Research Fundamentals

• Research should always be objective and systematic.
• Researchers collect primary data directly from its original source.
• A research question should be specific and researchable.
• Quantitative research utilizes numerical and measurable data.
• APA style requires in-text citations and a reference list at the end of the paper.
• Paraphrasing without citation is plagiarism.
• Explanatory research identifies causes and effects.
• A long direct quotation (40+ words) should be formatted as a block quotation without quotation marks.
• Hypotheses must be testable and measurable.
• Theoretical research is known as pure research.
• The primary purpose of research is to systematically investigate and analyze information
• Plagiarism should be avoided
• A good research question is specific and researchable
• Ethical consideration is important to ensure the rights and well-being of participants are protected

Types of Research

• Action research aims to improve ongoing practices in institutions.
• Quantitative research collects numerical data for statistical analysis.
• Explanatory research establishes cause-and-effect relationships.
• Correlational research aims to find relationships between variables.

Research Paper Sections

• The introduction/background of the study introduces the research problem.
• The review of related literature summarizes other research studies related to the topic.

Citations

• An in-text citation gives credit to sources within the main text.
• A reference list lists all sources cited in the research.
• Integral citation highlights the author in the sentence.

Other Important Terms

• Plagiarism is the act of copying someone else's work without proper acknowledgment.
• Paraphrasing is the process of rewriting information in your own words while maintaining the meaning.
• Summarization is the act of condensing a longer text while keeping key ideas.
• Primary data is information gathered firsthand through observation or interviews.
• The APA term for a block quotation is a long direct quotation.
• A summary is a shortened version of a research source in your own words.
• Descriptive studies are concerned with the relationships of variables

Qualitative vs Quantitative Research

• Quantitative research relies on measurable data.
• Qualitative research relies on non-numerical data.

Research Elements

• A hypothesis in research serves as a tentative explanation or prediction.
• Primary data is collected directly from the source.
• Secondary data is pre-existing.
• The research question is typically placed within the introduction of a research paper.
• The bibliography lists sources in APA format.
• Current/present tense is a verb tense used for APA citation