The Scientific Process

Top Reasons for Research Methods  Develop a critical thought process  Develop research skills  Distinguish fact from non-factual evidence  Develop an understanding for research reports  Develop an understanding for the process of research

Distinguishing Between Fact and Fiction bParity Claims -- The careful wording of a statement that gives the impression that one item is better than the other. These don’t always mean that one item is statistically better than the other.

Processing Report Information bResearch methods helps students understand the data that a report or advertisement is claiming bThree Types of Information Parity Claims Testimonials Statistical Information

Research and Knowledge bResearch gathers the information necessary to answer questions and make decisions bThe processes of gaining knowledge Ask questions Make initial observations Conduct systematic investigations Analyze the information gathered Interpret the findings Integrate the findings with previous knowledge

Theories bTheories are statements that explain a set of facts bTheories are strengthened by corroborating evidence collected from research bReview the theories on pages bA theory’s merit can be evaluated by: The precision of the theories description The simplicity of the conditions needed to meet the theory The testability of the theory through empirical research

Hypotheses and Knowledge bA hypothesis is the prediction statement in research related to a theory bThey determine the nature of the research to be conducted bThey state the expected outcomes of the research

Types of Research bDescriptive research Research that explains an occurrence without stating cause or prediction bPredictive research Research that shows relationships between variables and what will likely happen bControl related research The natural step after predictive research that shows how outcomes can change by controlling variables bExplanative Research Research that explains WHY the outcomes occur

The Use of Reason for Answers bInductive Reasoning Observations from specific research that can be generalized to a larger factors Progress from the specific to the general bDeductive Reasoning Observations from a general factors that can explain specific factors Progress from the general to the specific

The Types Research bBasic Research bApplied Research bQualitative Research bQuantitative Research bDescriptive Research bExperimental Research bLongitudinal Research bCross-sectional Research

The Nature of the Research bIntroduction bReview of Literature bTrends in the Literature bDetermine Weak Areas in the Literature bSpecial Problems bSpecial Populations

Choosing & Defining the Problem bInteresting to YOU bEnhancement of Previous Research bNew Technologies bAreas of Weakness in Current Research bCurrent Trends bRecent Discoveries

Review of the Literature bIntroduction Describing Each Area of the Literature Pertinent to Your Research bSubsections of Each Area Summary of Each Article Pertinent to the Area Final Summary of the Overall Findings from the Articles bSummary that Links All Articles to the Introduction and Your Research

Research Design bTime Frame bExperimental Research bDescriptive Research bHistorical Research bQualitative Research

Writing the Proposal bIntroduction Statement of the Problem Purpose of the Study Need for the Study Limitations Strong Points Assumptions Hypothesis Definitions

Writing the Research Proposal bChoosing & Defining the Problem bThe Nature of the Research b Research Design bDefining the Subjects bData Collection Methods bData Analysis

Defining the Subjects bGender bAge bRace bSpecial Population

Data Collection Methods bSurvey bCohort Data bCross Sectional Data bCase Study bObservational bPreviously Collected Data

Data Analysis bLevel of Significance bDescriptive (Means & SD) bCorrelation Analysis bANOVA bMANOVA bRegression bCategorical Modeling

Experimental Procedures bGeneral Description of Procedures bSubjects bSpecific Measurement Techniques bInstrumentation bData Analysis Procedures

One Example of the Finished Proposal

Second Example of the Finished Proposal

Disseminating Knowledge bOnce data is collected, the findings must be distributed so that others can benefit from its knowledge bThree ways to disseminate research findings Presentations Poster Presentations Written Reports

Presentations bPresentation of findings to groups or organizations in a slide format bThe research can receive feedback from peers prior to publishing the results bCurrent research and recent research can be presented in this manor

Poster Presentations bA brief written account of the research in a poster format bUsually presented in a forum with other researchers bAllows for personal feedback and questions from peers

Written Reports bThe permanent record of the research bThe research and results are described in detail bPublications can be accessed by the general public

The Format of For Presenting Research bAbstract A brief one page description of the research and the findings bIntroduction and Literature review The lead in or “hook” that explains the previous research and the current hypothesis and research question bMethods and Procedures A cookbook description of how the research was conducted bResults The data analyses and findings bDiscussion and Conclusions Relating the results to the hypotheses and research question