1. WELCOME RSC 2601
HEIDI VAN DER WESTHUIZEN Cell:

2. Tutorials PLEASE: Turn off your cell phone Be on time for the class
Attend regularly
Come prepared

3. DATES OF TUTORIALS
3 SEPTEMBER 2012 MONDAY 8H30 – 10H30 4 SEPTEMBER 2012 TUESDAY 8H30 – 10H30 5 SEPTEMBER 2012 WEDNESDAY 11H00 – 13H00 6 SEPTEMBER 2012 THURSDAY 8H30 – 10H30 7 SEPTEMBER 2012 FRIDAY 8H30 – 10H30

4. OVERVIEW OF CHAPTERS Strategies of discovery
The role of theory in research
Scientific research
Ethics in research
Research design
Sampling
Data collection
Quantitative data: description and interpretation
Qualitative data: analysis and interpretation
Writing and evaluating research reports

5. CHAPTER 1: STRATEGIES OF DISCOVERY

6. CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW What research is about Sources of knowledge
Errors in human enquiry
Scientific norms
Stages in research
Ontological and epistemological questions
Approaches to scientific research
Theory definitions
Concepts in theory
Scope of theory
Deduction and induction
Theory and research

7. KEY ACTION WORDS
Learning outcomes
Key words
Activities
Test yourself

8. WHAT IS REASEARCH ABOUT?
In practice, certain questions arise. To answer these questions, data has to be collected. This is called research.
For ex. You are in practice for yourself and you work a lot with children who presents with anxiety. You want to understand the underlying dynamics of this anxiety, in order to create a treatment programme. For this you need to collect data from the relevant parties, i.e. the school, the family, the client, occupational therapist, speech therapist, psychiatrist.
Rules guiding research is called methodology, it is like a roadmap to help and guide you to get to your destination

9. The scientific approach to social research
Science is a process of inquiry (observing and thinking)
Scientific thinking is logical, has a reference (observed evidence) and gives an explanation (theory) for what we observe.
Scientific research means we systematically examine and think about a question.

10. Sources of knowledge Tradition Authority Religion Common sense
Media myths

11. Errors in human enquiry
Safeguard
Inaccurate observation
Use measurement devices
Over generalization
Involve a sufficient large sample of observations
Replication (repeating a study)
Selective observation
Using a research design that specifies the number and kind of observations we need before making a conclusion
Ego involvement
Testing the hypothesis in a systematic manner
Premature closure of inquiry
A thorough review of literature on the research topic

12. Scientific norms (rules of conduct)
Universalism: research is only to be judged on the basis of scientific merit
Organized scepticism: All evidence should be questioned and challenged by the researcher
Disinterestedness: Researchers must be impartial and neutral
Communalism: Scientific knowledge must be shared with everyone
Honesty: Honesty in all research is demanded

13. Definitions
Theory: a framework of ideas that provides an explanation of something
Value free: scientific enquiry should not be influenced by the values scientists hold dear
Assumption: a basic premise that we believe is true

14. STAGES IN RESEARCH 4. Communicating results 2. Obtaining information
1. Defining the problem
2. Obtaining information
3. Analysing and interpreting information
4. Communicating results

15. STAGES OF RESEARCH STAGE 1: DEFINING THE PROBLEM - Design or plan
- Research problem
- Literature review
Theory
Assumptions
Hypothesis
- Research questions

16. STAGES OF RESEARCH STAGE 2: OBTAINING THE INFORMATION - Sampling
- Data collection
STAGE 3: ANALYSING AND INTERPRETING INFORMATION
- Describing and interpreting quantitative data
- Describing and interpreting qualitative data
STAGE 4: COMMUNICATING RESULTS
- Writing the research report

17. ONTOLOGICAL AND EPISTEMOLOGICAL QUESTIONS
Ontological: view of social reality (our world)
what researchers think exists and is real
Epistemological: approach to knowledge
how we can know and explain something

18. APPROACHES TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
1. Positivist approach
Interpretive approach
View of social reality (world)
Social reality can be discovered
Approach to knowledge
(how they gain knowledge)
Using standardized procedures
Use a value free approach, free from bias
View of social reality
Social reality is inherently meaningful
People interpret situations and decide how to act on it
Approach to knowledge
Be sensitive to the context in which meaning is produced
Pay attention to common sense

19. APPROACHES TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
3. Critical approach
4. Feminist approach
View of social reality
There are more dimensions to social reality that initially appear to us (multi-layered)
Approach to knowledge
Use the logic and reasoning of theories
View of social reality
Gender is a key factor of social reality
Approach to knowledge
Researchers collaborate with subjects

20. APPROACHES TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
5. Postmodern approach
6. Postcolonialism
View of social reality
There is no such thing as an absolute truth
Approach to knowledge
Rejects reason as a foundation of knowledge
View of social reality
It sees the colonial experience of conquest and domination as central to our understanding of social reality
Approach to knowledge
They question the current knowledge in social sciences, says it is biased

21. theory

22. Theory definitions Theory is
A conceptual framework that provides an explanation of certain occurrences or phenomena
Systematic and gives precise definitions
2. Concepts
Identify and describe phenomena
Just as a language consists of words, so does a theory consist of concepts

23. HOW ARE CONCEPTS USED IN THEORY
Identify and describe phenomena
Is the starting point of a theory
Together, these clusters of concepts build the sentences of theory
Abstract concepts – give the big picture, but not much detail
Concrete concepts – presents a close up view and focus on details

24. THE SCOPE OF THEORY
Refers to how much the theory explains, or how many different contexts the theory can explain.
The scope of theory is linked to level of abstraction.
The higher the level of abstraction (the big picture), the more the theory can be generalized.
The wider the scope of the theory, the more it can be generalized

25. Generalisability Empirical generalisations
Classify, summarise and organise observations
2. Middle range theory
Organise empirical observations in a way that it explains the relationships between them in more general terms
3. Theoretical perspectives
Gives an overall explanation
A particular study only provides partial evidence to support perspectives

26. DEDUCTION AND INDUCTION
Both are reasoning processes we use to develop theories
Deduction
Going from general to specific
Using general principles to suggest specific outcomes
3. Induction
Using a number of specific observations to formulate general principles

27. THE LINK BETWEEN THEORY AND RESEARCH
The relationship is reciprocal: empirical studies are based on theory, and theory are based on empirical studies.
Theory guides research, while the information obtained through research builds theory.