Steps in the Research Process
I have a research question, what do I
do next?
First things first…..
• Keep IRB issues in mind as you develop a plan
– Old data– New Data
– Retrospective data
• Continuing review is required annually until
project is closed .
• Anonymous aggregate data (easiest method
to obtain approval)
• Questions?
From initial idea to…
• A specific question
• Some would argue this is the most difficult
part of developing your project
– Find out what is already known.
– Identify what is not known, or what you can build
on (e.g. with a different population or technique)
Using existing Scholarly literature from
your discipline to specify your question
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Steps for a literature review:
Identify key terms
Locate literature
Critically evaluate and select the literature
Organize the literature
Write the review
4.4
The Research Process:
Data Collection
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Determine the data collection method
Survey (web/paper considerations)
Existing measures (reliability, validity)
Interviews
Under 18, over 18
1.5
What Permissions Are Needed:
Obtaining Permission
• Campus approval (e.g., university or college)
and Institutional Review Board (IRB)
• Individual participants
• Parents of participants who are not
considered adults
6
Linking Data Collection
to Variables and Questions
Flow of Activities
Example
Identify the variable
Self-efficacy for learning from
others
Operationally define the variable
Level of confidence that an
individual can learn something by
being taught by others
Locate data (measures,
observations, documents with
questions and scales)
19 items on a self-efficacy scale
from Zimmerman (et al.
Scores of each item ranged from
0-10 with 10 being “completely
confident”
Collect data on instruments
yielding numeric scores
Creswell, 3r edition
6.7
At the manuscript stage• Be aware of how to interpret your findings
based on sample size and sampling
techniques.
• Probability sampling =techniques to draw
samples representative of the population.
• Nonprobability sample available,
convenient; also may represent some
characteristic the investigator wants to
study.
Modified Creswell 3rd edition
Populations and Samples
Target
Population
Sample
Sample
Population
Sample
- All teachers in high schools in one city
- College students in all community
colleges
- Adult educators in all schools
of education
Creswell, 3rd edition
Educational Psychology
- All high school biology teachers
- Students in one community
college
- Adult educators in five schools of
education in the Midwest
Pedagogical Research
• potential measures of success
– Scores on in class exams or standardized measures
– Retention
– Survey results (interest, perception of gains in
learning, other “attitudes”)
– Measures of skills
– ? (other ideas)
Types of Quantitative Sampling
Quantitative Sampling Strategies
Probability Sampling
Simple Systematic Stratified Multistage
Random Sampling Sampling Cluster
Sampling
Sampling
John W. Creswell
Educational Research:
Planning, Conducting, and
Evaluating Quantitative and
Nonprobability Sampling
Convenience
Sampling
Snowball
Sampling
The Types of Survey Designs
Time of Data Collection
Study Over Time
Longitudinal
Study at One Point in Time
Cross-sectional
Follow students (or instructors)
Over time
Attitudes
and
Practices
Community Program
Needs
Evaluation
Group
Comparisons
Modified from Creswell 3rd edition
National
Assessment
Choosing instruments: Reliability &
Validity
Reliability: Scores from measuring variables
that are stable and consistent
Example: Bathroom scale
Validity: Do the items on the scale meaningfully
represent your construct?