The document discusses the research process for graduate students completing a dissertation. It describes the process as trekking into a dense forest where students often feel lost. The key stages of research are presented as a recursive "research wheel" with six steps: empirical observation, proposition, conceptual framework, research questions/hypotheses, data collection, and data analysis. Mastering both abstract conceptualization skills and practical research skills is important for navigating the challenging dissertation process. An approved dissertation proposal constitutes an agreement that the proposed study may be completed.
Here is an in-depth presentation that overviews twenty two (22) qualitative data methods that can be used in marketing research. For more great FREE resources, join us on facebook today at www.facebook.comb2bwhiteboard.
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This essay is a Walden University course (EDUC-8102) assignment. It overviews the philosophy of research core concepts and other approaches to research. Philosophical frameworks include empiricism, scientific method, positivism, post-positivism, social constructivism, pragmatism, and advocacy liberatory. The document is written in APA format and includes references.
Qualitative research is a systematic, interactive, subjective, approach used to describe life experience and give them meaning where as quantitative research is a formal, objective systematic process to describe, test relationships and examine cause and effect interaction among variables.
Here is an in-depth presentation that overviews twenty two (22) qualitative data methods that can be used in marketing research. For more great FREE resources, join us on facebook today at www.facebook.comb2bwhiteboard.
Or visit our website: www.b2bwhiteboard.com
This essay is a Walden University course (EDUC-8102) assignment. It overviews the philosophy of research core concepts and other approaches to research. Philosophical frameworks include empiricism, scientific method, positivism, post-positivism, social constructivism, pragmatism, and advocacy liberatory. The document is written in APA format and includes references.
Qualitative research is a systematic, interactive, subjective, approach used to describe life experience and give them meaning where as quantitative research is a formal, objective systematic process to describe, test relationships and examine cause and effect interaction among variables.
PSY 560 Final Project Student-Authored Article Guidelines a.docxpotmanandrea
PSY 560 Final Project: Student-Authored Article Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
Your Mission
As a graduate student in a psychology program at this university, you have the opportunity to create scholarship for potential publication of your student-
authored article in a scholarly journal such as the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin or Personality and Social Psychology Review. It is important to note
that in the example journals, all student-authored papers that are accepted for publication in these journals are automatically eligible to receive a student
publication award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Take the time to examine some quality sample publications from previous winners,
which can be found here:
Ma-Kellams, C., Spencer-Rodgers, J., & Peng, K. (2011). I am against us? Unpacking cultural differences in ingroup favoritism via dialecticism. Personality and
Social Psychology Bulletin, 37, 15–27.
Shu, L. L., Gino, F., & Bazerman, M. H. (2011). Dishonest deed, clear conscience: When cheating leads to moral disengagement and motivated forgetting.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37, 330–349.
Babbitt, L. G., & Sommers, S. R. (2011) Framing matters: Contextual influences on interracial interaction outcomes. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37,
1233–1244.
The final project for this course is the creation of a scholarly, student-authored article that is ready for potential submission to a real-world organization or
publication that focuses on this subfield of psychology. For purposes of this course, we will focus on the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), an
organization founded in 1974 when the leadership of the American Psychological Association decided to incorporate an independent organization to focus on
this subfield. Remember, this is an article for potential publication in one of these journals. You are NOT required to submit your completed article to the
publication as part of this project. However, you are strongly encouraged to continue to develop your article and conduct further research upon completion of
this course as you move forward in your academic work for possible future submission.
In this component, this assessment will measure student competency with respect to the following course outcomes:
Defend a position on the role personality psychology plays in the broader field of psychology and its relevancy to practical issues
Propose appropriate solutions to complex problems that draw upon contemporary principles and current research in personality psychology
Analyze foundational theories of personality for their historical context, theorist’s biases, research methods, and relevance to current thinking in the
field
Evaluate the continued relevancy and accuracy of classic theories of psychology in the context of contemporary research findings
Assess personality psychology practices in terms of th ...
Using Figure 1.2 in Ch. 1 of Exploring Research, create a flowchar.docxdickonsondorris
Using Figure 1.2 in Ch. 1 of Exploring Research, create a flowchart using Microsoft® Word or a similar program that helps you identify what research design to use for your research question.
Ch. 1 of Exploring Research The Role and Importance of Research
What you’ll Learn about in this Chapter:
· Who does research and why
· How research is defined and what some of its purposes are
· What a model of scientific inquiry is and how it guides research activities
· Some of the things that research is and some of the things that it isn’t
· What researchers do and how they do it
· The characteristics of good research
· How a method of scientific inquiry guides research activity
· The different types of research methods and examples of each
Say Hello to Research!
Walk down the hall in any building on your campus where social and behavioral science professors have their offices in such departments as psychology, education, nursing, sociology, and human development. Do you see any bearded, disheveled, white-coated men wearing rumpled pants and smoking pipes, hunched over their computers and mumbling to themselves? How about disheveled, white-coated women wearing rumpled skirts, smoking pipes, hunched over their computers, and mumbling to themselves?
Researchers hard at work? No. Stereotypes of what scientists look like and do? Yes. What you are more likely to see in the halls of your classroom building or in your adviser’s office are men and women of all ages who are hard at work. They are committed to finding the answer to just another piece of the great puzzle that helps us understand human behavior a little better than the previous generation of scientists.
Like everyone else, these people go to work in the morning, but unlike many others, these researchers have a passion for understanding what they study and for coming as close as possible to finding the “truth.” Although these truths can be elusive and sometimes even unobtainable, researchers work toward discovering them for the satisfaction of answering important questions and then using this new information to help others. Early intervention programs, treatments of psychopathology, new curricula, conflict resolution techniques, effective drug treatment programs, and even changes in policy and law have resulted from evidence collected by researchers. Although not always perfect, each little bit of evidence gained from a new study or a new idea for a study contributes to a vast legacy of knowledge for the next generation of researchers such as yourself.
You may already know and appreciate something about the world of research. The purpose of this book is to provide you with the tools you need to do even more, such as
Today, more than ever, decisions are evidence based, and what these researchers do is collect evidence that serves as a basis for informed decisions.
· develop an understanding of the research process.
· prepare yourself to conduct research of your own.
· learn how to ...
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AUTHOR YIN CHAPTER 1Chapter 1 Plan· Identify the relev.docxcelenarouzie
AUTHOR: YIN
CHAPTER 1
Chapter 1: Plan
· Identify the relevant situation for doing a case study, compared with other research methods
· Understand the twofold definition of a case study inquiry
· Address the traditional concerns over case study research
· Decide whether to do a case study
Abstract
You want to study something relevant but also exciting—and you want to use an acceptable if not esteemed social science method. Doing a “case study” strikes your fancy, but how you might do a good one remains a challenge, compared with doing an experiment, survey, history, or archival analysis (as in economic or statistical modeling). You are intrigued and want to learn more about doing a case study.
This chapter suggests that you might favor choosing case study research, compared with the others, when (1) your main research questions are “how” or “why” questions, (2) you have little or no control over behavioral events, and (3) your focus of study is a contemporary (as opposed to entirely historical) phenomenon—a “case.” The chapter then offers a common definition to be applied to the ensuing case study. Among the variations in case studies, yours can include single or multiple cases, can even be limited to quantitative evidence if desired, and can be part of a mixed-methods study.
Properly doing a case study means addressing five traditional concerns—conducting the research rigorously, avoiding confusion with nonresearch case studies (i.e., popular case studies, teaching-practice case studies, and case records), arriving at generalized conclusions if desired, carefully managing your level of effort, and understanding the comparative advantage of case study research. The overall challenge makes case study research “hard,” although it has classically been considered a “soft” form of research.
Being Ready For The Challenge, And Setting High Expectations
Doing case study research remains one of the most challenging of all social science endeavors. This book will help you—whether an experienced or emerging social scientist—to deal with the challenge. Your goal is to design good case studies and to collect, present, and analyze data fairly. A further goal is to bring your case study to closure by composing a compelling article, report, book, or oral presentation.
Do not underestimate the extent of the challenge. Although you may be ready to design and do case study research, others may espouse and advocate other modes of social science inquiry. Similarly, prevailing federal or other research funds may favor methods other than case studies. As a result, you may need to have ready responses to some inevitable questions and set high expectations for yourself.
Following a clear methodological path.
First and foremost, you should explain how you are devoting yourself to following a clear methodological path. For instance, a conventional starting place would be to review literature and define your case study’s research questions. Alternatively, however, you.
The role of theory in researchProf Brian van WykPO.docxkathleen23456789
The role of theory in research
Prof Brian van Wyk
POSTGRADUATE ENROLMENT AND THROUGHPUT (PET)
*
Outline for workshopWhat is theory?Characteristics of theoryFunctions of theory in researchHow to evaluate the quality of a theory (explanation)Theory in research OR research and theory?
*
What is theory?A model or framework for observation and understandingshapes both what we see and how we see it;allows the researcher to make links between the abstract and the concrete, the theoretical and the empirical, thought statements and observational statements.
Generalising statements that assert a connection between two or more types of phenomena
Explains and predicts the relationship between variables
A system of interconnected abstractions or ideas that condenses and organises knowledge about the world
*
Characteristics of theoryTheory guides research and organises its ideas. i.e. bricks lying around haphazardly in the brickyard: ‘facts’ of different shapes and sizes have no meaning unless they are drawn together in a theoretical or conceptual framework.
Empirically relevant
Always tentative, never proven
Becomes stronger as more supporting evidence is gathered; provides a context for predictions
Has the capacity to generate new research.
*
Theory vs. hypothesisAn hypothesis is an educated guess. It usually predicts the relationship between two or more variables.
Hypotheses are more specific than theories.
Multiple hypotheses may relate to one theory.
*
Remember theory can operate on different levelsMicro-level theory seeks to explain behaviour at the level of the individual or family environment e.g. psychology – Frustration-Aggression hypothesis or Sternberg’s theory of love
Meso-level theory seeks to explain the interactions of micro-level organisms e.g. social institutions, organisations, communities
Macro-level theory seeks to explain behaviour at the level of large groups of people e.g. ethnicity, class, gender – Conflict Theory
*
How to evaluate a theoryIs the theory or explanation logical and coherent?Is it clear and parsimonious?Does it fit the available data?Does it provide testable claims?Have theory-based predictions been tested and supported?Has it survived numerous attempts by researchers to identify problems with it or to falsify it?Does it work better than competing or rival theories or explanations?
*
Is it general enough to apply to more than one place, situation, or person?
Can practitioners use it to control or influence things in the world a good theory of teaching helps teachers to positively influence student learning; a good theory of counseling helps counselors to positively influence their clients’ mental health
*
Theory and research OR
theory in research?There is a two-way relationship between theory and research.
Social theory informs our understanding of issues, which, in turn, assists us in making research decisions and making sense of the world.
The experience of.
Chapter 1 Introduction to the Study of LearningRuss Nyland tea.docxwalterl4
Chapter 1 Introduction to the Study of Learning
Russ Nyland teaches a graduate education course on learning and cognition. It is toward the end of the semester, and as class finishes one day, three students approach him: Jeri Kendall, Matt Bowers, and Trisha Pascella.
Jeri:
Dr. Nyland, can we talk with you? It’s late in the course and we’re still confused.
Russ:
About what?
Jeri:
Well, we’ve been studying all these theorists. It seems like they’re saying different things, but maybe not. Bandura, Skinner, Vygotsky, and the others. They make different points, but then some of what they say seems to overlap what others say.
Matt:
I’m confused too. I read these theorists and think I agree with that. But it seems like I agree with everything! I thought you were supposed to have one theory, to believe one way and not others. But it seems like there’s a lot of overlap between theories.
Russ:
You’re right, Matt, there is. Most of what we’ve studied in this course are cognitive theories, and they are alike because they say that learning involves changes in cognitions—knowledge, skills, beliefs. Most theorists also say that learners construct their knowledge and beliefs; they don’t automatically adopt what somebody tells them. So yes, there is much overlap.
Trisha:
So then what are we to do? Am I supposed to be something like an information processing theorist, a social cognitive theorist, a constructivist? That’s what I’m confused about.
Russ:
No, you don’t have to be only one. There may be one theory that you like better than the others, but maybe that theory doesn’t address everything you want it to. So then you can borrow from other theories. For example, when I was in grad school I did research with a professor whose specialty was cognitive learning. There was another professor who did developmental research. I really liked her research, probably because I had been a teacher and was interested in development, especially the changes in kids from elementary to middle school. So I was a learning theorist who borrowed from the developmental literature and still do. It’s okay to do that!
Jeri:
Well, that makes me feel better. But it’s late in the course, and I guess I want to know what I should be doing next.
Russ:
Tell you what—next class I’ll spend some time on this. A good place to start is not to decide which type of theorist you are, but rather determine what you believe about learning and what types of learning you’re interested in. Then you can see which theory matches up well to your beliefs and assumptions and maybe do as I did—borrow from others.
Matt:
Isn’t that being eclectic?
Russ:
Perhaps, but you may still have one preferred theory that you adapt as needed. That’s okay to do. In fact, that’s how theories are improved—by incorporating ideas that weren’t in them originally.
Trisha:
Thanks, Dr. Nyland. This is really helpful.
Learning involves acquiring and modifying knowledge, skills, strategies, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. People.
Introduction to Research
Chapter Objectives
This chapter presents the reader with a very broad introduction to the subject of research.
Although general in approach, the chapter deliberately gives prominence to educational research. The following areas are covered:
The meaning of research
Purpose of research
The distinction between educational research and other kinds of research
The scientific method of inquiry
Characteristics of scientific research
Classification of research according to type of data involved, purpose of the research or the type of analysis.
The history of man’s quest for knowledge
The research process
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
Embracing GenAI - A Strategic ImperativePeter Windle
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI, Image Generators and Large Language Models have had a dramatic impact on teaching, learning and assessment over the past 18 months. The most immediate threat AI posed was to Academic Integrity with Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) focusing their efforts on combating the use of GenAI in assessment. Guidelines were developed for staff and students, policies put in place too. Innovative educators have forged paths in the use of Generative AI for teaching, learning and assessments leading to pockets of transformation springing up across HEIs, often with little or no top-down guidance, support or direction.
This Gasta posits a strategic approach to integrating AI into HEIs to prepare staff, students and the curriculum for an evolving world and workplace. We will highlight the advantages of working with these technologies beyond the realm of teaching, learning and assessment by considering prompt engineering skills, industry impact, curriculum changes, and the need for staff upskilling. In contrast, not engaging strategically with Generative AI poses risks, including falling behind peers, missed opportunities and failing to ensure our graduates remain employable. The rapid evolution of AI technologies necessitates a proactive and strategic approach if we are to remain relevant.
Macroeconomics- Movie Location
This will be used as part of your Personal Professional Portfolio once graded.
Objective:
Prepare a presentation or a paper using research, basic comparative analysis, data organization and application of economic information. You will make an informed assessment of an economic climate outside of the United States to accomplish an entertainment industry objective.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Normal Labour/ Stages of Labour/ Mechanism of LabourWasim Ak
Normal labor is also termed spontaneous labor, defined as the natural physiological process through which the fetus, placenta, and membranes are expelled from the uterus through the birth canal at term (37 to 42 weeks
June 3, 2024 Anti-Semitism Letter Sent to MIT President Kornbluth and MIT Cor...Levi Shapiro
Letter from the Congress of the United States regarding Anti-Semitism sent June 3rd to MIT President Sally Kornbluth, MIT Corp Chair, Mark Gorenberg
Dear Dr. Kornbluth and Mr. Gorenberg,
The US House of Representatives is deeply concerned by ongoing and pervasive acts of antisemitic
harassment and intimidation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Failing to act decisively to ensure a safe learning environment for all students would be a grave dereliction of your responsibilities as President of MIT and Chair of the MIT Corporation.
This Congress will not stand idly by and allow an environment hostile to Jewish students to persist. The House believes that your institution is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and the inability or
unwillingness to rectify this violation through action requires accountability.
Postsecondary education is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have their ideas and beliefs challenged. However, universities receiving hundreds of millions of federal funds annually have denied
students that opportunity and have been hijacked to become venues for the promotion of terrorism, antisemitic harassment and intimidation, unlawful encampments, and in some cases, assaults and riots.
The House of Representatives will not countenance the use of federal funds to indoctrinate students into hateful, antisemitic, anti-American supporters of terrorism. Investigations into campus antisemitism by the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the Committee on Ways and Means have been expanded into a Congress-wide probe across all relevant jurisdictions to address this national crisis. The undersigned Committees will conduct oversight into the use of federal funds at MIT and its learning environment under authorities granted to each Committee.
• The Committee on Education and the Workforce has been investigating your institution since December 7, 2023. The Committee has broad jurisdiction over postsecondary education, including its compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, campus safety concerns over disruptions to the learning environment, and the awarding of federal student aid under the Higher Education Act.
• The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the sources of funding and other support flowing to groups espousing pro-Hamas propaganda and engaged in antisemitic harassment and intimidation of students. The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is the principal oversight committee of the US House of Representatives and has broad authority to investigate “any matter” at “any time” under House Rule X.
• The Committee on Ways and Means has been investigating several universities since November 15, 2023, when the Committee held a hearing entitled From Ivory Towers to Dark Corners: Investigating the Nexus Between Antisemitism, Tax-Exempt Universities, and Terror Financing. The Committee followed the hearing with letters to those institutions on January 10, 202
Francesca Gottschalk - How can education support child empowerment.pptxEduSkills OECD
Francesca Gottschalk from the OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation presents at the Ask an Expert Webinar: How can education support child empowerment?
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
1. 1
The Research Process
T here is the story of a Zen Buddhist who took a group of monks into
the forest, whereupon the group soon lost their way. Presently one of the
monks asked the leader where they were going. The wise man answered,
“To the deepest, darkest part of the forest so that we can all find our way
out together.” Doctoral research for the graduate student in the social
sciences is often experienced in just that manner—trekking into a forest
of impenetrable density and false turns. Over the years, our students
have employed various metaphors to describe the dissertation process,
metaphors that support the feeling of being lost in the wilderness. One
student compared the process to the Sisyphean struggle of reaching the
top of a hill, only to discover the presence of an even higher mountain
behind it. Another student experienced the task as learning a Martian lan-
guage, known to the natives who composed her committee but entirely
foreign to her. A third student had perhaps the best description when she
suggested that it was like waiting patiently in a seemingly interminable
line to gain admission to a desirable event, then finally reaching the front
only to be told to return to the rear of the line.
One reason that students become more exasperated than necessary
on the dissertation journey is that they fail to understand the procedures
and practices that form the foundation for contemporary social science
research. Many students who are attracted to their field of interest out of
an applied concern are apprehensive about making the leap from applica-
tion to theory, which is an indispensable part of the research enterprise.
What may not be so evident is that many of the skills that go into being
3
01-Rudestam.qxd 2/12/2007 2:28 PM Page 3
2. a consummate practitioner are the same skills that are demanded of a
capable researcher. It is well known that curiosity and hypothesis testing
are the bedrock of empirical research. In a similar fashion, experienced
psychotherapists, to take an example from clinical psychology, are sensi-
tive and keen observers of client behavior. They are persistent hypothesis
testers. They are curious about the relationship between family history
variables and current functioning. They draw on theory and experience to
help select a particular intervention for a particular client problem or
moment in therapy.
Dispassionate logic and clear and organized thinking are as necessary
for effectiveness in the field as they are for success in research. In fact, the
bridge between research and just plain living is much shorter than most
people think. All of us gather data about the world around us, wonder
what will happen if we or others behave in particular ways, and test
our pet hunches through deliberate action. To a large extent, the formal
research enterprise consists of thinking systematically about these same
issues.
The procedures outlined in this book are intended to assist the doctoral
student in planning and writing a research dissertation. The suggestions
are equally applicable to writing a master’s thesis. There is considerable
overlap between these two challenging activities. For most students, the
master’s thesis is the first rigorous research project they attempt. This
means that, in the absence of strong, supportive faculty consultation, the
student often concludes the thesis with considerable relief and an aware-
ness of how not to do the study the next time! With a doctoral disserta-
tion, it is generally expected, sometimes as an act of faith, that the student
will be a more seasoned and sophisticated researcher. The consensus
opinion is that dissertations are generally longer than theses, that they are
more original, and that they make a greater contribution to the field.
In most graduate programs, the prelude to conducting a dissertation
study is presenting a dissertation proposal. A research proposal is an
action plan that justifies and describes the proposed study. We take the
completion of a comprehensive proposal as a very important step in
the dissertation process. The proposal serves as a contract between
the student and his or her dissertation or thesis committee that, when
approved by all parties, constitutes an agreement that data may be col-
lected and the study may be completed. As long as the student follows
the steps outlined in the proposal, committee members should be
discouraged from demanding significant changes to the study after the
proposal has been approved. Naturally, it is not uncommon to expect
4 GETTING STARTED
01-Rudestam.qxd 2/12/2007 2:28 PM Page 4
3. small changes, additions, or deletions down the road because one can
never totally envision the unpredictable turns that studies can take.
There is no universally agreed-on format for the research proposal.
To our way of thinking, a good proposal contains a review of the relevant
literature, a statement of the problem and the associated hypotheses, and
a clear delineation of the proposed method and plans for data analysis.
In our experience, an approved proposal means that more than half
of the work of the dissertation has been completed. This book is intended
to help students construct research proposals as well as completed
dissertations.
The ResearchWheel
One way of thinking about the phases of the research process is with refer-
ence to the so-called research wheel (see Figure 1.1). The wheel metaphor
suggests that research is not linear but a recursive cycle of steps that are
repeated over time. The most common entry point is some form of empiri-
cal observation. In other words, the researcher selects a topic from the infi-
nite array of possible topics. The next step is a process of inductive logic
that culminates in a proposition. The inductive process serves to relate the
specific topic to a broader context and begins with some hunches in the
form “I wonder if. . . . ” These hunches typically are guided by the values,
assumptions, and goals of the researcher that need to be explicated.
Stage 2 of the research wheel is a developed proposition, which is
expressed as a statement of an established relationship (e.g., “the early
bird is more likely than the late bird to catch the worm”). The proposition
The Research Process 5
Data
analysis
Conceptual
framework
(theory, literature)
Research
questions/
hypotheses
Data collection
Empirical observation
Proposition
DeductiveInductive
Figure 1.1 The research wheel
01-Rudestam.qxd 2/12/2007 2:28 PM Page 5
4. exists within a conceptual or theoretical framework. It is the role of the
researcher to clarify the relationship between a particular proposition and
the broader context of theory and previous research. This is probably the
most challenging and creative aspect of the dissertation process. A con-
ceptual framework, which is simply a less-developed form of a theory,
consists of statements that link abstract concepts (e.g., motivation, role) to
empirical data. Theories and conceptual frameworks are developed to
account for or describe abstract phenomena that occur under similar con-
ditions. A theory is the language that allows researchers to move from
observation to observation and make sense of similarities and differences.
Without placing the study within such a context, the proposed study has
a “so what?” quality. This is one of the main objections to the research
proposals of novice researchers: The research question may be inherently
interesting but ultimately meaningless. For instance, the question “Are
there more women than men in graduate school today?” is totally banal as
a research question unless the answer to the question has conceptual or
theoretical implications that are developed within the study. A study may
be worthwhile primarily for its practical implications (e.g., “Should we
start recruiting more men into graduate schools?”), but a purely applied
study may not be acceptable as a dissertation. Kerlinger and Lee (1999),
authors of a highly respected text on research methodology, noted
that “the basic purpose of scientific research is theory” (p. 5). Generally
speaking, a research dissertation is expected to contribute to the scholarly
literature in a field and not merely solve an applied problem. Thus, identi-
fying a conceptual framework for a research study typically involves
immersing oneself in the research and theoretical literature of the field.
Having stated our position with regard to the role of theory in disserta-
tion research, it becomes necessary to take a step back. As a psychologist
and a sociologist, we are most familiar with research conventions within
these two disciplines. Other branches of the social sciences have their own
standards of what constitutes an acceptable dissertation topic. We have
attempted to keep this book as generalizable as possible and to infuse it
with examples from other fields. Ultimately, of course, you will need to
follow the rules and conventions that pertain to your discipline as well as
to your university and department. For example, a few major universities
allow a doctoral student to submit a series of published articles as an
equivalent to a dissertation. Many others encourage studies that consist
of secondary data analyses derived from national databases, such as cen-
sus data or the General Social Survey, or data obtained from a larger
study. Some fields, notably social work, education, policy evaluation, and
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5. professional psychology, may encourage dissertations that solve applied
problems rather than make distinct theoretical contributions. Studies that
evaluate the effectiveness of programs or interventions are a case in
point because they sometimes contribute little in the way of validating
a theory. Political science and economics are examples of fields that are
diverse enough to accommodate both theoretically based studies and
purely applied studies. Within the subspecialty of international relations,
for instance, one could imagine a survey and analysis of security agree-
ments of European nations after the unraveling of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) that rely on interviews with foreign policy
makers and are largely descriptive and applied. In contrast, a study of
the role of a commitment to ideology to the success of political parties
in the United States, based on an analysis of historical documents and vot-
ing records, might be grounded in a theory of how ideology attracts or
alienates the voting public.
Moving forward along the research wheel, the researcher uses deduc-
tive reasoning to move from the larger context of theory to generate a spe-
cific research question. The research question is the precisely stated form
of the researcher’s intent and may be accompanied by one or more spe-
cific hypotheses. The first loop is completed as the researcher seeks to dis-
cover or collect the data that will serve to answer the research question.
The data collection process is essentially another task of empirical obser-
vation, which then initiates another round of the research wheel.
Generalizations are made on the basis of the particular data that have
been observed (inductive process), and the generalizations are tied to a
conceptual framework, which then leads to the elucidation of further
research questions and implications for additional study.
The kinds of skills called for at the various points of the research wheel
are reminiscent of the thoughts about learning presented by Bertrand
Russell many years ago. Russell noted that there are two primary kinds
of knowledge acquisition: knowledge by description and knowledge by
acquaintance. Knowledge by description is learning in a passive mode,
such as reading a book on how to change the oil in one’s car or hearing a
lecture on Adam Smith’s theory of economics. It is the type of learning that
is especially well suited for mastering abstract information. Knowledge by
acquaintance, on the other hand, is learning by doing, the kind of skill
training that comes from practicing a tennis serve, driving an automobile,
and playing with a computer. This is concrete knowledge acquisition, ori-
ented to solving problems. The research process demands both skills. First,
there is the clear, logical thinking that pertains to working with concepts
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6. and ideas and building theories. It is our impression that many graduate
students, particularly those who have experience as practitioners in their
fields, are weakest in abstract conceptualization, and honing this skill may
be the major challenge of the dissertation. Second, there is the practical
application of ideas, including the need to plan a study systematically,
then collect and analyze data. The ability to focus, problem solve, and
make decisions will help bring the study to completion.
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