Research Preliminaries Essay Example for Free

Research Preliminaries EssayThis course is a brief overview about interrogation design that is intended to cover the underlyings of designing and implementing a scientific study. Although this course will comeress every step of the research process, it is by no means unadulterated and is no substitute for a college level course in research methodology, nor is it a substitute for an experienced research advisor.Choosing a TopicFor a tec to choose a topic for a project, it is great to consider a broad atomic number 18a of inquiry and interest. This may be as broad as global plaza health or personality psychology, but it should be an area that is of interest to the researcher. However, a broad area is useful only at the beginning of a research plan. Within a broader topic of inquiry, each researcher must begin narrowing the theatre of operations into a few subtopics that are of greater specificity and detail. For example, a researcher may be interested in global eye hea lth, but could point more(prenominal) specifically on proper eye care and how it affects individuals. Although this topic is still besides broad for a research project, it is more focused and can be further specified into a coherent project.Literature ReviewThe literature review should be conducted early in the research process, immediately after you choose a topic. A literature review can bring clarity and focus to your research problem and broaden your knowledge base in your research area. The literature review is essential because an important responsibility in research is to add to a body of knowledge and to compare your get windings with an separate(prenominal)s. The use is simple search the literature in your area of interest, review the selected studies, and develop a theoretical modelling for your own study What makes a good research question? non all research questions are good onesin other words, not all questions can be serveed through qualitative and decimal r esearch methodology. A good research question needs to1. Make sense In other words, you must clearly define your terms using known definitions outlined in the literature. For example, a unforesightful research question would be How do peoples lives improve after surgery? non only does this research question fail to specify the study population, it contains the vague term improve. The researcher must specify what he/she means by this termdoes it involve a physical advantage or rather an improvement in mental state? The more specific your research question, the better.2. look at an important and relevant issue Scientific research is done to increase knowledge, not simply for a single researchers personal satisfaction. Whatever question the researcher sets out to solve must have some beneficial implications. A good research question will also eternally have relevance to the time, place, and population of the study. Not already have been done A good research study will be novel. Th is means that there will be some new feel of the study that has never before been examined. In fact, not only is replication a good counseling to get a research methodology, it is how science is sup buzz offd to advance knowledge. When replicating a pervious study, it is best to add or change one or devil things to increase the novelty of the research.3. Be operationalizable Oftentimes, beginning researchers pose questions that cannot be operationalized, or assessed methodologically with research instruments. From the example above, the idea of life improvement could be operationalized by a Quality of Life surveya well known and validated research tool. In general, the more abstract the idea, the harder it is to operationalize.4. Be within a reasonable scope A good research project will be manageable in depth and breadth. The scope will depend on the amount of time and the availability of resources you have for your study. In general, the more focused the research question the mo re likely it will be a successful project. For example, a study that seeks to identify the prevalence eye disease in a specific village is more likely to succeed than a alike(p) study that seeks to identify eye disease prevalence in the world population. Qualitative and Quantitative StudiesNot all research projects require study measures. Some research simply involves observing the results of events in the field and drawing conclusions based on a theoretical framework. Others may involve analyzing data from clinics or other institutions, using statistics and reasoning to find patterns that may have important implications. However, many projects involve direct meet with participants, using an operationalized definition of a phenomenon. These projects require well-designed measures in order to be considered valid.There are two broad categories of research quantitative and qualitative. A study is classified as qualitative if the purpose is primarily to describe a smudge, phenomenon, problem or event the information is gathered through the use of variables or measured on qualitative measurement scales, and if analysis is done to establish the variation in the situation or problem without quantifying it. Qualitative studies tend to be more in-depth, focusing on a little population but probing deeper into a given problem. This research is oftentimes associated with focus groups, interviews or surveys and seeks to answer open-ended questions.Thematic and content analysis are two methods used to analyze qualitative data. Disciplines such as anthropology, history, and sociology are more inclined towards a qualitative approach. On the other hand, quantitative studies often use standardized measures, numerical values, have larger sample sizes, and analyze data using statistical programs. A study is classified as quantitative if the researcher seeks to quantify the variation in a phenomenon and if information is gathered using quantitative variables. Both qualitativ e and quantitative approaches have their strengths and weaknesses, and advantages and disadvantages. Disciplines such as epidemiology, economics and public health are more inclined towards quantitative research.HypothesisA supposition is a suggested explanation for an observed family or a causal prediction about a relationship among several variables. Every research project is based on a hypothesis, which generally begins with a specific question. A hypothesis takes the operationalized definition of the actors to produce a clear prediction of the causal relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable in the statement. The independent variable is a factor that the researcher can control or manipulate (whether or not a person suck ins basic eye care services), and a dependent variable is a factor that the researcher cannot manipulate, but preferably varies in relation to the independent variable (the economic productivity of the individual).For example, a hypothesis might be We predict that if nearsighted participants are provided with corrective lenses that bring their vision to 20/20, they will earn more money per week on average over the course of three months than nearsighted participants who did not receive corrective lenses. When formulating a hypothesis, it is important not to try to prove that the hypothesis is true. Instead, one should seek to find evidence that it is not true.