150825_LSPR-SAQ02-s34

Master of Arts in Communication : Corporate Communication Studies

Course : Seminar & Colloquium (1508SAQ02)

elearning.lspr.edu

Session Topic : Conducting Research

Course: Seminar & Colloquium

By Dr. Rino Boer Ph.D

LSPR eLearning Program

Powered by HarukaEdu.com -1508SAQ02- S.3

• Part 1 The Process

• Part 2 Approaches

• Part 3 Methods

Content

Part1: The Process


Research: Definition & Steps

Q: What is research ?

A: A process in which, • you engage in a small set of logical steps used to collect & • analyze information to increase our understanding of a topic

or issue.

At a general level, research consists of 3 steps: 1. Pose a question, 2. Collect data to answer the question, &3. Present an answer to the question.


Research: Why ?

Q: Why is research important ?

A: Research is important for 3 reasons,1. Adds to our knowledge, 2. Improves practice, & 3. Informs policy debates.

I was just rubbing sticks together for fun – I didn’t realise I was doing basic research.


Research: Steps

The process of research consists of 6 steps:

1. Identifying a Research Problem

a. Specifying a problem

b. Justifying it

c. Suggesting the need to study it for audiences

2. Reviewing the Literature

a. Locating,

b. Selecting &

c. Summarizing resources

3. Specifying a Purpose for Research

a. Identifying the purpose statement

b. Narrowing the purpose statement for research questions of

hypotheses


Research: Steps (Cont.)

“Google is my best friend & my worst

enemy.

• It's fabulous for research,

• but then it becomes addictive.

• I'll have a character eating an orange,

&

• next thing I'm googling types of

oranges,

• I'm visiting chat rooms about oranges,

• I'm learning the history of the orange.”

Liane Moriarty

Australian author of

6 Int’l best-selling

novels


Research: Steps (Cont.)

4. Collecting Data

a. Selecting individuals to study

b. Obtaining permissions

c. Gathering information

5. Analyzing & Interpreting Data

a. Breaking down the data

b. Representing the data

c. Explaining the data

6. Reporting & Evaluating Research

a. Deciding on audiences

b. Structuring the report

c. Writing the report sensitively


Research: Ethical Practices

Q: What ethical practices should we observe ?

A:

1. Respecting the Rights of Participants

2. Honoring Research Sites

3. Reporting Research Fully & Honestly

Ethical Context:

Researchers should reflect on ethical issues,

• throughout the research process,

• Ethics should, at all times,

• Be at the forefront of the researcher’s

agenda

(Hesse-Bieber & Leavy, 2006)

Sharlene Nagy

Hesse-Biber

Prof. Sociology

at Boston

College

Patricia Leavy

Prof.Sociology

at Boston

College


Research: Anti-Plagiarism

1. Anti-Plagiarism Policy

All assignments will need to have a signed declaration,

• on the 2nd page (after the cover),

• that the material submitted is…

• …the students’ own work &

• that all work taken from other sources is properly

acknowledged.


Research: Anti-Plagiarism (Cont.)

Use this wording on the 2nd page of each report:

I certify that the attached assignment is my own work & that any material

obtained from other sources has been acknowledged.

I grant permission to the London School of Public Relations to make

copies of assignments for assessment, review and/or record keeping

purposes. I note that the London School of Public Relations reserves the

right to check my assignment for plagiarism.

Signed…………………………… Date………………………

Penalty for students who performed plagiarism: FAILED from the subject.


Research: Referencing

2. Referencing

PGP applied,

• APA (American Psychological Association) as references system for…

• …all paper work in each subjects (latest version is 6th Edition, 2010).

1. Worldwide accepted

International/national conferences & reputable journals.

2. Up dated revisions.

3. Easy for students:

Students will learn while practicing this references before doing thesis.

4. Easy to learn

• www.apastyle.org &

• feel free to come to the Thesis Depart.

• (on the 9th floor with Ms. Sari/Rita) & ask for softcopy file.


Research: Referencing (Cont.)

Please visit the following website for these guides:

• http://www.lspr.edu/category/thesis/


Research: Needed Skills

Q: What are the skills needed

for research ?

A:

1. Solving Puzzles.

2. Lengthening Your Attention

Span

3. Using Library Resource

4. Writing, Editing & More

Writing

Applying the research process to actual studies:

• Journal example!

• I’ll give the softcopy file through LMS

Look at the chart & say the

COLOUR, not the word…

YELLOW BLUE ORANGE BLACK

RED GREEN PURPLE YELLOW RED

ORANGE GREEN BLACK BLUE RED

PURPLE GREEN BLUE ORANGE

Left – Right Conflict

Your “right brain” tries to “say the

colour” but your “left brain” insists

on “reading the word”

Part2: Approaches


Research: Quantitative & Qualitative Approaches

You can approach research in 2 ways, through a…

1. Quantitative study or

2. Qualitative study

• …depending on the type of problem you need to

research.

• Your choice of one of these approaches will…

• …shape the procedures you use in each of the six steps

of research.


Quantitative & Qualitative: Definition

Q: What does it mean to conduct quantitative & qualitative

research ?

A:

1. Quantitative Research. Defn:

A type of educational research in which the researcher:

a. Decides what to study,

b. Asks specific, narrow questions,

c. Collects quantifiable data from participants,

d. Analyzes these numbers using statistics, &

e. Conducts the inquiry in an unbiased, objective manner.


2. Qualitative Research. Defn:

A type of educational research in which the researcher:

a. Relies on the views of participants,

b. Asks broad, general questions,

c. Collects data consisting largely of words (texts) from

participants,

d. Describes & analyses these words for themes, &

e. Conducts the inquiry in a subjective, biased manner.

Quantitative & Qualitative: Definition (Cont.)


Quantitative & Qualitative : Development

Q: How did quantitative & qualitative

research develop ?

A:

The development of the 2

approaches is,

• not a case of one approach

replacing the other, instead,

• it reflects the addition of

qualitative inquiry…

• …to the traditional quantitative

approach…

• …the continuum from QUAN to

QUAL research.


Quantitative Research: History

A Brief History of Quantitative Research

• Qn. res. began in the late 19th century & dominated

educational inquiry for most of the 20th century.

• The initial ideas for qn. res. came from the physical

sciences,

• such as physics & chemistry. . . .

• In the history of the development of qn.res.,

• 3 historical trends are present:

1. Statistical procedures,

2. Test & measurement practices, &

3. Research designs.


Quantitative Research: History (Cont.)

The historical trends have led,

• to characteristics of quantitative research that we see

today,

• an emphasis on:

a. Collecting & analyzing information in the form of numbers,

b. Collecting scores that measure distinct attributes of

individuals & organizations, &

c. The procedures of comparing groups or relating factors

about…

1. Individuals or groups in experiments,

2. Correlational studies, &

3. Surveys.


Qualitative Research: History

A Brief History of Qualitative Research

• The actual use of ql res in education is most apparent during the last

30 years,

• 3 themes shape its history in education:

1. Philosophical ideas,

2. Procedural developments, &

3. Participatory & advocacy practices.

By the late 1960s,

• philosophers of education called for an alternative to the traditional

qn approach.

• The traditional approach, they felt, relied too much on the

researcher’s view of education &

• less on the research participant’s view


Qualitative Research: History (Cont.)

• Traditional investigations created a contrived situation in which,

• an experimental situation far removed from his or her personal

experiences.

• To counter these traditional approaches, philosophers of education

suggested an alternative form of research,

• called naturalistic inquiry or constructivism, to remedy these

deficiencies.

Along with these efforts arose a discussion about “types” of qlr designs,

such as:

a. Case studies,

b. Grounded theory research, &

c. Narrative inquiry, &

d. The emergence of qualitative computer software programs for data

analysis.


Qualitative Research: History (Cont.)

Advocacy researchers are,

a. Not objective,

b. Authoritative, or

c. Politically neutral.

Advocacy researchers see QUAL

as a…

1. Civic responsibility,

2. “Moral dialogue”, &

3. Means for bringing needed

change to our society.

These historical developments,

• have led to characteristics of qlr

that we recognize today,

• a recognition that:

a. As researchers we need to

listen to the views of

participants in our studies,

b. We need to ask general, open

questions & collect data in

places where people live &

work, &

c. Research has a role in

advocating for change &

bettering the lives of

individuals.

Part3: Methods


Research: Quantitative vs. Qualitative Methods


Quantitative & Qualitative Research: Characteristics

What characteristics,

• distinguish & are common to QUAN & QUAL…

• …in each of the 6 steps ?

Step 1: Identifying a Research Problem

Quantitative Qualitative

Tends to address research problems

requiring:

• A description of trends or,

• an explanation of the

relationship among variables.

Tends to address research problems

requiring:

a. An exploration in which,

• little is known about the problem.

b. A detailed understanding of a

central phenomenon


Quantitative & Qualitative Research: Characteristics (Cont.)


The literature tends to:

a. Provide a major role through,

• suggesting the research

questions to be asked.

b. Justify the research problem &

• create a need for the direction

• (purpose statement &

• research questions or

hypotheses) of the study.

The literature tends to:

a. Play a minor role in,

• suggesting a specific research

question to be asked.

b. Justify the importance of,

• studying the research problem

Step 2: Reviewing the Literature




The purpose statement,

• research questions, &

• hypotheses tend to:

a. Be specific & narrow.

b. Seek measurable, observable

data on variables

The purpose statement &

• research questions tend to:

a. Be general & broad.

b. Seek to understand the

participants’ experiences

Step 3: Specifying a Purpose for Research




The data collection tends to consist

of:

a. Collecting data using instruments

with,

• preset questions & responses.

b. Gathering quantifiable (numeric)

data.

c. Collecting information from a

large number of individuals.

The data collection tends to consist

of:

a. Collecting data using forms with

general,

• emerging questions to permit

participants…

• …to generate responses.

b. Gathering word (text) or,

• image (picture) data.

c. Collecting information from a

small number of,

• individuals or sites.

Step 4: Collecting Data




Data analysis tends to:

a. Consist of statistical analysis

b. Involve describing trends,

• Comparing group differences

or,

• Relating variables.


a. Consist of text analysis.

b. Involve developing a description

& themes.

Interpretation tends to,

• consist of comparing results with

prior predictions &

• past research.

Interpretation tends to,

• consist of stating the larger

meaning of the findings.

Step 5: Analyzing & Interpreting Data




Research reports tend to:

a. Use standard, fixed structures

• & evaluative criteria.


a. Consist of text analysis.

b. Involve developing a description

& themes.

Researchers tends to,

• take an objective & unbiased

approach

Researchers tends to,

• take a subjective (reflexive) &

• biased approach.

Step 6: Reporting & Evaluating Research


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Course : Seminar & Colloquium (1508SAQ02)

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150825_LSPR-SAQ02-s34