Why is research important?!Looking for reality !•Ordinary human inquiry!•all of us try to understand and predict the social world. Scientific inquiries -◦and social research in particular- are designed to avoid the common pitfalls of ordinary human inquiry!Science offers an approach to understanding reality!•Criteria for acceptance of reality:!◦logical and empirical support!‣Common errors in human inquiry!•Inaccurate observations!◦over-generalizations!◦selective observation- we ignore the contrary and focus our attention on ◦what we see !illogical reasoning- "acceptation approves the rule"- gamblers fallacy. Ex: ◦consistent bad luck will soon bring good luck. !ideology and politics- death penalty, gun control- people get really involved ◦in their ideologies !!What is research?!the scientific investigation into or of a specifically identified phenomenon and is •applicable to recognizable and undiscovered phenomena. !The research process:!•Identifying the research problem!◦Designing the study!◦collecting the data!◦Analyzing and interpreting the results of the data!◦Publishing or sharing the findings !◦!!!Types of Research!Descriptive- usually done first. Counting, documenting pre-specified •observations.!Exploratory- more concerned with first understanding what needs to be •studied. Research for the sake of exploring a topic!Explanatory- "why does something happen?" use the data collected to further •explain. !Applied- concerned with the problems affecting people here and now. Root •causes of problems. Apply the findings to real life problems. !Evaluation!◦Policy analysis !◦!The scientific method!Defining the problem !1.reviewing the body of literature- review whether the problem has been 2.addressed !formulating a hypothesis!3.collecting and analyzing the data!4.developing a conclusion!5.sharing your results!6.!Theory: Conceptual framework that explains existing facts and predicts new ones!Hypothesis: general statement or prediction about the relationship between two or more variables !must be well constructed and plausible!◦has to be grounded in theory!◦has to be testable !◦!Step 1: Defining the Problem!Important to state as clearly as possible what it is we want to investigate!•Narrow down key words, ideas and definitions we are interested in studying!•Conceptualizations !•Beginning point for all research endeavor !◦Go from the abstract to the concrete !◦!Step 2: Literature Review!Read and describe other scholarly studies relevant to the topic under •examination!Provides an in-depth understanding of the topic!•Alerts us to methodological problems that have been encountered by prior •researchers !Library website!•!Step 3: Formulating a Hypothesis !Hypothesis: a specified testable expectation about the nature of things derived •from a theory!Direction of the hypothesis determines which variables are dependent and •which are independent !Independent variable: cause or influences another variable !◦Dependent variable: caused or influenced by the independent variable !◦!Step 4: Collecting and Analyzing Data!Select sample!•Select research method to collect data from the sample!•surveys!◦field work!◦experiments!◦secondary data!◦Analyze the results!•!Step 5: Developing a Conclusion !Did the data support the hypothesis!•Are there questions remaining that are unanswered!•Are there any possible flaws or shortcomings?!•Recommendations for future research on that topic!•!Step 6: Sharing the Results!Publish in a scholarly journal or book!•Presenting your findings at a professional meeting and/or to an agency
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