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Chapter 1: Getting started......................................................................................................................... 2
Chapter 2: First decisions.......................................................................................................................... 7
Chapter 3: Ethics........................................................................................................................................ 14
Chapter 4: You Could Look It Up........................................................................................................... 20
Chapter 5: Measurement......................................................................................................................... 24
......................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Chapter 8: Sampling.................................................................................................................................. 29
Chapter 9: Surveys..................................................................................................................................... 34
Chapter 10: Experiments......................................................................................................................... 38
Chapter 11: Watching and listening..................................................................................................... 44
......................................................................................................................................................................... 50
Chapter 12: Content analysis................................................................................................................. 51
,Chapter 1: Getting started
Qualitative research:
This is a research approach that is based on the use of language rather than numbers to
understand and report human behavior.
Interviews, focus groups, case studies, observational studies
Quantitative research:
This is a research approach that is based on measurement, counting, and typically, statistical
analysis.
Experiments, surveys, content analyses, meta-analyses, simulations
Assumptions mistakes:
- Do not capture an underlying reality (you can’t ‘see’ power)
- Do not generalize human behavior (one child doesn’t stand for all children)
- Do not distance yourself as a researcher from the participants (don’t influence, but try
to get close)
- Do not research for a specific purpose (keep interest in general and be open for
different outcomes)
- Do not observe from one point of view (different point of views: receiver, sender,
source, message, channel, noise etc.)
What can we do with an ad?
PSAs Public Service Advertisements
PSAs are targeted communications designed specifically to promote positive attitudes and
behaviors. Focus: health, education, safety, environment and other social causes.
An example: “In 2012, 20,322 people were killed in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes – that’s
one person every 51 minutes”
How do you know if this add was effective?
Two ways that are used to research this;
- Survey to validate what the researcher thinks that is important
- Focus group to figure out what the receivers think that is important
Some questions you can ask yourself when researching an Ad:
- Does the Ad Work
- What can readers and viewers tell us?
- What can content tell us?
- What can the creators of the Ad tell us?
Action research:
Engages in research specifically to improve peoples lives.
Scientific research Attempts to describe and explain situations and behavior
Different types of research questions
Scientists:
Have strict rules to try and guarantee the quality of academic research;
Use theoretical insights to interpret observations;
Be curious, critical, focused, precise, ethical, smart and creative.
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,Social Scientists: Researchers who share the assumption that the methods of science can
be applied to researching and understanding human behavior.
Triangulation: is a powerful technique that facilitates validation of data through cross
verification from two ore more sources.
Participant observation Online survey results depth interviews
By combining methods it is possible to neutralize the weakness of single methods
“The use of two or more research methods to address the same research question. If results
from different methods agree, researchers can have greater confidence in their findings”
Q-Methodology: is a research method used to study people’s “subjectivity” (their viewpoint).
“A research approach used to assess individuals’ subjective understanding”
Some unavoidable decisions
- Field of study – wide or narrow?
- As a researcher – dispassionate or involved?
- Approach – Objective or subjective?
- Priority – your questions or their answers?
- Sample – large or small?
- Data – quantitative or qualitative?
- Report – subjective or objective?
World views:
A major conceptual framework for understanding the world. For example: the view that
humans are essentially similar and their behavior can be measured and predicted vs the
view that humans are individual and unpredictable, and their behavior cannot be measured
and predicted.
3 P’s Approach to Science Education
- Problem Posing: decide what the research question will be.
- Problem Solving: how to answer this research question.
- Peer Persuasion: publish in order to persuade.
When do we ‘believe’ an explanation?
Only if research is reliable
Only if research is valid
Always provisionally (someone might come up with a stronger explanation)
Research purposes:
- Exploration
- Description
- Explanation
- Prediction
- Control
- Interpretation
- Criticism
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, Definitions
Qualitative A research approach that is based on the use of language rather than
research numbers to understand and report human behavior
Quantitative A research approach based on measurement, counting, and typically,
research statistical analysis
PSAs Public Service Advertisements
Action Research engaging with groups or communities specifically to solve
research problems
Scientific Attempts to describe and explain situations and behavior
research
Triangulation The use of two or more research methods to address the same research
question. If results from different methods agree, researchers can have
greater confidence in their findings
Q- A research approach used to assess individuals' subjective understanding.
methodology Typically, participants rank a series of statements about a topic according
to their perceived accuracy. Quantitative analysis of these rankings typically
identifies a small number of factors that show the patterns of subjectivity
within the participant group
World views A major conceptual framework for understanding the world
When do we Reliable, valid, provisionally
believe an
explanation?
3 P's Problem Posing, Problem Solving, Peer Persuasion
Approach to
Science
Education
Problem Decide what the research question will be
Posing
Problem How to answer this research question
Solving
Peer Publish in order to persuade
Persuasion
What are the Exploration, Description, Explanation, Prediction, Control, Interpretation,
research Criticism
purposes?
Appeals The bases of persuasion
Social Researchers who share the assumption that the methods of science can be
scientists applied to researching and understanding human behavior
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