1. A POWER POINT PRESENTATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, GRADE 12 AT
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A POWER POINT PRESENTATION
FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, GRADE 12 AT
ALLIANCE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL
MICHAEL JAMES PARMER, Ed.D,
March 30, 2017

2. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
I WILL UNDERSTAND THE METHODOLOGY & ETHICS OF RESEARCH
I WILL BE ABLE TO EMPLOY THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD TO DEVISE A METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH TO RESOLVE RESEARCH QUESTIONS IN A SCIENTIFIC WAY.

3. REJECT/REFINE HYPOTHESIS MEASURABLE PREDICTIONS
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY IN SCIENCE & IN SOCIAL SCIENCE
FOLLOWS ARISTOTELIAN LOGIC & THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
OBSERVATION
FORMULATE THEORY
INQUIRY
REJECT/REFINE HYPOTHESIS
HYPOTHESIS
EXPERIMENT
MEASURABLE PREDICTIONS

4. CONCLUSIONS/ ANSWER RQ’S
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY – STEP BY STEP
PROBLEM STATEMENT
RESEARCH QUESTIONS AS NULL HYPOTHESES
CONCLUSIONS/ ANSWER RQ’S
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
DATA GATHERING
RESEARCH METHOD

5. PROBLEM STATEMENT
THERE IS AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF CARBON BEING RELEASED INTO GROUND WATER
AREAS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED INCREASED CARBON RELEASE HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED A RISE IN CASES OF CANCER IN THE HUMAN POPULATION
THERE MAY OR MAY NOT BE A CORRELATION
THERE IS A NEED FOR A STUDY

6. (ALWAYS EXPRESSED IN THE NEGATIVE)
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
(ALWAYS EXPRESSED IN THE NEGATIVE)
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF CANCER CASES IN AREAS THAT HAVE HIGH CARBON RELEASE COMPARED TO AREAS THAT HAVE LOW OR NO CARBON RELEASE

7. REVIEW OF LITERATURE THIS IS A REVIEW OF RESEARCH
WHAT HAVE PREVIOUS STUDIES DISCOVERED?
WHICH RESEARCH IS VALID? WHY?
WHICH RESEARCH IS INVALID? WHY NOT?
WHY DO YOU NEED TO PROCEED WITH YOUR STUDY? EXPERIMENT?

8. RESEARCH METHOD
HOW WILL YOU GATHER DATA TO ANSWER YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION?
WILL YOU DO A CASE STUDY (ANECDOTAL)?
WILL YOU COMPARE DATA?
WILL YOU USE AN EXPERIMENTAL METHOD WITH A CONTROL GROUP AND AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP?
WHICH STASTICAL METHODS WILL YOU USE? CHI SQUARE, ANOVA, PERCENTAGES? CHI RHO?

9. DATA GATHERING
HOW WILL YOU GATHER YOUR DATA?
WILL YOU ADMINISTER A SURVEY, CASE STUDY, AN EXPERIMENT?
THE LIST GOES ON……………YOUR DATA GATHERING MUST BE ALIGNED WITH YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION

10. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
WHICH STASTICAL PROCEDURES WILL YOU USE TO ANALYZE THE DATA GATHERED?
THIS MUST COORDINATE PERFECTLY WITH YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION.

11. CONCLUSION
CAN YOU ANSWER YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION?
IF NOT, WHY NOT?
EXPLAIN YOUR STATISTICAL FINDINGS
DRAW A CONCLUSION THAT SATISFIES YOUR PROBLEM STATEMENT & RESEARCH QUESTION
IT’S OKAY TO FAIL TO ANSWER THE RESEARCH QUESTION

12. CONCLUSION
WHAT NEXT?
MORE RESEARCH?
WHAT ARE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS?
WHAT ANCILLARY DATA DID YOU FIND THAT MAY HELP FUTURE RESEARCHERS?

13. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF CANCER CASES IN AREAS THAT HAVE HIGH CARBON RELEASE COMPARED TO AREAS THAT HAVE LOW OR NO CARBON RELEASE
WHICH METHODOLOGY WILL BEST ANSWER THIS QUESTION?
YOU CHOOSE: EXPERIMENT? CASE STUDY? INFERENTIAL STATISTICAL STUDY?

14. EXPERIMENTAL:
WHAT ARE YOUR VARIABLES?
DEPENDENT VARIABLE? – IT CHANGES GIVEN INVERVENTION OF
ANOTHER VARIABLE
# OF CASES OF CANCER IS DEPENDENT VARIABLE
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE? – INTERVENES TO CHANGE NORM
PRESENCE OF CARBON IN DRINKING WATER

15. ARRANGE TWO GROUPS:
CONTROL GROUP – NO INTERVENTION – STATUS QUO
EXPERIMENTAL GROUP – INTERVENTION – CHANGED STATUS

16. RESEARCH ETHICS
NO HARM MUST COME TO ANY GROUP
ALL DATA IS OPENLY AVAILABLE FOR SCRUTINY
POPULATION MUST BE REPRESENTATIVE
STATS METHODS MUST BE RELIABLE & VALID
FINDINGS MUST BE GENERALIZABLE

17. CONTROL GROUP: THAT SAMPLE OF POPULATION THAT
EXPERIENCES NO INTERVENTION
(NOT EXPOSED TO CARBON IN AIR
WATER OR SOIL)
EXPERIMENTAL
GROUP: THAT SAMPLE OF THE POPULATION
EXPOSED TO INTERVENTION
(EXPOSED TO CARBON IN AIR,
EXPOSURE MUST BE ACCIDENTAL – RESEARCHERS DO NOT CREATE EXPOSURE

18. GATHERING THE DATA:
MEDICAL EXAMS
KINDS OF CANCER FOUND
TREATMENTS FOR CANCER UNDERGONE
MORTALITY DUE TO CANCER
RUN A STATISTICAL PROCDURE DESIGNED TO SHOW A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE – ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA)
F = NUMERICAL VALUE ABOVE WHICH THERE IS SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE; BELOW WHICH NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE

19. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
LOW F VALUE – ACCEPT THE NULL HYPOTHESIS –
“ THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE…….”
HIGH F VALUE – REJECT THE NULL HYPOTHESIS –
“THE IS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE…..”

20. CONCLUSION:
WHERE DOES YOUR STUDY LEAD YOU?
RECOMMENDATIONS
ACTION PLAN
FUTURE STUDY
INDICATIONS FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT

21. LAWSUITS!
CALL ERIN BROCKOVICH

22. SENIOR RESEARCH PROJECT
CHOOSE A PROBLEM THAT YOU HAVE OBSERVED OR READ ABOUT IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
USING THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY YOU HAVE JUST LEARNED ORGANIZE A RESEARCH PROJECT TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM
YOU WILL WRITE A: PROBLEM STATEMENT (CHAPT 1)
REVIEW OF LITERATURE (CHAPT 2)
METHODOLOGY (CHAPT 3)

23. BE CREATIVE AND SCIENTIFIC
REMEMBER THE PROBLEM STATEMENT MUST STATE THE PROBLEM CLEARLY & IT MUST BE ‘RESEARCHABLE’
YOUR PROBLEM STATEMENT MUST INCLUDE RESEARCH QUESTIONS THAT YOUR STUDY WILL ANSWER. THEY MUST BE STATED AS NULL HYPOTHESIS
YOUR REVIEW OF LITERATURE IS AN ANALYSIS OF ALL THE PERTINENT RESEARCH THAT HAS BEEN DONE ON YOUR PROBLEM

24. YOUR METHODOLOGY CHAPTER MUST CLEARLY DEFINE THE TYPE OF STUDY YOU WILL DO
EXPLAIN HOW YOU WILL GATHER INFORMATION
DESCRIBE THE STATISTICAL PROCEDURES YOU WILL USE
DETAIL WHAT YOU HOPE TO FIND
DUE FRIDAY.

25. PROBLEM STATEMENT EXAMPLES
REVIEW OF LITERATURE EXAMPLES
METHODOLOGY EXAMPLES

26. Problem Statement
4. The problem statement is clearly expressed with research questions that define the type of research that is going to be done
3. The problem Statement is clearly expressed but the research questions are un clear
2. Neither the problem statement nor the research questions are clear
1. There is not statement of the problem to be researched
Review of Literature
4. The Review of Literature is succinct and thorough, citing studies that have been done on the problem. The Review of Literature includes critiques of the validity of previous reseach
3. The Review of literature is succinct but not thorough.
2. The Review of Literature is succinct and thorough but it does not include critiques of previous research
1. The Review of literature is a rambling summary of research that does not seem to relate to the study

27. Research Methodology
4. The methodology clearly maps out the steps of the research, defines the type of research study to be done, explains the statistical procedures that will answer the research questions. Explains how data will be gathered and analyzed
3. The methodology clearly maps out the steps of the research, defines the type of research study to be done, but it is weak in its link to how the data will answer the research questions
2. The methodology clearly maps out the steps of the research, defines the type of research study to be done, but does not explain how data will be gathered nor how the research questions will be answered
1. The Methodology is unclear, and does not relate to the topic and has a weak link to the research questions