ENGLISH 4

Research 

- Study of a specific problem or concern, using scientific methods.


FOUR MAIN TYPES OF RESEARCH:

  1. Historical Research

    - Investigate what happened in the past.


  1. Descriptive Research

    - Investigate what is happening.


  1. Correlational Research 

    - Investigates what kind of relationships exist between things.


  1. Experimental Research

    - Investigates what effects an action has.


Variables

- Factors that vary in quantity or quality.


TWO TYPES OF VARIABLES:

  1. Independent Variables

    - Directly affects findings of research.

    - Can be the duration, amount, frequency of treatment, or program.


  1. Dependent Variables

    - Affected by independent variables.


Respondents, Participants, or Subjects

  • Individuals whom researchers gather data from.


Sampling

  • Process used to select a group of respondents (sample) from a larger population as the participants of a study.


TWO TYPES OF SAMPLING:

  1. Probability Sampling

    • Simple Random Sampling

    - “Drawing straws or drawing lots”

    - Most common way

    - Selects participants through random chance.

    • Systematic Sampling

    - “Counting off by threes/fives/tens”

    - Chooses participants by selecting every nth member of that population.

    • Stratified Sampling

    - Most effective way

    - Came from strata = category

    - Creating groups or categories to choose participants from.

    • Cluster Sampling

    - Used when population is too large.

    - Dividing into clusters and choosing n clusters to sample respondents from.

2. Non-Probability Sampling

- Less costly and more easily implemented. 


  • Purposive Sampling

    - Choosing participants based on their qualifications or usefulness of the information they can provide.


  • Convenience Sampling

    - Participants are chosen based on the participants’ availability or accessibility to the researcher. 


  • Quota Sampling

    - A prespecified number of participants with particular characteristics.


Conclusions

- Answers to a study’s research questions. 


Recommendations

- Suggestions for other research about possible future research topics. 

- Based on a study’s findings and conclusions.


SOURCES OF INFORMATION:

  1. Primary Source of information

    - Provide firsthand accounts or direct information about a topic. 


  1. Secondary Source of Information

    - Provide summaries, commentaries, analyses, etc. about a topic.