Research Process.pdf

Research Process A scientific quest

“

A design professional creating better user experiences over a decade

” Rupesh Nath. U Design Professional M.Des. IDC, IIT Bombay, B.Tech Mechanical Engineering

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rupeshnath/

Audience of this content

• Research scholars

• Who are pursuing or want to pursue Ph.D. • Those who want to write papers of their research • UX Researchers / Psychologist /Doctors / Pharmacists who are interested in research • Academic Students who want a direction on projects and reports

Content Research

Research Principles Research Types Research Qualities

What should be considered? Steps References

Research process

re search A careful, systematic, patient study, and investigation in some field of knowledge, undertaken to establish factors or principles. (Grinnell 1993)

Research process

re search A systematic investigation to find answers to a problem (Burns 1994)

Research process

re search Research is a process through which new knowledge is discovered.

Research process

Principles of good research

Research process

Purpose should be clearly defined Procedure should be properly planned Planned to generate results to maintained objectively Research report should be transparent to test the findings Data analysis should reveal its significance and method of analysis

Principles

Research process

Types of research

Research process

1. Exploratory Research To get awareness or familiarity with a phenomenon (fact / experience / incident) or to achieve new insights

2. Descriptive Research To describe the characteristics of a incident, individual, people, or a group

3. Diagnostic Research To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated with something else.

4. Hypothesis Testing Research To test a hypothesis of a relationship or variables

Types

Research process

Qualities of research

Research process

1. Systematic Research is structured according to set of rules to follow in a sequence Provide basis for creativity, and avoid guess work

2. Empirical Evidence based conclusions derived from data collected from experiences and observations Provide basis for external ability to research

3. Valid and Verifiable Precise observation and accurate results by using valid instruments to collect data and statistical measures respectively Provide basis to verify at any point of time

Qualities

Research process

4. Develops Theories and Principles Provides accurate prediction of variables under study Provide basis for formulating and generalizing the findings and goes beyond the factors or situation

5. Replicable Procedures and results of the research are replicable as well as transmittable Provide means to assess the research validity

Qualities

Research process

Considerations of research

Research process

context of discovery

getting

Idea

context of justification

research sequence

Considerations

Test

the findings

Research process

1. Theories Any theory focuses on specific aspect will be measured through new ideas or hypothesis

2. Hypothesis A tentative and testable explanation of the relationship between two or more events or variables. Variable is any factor that changes, or varies, in size or quality. E.g., test performance – a person’s score may vary from one test to the next.

3. Paradigm A model of the functions and interrelationships of a process. A way of thinking about the world and how to study it.

Context of Discovery

Research process

1. External Influences One’s culture or the media influence

2. Personal Bias Distorts eliminating or evaluating processes as a result of personal beliefs, attributes, or past experiences.

3. Observer Bias Occurs when some events are taken as meaningful by some and not taken meaningful by others. Researchers do come from different cultures, observations which can also influence

Context of Discovery – Research Biases

Research process

4. Expectancy Bias Affect observation of behavior by encouraging reactions to the events being observed. Researchers do expect to find specific outcome.

5. Placebo biases Occurs when people strongly want to believe a treatment is successful. Outcome involves a subjective judgment about the results. E.g., how well a patient feels well or whether the pain has been reduced or relieved.

Context of Discovery – Research Biases

Research process

To get accurate data and reliable evidence scientific methods are applied

Scientific method is a general set of procedures for gathering and interpreting evidence in ways that limit errors and yield dependable conclusions. Science is not a set of rules but rather a process of • Asking • Observing • Explaining • Testing • Retesting explanation of reality In all the above eventually to be transparent and open to the public

Context of Justification – Attitudes and Values

Research process

1. Procedural Safeguards Keeping complete records or observations and data analyses, to that other researchers can understand and evaluate. Open for criticism.

2. Standardization Uniform, consistent procedures in all phases of data collection All subjects should receive same instructions

3. Operationalization Defines how it is measured or what operations produce it

Context of Justification – Objectivity Safeguards

Research process

Problem Identification Ask Questions

Hypothesis Creation

Variable

Research Design

Formulate a Hypothesis

Research existing sources

Draw and Conduct a study

Data Analysis

Conclusions

Report

Understand the data

Insights and concepts

Report Results

Steps Research process

Research process

What you want to find about? Question and Question Ask question or identifying a need that arises of curiosity. Few of the questions: What are the events that cause or determine a given behavior or response? What is the nature of behavior or action (i.e., its structure) and how it is linked wit other actions and behaviors? What are the relationships of internal psychological processes with behavioral phenomenon?

Formulate the research problem by • •

Understanding it thoroughly Rephrasing the same in a meaningful terms.

Step 1 – Problem Identification

Research process

Factors Identify the factors that has to be examined to answer the question. Factors should start with • Does any investigation done before? • Answer and understand the question • Sources of investigation are available or not • Lead to another question

Other factors • Age of the child (simple) • Effects of violent video games on a child’s behavior • Emotional • Family communication • Etc.

Step 1 – Problem Identification

Research process

Review Literature Purpose of Review

1.

Identifies variables and selecting them

2.

Provides estimate of previous work and provides opportunity for the meaningful extension of the previous work.

3.

Plot a systematic procedure to expand which is useful drawing the conclusions and its applications

4.

Help in redefining the variables and determine relations and patterns that can build up a case for investigation.

Further Advantages •

Identifies known and unknowns

•

Eliminates duplication

Step 1 – Problem Identification

Research process

Hypothesis Hypothesis is a tentative statement showing a relationship between two variables under study. It is a kind of suggestive answer to the problem Goals •

State the purpose of the research

•

Identify the variables are used

Types •

Null hypothesis – states there are no relationships between two variables or concepts

•

Correlative hypothesis – states there is a relationship between two or more variables or concepts, but doesn’t specify the nature of relationship

•

Directional hypothesis – states the relationship between two concepts or variables. Relationships can include positive, negative, high, low of influence, etc.

•

Casual hypothesis – states that one variable causes the other

Step 2 – Formulating a Hypothesis

Research process

Hypothesis

•

Helps in formulating and guiding the study.

•

Derived from previous research findings, existing theories, personal observations and experiences

•

For unbiased research the hypothesis should be formulated in advance of the data gathering process.

•

No hypothesis should be formulated after the data are collected.

•

Hypothesis layout the questions that will be tested and either verified or rejected.

Examples -

•

If a prisoner learns a work skill while in jail, then he is less likely to commit a crime when he is released.

•

If I raise the temperature of a cup of water, then the amount of sugar that can be dissolved in it will be increased.

Step 2 – Formulating a Hypothesis

Research process

Identifying Variable Variables are those characteristics which are manipulated, controlled and observed by the experimenter.

Dependent variable characteristic or condition that changes as the experimenter changes the independent variables. Independent variable characteristic or condition which is manipulated or selected by the experimenter is order to find out its relationship to some observed phenomena. Extraneous variable / Relevant variable

is the uncontrolled variable that may affect the dependent variable. Note – experimenter is not interested in extraneous variable, so it will controlled as much as possible.

Step 3 – Variables

Research process

Identifying Variable Special variable

Operational variable Operational definition specifies the actual operations that define a given variable which is important for quantifying through measuring. Usually measured by verbal measures, behavioral measures and psychological measures.

Step 3 – Variables

Research process

Blueprint Procedures which are adopted by researchers for testing relationship between the dependent variable and independent variable. Its derivation depends on •

Purpose of research

•

Types of variables

•

Conditions / context at which experiment has to be conducted.

•

Is it valid and workable?

Advantage of having procedures defined is to •

Control extraneous variables upon independent variables.

•

Sets logic for the inquiry.

•

To arrive a valid findings, comparisons and conclusions.

Should Include 1.

Logic

2.

Measurement procedure

3.

Sampling strategy

Step 4 – Research Design

Research process

Tools for Observation and Measurement Questionnaire Interview with prevalent participants or groups Interview plan and schedule

Data Collection Observations Experiments Case study

Surveys Participatory workshops Walkthroughs

Step 4 – Research Design

Research process

Data Analysis Making sense of data 1.

Uni-variant – Single characteristic

2.

Bivariate – two characteristics

3.

Multi-variate – more than two characteristics

Parametric or non-parametric statistics is chosen for statistical analysis. Its purpose is to reject null hypothesis and accept the other.

Step 5 – Data Analysis

Research process

Conclusions Make a statement about the research problem derived by research study and generalize it to the population. This can accepted or rejected. Depending upon results original theories can be modified.

Step 6 – Concluding

Research process

Documentation •

Document all research process that is followed

•

Provide real time scenarios / artifacts

•

Describe case studies

•

Explain any statistical formulas, data and results

•

Publish in scientific journals or books in public domains

Advantages •

Anyone should be able to understand

•

Replicate the study for further researches

Step 7 – Report

Research process

References •

Foundations of Behavioural Research, New York, Kerlinger, F.N.

•

Research Methodology, New Delhi, Kumar. R

•

Introduction to Experimental Method, Townsend

Web References http://research-methodology.net/research-methodology/research-process/ http://www.nhcc.edu/student-resources/library/doinglibraryresearch/basic-steps-in-the-research-process