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Practical Researchby Leedy and Ormrod

10th Edition

Charles C. TappertSeidenberg School of CSIS, Pace

University

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Chapter 1 – Research is Not

Merely gathering information Merely looking for hard-to-locate

information Merely transporting facts from

one location to another

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Chapter 1 Research Has 8 Characteristics

1. Research originates with a question or problem2. Research requires clear articulation of a goal3. Research usually divides the principal problem into

more manageable subproblems4. Research is guided by the specific research problem,

question, or hypothesis5. Research requires a specific plan for proceeding6. Research rests on certain critical assumptions7. Research requires the collection and interpretation of

data in an attempt to resolve the research problem8. Research in, by its nature, cyclical or, more exactly,

helical

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Chapter 1 – Research Cycle

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Chapter 1 – Six General Tools

1. The library and its resources2. Computer technology3. Measurement4. Statistics5. Language6. The human mind

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Chapter 2 Finding the Research Problem

1. Look around you2. Read the literature3. Seek the advice of experts4. Attend professional conferences5. Choose a topic that intrigues and

motivates you6. Choose a topic that others will find

interesting and worthy of attention

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Chapter 2 Stating the Research Problem

1. State the problem clearly and completely2. Think through the feasibility of the work

the problem implies3. Say precisely what you mean4. State the problem in a way that reflects an

open mind about its solution5. Edit your work

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Chapter 2 Every problem needs further

delineation

Dividing the research problem into subproblems Stating the hypotheses and/or research

questions Identifying the variables under investigation

Independent variable -> dependent variable Delimiting the research Defining terms Stating the assumptions Importance of the study (so what?)

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Chapter 3 Review the Related Literature

Role of literature review Understand the field and what is known Put your problem into context

Strategies for locating related literature Library and reference librarians (Michelle Lang) Indexes and abstracts Online databases Conference proceedings

Know when to end the literature review When you no longer encounter new viewpoints

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Chapter 4 Planning Your Research Work

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Chapter 4 Relation between Data and

Truth

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Chapter 4 Quantitative vs Qualitative

Research Characteristics of quantitative and qualitative

research

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Chapter 4 Quantitative vs Qualitative

Research

Choose quantitative or qualitative research

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Chapter 5 Writing the Research Proposal

The problem and its setting Problem statement, hypotheses, delimitations,

definitions, assumptions, importance of study Review of Related Literature The data and the treatment of the data

Data needed and means of obtaining the data The research methodology

Outline of the proposed study Steps to be taken, timeline, etc.

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Chapter 6 Qualitative Research

Case study Analysis of an event or programs

Phenomenological study – perceptions Interviews, surveys

Grounded theory Begin with data and develop a theory

Content analysis Examine a body of material to identify

patterns, themes, etc.

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Chapter 6 Qualitative Research

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Chapter 7 Historical Research

Examine a sequence of events and develop a rational explanation for the sequence, possible cause and effect relationships, etc.

Examples Moore’s Law by Gordon Moore Kurzweil’s Law of Accelerating Returns by Ray Kurzweil The Dot-Com Bubble Reconsidered by Lee Gomes Cooperation from a Game Theory Perspective by Dietrich

Fischer Online Handwriting Recognition Interfaces by Charles

Tappert The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

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Chapter 8 Descriptive Quantitative

Research

Involves describing the situation as it is Descriptive research designs

Observation studies Correlational research Survey research

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Chapter 9 Experimental Quantitative

Research

Look for cause-and-effect relationships Independent and dependent variables Dr. Mary Villani (DPS 2006) - keystroke biometric

study

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Chapter 10 Mixed-Methods Research

Both qualitative and quantitative dimensions

Usually require more time and energy than a strictly qualitative or quantitative study

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Chapter 11 Analyzing Quantitative Data

Exploring and organizing the data Visual representations – graphs, charts, etc. Spreadsheets

Choosing appropriate statistics Descriptive statistics

Nominal (non-numeric), ordinal (numeric), interval (equal units) , and ratio (true zero) data

Normal and non-normal distributions Parametric (e.g., means, std) and non-parametric statistics

Inferential statistics E.g., use small sample to estimate the characteristics of a

population

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Chapter 12 Writing the Dissertation

Description of the research problem Stating the hypotheses and/or research

questions Delimitations, definitions, assumptions Importance of the study (so what?)

Description of the method Presentation of the data Interpretation of the data Conclusions

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Chapter 12 Writing the Dissertation