1. Research Aim, Questions and Methodology
Taught by Dr. Sng Bee Bee • Singapore Bible College Files in many languages for free download at BibleStudyDownloads.org
Dr Sng Bee Bee
Research Aim, Questions and Methodology

2. Research Topic and Question
Three Kinds of Questions that Researchers ask:
Conceptual Questions:
What should we think?
2. Practical Questions: What should we do?
3. Applied Questions:
What must we understand before we know what to do?
4. Choosing the right kind of question.
Examine your own research aim, which of these categories does it fit into?

3. Conceptual Questions: What Should We Think?
I want to find out what Christians think about change.
I am working on the topic of how should we thinking about changes in church
Why? Because I want to know how people conceptualize change and evaluate the risk linked to making changes in church.
So what if you do? Once I do, we might better understand how emotional and rational factors interact to influence the way church members and leaders think about risk in making changes in church.

4. Practical Questions: What Should We Do?
I’m working on the topic of communicating changes in church effectively.
Why? Because I want to find out what psychological factors affect the way people assess how they’re affected by changes in church.
So what? So I can tell church leaders how they can communicate changes in church to members effectively.

5. Applied Questions: What Must We Understand before We Know What to Do?
I want to find out how church members’ concept of change affect the way they make changes in church.
Why? Then I can understand how members adapt to changes in church
So What? Then I can understand how to help members to implement these changes.

6. Formulating a Research Question
A research question should:
2. Be significant – e.g. there’s a problem that affects a group of people or big groups of people that you want to investigate. Your results should be of interest to people out there.

7. Formulating a Research Question
3. You should be able to obtain results from your research. This means that your topic cannot be so subjective that you’ll not be able to get substantial conclusions to your study. This is also known as ‘feasibility’.

8. You should be able to draw conclusions related to the problem
Research Questions
You should be able to draw conclusions related to the problem
You should be able to state the problem clearly and concisely
Exercise: Use the table in the Handbook to evaluate your research aim. Does your research aim fulfill these criteria?

9. Research Questions
Research question is concerned with seeking solutions or answers to questions
It should be of great interest to you
The problem should be significant
It should be delineated clearly
You should be able to obtain the information required

10. Qualitative Research Questions Shank, G. D
Qualitative Research Questions Shank, G.D. Shank (2006), Qualitative Research – A Personal Skills Approach. U.S.A: Pearson
Qualitative research questions lead us to search for deeper meaning

11. HOW TO DECIDE ON A RESEARCH TOPIC
Issue – Factors to be considered
Relevance – Does it really matter whether the research takes place?
Feasibility – Can it be done?
Coverage – Are the right things included?
Accuracy – Will the research produce true and honest findings?
Examine your own research topic and write brief notes on each of these criteria

12. HOW TO DECIDE ON A RESEARCH TOPIC?
Objectivity – What chance is there that the research will provide a fair and balanced picture?
Ethics – What about the rights and feelings of those affected by the research?

13. Developing a Research Strategy
Tapping into your own knowledge
Setting goals for sources
- Library and Internet sources
- Primary and Secondary sources
- Scholarly sources

14. Stages in your Research
Stage 1: Exploring belief systems;
Stage 2: Initiating the literature review process;
Stage 3: Selecting a topic;
Stage 4: Exploring the literature: Identifying themes;
Stage 5: Formulating a focus: Selecting/deselecting themes;

15. Stages in your research
(f) Stage 6: Analyzing/interpreting/integrating literature; (g) Stage 7: Closing the literature search: Reaching saturation; (h) Stage 8: Writing the review of literature; and (i) Stage 9: Evaluating the process and product (cf. Frels & Onwuegbuzie, 2010).

16. Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. ; Leech, Nancy L. ; Slate, John R
Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J. ; Leech, Nancy L. ; Slate, John R. ; Stark, Marcella ; Sharma, Bipin ; Frels, Rebecca ; Harris, Kristin ; Combs, Julie P.Qualitative Report, v17 n1 p16-77 Jan pp.

17. Hypothesis Shank, G.D. Shank (2006), Qualitative Research – A Personal Skills Approach. U.S.A: Pearson
In qualitative research, hypothesis is appropriate in leading us to expand our understanding of a particular subject
Example: if you are doing a research on how homeless mother educate their children, you may form the hypothesis that the education is informal, since homeless mothers do not have the resources to send their children to formal education

18. Hypothesis Shank, G.D. Shank (2006), Qualitative Research – A Personal Skills Approach. U.S.A: Pearson
As researchers, we have to keep an open mind and expand our thinking on our research topic as we carry out our research

19. Group Discussion Shank, G. D
Group Discussion Shank, G.D. Shank (2006), Qualitative Research – A Personal Skills Approach. U.S.A: Pearson
Individually:
Write the hypothesis for your research topic
Write brief notes on your research rationale
If you haven’t done so, generate a list of research questions or topics. Do not worry about whether they are good questions. Just brainstorm as many questions as you can.
In groups:
Share briefly:
Your research aim, rationale and hypothesis
Each group to volunteer one topic to share in class.

20. Process of Carrying Out A Study Step 1
Study: You decide on subject matter of study and how to carry it out.
Report: Aim or Objective of your study

21. Process of Carrying Out A Study Step 2
Research Study: You see your tutor about the experiment you want to do. He informs you about what has been done in the topic and give you a few references to read.
Report: Background of your study and gap in research

22. Process of Carrying Out A Study Step 3
Report: Literature Review
You read up on the topic and find out experts have to say about it. You can use internet sources, journals, books or database in the library. E.g. You check out on the references and find more on your own. You write down information you’ve read.

23. Process of Carrying Out A Study Step 4
Study: You decide on the procedure to carry out your study. You decide on the methods and procedures You carry out the study.
Report: Methodology

24. Process of Carrying Out A Study Step 5
Report: Results
Once you’ve carried out your study, you observe and record your results. You then decide how to present your results, e.g. in tables, graphs or diagrams.

25. Process of Carrying Out A Study Step 6
Study: You analyze and interpret your results. You review your aim again and evaluate what your results show you about your aim.
Report: Discussion – Interpretation of Results
Conclusions – Deductions of Results

26. OBJECTIVES
By the end of this course, you should be able to answer the following questions:
What is research?
What constitutes a research question?
What research methods and strategies are available?
How do I analyze and interpret my data?
How do I draw conclusions from my data?
How do I address the ethical issues surrounding my research?

27. Report Therefore, the Chapters in your report are:
Chapter 1 – Introduction
Chapter 2 – Literature Review
Chapter 3 – Research Methods
Chapter 4 – Results
Chapter 5 – Discussion and Conclusions

28. Planning Your Research
Plan a Schedule – refer to Handbook, p. 560.
Add the following parts after No. 10
______ 11. Plan methodology
______ 12. Collect data
______ 13. Compile data
______ 14. Analyse data
______ 15. Interpret and Draw Conclusions from
data

29. Keep a Research Journal Handbook, p. 559
Purpose: to keep track of your activities and ideas during research
Use a portable diary or notebook so that you can carry it around with you
Keep a record of: 1. sources you consult, 2. leads you want to pursue, deadends, new directions, the procedure by which you carry out your method/s, analyse data and draw conclusions.
Your journal is due in the last week of the course.

30. Assignment 1 – Group Assignment
Review your Research Proposal. Review
Your Research Topic
The background of your topic
Your Research Aim
Your Research Questions
A Brief Literature Review – 200 words
Brief Description of Research Methodology
Expected Findings

31. Nature of Theories and their relationship with Practice
Epistemology
Theoretical Perspectives
Methodology
Influences
Methods

32. Epistemology tries to understand what it means to know
It provides a philosophical background for deciding what kinds of knowledge are legitimate and adequate
Source: Gray, D.E. (2009), Doing Research in the Real World (2nd ed.). London: Sage

33. Ontology is the study of being, that is, the nature of existence.
Gray, D.E. (2009), Doing Research in the Real World (2nd ed.). London: Sage

34. Nature of Theories and their relationship with Practice
Epistemology
Theoretical Perspectives
Methodology
Influences
Methods
Objectivism
Constructivism
Subjectivism
Positivism
Interpretivism
Critical Inquiry
Feminism
Postmodernism
Gray, D.E. (2009), Doing Research in the Real World (2nd ed.). London: Sage

35. Objectivism and Positivism
Gray, D.E. (2009), Doing Research in the Real World (2nd ed.). London: Sage
Closely linked
Reality consists of what is available to the senses – what can be seen, touched, smelt etc.
Inquiry should be based upon scientific observation (i.e., on empirical inquiry).
The natural and human sciences share common logic and methodological principles, i.e. dealing with facts and not with values.
Reality exists independently of consciousness, i.e. there is an objective reality out there.
Research is about discovering this objective truth.

36. The case against positivism
Studies on Arts and Social Science, e.g. education, sociology etc. embody human values, not just objective facts.
People’s subjective views, experiences, values, beliefs and feelings are important in evaluating situations and problems which are being researched.
Decisions about education, social systems etc. which are implemented based on research results affect people. Therefore, the views of people are important considerations in the research.

37. Constructivism and Interpretivism
Closely linked

38. Constructivism Constructivism rejects Positivism
Gray, D.E. (2009), Doing Research in the Real World (2nd ed.). London: Sage
Meaning is constructed, not discovered.
People construct their own meanings in different ways, even in relation to the same phenomenon.
Constructivism rejects Positivism
Truths and meaning do not exist in external world, but are created by people’s interaction with the world.

39. Postmodernism can be said to be linked to subjectivism
Gray, D.E. (2009), Doing Research in the Real World (2nd ed.). London: Sage
In contrast to constructivism, for subjectivism, meaning does not emerge from interplay between the subject and outside world
Subjects do construct meaning, but do so from within collective unconsciousness, from dreams, religious beliefs etc.
Postmodernism can be said to be linked to subjectivism

40. Role of Epistemological Perspectives in Research Methodology
Helps clarify issues of research design
Kinds of evidence gathered
How it is interpreted
Which designs will work and which will not

41. Perspectives and Methodology
How would you view the following research questions if you were adopting a positivistic/objectivistic, constructivistic or subjectivistic perspectives?
Stresses experienced by pastors/missionaries etc.
Problems of the unemployed and responses of the gospel to this group of people
Attitudes of teenagers towards Christianity and other faiths
Influence of computer games on teenagers and how to influence teens in the cyberspace
Music preference of church-going christians in a particular community

42. Interpretivism Major anti-positivist position = interpretivism.
Gray, D.E. (2009), Doing Research in the Real World (2nd ed.). London: Sage
Major anti-positivist position = interpretivism.
Interpretivism - Culturally derived and historically situated interpretations of social world.
Interpretivism states that natural sciences is different from social science.
Social world – unique, individual and qualitative.
No direct, one-to-one relationship between ourselves and the world. The world is interpreted through the schemas of the mid.

43. Example of interpretivist approach:
Phenomenology

44. A Comparison of Positivist and Phenomenological Paradigm
Gray, D.E. (2009), Doing Research in the Real World (2nd ed.). London: Sage
Positivist Paradigm
Phenomenological Paradigm
Basic beliefs
The world is external and objective
The observer is independent
Science is value free
The world is socially constructed and subjective
The observer is a party to what is being observed
Science is driven by human interests
The researcher should
Focus on facts
Locate causality between variables
Formulate and test hypothesis
Focus on meanings
Try to understand what is happening
Construct theories and models from the data
Methods include
Operationalizing concepts so that they can be measured
Using large samples from which to generalize to the population
Quantitative methods
Using multiple methods to establish different views of a phenomenon
Using small samples researched in depth or over time
Qualitative methods

45. Which Research Methods?
Observation – specific factors are observed and recorded without the observer becoming involved
Examining Records – looks at information already collected in order to uncover new relationships or features. The information can take the form of historical descriptors, developmental patterns, or forecasting trends. Examples: census findings, police records, minutes of meetings, etc.

46. Which Research Methods?
Experiments – involve manipulating different factors, called variables, in order to see what happens. Usually involve at least two representative samples. The experiment is done to the first group called the “experimental group.” Nothing is done to the second group, the “control group.” The two groups are compared.

47. Matching Methods
What are the research methods that you are going to use to investigate your topic?
Will you use triangulation of methods in your examination of your topic?

48. Are the Samples Representative?
Population – group being studied in a piece of research
Sample – part of the population actually investigated
It is essential that the sample is representative, i.e. typical of the population as a whole
Practice: What constitutes the population of your research topic? What are your samples
types and size?

49. Checking Reliability and Validility
Reliability – whether or not the findings are constant and unchanging. That is the results are not dependent on which samples are chosen, who the researcher is, or how the research questions are interpreted. In summary, you can rely on the results to describe the population.

50. Checking Reliability and Validility
Validity – whether or not the results describe what they say they describe. In other words, do the methods used affect the results, and what populations can the results realistically be attributed to?
Practice: Analyze a research study, ‘Video Games’

51. Black

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