From research questions to planning the research process: approaches to study design

2020 ◽  
pp. 74-91
Keyword(s):  
Study Design ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Approaches To Study ◽  
Research Questions

scholarly journals Is Banning Significance Testing the Best Way to Improve Applied Social Science Research? – Questions on

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 95-105
Author(s):  
Thees F Spreckelsen ◽  
Mariska Van Der Horst
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Significance Testing ◽  
Sociological Research ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Applied Social Science

Significance testing is widely used in social science research. It has long been criticised on statistical grounds and problems in the research practice. This paper is an applied researchers’ response to Gorard's (2016) ‘Damaging real lives through obstinacy: re-emphasising why significance testing is wrong’ in Sociological Research Online 21(1). He participates in this debate concluding from the issues raised that the use and teaching of significance testing should cease immediately. In that, he goes beyond a mere ban of significance testing, but claims that researchers still doing this are being unethical. We argue that his attack on applied scientists is unlikely to improve social science research and we believe he does not sufficiently prove his claims. In particular we are concerned that with a narrow focus on statistical significance, Gorard misses alternative, if not more important, explanations for the often-lamented problems in social science research. Instead, we argue that it is important to take into account the full research process, not just the step of data analysis, to get a better idea of the best evidence regarding a hypothesis.

Natural Experiments in Business Research Methods

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. Withers ◽  
Chi Hon Li
Keyword(s):  
Study Design ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Causal Relationships ◽  
Random Assignment ◽  
Natural Experiments ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Viable Approach

Causal identification is an important consideration for organizational researchers as they attempt to develop a theoretical understanding of the causes and effects of organizational phenomena. Without valid causal identification, insights regarding organizational phenomena are challenging given their inherent complexity. In other words, organizational research will be limited in its scientific progression. Randomized controlled experiments are often suggested to provide the ideal study design necessary to address potential confounding effects and isolate true causal relationships. Nevertheless, only a few research questions lend themselves to this study design. In particular, the full randomization of subjects in the treatment and control group may not be possible due to the empirical constraints. Within the strategic management area, for example, scholars often use secondary data to examine research questions related to competitive advantage and firm performance. Natural experiments are increasingly recognized as a viable approach to identify causal relationships without true random assignment. Natural experiments leverage external sources of variation to isolate causal effects and avoid potentially confounding influences that often arise in observational data. Natural experiments require two key assumptions—the as-if random assignment assumption and the stable unit treatment value assumption. When these assumptions are met, natural experiments can be an important methodological approach for advancing causal understanding of organizational phenomena.

Promoting Undergraduate Student Research Collaboration: Faculty Perceptions of Benefits and Challenges

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Catherine Tompkins ◽  
Anissa Rogers ◽  
Harriet Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Research Collaboration ◽  
Faculty Perceptions ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Work Skills ◽  
Social Work Faculty ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Testing Instruments

Social work faculty from across the country (N=95) were surveyed to explore their perceptions about involving undergraduate students in their research projects. Results indicated that 58% of the respondents used undergraduate students in their research. Reported benefits of this involvement included that students brought enthusiasm, a willingness to learn, and a fresh vision to the research process. Students also brought social work skills and were helpful in conducting literature reviews, designing and pilot testing instruments, collecting and analyzing data, assisting with manuscripts, and presenting at conferences. Challenges reported by respondents included time and financial constraints for students and faculty as well as students' lack of understanding of and confidence about the research process. Implications are discussed, and further research questions are proposed.

Thinking Process in Legal Research

2020 ◽  
pp. 32-53
Author(s):  
P. Ishwara Bhat
Keyword(s):  
Reflective Thinking ◽  
Inductive Reasoning ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Central Research ◽  
Legal Research ◽  
Common Features ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Thinking Process ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Problematic Situations

The second chapter discusses the way and means of carrying out the thinking process in legal research. Thinking is always in response to memory or a situation that the mind comes across. The three important processes of thinking laid down by scholars are: reflective thinking, epistemological steps, and the scientific method. Each poses central research questions in response to problematic situations or difficulties and tries to find answers by expanding the thinking process. The formulation of a tentative answer called hypothesis, working about its viability in light of exhaustive collection of data, and drawing inferences are the phases of the research process. There are subtle differences and common features amidst these approaches, which the present chapter closely compares and contrasts. It also discusses the relation between fact and theory, the differences between deductive and inductive reasoning, and the method of correlating and applying them in the course of legal research.

scholarly journals Tourism and Security in Nepal

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-47
Author(s):  
Rup Kumar Chhetri
Keyword(s):  
Business Education ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Security Sector ◽  
Cognitive Improvement ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Tourism Enterprises ◽  
Education Culture

This paper discusses the concept of tourism and security in Nepal and focuses on the association in between tourism and security aspects. Tourism is important for leisure, business, education, culture and recreation. Tourism industry is a fast developing sector for the economy worldwide and becoming a popular global leisure activity. As a fast growing industry in the today’s world, tourism industry events are getting more attraction for study and appropriate intervention. The key question this paper raises is whether there is association between tourism and security in Nepal. It answers rationally to its prime research questions like; what are the dimensions of tourism and security in Nepal? What is the association in between tourism and security in Nepal? In order to look for the answers of these questions, Thamel area was chosen for study site as it is popular among people and the major tourism hub in Nepal. The findings of the study show varied association in between tourism sector and tourism security sector on the specifics such as tourism, hospitality, events and security in Nepal. Although tourism enterprises increasingly realize the aspects of tourism, hospitality, events management and relevant security parameters, but the extent to which they are strategically used varies. The assessment revealed the impacts of tourism on security aspects and vice versa. So, the impacts of security situation on tourism sector have a certain and intermingled association. Even the findings aligned with above said statement which reflects the limitations and gap in between the tourism sector and tourism security sector in term of setups, coordination and execution. That is why, it roves and looking for the rational, empirical and cognitive improvement and development on those identified aspects which are keenly observed during the research process.

OP83 Iterative Formative Research Informing Primary Care Education Design

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (S1) ◽  
pp. 21-21
Author(s):  
Josephine Belcher ◽  
Woroud Alzaher ◽  
Pradnya Naik-Panvelkar ◽  
Renee Granger
Keyword(s):  
Program Design ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Educational Programs ◽  
Formative Research ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Design And Development ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Research Questions

IntroductionNPS MedicineWise delivers nationwide educational programs for Australian general practitioners and community pharmacists. Extensive searching and synthesis of published and grey literature is undertaken to inform program design and development. However, this formative research process is lengthy, labour intensive and attempts to pre-emptively answer questions that could arise during design and development, prompting a process re-evaluation.MethodsA more targeted and iterative process was piloted entailing: (i) rapid collation (two weeks maximum) of basic contextual information into a pre-scoping briefing document including high-level statistics on medicines or test usage, key guidelines identification and collation of findings from relevant government and stakeholder reports, (ii) an internal advisory group reviewing the pre-scoping brief and identifying the highest priority research questions that must be answered to inform the design and development of the educational program, (iii) iterative work to answer the highest priority research questions with findings provided to the advisory group fortnightly, involving ad hoc search methods and snowballing techniques to identify pertinent literature quickly, (iv) iterative feedback from the advisory group as to whether the resulting work is adequate and development or whether further information is required, and reprioritisation of the work plan if necessary, and (v) completion of the formative research process within four or five iterations. The new approach was evaluated via surveys of the internal advisory group and staff involved in design and development. Administrative data on staffing and costs using the new approach were also compared with previous data.ResultsThis approach was trialled for three different educational programs. The resulting reports are more targeted, answer specific advisory group questions and take half the time to produce.ConclusionsThis approach can rapidly provide appropriate information to inform program design. The iterative approach has allowed greater responsiveness to changing advisory group priorities and process improvements.

Davina Cooper

2019 ◽  
pp. 151-164
Author(s):  
John Clarke ◽  
Wendy Brown ◽  
Allan Cochrane ◽  
Davina Cooper ◽  
Larry Grossberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Process ◽  
Disciplinary Knowledge ◽  
Research Questions

The chapter opens with a discussion about the place and significance of disciplines and disciplinary knowledge before reflecting on the processes of thinking across or beyond boundaries. The conversation moves to the unsettling implications of talking (and listening) to people in the research process. Finally it turns to consideration of emerging research questions (around legal gender and more)

scholarly journals Study Design in Neurosurgical Research: Considerations for Observational and Experimental Cohort Studies

Neurosurgery ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-18
Author(s):  
Christopher E Louie ◽  
Erin D’Agostino ◽  
Alexander Woods ◽  
Timothy Ryken
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Clinical Study ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Chronic Subdural Hematoma ◽  
Neurosurgical Procedures ◽  
Fundamental Study ◽  
Observational Cohort ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Study Designs

Abstract There is inadequate neurosurgical literature discussing appropriate clinical study design. Here, we explore considerations for 2 fundamental study designs of epidemiology: experimental and observational cohort studies, through examples of theoretical yet realistic neurosurgical research questions. By examining 2 common neurosurgical procedures—namely, subdural drains for evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma, and the utility of navigation for placing external ventricular drains—we characterize the framework of cohort study models for clinical research applications.

Construct creation from research questions

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 1817-1838
Author(s):  
Sarah Forbes ◽  
Mark Avis
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Methodological Problem ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Made In

Purpose Construct Creation (CC) is a methodological problem occurring when a research process, instead of measuring an extant construct in the participant’s mind, creates the construct. The purpose of this paper is to argue that CC derives from problems around ecologically invalid research and attitudinal responses developed on the spot, both resulting from self-generated validity. Design/methodology/approach A between-subjects design was used to explore whether the personification prime (PP), a component of brand personality (BP) methodology, influenced the CC of BP for rocks. Analysis of qualitative data on how participants made their BP ratings in the absence of a PP was also completed. Findings Findings revealed that a methodology can enable CC in the participant’s mind, despite the construct being ecologically invalid prior to them participating in the study. Analysis also revealed that participants will use varied, and sometimes elaborate, strategies to enable CC and provide researchers with the answers to their questions. Research limitations/implications Previous research has drawn attention to CC as a problem but the implications of prior research have so far been “sidestepped”. Consequently, this paper demonstrates CC and why it is a problem, while rebutting some arguments made in prior research for sidestepping CC. Practical implications CC is a potentially serious methodological problem that can result in invalid findings informing or misdirecting theory used by practitioners. As such, this paper proposes methods to ameliorate CC and improve ecological validity of future research. Originality/value This study will contribute to methodological literature by refocusing attention to the currently neglected problem of CC and by proposing a model of CC by participants.

scholarly journals Can We Re-Use Qualitative Data via Secondary Analysis? Notes on Some Terminological and Substantive Issues

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martyn Hammersley
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Contextual Knowledge ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Using Data

The potential gains and practical problems associated with secondary analysis of qualitative data have received increasing attention in recent years. The discussions display conflicting attitudes, some commentators emphasising the difficulties while others emphasise the benefits. In a few recent contributions the distinctiveness of re-using data has come to be questioned, on the grounds that the problems identified with it - of data not fitting the research questions, and of relevant contextual knowledge being absent - are by no means limited to secondary analysis. There has also been a more fundamental claim: to the effect that these problems are much less severe once we recognise that, all data are constituted and re-constituted within the research process. In this article I examine these arguments, concluding that while they have much to commend them, they do not dissolve the problems of ‘fit’ and ‘context’.

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