Research Fundamentals: Questions, Instruments, and Frameworks
Research Fundamentals
Problem: A question being asked about reality.
Instrument: A mechanism that allows us to obtain information.
Indicator: Survey questions.
Variables: Choices within a question in the survey.
Tab: The process by which information is extracted from our research tool.
Matrix of Research: Where information is deposited.
Hypothesis: A tentative answer to a question. Variables are drawn, including behavior problems, causal variables, and behavior.
Problems guide our investigation. These are the questions to which we respond.
The Questionnaire: An instrument used to gather information, generally with few questions, and needs no pollster; simple mail suffices. It must be precise.
Characteristics of a Theory: All theories occasionally bring the phenomena they study from different angles and may reflect different levels of development.
What are the Criteria for Evaluating a Theory?
- Power of description, explanation, and prediction. Describe means defining the phenomenon, its characteristics, and defining the conditions under which it is presented.
- Explain primarily means increasing understanding of the causes of the phenomenon.
- Logical Consistency: A theory must be logically consistent and not fall into contradictions or inconsistencies.
- Outlook: Refers to the level of generality. A theory has more perspective when it explains more phenomena and admits the largest number of applications.
- Fructification: The ability of a theory to generate new questions and discoveries.
- Sparingly: Refers to the level of simplicity, although this is not superficiality.
Theoretical Framework: A set of concepts representing science and research into the social reality to which the subject refers. It’s an orderly, systematic, and comprehensive way to think about this reality.
Steps in Developing the Theoretical Framework:
- Explanation of the research title (from which the theme emerged, and background).
- Objectives and scope of the study (what to find and how close to get).
- Brief history of the study of the problem (how the problem has been studied before).
- Summary of current knowledge of the study.
What literature may reveal in connection with our problem:
- That there is a fully developed theory with plenty of empirical evidence.
- That there are several theories that apply to our research problem.
- That only guides are vaguely related to the research problem and have not been explored yet.
Sources:
- Primary: Original books
- Secondary: Books/compilations
- Tertiary: Articles
Data Instruments: The Survey, the Questionnaire, Observation, Interview.
Possible Questions Posed by the Problem:
- Why does (x) behave well?
- What are the behavioral factors of (x)?
- Under what conditions does (x) behave like this?
- What are the consequences of (x)?
Types of Variables:
- Nominal (personal, religion, marital status)
- Ordinal (education, number of children)
- Interval (100-200, 201-300)
- Proportional (physical, height, weight)
Minimum Care for Questionnaires:
- Is this a necessary question?
- How many questions are needed to obtain certain information?
- Does the respondent have the necessary information to reply?
- Is the respondent willing to give the required information?
- Is the question in clear terms?
- Does it contain emotional questions?
- Are questions too personal?
Advantages of the Questionnaire:
- It is less expensive than an interview.
- Less ability to manage.
- It is sent via mail with a minimum of explanation.
- Increased confidence in anonymity.
Disadvantage: If the questions are not fully understood, they may be returned unanswered.
Note: Observation consists of the visual capacity of the researcher to recognize the phenomena studied.
- Casual Observation: It has a list of topics; the observer notes only what they see happening.
- Systematic Observation: Develops guidance and an observation program to monitor each case.
- Participatory Observation: The researcher, moreover, observes and participates in the activities of individuals and communities studied. One advantage is that you can gain empathy. One downside is the risk of losing objectivity when the researcher is involved with problems unrelated to their research.