Chapter 1-3 Biology
Chapter 1-3 Biology
Chapter 1-3 Biology
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3. ASSUME A NORMAL POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
For more reliable data analysis of quantitative data, a normal population distribution curve is preferred
over a non-normal distribution. This requires adherence to the principle of random sampling to avoid the
researcher’s bias in interpreting the results that defeat the purpose of the research.
4. PRESENT DATA IN TABLES, GRAPHS, OR FIGURES
The data obtained using quantitative methods are organized using tables, graphs, or figures that
consolidate large numbers of data to show trends, relationships, or differences among variables.
5. USE REPEATABLE METHOD
Researchers can repeat the quantitative method to verify or confirm the findings in another setting. This
reinforces the validity of groundbreaking discoveries.
6. CAN PREDICT OUTCOMES
From data analysis, can predict outcomes. If-then scenarios can be constructed using complex
mathematical computations with the aid of computers.
7. USE MEASURING DEVICES
Advanced digital or electronic instruments are used to measure or gather quantitative data from the field.
The instruments ensure an objective and accurate collection of data provided that these are calibrated.
Types of Quantitative Research
Survey Research
Survey Research is the most fundamental tool for all quantitative outcome research methodologies and
studies. Surveys used to ask questions to a sample of respondents, using various types such as online
polls, online surveys, paper questionnaires, web-intercept surveys, etc. This type of research can be
conducted with a specific target audience group and also can be conducted across multiple groups along
with comparative analysis.
Cross-sectional surveys: Cross-sectional surveys are observational surveys conducted in situations
where the researcher intends to collect data from a sample of the target population at a given point in
time.
Longitudinal surveys: Longitudinal surveys are also observational surveys but, unlike cross-sectional
surveys, longitudinal surveys are conducted across various time durations to observe a change in
respondent behavior and thought-processes.
Correlational research
Correlation research is conducted to establish a relationship between two closely-knit entities and how
one impacts the other and what are the changes that are eventually observed.
Example of Correlational Research Questions:
The relationship between stress and depression.
The equation between fame and money.
The relation between activities in a third-grade class and its students
Causal-comparative research
This research method mainly depends on the factor of comparison. Also called quasi-experimental
research, this quantitative research method is used by researchers to conclude the cause-effect equation
between two or more variables, where one variable is dependent on the other independent variable.
Example of Causal-Comparative Research Questions:
The impact of drugs on a teenager.
The effect of good education on a freshman.
The effect of substantial food provision in the villages of Africa.
Experimental research
Also known as true experimentation, this research method is reliant on a theory. Experimental research,
as the name suggests, is usually based on one or more theories. This theory has not been proven in the
past and is merely a supposition. In experimental research, an analysis is done around proving or
disproving the statement. This research method is used in natural sciences. Traditional research methods
are more effective than modern techniques.
Lesson 3: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Importance of Qualitative Research
Across Fields.
▪ STRENGHTS
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▪ STRENGHTS
• The data in the Quantitative research is collected and presented in the numbers.
• It involves the statistics; it provides a wider scope of the data collection for the researchers.
• Quantitative research is not based on the thinking or the perception of the individual or group of
individuals conducting the research rather; it is based on the numbers; thus, it removes the risk of
personal biases.
• The data collected in the Quantitative research is less time consuming.
▪ WEAKNESSES
• The Survey instruments used for the research are vulnerable to errors like the mistakes in
measurement or the flawed sampling techniques as the numerical data is involved.
• Generally, the Quantitative research method requires the extensive statistical analysis that becomes
difficult to perform.
• In this method, a structured questionnaire is involved, which has close-ended questions.
▪ IMPORTANCE
• The Importance of Quantitative Research is that it helps tremendously in studying samples and
populations. It discusses detailed relevant questions like, where the data come from, the gap in the
data, how robust is it, and what are the exclusions in the data research.
→ What is the importance of quantitative research in the field of education?
Quantitative research in education provides numerical data that can prove or disprove a theory, and
administrators can easily share the number-based results with other schools and districts.
→ Why quantitative research is important to a doctor?
In quantitative research, the findings will reflect the reliability and validity (psychometric characteristics)
of the measured outcomes or dependent variables (such as changes in knowledge, skills, or attitudes)
used to assess the effectiveness of the medical education intervention (the independent variable of …
→ What is the importance or contribution of quantitative research to sports?
It gives coaches and athletes a way to gain solid information and apply it to sport performance. It helps
coaches form beliefs about how to develop programs and coaching techniques.
→ Is quantitative research applicable to all fields?
Quantitative research is widely used in psychology, economics, demography, sociology, marketing,
community health, health & human development, gender studies, and political science; and less frequently
in anthropology and history.
LESSON 4: Different Variables in Quantitative Research and their Uses
Variables are things you measure, manipulate and control in statistics and research. All studies analyze a
variable, which can describe a person, place, thing, or idea. A variable's value can change between groups
or over time.
• Independent variables
- An independent variable is a singular characteristic that the other variables in your experiment
cannot change. Age is an example of an independent variable. Where someone lives, what they eat or
how much they exercise are not going to change their age. Independent variables can, however,
change other variables. In studies, researchers often try to find out whether an independent variable
causes other variables to change and in what way.
• Dependent variables
- A dependent variable relies on and can be changed by other components. A grade on an exam is an
example of a dependent variable because it depends on factors such as how much sleep you got and
how long you studied. Independent variables can influence dependent variables, but dependent
variables cannot influence independent variables. For example, the time you spent studying
(dependent) can affect the grade on your test (independent) but the grade on your test does not
affect the time you spent studying.
• Quantitative variables
- Quantitative variables are any data sets that involve numbers or amounts. Examples might include
height, distance or number of items. Researchers can further categorize quantitative variables into
two types:
Discrete: Any numerical variables you can realistically count, such as the coins in your wallet or the
money in your savings account.
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money in your savings account.
Continuous: Numerical variables that you could never finish counting, such as time.
• Extraneous variables
- Extraneous variables are factors that affect the dependent variable but that the researcher did not
originally consider when designing the experiment. These unwanted variables can unintentionally
change a study's results or how a researcher interprets those results. Take, for example, a study
assessing whether private tutoring or online courses are more effective at improving students'
Spanish test scores. Extraneous variables that might unintentionally influence the outcome include
parental support, prior knowledge of a foreign language or socioeconomic status.
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5. Evaluate your question. After you’ve put a question or even a couple of questions down on paper,
evaluate these questions to determine whether they would be effective research questions or
whether they need more revising and refining.
Lesson 3: Specificity and Feasibility of the Problem Posed
Research problem is stated in the form of a question. The purpose of a research problem or statement of a
problem is to help the readers understand the significance of the topic being studied. It also establishes the
problem into a detailed context that defines the parameters of what is to be investigated. This is the
backbone for reporting the results and indicates what is probably necessary to conduct the study and explain
how the findings will present this information (SH University, 2020).
a. Clarity and precision. The research problem must be clearly stated and must be on point to help
readers directly know its purpose.
b. Identification of what would be studied, while avoiding the use of value-laden words and terms.
c. Identification of key factors or variables, and of an overarching question.
d. Identification of key concepts and terms.
e. Articulation of the studies’ delimitation or parameters.
f. Some generalizability in regards to applicability and bringing results into general use.
g. Conveyance of the significance of the study, benefits, and justification.
h. Does not use unnecessary jargons.
i. Conveyance of more than the mere gathering of descriptive data providing only a snapshot of the
issue or phenomenon under investigation.
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STEPS IN DOING A LITERATURE REVIEW
1. Identify Key Terms
Aside from the library, the Internet is a very rich source of information on your topic.
You can search for information on Google or Google Scholar. You need to identify keywords that will lead
to a successful search. Finding information on Google or other search engines is not hard if you follow
these tips:
Identify keywords from your problem statement and research questions.
Go to the library and look for a related topic from journal articles and see how your topic was in a title of
an article.
Obtain handbooks, manuals, or encyclopedias where a general area of your topic
was used in a title of an article.
Trim down your topic by using Boolean operators
Boolean operators are words like and, or, not, or and not. These words can be used
in your keywords resulting in a more defined and narrower topic.
2. Locate the Literature
Once you have identified the keywords specific to your topic, you can now begin
locating and retrieving the information you need. Consider primary and secondary
sources of information. Consider primary and secondary sources of information. The
primary source of information is journal articles while secondary
sources are encyclopedias, books, manuals, magazines, and handbooks.
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Three main parts of the Literature Review
• The introduction sets the stage for the review. This is where you give an overview, define important
keywords, and inform readers of the limitations of the review.
• The body is the bulk of the review. This is the part where you lay out the groundwork and background
information about your topic. It contains a discussion on the similarities and differences of findings from
several articles and how they are related to the present study.
• The conclusion or synthesis of the review summarizes the trend and themes that you have observed as
you describe the findings from the different articles. This is the part where you reiterate how the review
provides the necessary context and rationale for your problem statement and how the review falls short
of advancing your study.
CITING REFERENCES
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CITING REFERENCES
Citing References is an important process when writing a literature review. It allows the reader of your
research to have a more thorough examination of the studies cited. It also gives credibility to the literature
review because what you are saying is placed in the context of the literature.
The three most common citation styles in writing a literature review are (1) American Psychological
Association (APA) Style, (2) Modern Language Association (MLA) Style, and (3) Chicago Manual of Style.
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must first identify at least two key variables: your independent and dependent variables.
Step 3: Visualize your cause-and-effect relationship
After you’ve figured out your research questions and variables, the first step in designing your
conceptual framework is visualizing your expected cause-and-effect.
Step 4: Identify other influencing variables
Variables that can influence the relationship between your independent and dependent
variables early in your research process.
Some common variables to include are moderating, mediating, and control variables.
• Moderating variables
Moderating variables (or moderators) alter the effect that an independent variable has on a dependent
variable. In other words, moderators change the “effect” component of the cause-and-effect relationship. It
is not affected by the independent variable, even though it affects the dependent variable.
• Mediating variables
Mediating variables link the independent and dependent variables, allowing the relationship between
them to be better explained. It is affected by the independent variables. In turn, it also affects the
dependent variable
• Control variables
Lastly, control variables must also be taken into account. These are variables that are held constant so that
they don’t interfere with the results. Even though you aren’t interested in measuring them for your study,
it’s crucial to be aware of as many of them as you can be.
Research Hypothesis
The hypothesis is an assumption or perhaps a tentative explanation for a specific process or phenomenon
that has been observed during research. However, a hypothesis is a calculated and educated guess proven
or disproven through research methods. It reflects your understanding of the problem statement and as a
form of development of knowledge. Therefore, you need to articulate your hypothesis in a way that should
appear as a justifiable assumption to study the properties and causes of the phenomenon in the research
topic.
Types of Hypotheses
1. Alternative Hypothesis
In the academic domain, it is very often denoted as H1. The significance of this kind is to
identify the expected outcome of your research procedure. Additionally, it is further classified
into two subcategories:
a. Directional: A statement that defines the ways through which the expected results will be gathered. It
is generally used in cases where you need to establish a relationship between various variables rather
than making any comparison between multiple groups. For example, attending physiotherapy sessions
will improve the on-field performance of athletes.
b. No directional: As the name suggests, a non-directional alternative hypothesis doesn't suggest any
direction for the expected outcomes. For example, attending physiotherapy sessions influence the on-field
performance of athletes.
2. Null Hypothesis
A null hypothesis is denoted as H0. A null hypothesis exists as opposed to an alternative hypothesis. It is a
statement that defines the opposite of the expected results or outcomes throughout your research. In
simpler terms, a null hypothesis is used to establish a claim that no relationship exists between the
variables defined in the hypothesis. To give you an idea about how to write a null hypothesis, the last
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variables defined in the hypothesis. To give you an idea about how to write a null hypothesis, the last
example can be stated as:
The physiotherapy sessions do not affect athletes' on-field performance. Both the null and alternative
hypotheses are written to provide specific clarifications and an examination of the research problem. So,
to clarify confusion, the difference between a research problem statement and a hypothesis is that the
former is just a question that can't be validated or tested. In contrast, the latter can be tested, validated, or
denied.
3. Simple Hypothesis
It is a statement that is made to reflect the relation between the dependent and independent variables.
Follow through the example, and you will understand,
a. Smoking is a prominent cause of lung cancer
b. Intake of sugar-rich foods can lead to obesity
4. Complex Hypothesis
A complex hypothesis implies the relationship between multiple dependent or independent variables
stated in the research problem. Follow through the below examples for better clarity on this:
a. Individuals who eat more fruits tend to have higher immunity, lesser cholesterol, and high metabolism.
b. Including short breaks during work hours can lead to higher concentration and boost productivity.
5. Empirical Hypothesis
It is also referred to as the "Working Hypothesis." This type of claim is made when a theory is being
validated through an experiment and observation. This way, the statement appears justifiable enough and
different from a wild guess. Here are a few examples through which you can learn to create an empirical
hypothesis:
a. Women who take iron tablets face a lesser risk of anemia than those women who take vitamin B12.
b. Canines learn faster if they are provided with food immediately after they obey a command.
6. Statistical Hypothesis
A statement claiming an explanation after studying a sample of the population is called a statistical
hypothesis. It is a type of logic-based analysis where you research a specific population and gather
evidence through a particular sample size. Below are some hypothetical statistical statements to
understand how you can conduct your research leveraging statistical data:
a. 44% of the Indian population belong in the age group of 22-27
b. 47% of the rural population in India is involved in agro-based activities.
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