1. Chapter 4: Formulating the Method
SFM 651:
Research Methods
Dr. Johnson

2. Methods section Participants Instruments used Procedures
Design and analysis

3. Why bother To explain how the study was conducted What did you do
How did you do it
Who did you use and why
How did you identify them

4. Detail
In a thesis, you have time / room / space / words to write things out.
In an article, space is usually limited
Page numbers
Words

5. Why do it
To make sure that people know EXACTLY what you did and how you did it
Get the same result if they do the same study
To show that what you did actually occurred
Your result
Did we miss something
Increased shoes size relates to more Math knowledge

6. Don’t overdo it Start with a simple idea.
Do not try to make your study too complex or too detailed
Do something you can manage

7. Participants How do you get them Need to identify a target
Need to ask permission
Tell them what they would be doing
Explain risks
Sign a form
Is it a good sample
Who they represent
Total number
10 vs 100

8. Telling about them Tell us details Exact numbers
Include any omitted data
Quit the study
Failed to collect data
Equipment malfunctions
What other details ae important

9. Instruments What types of “stuff” did you use
Why did you chose to use it
Easy
Reliable
Trained on it
Could something else have been used
How and when did you use them

10. Procedures This is where you explain how the data was obtained
Who gave the tests
How they were given
How much time was taken
Order (if important)
Explanations to participants

11. Pilot studies Smaller versions of the larger study
Done to “try it out” first
Fix any mistakes before doing a bigger study

12. Design and analysis How did you control your variables
Isolate them
Only looked at the one variable – all others constant
How was the data analyzed
What types of tests used
What systems

13. Cause and effect Did one thing really cause another to happen
Or was it coincidence
Do Dogs hate cats, or does THAT dog hate THAT cat?

14. Manipulation How do you make sure that your data is accurate Devices
No one is cheating
Devices
Heart rate monitor
FitBit
Other?

15. Flaws Is the hypothesis logical Are assumptions good
Do you have the “right” participants
Are treatments correct
Are measures valid and reliable
Is data collection being done carefully
Are variables controlled