BIOL305 Research Objectives and Hypothesis PDF

Research Questions, Objectives & Hypothesis Dr. George Odhiambo CELS  Research question Developing a good research question is one of the first critical steps in the research process. The research question, when appropriately written, will guide the research p...

Research Questions, Objectives & Hypothesis Dr. George Odhiambo CELS  Research question Developing a good research question is one of the first critical steps in the research process. The research question, when appropriately written, will guide the research project and assist in the construction of a logical argument. The research question should be a clear, focused question that summarizes the issue that the researcher will investigate. Defining a good question Evaluate the question by using the following list of guidelines: Is the research question one that is of interest to the researcher and potentially to others? Is it a new issue or problem that needs to be solved or is it attempting to shed light on previously researched topic. Is the research question researchable? Consider the available time frame and the required resources. Is the methodology to conduct the research feasible? Is the research question measureable and will the process produce data that can be supported or contradicted? Is the research question too broad or too narrow? Defining a good question Importance Specificity Interest Answerability Logical ordering of the questions  Formulating a Research Question All research begins with a question derived from a general topic that piques your interest, often through general reading, topical discussion, lectures, experiences, etc. Generally, the question should be: 1.Relevant. The question should have bearing on the topic and remain within the limits that were set beforehand. 2.Interesting. Choose a topic that interests and stimulates you otherwise searching could become tedious. 3.Focused and specific. The question should not be too broad or vague. Answerability of research question Type I error: Asking the wrong question “Far better an approximate answer to the right question, which is often vague, than an exact answer to the wrong question, which can always be made precise.” - John Tukey Type II error: Asking a question not worth answering The finer criteria for a good research question Feasible Adequate number of subjects Adequate technical expertise Affordable in time and money Manageable in scope Interesting Interesting to the investigator The finer criteria for a good research question Novel Confirms or refutes previous findings Extends previous findings Provides new findings Ethical Relevant To scientific knowledge To e.g. ecological, clinical and health policy… To future research directions  Objectives Objectives specify what the research project proposes to accomplish (do, achieve, estimate, determine, measure, evaluate, etc.) The are usually best specified in general and specific parts. Often the shortest part of the proposal, but it is the centerpiece. 1) General objective (Aim) – states the main purpose of the study. It should derive directly from the research problem statement. 2) Specific objectives – a set or list of sub-objectives, each of which contributes to achieving the general objective  Aim and Objective Research aim refers to the overarching goal or purpose of the research study stating what the researcher intends to achieve or investigate. Research aim: provides focus and direction to the research guide selection of research questions Research objectives are specific and measurable goals that outline what the researcher will accomplish within the study. Research objectives: serves as the building blocks for the research design helps to define the scope of the study and identify variables to be studied guide data collection and analysis to ultimately fulfil the research aim  Objectives General objective (aim) indicates the central thrust of the study whereas the sub-objectives identify the specific issues you propose to examine. Each sub-objective should delineate only one issue Use action-oriented verbs such as ‘to determine’, ‘to find out’, ‘to ascertain’.  Aims and Objectives The aim of this study is to explore the impact of climate change on apples productivity in Abaco... 1. To examine the effects of rising temperatures on the yield of apple crops in Abaco. 2. To assess changes in rainfall patterns in Abaco between 2000 and 2020. 3. To analyze the impact of changing weather patterns on apple crop diseases within the same timeframe.  Why should research objectives be developed? The formulation of objectives will help you to: Focus the study (narrowing it down to essentials); Avoid the collection of data which are not strictly necessary for understanding and solving the problem you have identified; and Organise the study in clearly defined parts or phases. Properly formulated, specific objectives will facilitate the development of your research methodology and will help to orient the collection, analysis, interpretation and utilisation of data.  Objectives This is a very important and pivotal section and everything else in the study is centered around it The objective of the proposed study should be stated very clearly The objective stated should be specific, achievable and measurable Too many objectives should be avoided Even just one clearly stated relevant objective for a study would be good enough If there is more than one objective the objectives can be presented in the appropriate order of importance  Research Objectives In formulating objectives, care must be taken specifically to: 1) State the objectives that are clear, well written and precise 2) Make objectives specific, significant, realistic, and achievable 3) Ensure that objectives flow logically from the statement of need and address the problem. 4) Make objectives fall within the range of results, which are expected to be achieved within the limit of time, money and human resources available 5) State the objectives as far as possible in terms, How should you state your objectives? Take care that the objectives of your study: Cover the different aspects of the problem and its contributing factors in a coherent way and in a logical sequence; Are clearly phrased in operational terms, specifying exactly what you are going to do, where, and for what purpose; Are realistic considering local conditions; and Use action verbs that are specific enough to be evaluated. Examples of action verbs are: to determine, to compare, to verify, to calculate, to describe, and to establish. Avoid the use of vague non-action verbs such as: to appreciate, to understand, or to study.  THE ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF SEA- LEVEL RISE AND STORMS FOR SANDY BEACHES IN … THE PHYSICAL AND ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF STORMS FOR SANDY BEACHES If beaches are to be managed for resilience in a world of climate change, understanding the impacts that storms have on beach-fauna communities is important. This is because climate change predictions include an increase in the intensity and frequency of large storms (e.g., IPCC, 2007), and successful management strategies can only be formulated from empirical knowledge. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the impact of a large-scale erosion event on sandy beach macrofauna communities. The objectives are: to determine the changes in biomass, abundance, species richness and species distribution, by comparing the before- and after-storm data; and to determine if there are physical drivers of any patterns identified.  Assess your objectives Examine your objectives to ascertain the feasibility of achieving them in the light of the time, resources (financial and human) and technical expertise at your disposal.  Hypotheses Definitions Hypotheses are predictions about the relationship among two or more variables or groups based on a theory or previous research. Hypotheses are assumptions or theories that a researcher makes and tests. Why are hypotheses important? 19  Hypothesis When conducting scientific experiments, researchers develop hypotheses to guide experimental design. A hypothesis is a suggested explanation that is both testable and falsifiable. Air pollution from automobile exhaust can trigger symptoms in people who are asthmatic. [As long as any of the asthmatics develop symptom Air pollution from automobile exhaust trigger symptoms in most Hypothesis - principle of falsification States that a scientific statement is liable to be proved wrong (falsified), can be tested by observation and experiment, and makes predictions. A non- falsifiable statement (or hypothesis) is not possible to test empirically  Hypotheses Shape and guide a research study in terms of: identification of study sample size what issues should be involved in data collection the proper analysis of the data data interpretation 22  Importance of Hypotheses Hypotheses: Direct our observations Identifies the variables examined and data to be collected Describe a relationship among variables Can state that as one variable increases, the other will decrease; as one variables increases, the other will increase, and so on. Refer to populations Hypotheses help researchers infer that results of a sample will translate to a population Air pollution from automobile exhaust trigger symptoms in people with asthma. There is no relationship between smoking and lung cancer.  Importance of Hypotheses  Through hypotheses theoretical propositions is supported, scientific knowledge is gained.  Hypotheses guide the research design and dictate the type of statistical analysis to be used with the data.  Hypotheses provide the reader with an understanding of the researcher’s expectations about the study before data collection. 24  Infectious and chronic diseases show great variation from one country to another. Some differences may be attributed to: 1. Climate 2. Cultural factors 3. Diet 4. Genetics Characteristics of workable hypotheses 1. Statement of anticipated relationships  It must state the predicted relationship between two or more variables. The prediction “pregnant women who receive prenatal training will have favorable reactions to the labor and delivery experience”. 2. Testability: There is no relationship between smoking and lung cancer. 3. Justifiability 4. Contains the population and variables 5. Reflects the problem statement: congruency is a must. Classifications of hypotheses:- 1. Simple vs. complex hypotheses. (univariate) (multivariate) (Multiple correlation) 2. Directional vs. Non- Directional hypotheses:- - A directional hypothesis is one that specifies the expected direction of the relationship between variables. That is , the researcher predicts not only the existence of a relationship, but also the nature (type) of the relationship. A non- directional hypothesis: - Predicts that two or more variables are related but makes no projections about the exact nature of the association. - Deductive hypotheses derived from theory will almost always be directional. Research vs. statistical hypotheses (null hypotheses) - Research hypotheses are statements of expected relationships between variables. - Hypothesis: If plants are watered with a 10% detergent solution, their growth will be negatively affected  Research Hypotheses Research Hypothesis: A statement of the relationship among two or more variables or groups. The acceptance or non-acceptance of which is based on resolving a logical alternative with a null hypothesis. Example: Students who read research methods study materials are more likely to score higher on their exams than students who did not read their research methods text. (Ho OR HA/H1) 31  Research Hypotheses Research hypotheses can be stated as Directional or Non-directional. Directional hypotheses predict the specific relationship among two or more variables or groups: Graduate students who read the text in research methods will score higher on their comprehensive exams than graduate students who did not read their research methods text. H0: µ1 < µ2 H1: µ1 > µ2 IQ scores will correlate in a positive manner with Self Esteem Scores Marple trees shed their leaves when temperature drops 32 Research Hypotheses Non-Directional Hypotheses predict that there will be differences among two or more groups, but do not specify the direction of the differences Men and Women will differ in their recall of phone numbers The scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale will differ between people with Stroke and people with Alzheimer’s disease IQ scores will correlate with Self Esteem scores H0: µ1 = µ2 H1: µ1 ≠ µ2 33 Research Hypotheses Your Turn! Come up with some directional and non-directional research hypotheses Share with the class 34  Statistical Hypotheses Statistical Hypotheses are mathematical, or logical statements that help researchers interpret the results of research Statistical hypotheses consist of the Null Hypothesis (H0), the hypothesis of no difference and the Alternative Hypothesis (H1 or HA) which is similar in form to the research hypothesis. Null: (H0: µ1 - µ2 = 0 ) Alternative: (H1: µ1 - µ2 ≠ 0) 35  Written out examples: Null: There will be no difference in the comprehensive test scores of graduate students who read the text in research methods and those who did not read their research methods text. Alternative: Graduate students who read the text in research methods will score higher on their comprehensive exams than graduate students who did not read their research methods text. Hypothesis: If plants are watered with a 10% detergent solution, their growth will be negatively affected Alternate Hypothesis?  Hypothesis Framing H0: “Null” hypothesis (assumed) H1: “Alternative” hypothesis