Research and Source Analysis

Identify three ways in which the researcher might gather information

• Examine the teachings of particular religions

• Survey of religious adherents

• Collection of data from religious agencies who work for the environment

Outline one factor to be considered when analysing sources

• Ethical considerations

• Source analysis questions

Justify twos methods to communicate results

• A formal report

• A peer reviewed academic journal

• Infographic useful to display to ordinary people

Identify why research questions are important in inquiry

• Objective and relate specifically to the area of research

• Frame the research

Identify why focus questions are important in inquiry

• Are important to guide the inquiry

• Help to clarify the research task

Survey/questionnaires

Used to measure information from a large population of religious and non-religious people, gathers information in an efficient way, via web, email, phone, mail or in person. Helps researcher collect information to describe, compare, or explain attitudes about religious values in a secular society.

Focus groups

Used to bring together a homogeneous group of participants, provide rationale to discuss opinions and insights about religious values. Used to receive feedback from participants through group dialogue about the topic.

Interviews

Takes form of conversation between a researcher and interviewee. Provide rationale about the topic. Relate to focus of research: can provide invaluable insight into attitudes about religious values in a secular society.

Advantages of questionnaire

• Gather lots of information from many people

• Can be conducted electronically to obtain responses that can be group according to demographics to describe any trend or pattern amongst responses.

Disadvantages of questionnaires

• Lack of flexibility - the researcher is committed to the single questionnaire and so adjustment is difficult

• Limited ability to ensure honesty of responses

Purpose

• Clear statement: the purpose of the source is to…

• Elements of the source that highlight this

• Conclude the purpose

• Be careful if it’s the purpose of the research or the source

Reliability of methodology

• Avoid making extreme statements

• Methodology - uses both quantitative and qualitative data

• Representative (by gender, age, and state – wide demographic)
  online survey of Australians.

• Analysis of data by for example the Australian Bureau of
  Statistics - a reputable source of data as it is Australia’s official
  statistical organisation.

• Methodology could be improved by increasing the number of
  participants (sample size) or widening the demographic.

Reliability of Source

• To what extent is the evidence or views accurate.

• Is the author authoritative/expert in the field?

• Were the inquiry questions fair or leading?

Reliability of Survey Data

• A mix of qualitative or quantitative data

• Repeatable and verifiable

• Samples chosen randomly

• Sample size

Interpretation

The way something is understood or explained. For instance, a statistician interprets statistical data to draw conclusions from it.

POV

Very similar to 'interpretation'- an attitude, standpoint or perspective - how one sees or thinks of something. For instance, a cartoonist may hold the point of view that a public figure is incompetent and so makes an unflattering or ridiculous caricature of them.

Survey Questions

Are not used to guide inquiry, they are typically used to gather information for a survey

Research Plan

• Identify the purpose of the research.

• Develop a research question.

• Frame questions: focus questions to support the existing research question.

• Identify strategies and/or techniques for gathering data.

• Gather data: via e.g., source material, interviews, surveys.

• Consider ethical practices: e.g., accurate referencing, religious
  sensitivity, confidentiality.

• Analyse and interpret data: e.g., identify gaps in evidence.

• Communicate results: e.g., conference paper, academic journal
  article

• Ethical considerations

Ways researcher may practice ethical scholarship

• Respecting each person’s right to make an informed decision about taking part.

• Respecting each person’s right to confidentiality or anonymity

• Respecting cultural sensitivities

• Presenting the results honestly by avoiding bias and acknowledging the limitations of the data

Why are ethical considerations important for religious matters

• Religious matters are often deeply personal and can for some,
  can be highly sensitive.

• The views or behaviour of someone who is religious may differ from those expressed officially within the religion or may be controversial in the wider community, exposing them to scrutiny that can be unsafe.

• Responses may not be honest or skewed due to fear, intimidation the feeling of lack of respect data would therefore be invalid and so impacting on the validity and usefulness of the data.

• It is important to respect the personal aspects of each individual due to the innate human rights.

Why must a researcher consider ethical practices

• Because religious affiliation is personal and for some people can be a sensitive topic.

• Some people may feel intimidated/fearful when being asked questions about their religious affiliation and may provide inaccurate responses due to this.

• To ensure research is conducted in a professional manner (e.g., cultural / religious sensitivity with survey / interview)

• To ensure honesty in the research process

• To ensure accuracy of data

Usefulness

• Who is intended audience? Catholics? Wider society?

• What does the source want the audience to say, think, do, or avoid as a result of the source?

• Is the message clear?

• Does it arrive at any conclusions?

• Is it informative, emotive or biased?

• How old is the data within the source and does this impact on the validity of conclusion made within the source?

• Relevance: does it contribute anything to the issues being debated/covered?

Usefulness example Australia Bureau of Statistics

Useful:

• Sources comes from the ABS – a trustworthy statistical agency/organisation, with no intended bias.

• Source is current in demonstrating recent trends from the latest Census (2021)

• Source shows trends that indicate the changing place of religion in Australia,

Limited use:

• Source only show quantitative data and no qualitative data.

• The religion question in the Australian census only measures affiliation, not participation rates.

Contestability

• Credibility of the author: Who is the author, and what is their level of expertise or bias? Does author have a particular agenda or lack qualifications? If the answer is yes, the source may be more contestable.

• Evidence and references: Does the source provide strong evidence/data to back up it’s claims? Does it reference other credible sources? If the references are absent or weak the source is more contestable.

• Perspective or bias: Is the source contain, or does it lean towards a particular point of view? If it’s clearly biased, its claims may be open to debate.

• Factual accuracy: Are the facts verifiable and supported by other reliable sources? If they are not, the source may be questioned/contestable.

• Contemporary: Is the information/data presented up to date, or could it be outdated? Old data can be less reliable and more easily challenged.