Procedures and Instrumentation, APA MED 6000 Session 4

Research Designs Does the design enable the researchers to answer the research question?

Types of Research Designs Quantitative: Explore relationships between variables Experimental: Active independent variable Individual Differences: Attribute independent variable Qualitative: Descriptive

Types of Research Designs: Experimental Experimental Designs Purpose: to determine causes Randomized Classic experimental designs Between subjects Within subjects Matched pairs Others . . . Quasi-experimental Designs Purpose: to examine causality Nonequivalent control group One group posttest only Posttest only with nonequivalent comparison group One group pre/posttest Two group pre/posttest with untreated control group Repeated treatment Solomon Four

Types of Research Designs: Individual Differences Comparative Purpose: to compare groups Existing groups Differences on some measure that exists within the group Associational Purpose: to find associations and make predictions Correlations (relationships) between two variables for the same person or group

Qualitative Research Designs Describe and illuminate Case study Participant observation Sociometry and network analysis Ethnography Focus groups Content analysis Narrative analysis

Do the procedures, including tools used to gather information, appear appropriate and sufficient to address the research questions? Are the procedures described in sufficient detail to allow you to make an informed judgment about their appropriateness? Are the procedures relevant for the research questions identified by the researchers? Are the instruments used in the study clearly identified? Do the identified instruments appear appropriate and sufficient to define and describe the variables investigated in the study?

Sufficient Information? Is enough information given that you could replicate the study?

Procedures Appropriate for the Question? Is the research qualitative or quantitative? Qualitative Natural settings Descriptive data Focus on process Inductive logic – specific to general Search for meaning Quantitative Describe current status Identify relationships Compare outcomes

Variables Dependent variable Independent variable Criterion variable Outcome variable The one that changes in response to changes in the independent variable y variable or vertical axis Independent variable Experimental variable Treatment variable Varying levels of this variable could lead to changes in the dependent variable x variable or horizontal axis Extraneous variables – other factors that could influence the dependent variable

Instruments Measurement: The assigning of numbers to a result “If anything exists, it exists in some amount. If it exists in some amount, it can be measured” Thorndike, 1914 Measurement: The assigning of numbers to a result

Instruments Reliability Validity Consistency – does the instrument produce consistent results? Internal consistency – consistent with a different form or part of the test. Validity Relevance – does the instrument measure what it purports to measure? Content validity– experts assess content of test

Qualitative Instruments Is there enough information to make a valid judgment? Observer bias: tendency to see what we expect to see Observer effect: the extent to which being observed changes the nature of what is observed Triangulation: corroborate findings with other data sources

Evaluate Procedures and Instrumentation In your groups of two or three, evaluate the procedures and instrumentation of two research reports using the template on pg. 95 Discuss Article #2

New Topic: Six Trait Writing IDEAS Ideas are what the writer has to say, a message. The paper should be interesting and hold the reader's attention all the way through. The paper should contain supporting details that enrich the main idea. The main ideas should stand out from the supporting details. The writer should show how people respond to life and to each other

Six Trait Writing WORD CHOICE CONVENTIONS Word Choice is where the writer creates a mental picture for the reader by using words that are specific and accurate. The writer uses active verbs whenever possible to give the writing energy. The adjectives are as descriptive as possible. CONVENTIONS Writing Conventions include spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and paragraphing. The writer should use conventions to enhance the readability of the paper. Paragraphing should reinforce organization.

Six Trait Writing VOICE SENTENCE FLUENCY Voice is the personality of the writer coming through on the page. In academic writing, the voice is more formal. SENTENCE FLUENCY There are many possible ways to write any sentence correctly, but usually, of those correct versions, one or two will sound better than others. A writer who can pick out those versions and can use them frequently will have a strong sense of sentence fluency. It means using long sentences when they would be best and short sentences when they would suit better. Good sentence fluency stands out when a piece of writing is read aloud.

Six Trait Writing ORGANIZATION http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/LindaJancola/6Trait/6-trait.html ORGANIZATION Organization is the structure of the paper. The order should be logical and effective so that the reader hardly thinks about it. The information should be delivered at just the right moment. There should be an inviting lead that "hooks" the reader. The body should build to an important point by using supporting details that fit where they are placed. The conclusion should tie everything together. The ideas should be linked together with smooth transitions.

APA Quotations 6.03 (p. 170) Material directly quoted should be reproduced word for word Shorter quotations (fewer than 40 words) should be incorporated into text using quotation marks. Quotations of 40 words or more should be in a freestanding (1/2 in. indent) block without quotation marks. Always provide author, year, and page number (paragraph number for web documents)

More Quotations Use double quotation marks to enclose quotations in text. Use single quotation marks within double quotation marks to set off material that in the original source was enclosed in double quotation marks. Use three ellipses ( . . . ) to indicate omitted material. Use four ellipses if material omitted is between two sentences -- the first ellipse is actually a period.

Punctuation Around Quotations Midsentence: end quotation, put citation in ( ), use only necessary punctuation. End of sentence: end quotation, put citation in ( ), end with a period outside parentheses. End of a block quote: cite the quoted source in parentheses after the final punctuation mark.

APA Citations (p. 171) Direct quotes Paraphrasing Research (author, year) has indicated that “each student . . .” (p. x). Smith (year) stated “each student . . .” (p. x). Sources without page numbers should indicate the paragraph number or section name and paragraph number. Ex: (Discussion section, para. 2) Paraphrasing Research (author, year) has indicated that students . . . Smith (year) found that students . . .

APA Citations Works by multiple authors When a work has 3-5 authors, cite all authors the first time the reference occurs; in subsequent citations, inlcude only the surname of the first author followed by et al. and the year. When a work has six or more authors, cite only the surname of the first author followed by et al. for all citations. Omit the year from subsequent citations after the first nonparenthetical citation with a paragraph.

Reference List p. 180 List of sources that were referred to in the paper. Each source mentioned in the paper must be in the reference list and each entry in the reference list must be referred to in the paper. Different from a bibliography which might include background reading that was not specifically referred to in the paper.

Reference List Alphabetical order by first author’s last name Older works by the same author go before later works. If you have cited two works by the same author in the same year, alphabetize by the article name and then designate the first article cited as a and the second article as b. Example: Smith, J. A. (2005a) Use a hanging indent – first line of each reference is at left margin, all other lines indented ½ inch. Capitalize only the first word of an article or book title and subtitle Give journal titles in Upper and lowercase with italics Double space everything!

Basic Elements of a Reference Journals Author, A. A., Author, B. , & Author, C. C. (year). Title of article: Subtitle if needed. Title of Journal, 81 (2), 35-48. Author, A. A. (year). Title of article: Subtitle if needed. Title of Journal, 81 (2), 35-48. doi: 83.8482/983-78.2017 Author, A. A., Author, B. , & Author, C. C. (year). Title of article: Subtitle if needed. Title of Journal, 81 (2), 35-48. Retrieved from http://ojs.lib.wein.edu.au/index/journal

Basic Elements of a Reference Book Author, A. A. (year). Title of book. Location: Publisher. Book chapter Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year). Title of chapter of book. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. 35-38). Location: Publisher Reference Round-about

References Resources http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ http://citationmachine.net/

APA Practice APA 2

Next Session Next session: October 20 Article critique 3 due – pick your own article Read Chapter 5 Print and begin working on APA 3