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Practical Researchby Leedy and Ormrod
10th Edition
Charles C. TappertSeidenberg School of CSIS, Pace
University
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Chapter 1 – Research is Not
Merely gathering information Merely looking for hard-to-locate
information Merely transporting facts from
one location to another
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Chapter 1 Research Has 8 Characteristics
1. Research originates with a question or problem2. Research requires clear articulation of a goal3. Research usually divides the principal problem into
more manageable subproblems4. Research is guided by the specific research problem,
question, or hypothesis5. Research requires a specific plan for proceeding6. Research rests on certain critical assumptions7. Research requires the collection and interpretation of
data in an attempt to resolve the research problem8. Research in, by its nature, cyclical or, more exactly,
helical
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Chapter 1 – Research Cycle
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Chapter 1 – Six General Tools
1. The library and its resources2. Computer technology3. Measurement4. Statistics5. Language6. The human mind
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Chapter 2 Finding the Research Problem
1. Look around you2. Read the literature3. Seek the advice of experts4. Attend professional conferences5. Choose a topic that intrigues and
motivates you6. Choose a topic that others will find
interesting and worthy of attention
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Chapter 2 Stating the Research Problem
1. State the problem clearly and completely2. Think through the feasibility of the work
the problem implies3. Say precisely what you mean4. State the problem in a way that reflects an
open mind about its solution5. Edit your work
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Chapter 2 Every problem needs further
delineation
Dividing the research problem into subproblems Stating the hypotheses and/or research
questions Identifying the variables under investigation
Independent variable -> dependent variable Delimiting the research Defining terms Stating the assumptions Importance of the study (so what?)
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Chapter 3 Review the Related Literature
Role of literature review Understand the field and what is known Put your problem into context
Strategies for locating related literature Library and reference librarians (Michelle Lang) Indexes and abstracts Online databases Conference proceedings
Know when to end the literature review When you no longer encounter new viewpoints
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Chapter 4 Planning Your Research Work
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Chapter 4 Relation between Data and
Truth
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Chapter 4 Quantitative vs Qualitative
Research Characteristics of quantitative and qualitative
research
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Chapter 4 Quantitative vs Qualitative
Research
Choose quantitative or qualitative research
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Chapter 5 Writing the Research Proposal
The problem and its setting Problem statement, hypotheses, delimitations,
definitions, assumptions, importance of study Review of Related Literature The data and the treatment of the data
Data needed and means of obtaining the data The research methodology
Outline of the proposed study Steps to be taken, timeline, etc.
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Chapter 6 Qualitative Research
Case study Analysis of an event or programs
Phenomenological study – perceptions Interviews, surveys
Grounded theory Begin with data and develop a theory
Content analysis Examine a body of material to identify
patterns, themes, etc.
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Chapter 6 Qualitative Research
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Chapter 7 Historical Research
Examine a sequence of events and develop a rational explanation for the sequence, possible cause and effect relationships, etc.
Examples Moore’s Law by Gordon Moore Kurzweil’s Law of Accelerating Returns by Ray Kurzweil The Dot-Com Bubble Reconsidered by Lee Gomes Cooperation from a Game Theory Perspective by Dietrich
Fischer Online Handwriting Recognition Interfaces by Charles
Tappert The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
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Chapter 8 Descriptive Quantitative
Research
Involves describing the situation as it is Descriptive research designs
Observation studies Correlational research Survey research
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Chapter 9 Experimental Quantitative
Research
Look for cause-and-effect relationships Independent and dependent variables Dr. Mary Villani (DPS 2006) - keystroke biometric
study
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Chapter 10 Mixed-Methods Research
Both qualitative and quantitative dimensions
Usually require more time and energy than a strictly qualitative or quantitative study
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Chapter 11 Analyzing Quantitative Data
Exploring and organizing the data Visual representations – graphs, charts, etc. Spreadsheets
Choosing appropriate statistics Descriptive statistics
Nominal (non-numeric), ordinal (numeric), interval (equal units) , and ratio (true zero) data
Normal and non-normal distributions Parametric (e.g., means, std) and non-parametric statistics
Inferential statistics E.g., use small sample to estimate the characteristics of a
population
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Chapter 12 Writing the Dissertation
Description of the research problem Stating the hypotheses and/or research
questions Delimitations, definitions, assumptions Importance of the study (so what?)
Description of the method Presentation of the data Interpretation of the data Conclusions
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Chapter 12 Writing the Dissertation