Lesson 1(A) - Introduction to Research PDF
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2016
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This document provides an introduction to research methods and covers various aspects of the research process, including foundational concepts, types of research, and the importance of research. It is a helpful resource for understanding the theoretical underpinnings of research.
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1 Foundations of Research Methods © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. What Is Research, and Why Do People Do It? Every day people do research as they gather information to learn about something of interest. In the scientific world, however, research means...
1 Foundations of Research Methods © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. What Is Research, and Why Do People Do It? Every day people do research as they gather information to learn about something of interest. In the scientific world, however, research means something different than simply gathering information. Scientific research is characterized by its careful planning and observing, by its relentless efforts to understand and explain, and by its commitment to learn from everyone else seriously engaged in research. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 1.1 The Research Enterprise Modern society relies on research Research allows us to: – Explore our universe – Explore our environment – Understand ourselves What does research mean to you? © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. What is Research? Research is a systematic endeavor to acquire understanding, broaden knowledge, or find answers to unanswered questions. Research is a methodical and structured undertaking to investigate the natural and social aspects in order to test and enhance existing knowledge, as well as generate new knowledge (Naidoo, 2011). © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 1.1a What is Research? Research is a systematic investigation © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 1.1a What is Research? Research is empirical Empirical means derived from or guided by direct experience or by experiment, rather than abstract principles or theory. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 1.1a Research Defined A type of systematic investigation - involves a prospective plan that incorporates data collection, either quantitative or qualitative, and data analysis to answer a question. It is empirical in nature - based on observed and measured phenomena and derives knowledge from actual experience rather than from theory or belief. It is designed to contribute to public knowledge © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Research involves processes such as defining and redefining problem statements, formulating hypotheses or proposed solutions, collecting, organizing, and analyzing data, making deductions and reaching conclusions, and ultimately carefully testing those conclusions to evaluate their alignment with the formulated hypotheses (Kothari, 2004). © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Why is Research Important? Research is important because: 1) It contributes to the development of knowledge and understanding in various fields. 2) It allows for the exploration of new ideas and the creation of something new. 3) Research helps to identify and solve problems, leading to improvements in methods and practices. 4) It also plays a crucial role in the development of education, contributing to human growth and civilization. 5) It is a fundamental tool for acquiring knowledge, driving progress, and addressing the needs of society. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Why do we conduct research? We undertake research when we wish to: 1) investigate an idea 2) look into an issue 3) solve a problem 4) make an argument in relation to what others have written. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Why do we conduct research? We carry out research 1) to gain new knowledge, 2) verify existing information, 3) solve problems, 4) make informed decisions, and 5) ultimately improve our understanding of the world around us; Research is a systematic process to expand knowledge and contribute to a field of study © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Research in the Social Sciences Social science research is concerned with people and their life contexts. It seeks to find answers to philosophical questions relating to the nature of knowledge and truth, values which support human judgments and activities. Social science research differs from research in the natural sciences as a result of its focus on people-individuals and groups-and their behavior within cultures and organizations that vary widely socially and historically. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. How do we conduct research? We seek to use materials beyond our personal resources by engaging in a combination of primary research and secondary research. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Kinds of Research Primary research: the Secondary research: study of a subject through the examination of firsthand investigation, studies that other such as analyzing a researchers have made literary or historical text, a of a subject. Examples: film, or a performance, articles and books about conducting a survey or an political issues, historical interview or carrying out a events, scientific debates lab experiment. or literary works. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 1.1b Translational Research Translational research is the systematic effort to move research from initial discovery to practice and ultimately to impacts on our lives. This process is called the research- practice continuum © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. The Research-Use Continuum © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. The Research-Practice Continuum © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 1.1b Basic & Applied Research Basic research – Designed to generate discoveries and to understand how the discoveries work’ – Result: Awareness. Applied research – Tests a discovery under increasingly controlled conditions in real-world contexts – Result: Knowledge and understanding. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 1.1b Implementation & Dissemination Research Research that assesses how well an innovation or discovery can be distributed in and carried out in a broad range of contexts – Extending beyond the original controlled studies – Result: Changing attitudes, perceptions and ideas. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 1.1b Policy & Impact Research Policy research – Research that is designed to investigate existing policies or develop and test new ones’ – Result: Policy adaptation Impact research – Research that assesses the broader effects of a discovery or innovation on society – Result: Adaptation in practice © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Basic Research vs Applied Research Basic research is defined Applied research is a as “a systematic study non-systematic way of directed toward greater finding solutions to knowledge or specific research understanding of the problems or issues. fundamental aspects of These problems or issues phenomena and of can be on an individual, observable facts without group, or societal level. specific applications towards processes or products in mind. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Classification of Research Research can be classified into the following types of research: 1) Library Research – This is done in the library where answers to specific questions or information about specific problems of the study are available 2) Laboratory Research – this is conducted in artificial or controlled conditions by isolating the study in a thoroughly specified and equipped area (e.g., laboratory). 3) Field Research – where research is conducted in a natural setting. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 1. Literature Review A literature review is a comprehensive review and analysis of the published literature on a specific topic or research question. The researcher puts together individual arguments related to an issue in order to reveal the whole (state of knowledge) Sources: peer reviewed journals, conference proceedings, books, etc © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Literature Review A literature review discusses and analyses published information in a particular subject area. Sometimes the information covers a certain time period. A literature review is more than a summary of the sources, it has an organizational pattern that combines both summary and synthesis. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Research Synthesis A systematic study of multiple prior research projects that address the same research question or topic and summarize the results in a manner that can be used by practitioners. Research synthesis is the process of combining the results of multiple primary research studies aimed at testing the same conceptual hypothesis. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Types of Research Synthesis © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Types of Research Synthesis 1. Meta-analysis – Uses statistical methods to combine the results of similar studies quantitatively in order to allow general conclusions to be made 2. Systematic review – Focuses on a specific question or issue and uses specific preplanned methods to identify, select, assess, and summarize the findings of multiple research studies © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 2. Systematic Review A systematic review is a type of review that uses repeatable methods to find, select, and synthesize all available evidence. Systematic review = a review of all literature on a particular topic, which has been systematically identified, appraised and summarised. Overview of primary research studies using an explicit and reproducible methodology. It is a rigorous method of summarizing research evidence. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Steps in the Systematic Review Process Find relevant (similar) research studies Assess each study on the basis of a defined criteria e.g. date range, method used, etc. Synthesize findings in an unbiased way Present a balanced and impartial summary of the findings including any flaws. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 3. Meta-Analysis Meta analysis is the examination of data from a number of independent studies of the same subject, in order to determine overall trends: It is the process of using statistical methods to combine the results of different studies. The aim is to integrate the findings, pool data and identify overall trends of results’. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Literature Review vs Systematic Review vs Meta-Analysis © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Evidence-Based Practice Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the process of collecting, processing, and implementing research findings to improve work processes, the work environment, or work outcomes. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. An Evolutionary Perspective Research can be seen as an evolutionary system. Research ideas compete with other established and emerging discoveries. It is selected (or not) through a complex selection mechanism (literature reviews and peer reviews) and through the process of natural selection. A research idea competes with other ideas, and the strongest ones are “selected” and then built upon © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Where Research Topics Come From Practical problems in the field Literature reviews Requests for research proposals Generating your own research ideas – Although these often come from a combination of practical problems and literature reviews © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. The Literature Review A systematic compilation and written summary of all of the literature published in scientific journals that is related to a research topic of interest The literature included should be peer reviewed – Peer review - an evaluation process in which journal editors and other expert scholars critically assess the quality and scientific merit of the article and its research. © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Feasibility Issues Feasibility is the practicality of the research project Considerations – Researcher’s interest in the subject area – Cost of doing the research – Time investment – Access to the population of interest – Ethical constraints (if any) © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. https://slideplayer.com/slide/7231315/ © 2016 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.