better understanding of the world
Criteria for good hypothesis
1) empirically testable
2) falsifiable
3) transparent
4) informative
5) objective
