MA and MSC: Research Design This workshop will:   help you begin to understand the basics of research approaches Offer hints and tips in getting to grips with quantitative and qualitative methods Discuss basic ethical considerations that may need to be taken into account Provide initial tips for those considering secondary, rather than primary, dissertations and projects Louise Livesey Academic Skills Adviser 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice Today’s plan The research design process Philosophies and theories Research approaches Research methods Sampling Bias Ethical considerations Secondary research Reflection All in one click 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

2.Philosophies and theories Ontology: Perception – shared or individual Epistemology: Knowing – told or experience Click for graphic 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 2.Philosophies and theories Positivism Interpretivism 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 2.Philosophies and theories qualitative methods: develop understandings of meanings, with ‘soft’ data quantitative methods: identify and make sense of patterns in ‘hard’ data 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 2.Philosophies and theories Click for each moves answers 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 2.Philosophies and theories Theory Theory 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 3.Research approaches Activity 1: Q v Q Quantitative Qualitative Advantages Disadvantages B,C,F,G,L D,K,M A,H,J E,I Click for table of answers 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Use of primary or/and secondary sources 4.Research methods Activity 2: Data collection methods Use of primary or/and secondary sources Quantitative methods Qualitative methods Primary Structured detached-observer non-participant involved observation Involved observer and participant observation (ethnography) Questionnaire: structured closed questions Questionnaire: less-structured open questions Experiment   Structured interview closed questions Less-structured interview open-questions Secondary Use of statistical data Focus group Use of reports Close measurement Click for table of answers 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 7.Ethical considerations Click for each individually 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 7.Ethical considerations Activity 3 Sampling: Directly accessed via teachers and through study skills (selected users or volunteers?) Ethics: Informed consent – no mention of this in the extract so do not know if information about the research was given to students. Also, no mention of participation briefing and consent forms being understood and completed. Anonymity – again, no discussion about the level of this especially as have used tutors and student support centre to find students. Confidentiality – do tutors and support staff have access as helped to source students, and as the results could be of interest to the former. Deception – n/a although not properly explaining what the research is about could be deemed so. Power and authority – we have no information on who the researcher is so we cannot access the relationship. Location is also undisclosed which can affect the power dynamic. Click for answer 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice 8.Secondary research 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice References Bailey, R. (2009) Undergraduate students perceptions of the role and utility of written assessment feedback. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. http://www.aldinhe.ac.uk/ojs/index.php?journal=jldhe&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=29&path%5B%5D=26 Accessed 9 January 2015.   California State University. (2014) Use of deception in research. Hayward: California State University. http://www20.csueastbay.edu/orsp/forms-policies-procedures/irb/deception.html Accessed 4 December 2014. Charlesworth, A. (2015) Doing research: planning, risk and reflection. Bristol: University of Bristol. https://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/Teaching/learning/how-to-lectures/planning-risk-reflection.pdf Accessed 7 January 2015. Cohen, L., Manion, L., and Morrison, K. (2010) Research methods in education. 6th ed. Abingdon: Routledge. Cousin, G. (2009) Researching learning in Higher Education. Abingdon: Routledge. 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice References Dixon, N. and Pearce, M. (2010) Guide to ensuring data quality in clinical audits. London: Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership. http://www.hqip.org.uk/assets/LQIT-uploads/Guide-to-ensuring-data-quality-in-clinical-audits-8-Sep-10.pdf Accessed 7 January 2015.   Eve, J. (2008) Writing a research proposal: planning and communicating your research ideas effectively. Brighton: University of Brighton. http://about.brighton.ac.uk/ask/files/6813/7206/9880/Writing_a_Research_Proposal.pdf Accessed 7 January 2015. Faben, R and Beauchamp, T. (1986) A history and theory of informed consent. New York: OUP. Fleddermann, C. (1999) Engineering ethics. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. Information Commissioner’s Office. (2014) Data protection principals. Wilmslow: Information Commissioner’s Office. https://ico.org.uk/for_organisations/data_protection/the_guide/the_principles Accessed 4 December 2014. Learning Development. (2010). Reflection. Plymouth: Plymouth University. http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/uploads/production/document/path/1/1717/Reflection.pdf Accessed 7 January 2015. 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice References Pannucci, C. and Wilkins, E. (2010) Identifying and avoiding bias in research. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 126 (2) 619-625. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2917255/ Accessed 7 January 2015. Punch, K. (2010) Developing effective research proposals. 2nd ed. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Research Development Initiative. (2014) Anonymity and confidentiality. Lancaster: Lancaster University. http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/researchethics/1-2-anonconf.html Accessed 4 December 2014. Shuttleworth, M. (2014). Research bias. : Explorable.com. https://explorable.com/research-bias Accessed 7 January 2015. Thomas, G. (2013) How to do Your research project. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Thomas, S. (2015) Deception: definition, meaning and quiz. Mountain View: Education Portal. http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/deception-definition-meaning-quiz.html#lesson Accessed 21 January 2015. 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice

Academic Skills Advice Service Location: via B0.23, Chesham Building Email: academic-skills@brad.ac.uk Website: www.brad.ac.uk/academic-skills Phone: 01274 236849 This is a link to Academic Skills’ induction film. Check if they’ve seen it and if not, show it. If have, get an open discussion about anything going. http://www.brad.ac.uk/academic-skills/induction/

Academic Skills Advice Any questions? Developed by Louise Livesey January 2016 9/21/2018 Academic Skills Advice