Practical Research
by Leedy and Ormrod
Charles C. Tappert
Seidenberg School of CSIS, Pace University
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Chapter 1 – Research is Not
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Merely gathering information
Merely looking for hard-to-locate
information
Merely transporting facts from one
location to another
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Chapter 1
Research Has 8 Characteristics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Research originates with a question or problem
Research requires clear articulation of a goal
Research usually divides the principal problem into more
manageable subproblems
Research is guided by the specific research problem, question,
or hypothesis
Research requires a specific plan for proceeding
Research rests on certain critical assumptions
Research requires the collection and interpretation of data in
an attempt to resolve the research problem
Research in, by its nature, cyclical or, more exactly, helical 3
Chapter 1 – Research Cycle
4
Chapter 1 – Six General Tools
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The library and its resources
Computer technology
Measurement
Statistics
Language
The human mind
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Chapter 2
Finding the Research Problem
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Look around you
Read the literature
Seek the advice of experts
Attend professional conferences
Choose a topic that intrigues and motivates you
Choose a topic that others will find interesting
and worthy of attention
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Chapter 2
Stating the Research Problem
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
State the problem clearly and completely
Think through the feasibility of the work the
problem implies
Say precisely what you mean
State the problem in a way that reflects an open
mind about its solution
Edit your work
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Chapter 2
Every problem needs further delineation
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Dividing the research problem into subproblems
Stating the hypotheses and/or research questions
Identifying the variables under investigation
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Independent variable -> dependent variable
Delimiting the research
Defining terms
Stating the assumptions
Importance of the study (so what?)
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Chapter 3
Review the Related Literature
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Role of literature review
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Strategies for locating related literature
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Understand the field and what is known
Put your problem into context
Library and reference librarians (Michelle Lang)
Indexes and abstracts
Online databases
Conference proceedings
Know when to end the literature review
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When you no longer encounter new viewpoints
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Chapter 4
Planning Your Research Work
10
Chapter 4
Relation between Data and Truth
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Chapter 4
Quantitative vs Qualitative Research
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Characteristics of quantitative and qualitative research
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Chapter 4
Quantitative vs Qualitative Research
Choose quantitative or qualitative research
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Chapter 5
Writing the Research Proposal
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The problem and its setting
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Review of Related Literature
The data and the treatment of the data
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Problem statement, hypotheses, delimitations,
definitions, assumptions, importance of study
Data needed and means of obtaining the data
The research methodology
Outline of the proposed study
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Steps to be taken, timeline, etc.
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Chapter 6
Qualitative Research
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Case study
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Phenomenological study – perceptions
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Interviews, surveys
Grounded theory
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Analysis of an event or programs
Begin with data and develop a theory
Content analysis
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Examine a body of material to identify patterns,
themes, etc.
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Chapter 6
Qualitative Research
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Chapter 7
Historical Research
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Examine a sequence of events and develop a
rational explanation for the sequence, possible
cause and effect relationships, etc.
Examples
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Moore’s Law by Gordon Moore
Kurzweil’s Law of Accelerating Returns by Ray Kurzweil
The Dot-Com Bubble Reconsidered by Lee Gomes
Cooperation from a Game Theory Perspective by Dietrich Fischer
Online Handwriting Recognition Interfaces by Charles Tappert
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
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Chapter 8
Descriptive Quantitative Research
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Involves describing the situation as it is
Descriptive research designs
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Observation studies
Correlational research
Survey research
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Chapter 9
Experimental Quantitative Research
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Look for cause-and-effect relationships
Independent and dependent variables
Dr. Mary Villani (DPS 2006) - keystroke biometric study
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Chapter 10
Mixed-Methods Research
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Both qualitative and quantitative dimensions
Usually require more time and energy than a
strictly qualitative or quantitative study
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Chapter 11
Analyzing Quantitative Data
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Exploring and organizing the data
Visual representations – graphs, charts, etc.
Spreadsheets
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Choosing appropriate statistics
Descriptive statistics
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Nominal (non-numeric), ordinal (numeric), interval (equal units) ,
and ratio (true zero) data
Normal and non-normal distributions
Parametric (e.g., means, std) and non-parametric statistics
Inferential statistics
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E.g., use small sample to estimate the characteristics of a population
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Chapter 12
Writing the Dissertation
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Description of the research problem
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Stating the hypotheses and/or research questions
Delimitations, definitions, assumptions
Importance of the study (so what?)
Description of the method
Presentation of the data
Interpretation of the data
Conclusions
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Chapter 12
Writing the Dissertation
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