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WGU RFC 1 ch 2
Summary of Chapter 2
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| The first step in selecting a research topic | identify a general subject that is related to your area of expertise and is of particular interest to you |
| Five main sources of research topics | 1. Theories 2. Personal experiences 3. Previous studies that can be replicated 4. Electronic mailing lists 5. Library searches |
| Theories | organized bodies of concepts, generalizations, & principles |
| Researchers often | study a particular aspect of a theory to determine its applicability or generalizablity. |
| A researcher's personal experiences and concerns | often lead to useful and personally rewarding studies |
| Can be rich topic sources | Common questions such as "Why does this happen?" or What would happen if...?" |
| Existing studies | common source of research topics |
| Replication of a study | usually involves changing some feature from the original study |
| Electronic mailing list | designed by organizations to facilitate communication among their members |
| Library searches | generally not efficient ways to identify research topics |
| Cover many topics briefly are useful | handbooks, encyclopedias, and yearbooks |
| Library resources | invaluable, after you have identified a topic to study |
| After an initial topic is identified | needs to be narrowed and focused into a manageable topic to study |
| Quantitative research topics | usually narrowed quickly at the start of a study |
| Qualitative research topics | not usually narrowed until the researcher has more information about the participants and their setting. |
| two basic characteristics of a good research topic | 1. It is of interest to the researcher 2. It is researchable using the collection & analysis of data |
| Not researchable | Topics related to philosophical and ethical issues (i.e. should questions) |
| A good topic has | theoretical or practical significance |
| A good topic | solution contributes in some way to improving the educational process. |
| A good topic for you | must be a topic that can be adequately investigated given your current level or research skill, available resources, and time and other restrictions |
| Topic statement | first item in the introduction to a research plan |
| Topic statement | introduction to the final research project. Provides direction for the remaining aspects of both |
| Well written topic statement for a quantitative study | generally indicates the variable of interest, the specific relations among those variables, & ideally, the characteristics of the participants. |
| Qualitative research topics | usually are stated in general language because qualitative researchers need to become attuned to their research context before narrowing their topic. |
| Hypothesis | researcher's prediction of the research findings |
| Researchers do not | set out to prove a hypothesis but rather collect data that either support or do not support it. |
| Hypothesis in quantitative study | formulated based on theory or on knowledge gained while reviewing the related literature. |
| Critical characteristic of a good hypothesis is that it is | based on sound rationale. |
| A hypothesis | a reasoned prediction, not a wild guess |
| A hypothesis | is a tentative but rational explanation for the predicted outcome |
| A good hypothesis states | clearly and concisely the expected relations or differences between variables |
| variables | should be stated in measurable terms. |
| A well stated and well defined hypothesis | must be testable |
| Inductive hypothesis | generalization made from a number of observations |
| deductive hypothesis | derived from theory and is aimed at providing evidence that supports, expands, or contradicts aspects of a given theory |
| Research hypothesis states | the expected relation or difference between variables, which the researcher expects to test through the collection and analysis of data |
| A non-directional hypothesis | predicts only that a relation or no difference exists |
| A directional hypothesis indicates | the direction of the difference as well. |
| Null hypothesis | predicts that there is no significant relation or difference between variables. |
| General paradigm or model for stating hypotheses for experimental studies is | P who get X do better on Y than P who do not get X (or get some other X) P=participants X=treatment or independent variable Y=outcome or dependent variable |
| Researcher selects | the sample, measuring instruments, designs, and procedures that will enable him or her to collect the data necessary to test the hypothesis |
| Those data | are analyzed to determine whether or not the hypothesis is supported |
| Typically, qualitative researchers | do not state formal hypotheses prior to the study |
| A qualitative researcher | may develop guiding hypotheses for the proposed research |
| Qualitative researchers | are likely to generate new hypotheses as a result of their studies. |
Created by:
Xyrarose
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