1. Constructing hypotheses & research design

2. The definition of a hypothesis
A tentative proposition.
Its validity is unknown.
It specifies a relationship between two or more variables.
An answer to a research question.
It is not obligatory to have a hypothesis in a research but it is recommended.

3. Why it is needed? To bring direction, specificity &
focus to a research study.
To have something to test. The hypothesis can be proved to be:
right,
partly right,
wrong (false).

4. Functions of a hypothesis
Providing focus
What data to collect and what data not to collect
Enhancing objectivity
Making conclusions easier

5. Types of hypothesis Research hypothesis Alternate hypothesis
Hypothesis of difference
Hypothesis of point-prevalence
Hypothesis of association
Alternate hypothesis
Null hypothesis (H0)

6. Type I and type II errors in testing
Type I error: rejecting a hypothesis that is true
Type II error: accepting a false hypothesis

7. Research design
The general plan of how you will go about answering your research questions:
Clear objectives derived from RQs
Identified data sources
Data collection plan
Data analysis plan
Ethical issues
Constraints

8. Research design Plan + Structure + Strategy of investigation to
obtain answers to research questions or problems.
How the full research is to be completed? (operationalizing the variables, selecting the sample, data collection etc.)

9. Functions of research design
Conceptualise an operational plan to undertake the various procedures and tasks
Ensure that the procedures will obtain valid, objective and accurate answers to teh research question.

10. Elements of designing a research
Methodological choice:
Mono or multiple method
quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods
Recognising the purpose of design
Exploratory (what is happening, gaining insight)
Descriptive (accurate profile of sg)
Explanatory (causality)
Evaluate (how well sg works)
Combined

11. Elements of designing a research
Choosing a research strategy:
Experiment
Survey
Archival and documentary research
Case study (!)
Action research (emergent and iterative; solutions to real problems; participative&collaborative; mixed knowledge)
Grounded theory (reality is socially constructed; developing explanations to social interactions; inductive/abductive)

12. Elements of designing a research
Choosing a time horizon:
Cross sectional
Longitudinal
Establishing the ethics of the research
Establishing the quality of the research
Reliability
Validity
Researcher’s role: external, internal

13. Mixed methods designs Concurrent Sequential:
Exploratory: (1) qualitative (2) quantitative
Explanatory: (1) quantitative (2) qualitative
Multi-phase: (1) qualitative (2) quantitative (3) qualitative

14. Threats to reliability
Participant error: factors adversely altering the praticipants’ performance
Participant bias: inducing false response
Researcher error: factors altering the researchers’ interpretation
Researcher bias: false recording (eg. subjectivity)

15. Threats to validity
Past or recent events changing participants’ perception
Impact of testing (being tested)
Instrumentation: change in the research instruments (e.g. definitions) during the research
Participants’ withdrawal
Maturation: change in the participants
Ambiguity of causal direction

16. Translating research questions into data
Problem
Concepts
Research question(s), aims, hypotheses
Variables:
Dependent
Independent
Mediating: in-between, explains the relationship
Moderator: affects the relationship
Control: need to be constant
Confounding: difficult to measure, need to be considered
Planned analyzing method: level of measurement
Items in the questionnaire: understandable, fool-proof, cost-efficient
Recorded data: from the questionnaire, from other data source (eg. notes, registers, background knowledge etc.), computed variables