Research and Bias Overview

Research

• Research is a pursuit of knowledge through study, observation, comparison, and experiment.
• It involves a systematic method of finding solutions to problems.
• Different factors need consideration during research.

Bias

• Bias occurs when only one side of a discussion is presented.
• This can appear in primary sources like interview transcripts, statistical data, and works of art.
• Secondary sources like journal articles, reviews, and academic books can also be affected by bias.

Kinds of Bias

• Intentional Bias: Occurs when a person or group deliberately alters data to change the results of an experiment or study to a predetermined direction.
• Example: A politician promoting mining, while personally profiting from it.
• Exaggeration Bias: This happens when a certain individual or group tries to emphasize the positive or negative effects of a subject being studied more than is accurate.
• Example: Politician exaggerating the number of jobs created by a mining industry.
• Omission Bias: Occurs when information or views are not presented in the data provided.
• Example: Politician not mentioning the environmental consequences of mining.
• Biased Sample Bias: Occurs when the survey respondents are mostly those who benefit from the subject of the study.
• Example: A politician surveying only those working in the mining industry to gauge the economy's support.

Reliability

• Reliability refers to getting consistent answers when measuring something multiple times.
• Research reliability refers to the stability and consistency of the research methods.
• Example: Employee questionnaire about job satisfaction taken twice with a week gap.

Validity

• Research validity in surveys relates to how well the survey measures the intended elements accurately.
• Example: A weight measurement scale that consistently shows the same weight each time, but it doesn't accurately reflect the actual weight due to a fault.

Credibility

• Credibility: Believability of research results.
• Quality of the information and data and not the quantity make a result credible.

Advocacy

• Advocacy is a planned process for influencing stakeholders to achieve specified outcomes.
• It can involve representing the needs of marginalized groups.
• Example: Miss Universe 2018, Catriona Gray, tapping an NGO ("Young Focus Philippines") for accessible education.

Campaign

• Campaign: A planned project over a set period to achieve specific advocacy goals.
• Can be an "insider" approach, focusing on decision-makers.
• Example of a campaign: Catriona Gray's advocacy to provide free and accessible education to Filipino children.

Research (Effects of Athletics on Academic Performance)

• Research on the effects of athletics on academic performance found that success in both fields is possible.
• Success involves time management, commitment, discipline, positive attitude, self-confidence, and focus.
• Findings corroborate with previous research by several researchers who have studied similar topics focusing on students' perspective.

The United Nations International Relations Team

• This team advocates for greater participation of people living in poverty in UN work.
• Their priorities include poverty eradication, effective social protection, provision of employment, universal good governance, and participatory monitoring.
• The team engages in interventions such as writing position papers, making speeches, moderating discussions, and hosting dialogues.

Campaign (Speech for the Campaign to End Poverty)

• Speech addressing the persistence of poverty, injustice, and inequality globally.
• Discusses the struggle against social evils like slavery and apartheid to frame current poverty as such.
• Stresses the necessity of sustained international solidarity against poverty and inequality.

Argument

• Argument: A logical series of statements to determine the truthfulness of another statement.
• Argumentative strategies include ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic based on facts).
• The key elements of an argument include a statement, evidence, and explanation.

Multimodal Texts

• Multimodal text: Combination of two or more semiotic systems.
• Includes linguistic (spoken/written), visual (images, videos), audio (sound effects), gestural (body language), and spatial (proximity and organization).
• These modes work together to communicate effectively.
• Example: a YouTube video featuring an infographic, interview footage with statistics, and graphs.