CLASS: RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES

Research and its importance

• Research is a process that is undertaken in a systematic way with a clear purpose, to find things out.
Research adds to our knowledge by addressing new issues.
Research is also important because it suggests improvements for practice.
Research also helps practitioners evaluate approaches that they hope will work w indv in practical settings. This
process involves sifting through research to deter which results will be most useful.
Research also provides info to policymakers when they research and debate educational topics.
=> Research involves seeking a well-supported answer to an undisclosed matter
(doing research is to find the justified answer to the unrevealed thing
-> generate knowledge)

• Research methodology is the overall system or framework that is used to guide your research project .
Your methodology is influenced by your epistemological standpoint and by ur theoretical perspective. Some
standpoints emphasize the importance of obj truth, whereas others suggest that there is no such thing and
that the only real truth is constructed by the individual. Within each standpoint, there is a variety of
methodologies that can be chosen to guide your research.

• Experimental research
Commonly referred to as the scientific method , experimental research can be viewed as both a methodology and a
method. This type of research seeks to add to knowledge thru diligent inquiry that involves systematic and
controlled testing to understand casual process. Researchers manipulate one or more vars, controlling and
measuring changes in other vars. They also examine data, reports and observations in the search for facts or
principles.

Some webs for data:

datatab.net
scimagojr.com
swinbume.edu.au

Stages in a Research Process (Design thinking process):

Step 1: Think about your research
Step 2: Plan your project
Step 3: Conduct your research
Step 4: Analyze your data
Step 5: Report your results

Objectivism
Knowledge exists independently of human thought. Reality is obj, and researchers can discover this reality thru
observation and measurement. This view supports positivism.
Positivism emphasizes that society can be studied through empirical research
and science, whereas Objectivism suggests that reality exists independently of
human perception.

Subjectivism
Believes that reality is shaped or determined by our perceptions, beliefs, or feelings.

Constructivism
Knowledge is a human construction, shaped by social and cultural experiences. Researchers believe that reality is
subjective and shaped by individual perceptions. This view is often liked to interpretivism
interpretivism is a sociological method of research in which an action or event is
analyzed based on the beliefs, norms, and values of the culture of the society in
which it takes place
Different methodologies
Objectivism Experimental research
Survey Research
Subjectivism Discourse theory
Deconstruction
Constructivism Ethnography
Grounded theory
Phenomenological research
Heuristic inquiry
Action research
Discourse analysis
Feminist research

Objectivism Holds that reality exists independently of consciousness

Subjectivism Believes that reality is shaped or determined by our perceptions, beliefs, or
feelings.
Constructivism based on the idea that people actively construct or make their own knowledge,
and that reality is determined by your experiences as a learner. Basically,
learners use their previous knowledge as a foundation and build on it with new
things that they learn

OBJECTIVISM, SUBJECTIVISM, CONSTRUCTIVISM

1. Which of the following best describes Objectivism? Reality exists independently of human perception

2. Which epistemological position suggests that knowledge is created through interaction between the individual and
society? => Constructivism

3. Subjectivism claims that knowledge is based on: personal experiences and interpretations

4. Which of the following is a core belief of Constructionism? knowledge is socially constructed

5. In Objectivism, truth is seen as: Universal and independent of human though

6. Which research paradigm aligns most closely with Subjectivism? => Interpretivism

7. According to Constructionism, meaning is created by Social and cultural interactions

8. Which of the following statements reflects a Subjectivist approach to reality?

Reality is experienced differently by each individual

9. In which philosophy is knowledge believed to be a reflection of objective reality? objectivism

10. Which of the following statements best aligns with Constructionism?

Knowledge is derived from the individual's interaction with society

RESEARCH AIM AND OBJECTIVES

1. Which of the following is the most important characteristic of a well-developed research question? =>
specific and focused

2. What should a research question primarily reflect? A gap in the current knowledge

3. Which of the following types of research questions is best suited for qualitative research?
=> what is the meaning of?

4. what is the primary purpose of a research question in the context of a research study? => to narrow down the
research topic to sth manageable

5. Which of the following is an example of an explanatory research question?

why do some consumers prefer brand A over brand B?

6. Which of the following is a key feature of a "testable" research question?

It can be answered by collecting and analyzing data

7. which type of research question seeks to identify a cause-and-effect relationship? Causal

8. What is an important consideration when refining a broad research topic into a research question?
ensuring the question is answerable within the scope of the study

9. Which of the following is an example of a well-constructed quantitative research question?

what is the impact of exercise on mental health among college students?

10. what is the role of operational definitions in developing research questions?

they help clarify abstract concepts w/in the research question

Research aim focus on what the research project is intended to achieve;

Research objectives focus on how the aim will be achieved ( specific, measurable, and achievable goals that you
aim to accomplish within a specified timeframe. ).
Research aims are relatively broad; research objectives are specific.

1. what is the primary difference between an aim and an objective in research?

an aim is broader, while an objective is more specific

2. which of the following best defines a research aim? a broad, general statement of the overall goal

3. which of the following is an example of an objective in research?

to collect data thru surveys on social media usage among teens

4. which is true regarding the relationship between aims and objectives ? objectives are steps to achieve aims

5. An aim typically answers which of the following questions?

what is the general purpose of the research?

6. which of the following would be an appropriate aim for a study on climate change ?
to understand the impact of climate change on global weather patterns

7. what type of statement is an objective typically? specific and measurable

8. which of the following research aim and objective pairings is correctly matched?
aim : to improve workplace productivity
objective: to identify best practices for time management

9. which of the following is an example of a research obj ? to analyze the effectiveness of team collaboration tools

10. what is the role of objectives in a research study?

to define the methods and actions taken to achieve the overall aim

Example: aims Objectives

To examine To assess the relationship between sedentary habits and muscle atrophy
contributory factors to among the participants.
muscle retention in a To determine the impact of dietary factors, particularly protein consumption, on
group of elderly people the muscular health of the participants.
To determine the effect of physical activity on the participants’ muscular health.
to explore the impact of To examine the effects of rising temperatures on the yield of rice crops during
climate change on crop the upcoming growth season.
productivity. To assess changes in rainfall patterns in major agricultural regions over the first
decade of the twenty-first century (2000-2010).”
To analyze the impact of changing weather patterns on crop diseases within the
same timeframe.”
To investigate the impact Determining the impact of exercise on blood pressure
of regular exercise on Evaluating the impact of exercise on cholesterol levels
cardiovascular health Assessing the impact of exercise on the overall cardiovascular health of
participants

statistical inference: we draw conclusions about the population based on the data obtained from a sample
chosen from it

confidence intervals (CI)

The goal: to give a range of plausible values for the estimate of the unknown population parameters.
Confidence intervals measure the degree of uncertainty or certainty in a sampling method.

the population mean

the population proportion
the population standard deviation
We start w our best guess: the sample statistic
The sample mean
The sample proportion
The sample standard deviation
Sample statistic = point estimate

CI = point estimate +/- margin of error ( m or E)

CONFIDENCE INTERVAL
1. What is a confidence interval? => A range of values that estimates the population parameter w a certain level of
confidence

2. What does the confidence level represent in a confidence interval ?

The probability that the population parameter falls w/in the interval

3. Which of the following factors affect the width of a confidence interval?

All of the above: sample size, confidence level, variability of the data

4. If you increase the confidence level of a confidence interval from 90% to 95%, what happens to the width of the
interval? => It increases

5. A 95% confidence interval for the population mean is calculated at [ 10,20]. What does this interval signify?
There is a 95% chance that the population mean falls between 10 and 20

6. How does increasing the sample size affect the width of a confidence interval ?
It narrows the interval

7. What is the purpose of calculating a confidence interval ?

To assess the precision and reliability of a sample statistic.

8.which of the following statements about confidence intervals is true?

Narrow confidence intervals indicate higher precision.

9. If the margin of error for a confidence level is 3 and sample size is 50, what are the bounds of interval? 50+/- 3 =>
[47,53]

10. How is a confidence interval interpreted ?

It represents a range of values w/in which the population parameter is estimated to lie, w a certain level of
confidence.

STATISTICS
1. Which level of measurement has an absolute zero point? => Ratio

2 What is the defining characteristic of ordinal data? =>Data can be ranked or ordered

3. In which level of measurement are both rank order and equal intervals present? interval

4.Example of nominal data? => Race or ethnicity

5. Which level of measurement allows for the calculation of means and standard deviation? =>Interval
6. What is the distinguishing feature of ratio data? => Data have an absolute zero point

7. Which level of measurement allows for the most sophisticated statistical analysis? Ratio

8. Example of ratio data? =>Age in years

9. Which level of measurement allows the least amount of information? => Nominal

10. Example of ordinal data? => Blood pressure categories

MEAN, MODE, MEDIAN

1. Which measure of central tendency is affected most by extreme values? =>mean

2.What is the value that occurs most frequently in a dataset called => Mode

3. Which measure of central tendency is the middle value when all values are arranged in an ascending order? =>
median

4. Sum of all values on a dataset divided by the number of values called? = Mean

5. Which measure of central tendency is less affected by extreme values ? =>Median

6. In a positively skewed distribution, which measure of central tendency is typically greater? => mean

7. What is the value that separates the lower half from the upper half of the data called? median

8. In a symmetric distribution, measure of central tendency which is typically equal? Mean and median

9. Which measure of central tendency is most appropriate for ordinal data? MEDIAN

10. What is the value that represents the variability of scores around the mean called? Standard deviation

multiple choice 45đ

10 câu true false 25đ
bài luận 30đ :aim objective paragraph rồi xác định research topic, gap, methodology:

hypothesis testing = is a systematic procedure for deciding whether the results of a research study support
a particular theory which applies to a population. Hypothesis testing uses sample data to evaluate a hypothesis
about a population.
Hypothesis testing is a type of inferential statistics that is used to test assumptions and draw conclusions
about the population from the available sample data. It involves setting up a null hypothesis and an alternative
hypothesis followed by conducting a statistical test of significance.

inferential statistics = involves the use of a sample (1) to estimate some characteristic in a large population;
and (2) to test a research hypothesis about a given population. To appropriately estimate a population characteristic,
or parameter, a random and unbiased sample must be drawn from the population of interest.
 validity and reliability = Độ tin cậy và độ chính xac
Two strands of reliability and validity in quantitative research: \
Validity: whether the means of measurement are accurate and whether they are actually measuring what they
are intended to measure.
Reliability: whether the result is replicable
Types of validity and reliability

measurement and confidence interval measurement in scientific research =

experimental design = a framework of protocols and procedures created to conduct experimental research
with a scientific approach using two sets of variables. Herein, the first set of variables acts as a constant, used to
measure the differences of the second set. The best example of experimental research methods is quantitative
research.
When Can a Researcher Conduct Experimental Research?
A researcher can conduct experimental research in the following situations —
1. When time is an important factor in establishing a relationship between the cause and effect.
2. When there is an invariable or never-changing behavior between the cause and effect.
3. Finally, when the researcher wishes to understand the importance of the cause and effect

hypotheses and statistical methods in scientific research =

quantitative vs qualitative research

QuanTitative quaLitative
Use quantitative research if you want to confirm or Use qualitative research if you want to understand
test something (a theory or hypothesis something (concepts, thoughts, experiences)

quantitative research is numeric and objective, Qualitative research is used to formulate a

seeking to answer questions like when or where. hypothesis. If you need deeper information about a
topic you know little about, qualitative research can
Quantitative research is used to test or confirm a help you uncover themes. For this reason, qualitative
hypothesis. Qualitative research usually informs research often comes prior to quantitative. It allows you
quantitative. You need to have enough to get a baseline understanding of the topic and start to
understanding about a topic in order to develop a formulate hypotheses around correlation and
hypothesis you can test. Since quantitative causation.
research is highly structured, you first need to
understand what the parameters are and how qualitative research is concerned with subjective
variable they are in practice. This allows you to phenomena that can't be numerically measured, like
create a research outline that is controlled in all the how different people experience grief.
ways that will produce high-quality data.