Unit 3 Connaway & Powell Chapter 2 Developing the Research Study

p 19

"Historically, new knowledge has been sought either by means of deductive logic or through the use of inductive reasoning"

• Deductive example: premise: all men are mortal; john doe is a man; therefore john doe is mortal.
• Inductive example: john doe is mortal, observe and decide all the observed men were mortals, conclusion: all men are mortal.

p. 20

Deductive reasons toward observations

Inductive reasons from observations

"Many scholars still consider the scientific method of inquiry to be the most valid method for resolving unanswered questions and solving problems"

• Deductive method - reasons Toward observations
• Inductive method - reasons From observations: Scientific Method of Inquiry

physical science
the sciences concerned with the study of inanimate natural objects, including 
physics, chemistry, astronomy, and related subjects.

social science
a subject within the field of social science, such as 

economics or politics.

humanities

ancient and modern languages, literature, philosophy, religion, art and musicology.

Criteria for basic research

reflective inquiry

procedure or research design and data collection methods

data gathering, processing and analysis

reliability and validity for quantitative studies

credibility, trustworthiness, transferability, dependability and confirmability for qualitative

Techniques to identify research topics or problems include the following:

• disagree with previous research - develop a study to test its findings and/or redesign and develop tools relevant to another area of interest and/or actual problems in real work situations. 
• Networking or sharing ideas and information
• Being curious about items of interest
• be a clear and critical reader and thinker.

p. 21/22

Outline for Research:

• 
  
• Begin with a question about something of interest
• Through literature thorough review
• Identify the problem that this question represents" (problem facing
• Place problem in broad theoretical framework
• one or more hypotheses
• obvious assumptions
• Develop a plan
• decide methodology and data collection techniques:
• Conduct experiment
• post test
• or survey
• deal with facts and their meanings
• leads to new questions

p. 23

Criteria for Basic Research

1. Universality

2. Replication

3. Control

4. Measurement

p. 26

feasibility exercise - aptitudes of researcher, availability of data, techniques used 

potentially worthwhile if it can be managed

p. 43

"Activities such as studying a subject field and reading earlier research" are "indicative of a conceptually developed research problem"

"Variables related to the problem should represent some sort of meaningful relationship"

p. 44

relationship between variables - cause or related in another way? 

topic should be something that can be enjoyed for a period of months or years (doctoral studies).

"builds on and improves or refines previous research"

should contribute or have real impact on life

should be manageable