2. PowerPoint presentation to accompany Research Design Explained 6th edition ; ©2007 Mark Mitchell & Janina Jolley Chapter 3 Generating and Refining Research Ideas

3. PowerPoint presentation to accompany Research Design Explained 6th edition ; ©2007 Mark Mitchell & Janina Jolley Generating Research Ideas l From common sense l From previous research

4. PowerPoint presentation to accompany Research Design Explained 6th edition ; ©2007 Mark Mitchell & Janina Jolley Generating Ideas from Common Sense l Question everything, including old sayings: –True? –When is it not true? –Why is it true? l Attack practical problems l Questions to ask about a phenomenon: –Who/When/Why/How –What are its effects (short- term, long-term, good, bad)?

5. PowerPoint presentation to accompany Research Design Explained 6th edition ; ©2007 Mark Mitchell & Janina Jolley How to Get Research Ideas from Previous Research l Repeat studies l Do a study suggested by a journal article’s author(s) l Improve the study’s external validity l Improve the study’s internal validity l Improve the study’s construct validity l Look for practical implications of the research l Try to reconcile studies that produce conflicting results

6. PowerPoint presentation to accompany Research Design Explained 6th edition ; ©2007 Mark Mitchell & Janina Jolley Generating Research Ideas from Previous Research: Conclusions l Easy way to get started in research l Likely to produce research that is relevant rather than trivial l Consider improving study by improving its internal, external, or construct validity l Consider extending study by looking at practical implications, moderator variables, and mediating variables

7. PowerPoint presentation to accompany Research Design Explained 6th edition ; ©2007 Mark Mitchell & Janina Jolley Converting an Idea into a Research Hypothesis l Make it testable l Make it supportable (Avoid the null hypothesis) l Be sure to have a rationale: How theory can help l Demonstrate its relevance: Theory versus trivia

8. PowerPoint presentation to accompany Research Design Explained 6th edition ; ©2007 Mark Mitchell & Janina Jolley Refine It: 10 Time-Tested Tips l Don’t be afraid to be wrong l Don’t be afraid to deal with constructs l Don’t avoid theory l Manipulate variables l Look for other effects l Reverse cause-effect l Look for moderator variables l Look for mediating variables l Be more specific (functional relationships) l Look at components

9. PowerPoint presentation to accompany Research Design Explained 6th edition ; ©2007 Mark Mitchell & Janina Jolley Make Sure that Testing the Hypothesis Is Both Practical and Ethical l Consult with me l Review ethical guidelines (Chapter 2, Appendix C)

10. PowerPoint presentation to accompany Research Design Explained 6th edition ; ©2007 Mark Mitchell & Janina Jolley Changing Unethical and Impractical Ideas into Research Hypotheses l Make variables more general l Use smaller scale models of the situation l Carefully screen potential participants l Use “moderate” manipulations l Do not manipulate variables

11. PowerPoint presentation to accompany Research Design Explained 6th edition ; ©2007 Mark Mitchell & Janina Jolley Concluding Remarks l You can generate many interesting ideas l You will probably have to refine your ideas to turn them into testable, workable hypotheses** l Part of the refining process may involve developing or obtaining valid operational definitions, a topic that will be addressed in Chapter 5

12. PowerPoint presentation to accompany Research Design Explained 6th edition ; ©2007 Mark Mitchell & Janina Jolley Hypothesis Checklist l Can it be proven wrong? –Specific prediction? –Operational definitions? l Can it be supported? –It can’t be a null hypothesis l Do you have a rationale for your prediction? l Are there implications of your hypothesis for theory, previous research, or a real-world concerns? l Is it practical and ethical to test your hypothesis?