BBA260 RESEARCH METHODS COURSE - UNIT TWO

Flashcards covering vocabulary from Research Methods Unit 2 lecture notes.

Research Process

Consists of a series of actions or steps necessary to effectively carry out research. It involves closely related activities that overlap continuously.

Research Process: Steps

1. Identify and formulate the research topic or problem. 2. Literature search and review. 3. Research objectives, questions, and hypotheses. 4. Plan your research design including your sample (Methodology). 5. Data Collection. 6. Process and analyze data. 7. Write a report.

Research Problem

An interrogative sentence or statement that asks: What relation exists between two or more variables? A specific, evidence-based, real-life issue faced by certain people or organizations that have significant negative implications to the involved parties.

Formulating a Research Problem

Revolves around the four Ps: People, Problems, Programs, and Phenomena.

Interest (Research Problem Selection)

Select a topic that is of great interest to sustain the required motivation.

Magnitude (Research Problem Selection)

Select a topic that you can manage and is within the time and resources at your disposal.

Measurement of Concepts (Research Problem Selection)

Make sure that you are clear about the indicators and measurements of concepts in your field.

Relevance (Research Problem Selection)

Ensure that your study adds to the existing body of knowledge, bridges current gaps and is useful in policy formulation.

Ethical Issues (Research Problem Selection)

Think about ethical issues that can affect the study population and how those ethical problems can be addressed.

Problem Statement

The verbal or written statement of the problem, concerning the functioning of the broader area of field studied. A good problem statement is concrete and concise, contextualizes the research problem, helps set aims and objectives, and justifies the research.

Concept

Mental images or perceptions whose meanings vary markedly from individual to individual; it cannot be measured directly.

Indicator

A set of criteria reflective of the concept which can be converted into variables.

Variable

An image, perception, or concept that can be measured and is capable of taking on different values.

Independent Variable

A variable that is presumed to affect or predict the values of another variable; it may be active (manipulated) or attribute (pre-existing characteristic).

Dependent Variable

A presumed outcome that is assumed to measure or assess the effect or influence of the independent variable.

Extraneous Variable

A variable that is not of interest in a given study but could have an influence on the dependent variable.

Research Topic

A broad area of discourse dealing with a particular subject to which the identified research problem relates.

Research Title

A short line that gives your research a direction, providing an identity to the research that reflects the focal point and area of the research.

General Objective

An overall statement of the thrust of your study. A statement of the main associations and relationship that you seek discover or establish in the study.

Specific Objectives

A breakdown of your aim (sub-aims) which focuses on finding out or establishing certain issues while achieving your aim.

Research Hypothesis

A tentative proposition which is a subject of verification through your investigation; a predictive statement about the relationship between variables.

Research Question

A specific question that a researcher intends to answer; similar to a hypothesis but phrased in question format.

Qualitative Research

Research that explores attitudes, behavior, and experiences through methods such as interviews or focus group discussions. It attempts to get an in-depth opinion from participants.

Quantitative Research

Research based on the measurement of quantity or amount. It collects data in the form of numbers.