Practical Research by Leedy and Ormrod 10th Edition Charles C. Tappert Seidenberg School of CSIS, Pace University

Chapter 1 – Research is Not Merely gathering information Merely looking for hard-to-locate information Merely transporting facts from one location to another

Chapter 1 Research Has 8 Characteristics Research originates with a question or problem Research requires clear articulation of a goal Research usually divides the principal problem into more manageable subproblems Research is guided by the specific research problem, question, or hypothesis Research requires a specific plan for proceeding Research rests on certain critical assumptions Research requires the collection and interpretation of data in an attempt to resolve the research problem Research in, by its nature, cyclical or, more exactly, helical

Chapter 1 – Research Cycle

Chapter 1 – Six General Tools The library and its resources Computer technology Measurement Statistics Language The human mind

Chapter 2 Finding the Research Problem Look around you Read the literature Seek the advice of experts Attend professional conferences Choose a topic that intrigues and motivates you Choose a topic that others will find interesting and worthy of attention

Chapter 2 Stating the Research Problem State the problem clearly and completely Think through the feasibility of the work the problem implies Say precisely what you mean State the problem in a way that reflects an open mind about its solution Edit your work

Chapter 2 Every problem needs further delineation Dividing the research problem into subproblems Stating the hypotheses and/or research questions Identifying the variables under investigation Independent variable -> dependent variable Delimiting the research Defining terms Stating the assumptions Importance of the study (so what?)

Chapter 3 Review the Related Literature Role of literature review Understand the field and what is known Put your problem into context Strategies for locating related literature Library and reference librarians (Michelle Lang) Indexes and abstracts Online databases Conference proceedings Know when to end the literature review When you no longer encounter new viewpoints

Chapter 4 Planning Your Research Work

Chapter 4 Relation between Data and Truth

Chapter 4 Quantitative vs Qualitative Research Characteristics of quantitative and qualitative research

Chapter 4 Quantitative vs Qualitative Research Choose quantitative or qualitative research

Chapter 5 Writing the Research Proposal The problem and its setting Problem statement, hypotheses, delimitations, definitions, assumptions, importance of study Review of Related Literature The data and the treatment of the data Data needed and means of obtaining the data The research methodology Outline of the proposed study Steps to be taken, timeline, etc.

Chapter 6 Qualitative Research Case study Analysis of an event or programs Phenomenological study – perceptions Interviews, surveys Grounded theory Begin with data and develop a theory Content analysis Examine a body of material to identify patterns, themes, etc.

Chapter 6 Qualitative Research

Chapter 7 Historical Research Examine a sequence of events and develop a rational explanation for the sequence, possible cause and effect relationships, etc. Examples Moore’s Law by Gordon Moore Kurzweil’s Law of Accelerating Returns by Ray Kurzweil The Dot-Com Bubble Reconsidered by Lee Gomes Cooperation from a Game Theory Perspective by Dietrich Fischer Online Handwriting Recognition Interfaces by Charles Tappert The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Chapter 8 Descriptive Quantitative Research Involves describing the situation as it is Descriptive research designs Observation studies Correlational research Survey research

Chapter 9 Experimental Quantitative Research Look for cause-and-effect relationships Independent and dependent variables Dr. Mary Villani (DPS 2006) - keystroke biometric study

Chapter 10 Mixed-Methods Research Both qualitative and quantitative dimensions Usually require more time and energy than a strictly qualitative or quantitative study

Chapter 11 Analyzing Quantitative Data Exploring and organizing the data Visual representations – graphs, charts, etc. Spreadsheets Choosing appropriate statistics Descriptive statistics Nominal (non-numeric), ordinal (numeric), interval (equal units) , and ratio (true zero) data Normal and non-normal distributions Parametric (e.g., means, std) and non-parametric statistics Inferential statistics E.g., use small sample to estimate the characteristics of a population

Chapter 12 Writing the Dissertation Description of the research problem Stating the hypotheses and/or research questions Delimitations, definitions, assumptions Importance of the study (so what?) Description of the method Presentation of the data Interpretation of the data Conclusions

Chapter 12 Writing the Dissertation