STA630 Official Handouts

STA630 (RESEARCH METHODS)

Table of Contents

Lesson 1 ............................................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION, DEFINITION & VALUE OF RESEARCH ...................................................... 1 What is the value of Research? ................................................................................................... 1 Research helps in developing methodologies .................................................................................. 2 Lesson 2 ............................................................................................................................................ 4 SCIENTIFIC METHOD OF RESEARCH & ITS SPECIAL FEATURES ....................................... 4 Important Characteristics of Scientific Method ............................................................................... 4 Lesson 3 ............................................................................................................................................ 7 CLASSIFICATION OF RESEARCH............................................................................................. 7

Q1. Purpose of Doing Research ....................................................................................................... 7

1. Exploratory/Formulative Research .......................................................................................... 7
2. Descriptive Research: ............................................................................................................. 8
3. Explanatory Research: ............................................................................................................ 8

Q2. The Uses of Research ................................................................................................................ 9

1. Basic Research ....................................................................................................................... 9
2. Applied Research ................................................................................................................... 9
3. Basic and Applied Research Compared ..................................................................................10
4. Types of Applied Research ........................................................................................................10
5. The Time Dimension in Research .............................................................................................11
6. Research (data collection) Techniques Used: ............................................................................11 Lesson 4 ...........................................................................................................................................13 THEORY AND RESEARCH........................................................................................................13 Role of Theory ..............................................................................................................................15 Role of Facts (Research) ...............................................................................................................17

Theory and Research: the Dynamic Duo ........................................................................................17 Lesson 5 ...........................................................................................................................................18 CONCEPTS .................................................................................................................................18 Concepts are an Abstraction of Reality ......................................................................................18 Degree of Abstraction ...............................................................................................................18 Definitions: ...................................................................................................................................19 Dictionary Definitions: ..............................................................................................................19 Operational Definition ...............................................................................................................20 Lesson 06 .........................................................................................................................................21 VARIABLES AND TYPES OF VARIABLES ..............................................................................21 Types of Variable..........................................................................................................................21

1. Continuous and Discontinuous variables ...............................................................................21
2. Dependent and Independent Variables ..................................................................................21
3. Moderating Variables ...........................................................................................................22
4. Intervening Variables ............................................................................................................22
5. Extraneous Variables ............................................................................................................23 Lesson 7 ...........................................................................................................................................24 HYPOTHESIS TESTING & CHARACTERISTICS ......................................................................24 Types of Hypotheses .....................................................................................................................24 The Characteristics of a Testable Hypothesis: ................................................................................26 Lesson 8 ...........................................................................................................................................28 REVIEW OF LITERATURE ........................................................................................................28 Goals of a Literature Review .........................................................................................................28 Types of Reviews .........................................................................................................................28 Lesson 9 ...........................................................................................................................................30 CONDUCTING A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW .......................................................30 Define and refine a topic: ..........................................................................................................30

Design a search .........................................................................................................................30 Locate research reports: .............................................................................................................30 Write the Review: .........................................................................................................................31 Lesson 10 .........................................................................................................................................32 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................32 The Components of the Theoretical Framework ............................................................................33 Lesson 11 .........................................................................................................................................35 PROBLEM DEFINITION AND RESEARCH PROPOSAL ..........................................................35 Lesson 12 .........................................................................................................................................38 THE RESEARCH PROCESS .......................................................................................................38

1. Broad Problem Area .............................................................................................................38
2. Preliminary Data Collection ..................................................................................................38
3. Problem Definition ...............................................................................................................38
4. Theoretical Framework .........................................................................................................39
5. Generation of Hypotheses .....................................................................................................39
6. Research Design ...................................................................................................................39
7. Data Collection, Data Processing, and Analysis ....................................................................40
8. Testing the Hypotheses; Answering the Research Questions .................................................41
9. Report Writing .....................................................................................................................41 Lesson 13 .........................................................................................................................................43 ETHICAL ISSUES IN RESEARCH .............................................................................................43 Codes of ethic applicable at each stage of the research ...............................................................43 General Rights and Obligations of Parties Concerned ................................................................44 Ethical Treatment of Participants ...............................................................................................44 Lesson 14 .........................................................................................................................................45 ETHICAL ISSUES IN RESEARCH (Cont.)..................................................................................45 Deception .................................................................................................................................45