What Is Research? Flashcards
Research is
- Systematic way of thinking and knowing and has a distinct vocabulary
- uses orderly scientific methods (multiple) to answer questions or solve problems
Examining human behavior, human experience & human environments in which though and action processes of researcher are
Clearly specified so that they are logical, understandable, confirmable and useful
Importance of research
- helps provide answers about daily practice (validates)
- develops body of knowledge fundamental to practice
- develops and tests theories that form basis for practice
- generates relevant theory and knowledge about human experience and behavior
- knowledge obtained is critical in guiding legislators and regulatory bodies about best policies and procedures
- contributes to evolution of research methods as they answer better questions
- helps us become more critical consumers
Scientific researcher endeavors to
Understand, explain, predict or control phenomena
Go about task in a
Orderly and systematic fashion
Scientific method involves
Formal application of systematic, logical procedures that guide investigation of phenomena of interest
Sources of human knowledge
- tradition
- authority
- experience
- logical reasoning
Tradition
Knowledge passed down
Authority
Certain title or position that have a source of knowledge
Experience
Your own experience
Logical reasoning
(Verbal reasoning) Ability of candidate to understand and logically work through concepts and problems expressed in words
Logical reasoning consists of
- inductive reasoning
- deductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning
Specific observations and collectively coming up with an explanation
Small information to one general rule
Deductive reasoning
Taking general principle and applying it to different situations
Expect it to work
Characteristics of scientific approach
- order
- empirical evidence
- generalization
Empirical evidence
Something that’s tangible, you can observe objectively, have actual data, and physical behavior
Generalization
Take whatever found and generalize it
Apply it to other groups
Assumptions of scientific approach
- nature of reality
- determinism
Nature of reality
What you see is real
Everything is objective
Determinism
Always assuming anything that see or do has a cause and effect
Purposes of scientific research
- description
- exploration
- explanation
- prediction and control
description
- describe the world
- what is going on around you
- what are you observing?
exploration
how things are working?
explanation
why things are working?
basic
increasing human knowledge
applied
middle of continuum both OT and occupation based practice
transformative research
- as you gather/learn and apply
- that will change the world
general limitations
…
moral or ethical issues
times where we cannot experiment on people because of moral or ethical issues
human complexity
how we do it
how we choose to do it is different
measurement problem
different things happening in each persons lives
difficult to measure
control problems
can’t control problems
