Podcast
Questions and Answers
Which of the following are examples of unethical behavior in research?
Which of the following are examples of unethical behavior in research?
What is the purpose of a research plan?
What is the purpose of a research plan?
A biased sample can lead to accurate conclusions and confirm the validity of the research findings.
A biased sample can lead to accurate conclusions and confirm the validity of the research findings.
False
What are the three main motivators for scientific misconduct according to David Goodstein of Caltech?
What are the three main motivators for scientific misconduct according to David Goodstein of Caltech?
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What are the key points to consider when selecting a research topic?
What are the key points to consider when selecting a research topic?
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Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of scientific research?
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of scientific research?
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Which of the following is NOT a reason for the importance of adhering to ethical norms in research?
Which of the following is NOT a reason for the importance of adhering to ethical norms in research?
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Which of the following is NOT a major component of a research plan?
Which of the following is NOT a major component of a research plan?
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Which sampling technique involves selecting every nth member of a list after a random start?
Which sampling technique involves selecting every nth member of a list after a random start?
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Which of the following is a type of bias that can occur in questionnaire surveys?
Which of the following is a type of bias that can occur in questionnaire surveys?
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Closed-ended questions are generally more time-consuming for respondents to answer than open-ended questions.
Closed-ended questions are generally more time-consuming for respondents to answer than open-ended questions.
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Pre-testing a questionnaire is essential to ensure its clarity, flow, and relevance before full-scale administration.
Pre-testing a questionnaire is essential to ensure its clarity, flow, and relevance before full-scale administration.
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What is the key difference between systemic errors and random errors in data collection?
What is the key difference between systemic errors and random errors in data collection?
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Study Notes
Engineering Ethics
- Engineering ethics are crucial for public safety, trust, and professional accountability.
- Ethical engineering practices protect public health, safety, and well-being.
- Ethical standards foster trust among engineers and the public.
- Ethical guidelines ensure accountability for engineers' actions and decisions.
- Quality assurance is enhanced through ethical guidelines.
Code of Engineering Ethics
- A code of engineering ethics provides guidance for engineers in navigating ethical dilemmas.
- It standardizes ethical practices across the engineering profession.
- It reinforces the professional identity of engineers.
- It builds public confidence in the engineering profession.
Conflict of Interest
- A conflict of interest arises when an engineer's personal interests could influence their professional actions.
- Examples include financial interests (e.g., owning stock in a company impacted by a project), dual employment (working for competing companies), personal relationships (family member on a project), or accepting gifts from contractors.
Precision and Confidence
- Precision refers to the consistency of repeated measurements under unchanged conditions.
- High precision means that measurements are consistently reproducible.
- Confidence is the degree of certainty in the results of a study or measurement.
- A 95% confidence interval indicates that 95% of calculated intervals contain the true population parameter if the study were repeated.
Survey Design
- Key steps in designing a survey for research include defining the research objective.
- Identifying the target population.
- Choosing the survey method (e.g., online, telephone, face-to-face).
- Developing clear, concise, and unbiased questions, using a mix of open-ended and closed-ended questions.
- Piloting the survey to identify issues.
- Implementing the survey ethically and monitoring response rates.
Scientific Method
- The scientific method involves observation, question formulation, hypothesis generation, experimentation, data collection, analysis, conclusion drawing, and replication.
- This systematic and rigorous approach promotes objectivity and reproducibility.
Cross-Sectional vs. Longitudinal Studies
- Cross-sectional studies examine different groups at a single point in time.
- Longitudinal studies track the same group over an extended period.
Role of Assistants in Research
- Assistants are vital for data collection and management.
- Performing literature reviews and assisting in experiments are key roles.
- Performing statistical analyses is crucial for research.
- Training for assistants is essential to ensure ethical procedures are followed and research quality is high.
Research Proposals
- Research proposals at universities require approval to ensure ethical standards are maintained.
- They must align with the university's strategic goals and be relevant to current issues.
Intellectual Property
- Intellectual property refers to legal protections for creations of the mind.
- Main categories include patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.
Self-Plagiarism
- Self-plagiarism involves reusing substantial parts of previous work without proper citation.
- It is crucial to acknowledge prior work when reusing it.
- The consequences of self-plagiarism can include retraction or damage to reputation.
Common Knowledge
- Common knowledge is widely known and accepted information.
- It does not require citation.
- Knowledge varies by audience.
- Misjudging common knowledge can lead to unintentional plagiarism.
Peer Review
- Peer review assesses research quality to ensure validity.
- Experts review manuscripts before publication.
- Peer review helps maintain academic standards and scholarly discourse.
Scientific Misconduct
- Misconduct includes fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism.
- Ethical standards ensure credibility and trust in scientific findings.
- Researchers commit misconduct due to pressures to publish, financial incentives, and desire for recognition.
Sampling Methods
- Cluster sampling divides the population into clusters, and entire clusters are randomly selected.
- Stratified sampling divides the population into strata, and random samples are drawn from each stratum.
- Sampling methods should be chosen to ensure a representative sample and minimize bias.
Questionnaire Surveys vs. Interviews
- Questionnaire surveys are cost-effective for larger samples.
- They can ensure anonymity, standardize responses, and be easy to analyze statistically.
- Interviews offer rich qualitative data and allow for clarification.
- Interviews can probe deeper into responses and understand the context.
Question Types
- Closed questions offer pre-defined answers (e.g., multiple choice), and are easier to analyze quantitatively.
- Open-ended questions allow respondents to answer in their own words, providing richer qualitative data.
- Both types of questions have advantages and limitations, and should be used appropriately.
Ethical Norms in Research
- The integrity, trustworthiness, and credibility of research are enhanced through ethical standards.
- The protection of participants, compliance with regulations, and promotion of collaboration are essential aspects of ethical research.
Research Process
- Identifying a research problem, reviewing existing literature, and formulating hypotheses.
- Developing a research design and collecting data and analyzing the results.
- Disseminating findings and reviewing the process.
Research Report Attributes
- Clarity, structure, relevance to research questions, and engagement with the reader.
Research Plan Components
- Introduction, literature review, methodology, justification, and expected outputs.
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