The Research Methods Knowledge Base: 3rd edition by William M.K. Trochim and James P. Donnelly. Chapter 1

• 1-1 The Language of Research
  • 1-1a Types of Studies (Cumulative)
    • Descriptive
    • Relational: two variables
    • Causal: most demanding
      • Evidence-based practice
  • 1-1b Time in Research
    • Cross-sectional – single point in time
    • Longitudinal studies – over time
      • Repeated measures
        • Two or a few waves of measurement
      • Time series
        • Over 20 waves of measurement
  • 1-1c Type of Relationships
    • Simple correlational relationship – act in synchrony
    • Causal relationship – one explains another
    • Third-Variable problem – something else which affects both variables
    • Patterns
      • No relationship
      • Positive relationship
      • Negative relationship
  • 1-1d Variables
    • Attributes
    • Dependent / Independent
    • Exhaustive: holds all possible values
    • Mutually exclusive: employed, not employed + 2nd job
  • 1-1e Hypotheses
    • Prediction, in concrete terms
    • Not all research has a hypothesis – exploratory
    • Alternative hypothesis
    • Null hypothesis
    • One-tailed hypothesis
  • 1-1f Types of Data
    • Quantitative & Qualitative
      • “All quantitative data is based upon qualitative judgements; and all qualitative data can be described and manipulated numerically.” (Trochim & Donnely, 2006)
  • 1-1f The Unit of Analysis
    • Individuals, Groups, Artifacts, Geo, Social
  • 1-1h Research Fallacies
    • Ecological fallacy – group stereotyping
    • Exception fallacy – one does not represent the group
• 1-2 Philosophy of Research
  • 1-2a Structure of research
    • Hourglass shape – broad area of interest to measurement and observation to generalize back to question

• Components of a study
  • Research problem
  • Research question
  • Program (cause)
  • Units
  • Outcomes (effects)
  • Design
• 1-2b Deduction and Induction
  • Deductive
    • More general to more specific
    • Top-down approach
  • Inductive
    • From specific to general
    • Bottom-up approach
• 1-2c Positivism and Post-Positivism
  • Epistemology – philosophy of knowledge
  • Methodology – how
  • Positivism
    • Empiricism – Knowledge as only what could be observed and measured
    • Deterministic
    • Deductive reasoning
  • Post-Positivism
    • Theoretical reasoning & experience-based evidence
    • Probabilistic
    • Critical realism
      • External reality
      • Never accurate (critical)
    • Subjectivist
      • World is solely a creation of your mind
    • Constructivist
      • Reality is a conceptual construction
    • Evolutionary epistemology or natural selection theory of knowledge
      • Ideal have survival value
      • knowledge evolves through a process of variation, selections, and retention (evolution)
• 1-2d Validity
  • Best available approximation to the truth of a give proposition, inference, or conclusion
  • “Validity of what?”

• Four types
  • Conclusion
    • Is there a relationship between cause and effect?
  • Internal
    • Is the relationship causal?
  • Construct
    • Can we generalize to the constructs?
    • Cause Construct
      • Your theory about the cause in a cause-effect relationship
    • Effect Construct
      • Your theory what the outcome is in a cause-effect relationship
  • External
    • Can we generalize to other persons, places, or times?
• Threat to Validity
  • Reasons why your conclusion or inference might be wrong
• Conclusion Validity
  • The degree to which your conclusions about relationships in your data are reasonable
• 1-3 Ethics in Research
  • 1-3a The Language of Ethics
    • Voluntary participation
      • Make sure there is no coercion to participate
    • Informed consent
      • Information about procedures and risks involved
    • Confidentiality
      • Their personal/individual information or identity will not be released beyond the scope of the study
    • Institutional Review Board (IRB)
      • Panel who reviews research proposals with respect to ethical implications
• 1-4 Conceptualizating
  • Concept Mapping
    • 2D graphs of a group’s ideas – used to develop conceptual framework for a research project
  • 1-4a Problem formulation
    • Comes from practical problems in the field
    • Request for Proposals (RFP)
    • Feasibility
    • Literature Review
  • 1-4b Concept mapping
    • Pictorial representation of ideas
    • Steps:
      • Preparation
      • Generation
      • Structuring
      • Representation
      • Interpretation
      • Utilization
  • 1-4c Logic models

Nathan, M., & Alibali, M. (2010). Learning sciences. WIREs Cognitive Science.  DOI: 10.1002/wcs.54

Engineering Education – Week 2.1 – Reading Notes