HDFS 328 Introduction to the Research Process
Introduction Research What Research is Not : Making statements and concluding they are true : Mere information gathering : Mere movement of facts from one location to another
What is Research? "...a process through which we attempt to systematically achieve with the support of data, answers to a question, the resolutions of a problem, or a greater understanding of a phenomenon..."
Characteristics: Inquiry, Causality, Objectivity
Knowledge is information transformed into understanding through skills of interpretation, explanation, and evaluation
Dealing with a Disconnect Between Public Media and Actual Research- Recommendations: 1. Always locate original sources ttscholarly references) 2. Check carefully for correlational findings 3. Watch for: balanced reporting, misinterpretation of statistics and generalizations that arise from them
Science versus Pseudoscience Pseudoscience: Any theory, method, or belief that appears based in science but is not Pseudoscience acquire and present their knowledge in ways that do not lend themselves to open test, criticisms, or challenges tt... "based on our clinical studies" Superficial appearance of being scientific Often use the popular press rather than any specific journal or they have their "own" journals ttnon- peer reviewed) Rely heavily on: 1. Authority figures and "experts" 2. Persistence or tenacity of a belief ttyou have heard something so many times you think it must be true) 3. Intuition- people's "common sense" ttE.g. cholesterol is bad for you, premium gas is better for your car) 4. Personal anecdotes and testimonials Science: Accumulation of knowledge via systematic observation or experimentation using the scientific method Stable Ideals of Science
0 Empirical: Knowledge is acquired via objective and systematic collection of data Self-Correcting: A system of challenges by which scientific claims can be verified
Characterized by Control: The controlled direct manipulation of a desired variable or the management or removal of unwanted factors that can influence observations or experiments Science is replicable and objectively verifiable Public- disseminated for others to see Peer reviewed- other experts evaluate its merits ttpresumable without bias) Essential Steps for Quality Science o Ask well formulated, unambiguous questions Develop testable hypotheses ttcapable of being investigated)
Design techniques to test the hypothesis Test your techniques for reliability and validity Perform the research to evaluate your hypotheses Interpret and evaluate the results Determine conditions where results hold true and where they do not State the applications and the new problems that are raised by the research
Goals and Methods of Research
Goals of Scientific Research 1. Description of a phenomena, event, or process : A necessary step in scientific discovery : Careful and accurate attention to details 2. Explanation- answer the "why" it tta behavior or mental process) happens : Provide data on testable hypotheses 3. Prediction- a goal of some scientific research : One can specify in advance when a particular event will occur 4. Influence or control tta behavior or mental process) Apply or manipulate variables to exert effective control over behavior These four common goals of research bring us to the distinctions between "basic" and "applied" researc