3. REFLECTION OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
RESEARCH METGODS
STEPS OF RESEARCH METHODS
3 MAJOR THINGS ON RESEARCH
VARIABLES
VARIABLES AND ATTRIBUTES
TWO MAJOR FACTS ON VARIABLES
TYPES OF VARIABLES
EXAMPLES OF DEPENDENT AND INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
POPULATION
SAMPLE
RANDOM SAMPLE
CONCLUSION
4. INTRODUCTION
Research is a scientific work which demands a good
methodology in other to achieve the given goals
In statistics, a good research work need major things
such as object, properties and values
In my reflection, the terms of variables, attributes,
population and sample which will be discussed
5. RESEARCH METHODS
Research is a careful consideration of study
regarding a particular concern or problem using
scientific methods
Research method is a systematic plan for conducting
research
A plan to conduct any research work
6. STEPS OF RESEARCH METHODS
Detecting the existing knowledge gap
Identifying cause(s)
Setting the objective(s)
Formulating hypothesis(ses)
Collecting information
Testing the hypothesis(ses)
Interpreting data
Generating findings
Comparing the findings with the existing knowledge
Modifying the existing theory(ies) or developing new theory(ies)
Suggesting new research question(s)
7. 3 MAJOR THINGS ON RESEARCH
3 major things
1. Research
object(s)
2. Properties of
the object(s)
3. Values of
properties
Definition
Objects: people,
person, place,
or thing
(a researcher
wants to do
research)
Properties:
Characteristics or
attributes of an
object
Values: Numbers
that represent either
the magnitude of
the variable or a
category of the
variable
Examples Called: Unit of Analysis Asian, African,
Mongolian…
1- An individual’s height
2- Male or female
8. VARIABLES
A variable is property of an object or event that can
take on different values
Example: Hair color is a variable because it is a
property of an object (hair) that can take on different
values (white, black, red etc.)
9. VARIABLES AND ATTRIBUTES
• Attributes or values are characteristics or qualities
that describe an object (Female, Asian...)
•"A characteristic of a person or a thing" (Babbie,
2013)
• But Variables are logical sets of attributes (Gender,
Age...)
•" A logical set of attributes"(Babbie, 2013)
10. VARIABLES AND ATTRIBUTES…
Variables Attributes
Occupation Lawyer, Teaching,
Social Class Upper, Middle, Lower
Gender Male, Female, Third
Age Young, Old
11. TWO MAJOR FACTS ON VARIABLES
The values assigned for variables can be:
Exhaustive in nature: Each object is enable to assign
a value
Mutually exclusive in nature: Each object can have
only one value
A variable can take different values, Charters (1992)
12. TYPES OF VARIABLES
Two types of variables
Dependent Variable Independent Variable
A variable assumed to depend on or be caused by
another (Babbie, 2013)
Depends on something
Depends on an independent variable
An independent variable is presumed to cause or
determine a dependent variable (Babbie, 2013).
Dependent variable is what is affected by the
independent variable(s) --- your effects or
outcomes
What you (or nature) manipulate … a treatment
or program or cause
Also known as explained variable Also known as explanatory variable.
Some key points
DVs are variables...researchers trying to
explain or predict
The subject of the interest
An IV is one that influences the DV
Influence... Positive/Negative
13. EXAMPLES OF DEPENDENT AND
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
Higher the schooling year VS Higher the income
DV: Income
IV: Schooling year
Reason: The independent variable is the cause and the
dependent variable is the effect
14. POPULATION
A population is a complete set or collection of events
in which researchers are interested in
Example: The scores of all grade 12 graduates in Nepal
A population can range from a relatively small set of
numbers (possible to collect) to an infinitely large set
of numbers (impossible to collect completely)
What to do?
Draw a sample of observations from a population
15. SAMPLE
A sample is representative group of a target population
(a subset of a population)
Why do we need sample?
Populations are usually quite large
Researchers use sample (s) to infer something about
the characteristics of the population
16. RANDOM SAMPLE
Random sample is a sample in which each member of
the population has an equal chance of being selected
Why random sample?
To accurately estimate the parameter of the
population
To ensure that the sample represents the entire
population
17. CONCLUSION
A variable is property of an object or event that can
take on different values
Two types of values: exhaustive in nature and
mutually exclusive in nature
Two types of variables: dependent and independent
Draw a sample from a population
Use random sample
