STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO HELP FOCUS - specifies the actions or

YOU CREATE AN EFFECTIVE outcomes

RESEARCH TITLE VARIABLES
1. IDENTIFY THE CORE - measurable characteristics that change
COMPONENTS or vary
2. CLEAR AND SPECIFIC TYPES OF VARIABLES
3. INCORPORATE KEY TERMS 1. INDEPENDENT VARIABLE (IV)
KEYWORDS - Help your title - Manipulates or controls
searchable and reflects main aspects of 2. DEPENDENT VARIABLE (DV)
the study - Measured and observed
4. CHOOSE TITLE STRUCTURE 3. EXTRANEOUS VARIABLE
A. DESCRIPTIVE TITLE - Describe - Not primary interest but can influence
research focus dependent variable
B. QUESTION TITLE - Poses 4. CONFOUNDING VARIABLE
Question - Extraneous variable that influence both
C. DECLARATIVE TITLE - States IV and DV.
main arguments or findings
D. COMPOUND TITLE - Combines HYPOTHESIS - tentative or prediction
descriptive elements with specific aspect between two or more variables.
or result TYPES OF HYPOTHESIS
1. SIMPLE HYPOTHESIS
THESIS STATEMENT - predict one IV and one DV
- clear, concise summary of the main 2. COMPLEX HYPOTHESIS
point or claim - predifdct multiple IV and one DV
- Present central argument or perspective 3. DIRECTIONAL HYPOTHESIS
CHARACTERISTICS - specifies the nature between variables
DECLARATIVE - Specific assertion or 4. NON-DIRECTIONAL
argument HYPOTHESIS
FOCUSED - Narrow and specific; - without specifying the nature
guiding the direction of research. 5. NULL HYPOTHESIS - No
DEBATABLE - present argument that relationship between variables
supported with evidence.
PLACEMENT - end of the introduction INTRODUCTION
- First section
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM - Clear and concise overview of the
- Outlines issue or gap in knowledge research topic, significance, goals
- Scope and explain the significant KEY COMPONENTS
CHARACTERISTICS 1. HOOK - captivating opening
DESCRIPTIVE - Describe the problem statement
CONTEXTUAL - Background 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Information - Discussing relevant previous research
PURPOSEFUL - explain the 3. RESEARCH
significance of the problem QUESTION/HYPOTHESIS - states
PLACEMENT - early section; central question or proposition
following the introduction 4. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
- explain why the research is important
OBJECTIVES 5. RESEARCH
PURPOSE - outlines the specific goals OBJECTIVES/GOALS - outlines
or aims specific objectives or outcomes
PRIMARY SOURCES QUALITATIVE
- Direct evident 1. CASE STUDY
- Letters, Interview, surveys - study of specific subject
SECONDARY SOURCES - collected using variety of sources
- Anything that describes, interprets, - gaining a holistic understanding
evaluate or analyzes information from 2. ETHNOGRAPHY
primary sources. - study of culture
- Books, articles, documentaries - collected by extended immersion
- describing and interpreting beliefs
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 3. GROUNDED THEORY
- Lens or conceptual model - aims to develop a theory inductively
- relies to existing single formal theory 4. PHENOMENOLOGY
- Foundation of the study - understand a phenomenon
TYPES OF THEORY
1. DESCRIPTIVE THEORY QUANTITATIVE
- Describe a phenomenon 1. EXPERIMENTAL
2. PRESCRIPTIVE THEORY - Test causal relationship
- tell how and sometimes why one - Manipulate IV and measuring effects
should or ought to behave in certain on DV
ways. - random assignment
- controlled environment
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 2. QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL
- Two or more theories - Test causal relationship
- Synthesize different theories to - Comparing the outcome of pre-existing
formulate a new one groups
- No random assignment
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY - Natural environment
- importance or relevance 3. CORRELATIONAL
- highlights the value and potential - Test whether variables are related
impact of research findings - variables measured without influencing
them
SCOPE - boundaries or parameters 4. DESCRIPTIVE - Describe
LIMITATIONS - Constraints or characteristics
restrictions 5. DESCRIPTIVE-
CORRELATIONAL - clear picture of
RESEARCH DESIGN - ensure your characteristics
methods match the research objectives
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH PROBABILITY SAMPLING
DESIGN - Samples selected random methods
- Flexible and Inductive - Used quantitative
- Understand subjective experience - allows strong statistical inferences
- Gain In-depth knowledge about population
- Explore under-researched problems NON-PROBABILITY SAMPLING
- Sample selected non-random
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH - used both qualitative and quantitative
DESIGN - Easier but more risk of research bias
- Fixed and Deductive
- Measure different variables DATA COLLECTION METHOD
- Test Hypotheses - ways of directly measuring variables
- Test the effectiveness and gathering information.
SURVEYS - collect data about opinions
TWO SURVEY METHODS
1. QUESTIONNAIRES
- Quantitative
- Online, phone, mall, person
- closed questions with limited options
- Consistent data
2. INTERVIEWS
- Qualitative
- person, phone, online
- answer in their own words
- explored in-depth with smaller group