Building good theories, hypotheses, and research questions? Defining appropriate scope of a project H397: Research Practicum Course

Ask at your site: What are the plausible theories of change that are being investigated and/or tested at your site? Apply at your site: What are the theories of change that most interest you at your site? What are the world views and assumptions at your site? Reflections at your site: What are some of your preliminary hypotheses of change pertaining to your site’s outcomes of interest? What are your assumptions regarding what “modifiable?”

Building Authentic Partnerships Researchers as “experts” who diagnose and prescribe Data and findings guide new research questions Design Research Model – Co-construct scope of problems/outcomes – Co-construct the theoretical model – Co-Construct research questions, and the – mechanisms for collecting and sharing data, findings, and policy- solutions Research Alliance Model – Co-construct scope of problems/outcomes – Produce research on behalf of agency – Build research capacity in agency Coburn, Penuel, & Geil, 2013; Selman, 2007

Doing Prevention Research Never start a research study with “I am going to conduct a research study to show….” – You have lost your objectivity from the start. Develop a solid theory that accounts for assumptions, describes ideal data, and states what is considered evidence for and against. The Utility of a Theory is based on its ability to… – Describe – Explain – Optimize development

Building Good Theory Understanding Paradigms – Methods or ways of thinking that limit or constrain thinking – What are the paradigms in your area of research? Ontology – Do we see order to be described and predicted – Constant change that belies prediction Epistemology – Objective vs. subjective approaches – How does it drive our ideal data? – Where do you fall on the figure on page 19 of Method text?

Prevention & Intervention What is prevention/intervention? – Public Health & Community Psychology – Prevention: avoiding all or part of an etiological chain before it arises – Intervention: stopping, slowing, or reversing a process that is already underway What is prevention/intervention research? – Identifying links in the causal chain (etiology and process) – Developing a small theory or theory of change Intervention vs. Treatment

Levels of Intervention Categories of Prevention Primary/Universal Secondary/Selected Tertiary/ Indicated

Prevention Research Cycle Generative Research: Small Theory Design Program to change mediators Cost/Benefits Analysis Controlled Prevention Trial Dissemination To Public Field Prevention Trial

Generative Research Base rates, prevalence, and incidence Sources of the developmental outcome – Characteristics of Individual/family – Characteristics of the environment – Particular combinations of individual and environment Etiologies – Moderator or risk factors – Mediating processes Develop a “Small Theory” or “Theory of Change”

Develop a “Small Theory:” Advantages A limited number of important and modifiable processes Forces the investigator to specify central processes that underlie the developmental outcome Guides program design and evaluation – Offers guidelines for the design of the intervention – Guides the design of the efficacy trials With efficacy research, offers guidance for program redesign Empirical tests of the Small Theory adds to our understanding of basic developmental processes

Going from Idea to Research Definitions: – Concept, Construct, operational definition, variable Start with 2 or 3 Concepts: What are they? – Relate them in a theory – Represent them as constructs – What are operational definitions for your constructs? – Hypotheses – Identify Variables for each construct – Identify the Unit of Analysis – What are your hypotheses or research questions?

Begin to Build Your Theory What is the outcome or process of interest? What are the Constructs? What are the Propositions (pre hypotheses)? What is the logic for the propositions? Assumptions or Boundaries? What are the disciplines that inform my broad area of interest?

Due in 2 weeks Preliminary Research Project Idea 1-2 pages – Focus on an Outcome related to your site – What do you know about that outcome already Theories, prior research, prior experience Preliminary scope of etiologies and outcomes Oct 20: Primer in conducting a literature review: – Representative from Gutman’s Research Department coming to guide you in a literature review – Come ready to start a literature review

Ask, Apply, Reflect Ask at your site: What are the guiding theories for the entire project? How did the PIs decide on the scope of a single paper Apply at your site: Discuss and decide on a preliminary scope and size for your own research project. Reflections at your site: How might your preliminary project add to the ongoing research on the site? How is your preliminary project informed by your Research Identity Memo