Suggestions on How to Conduct Empirical Research

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Suggestions on How to Conduct Empirical Research

• Examples of an Empirical Study Conducted within a
  Classroom and a Study Conducted on an
  Institution-Wide Basis

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Legal Writing InstituteJune 8, 2006Atlanta,
Georgia

• Robin A. Boyle, Legal Writing Professor
• St. Johns University School of Law
• Dr. Joanne Ingham, Institutional Research
  Specialist
• New York Law School

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Empirical Research Checklist

• Identify the Question or Hypothesis
• Explain Defend the Rationale
• Prepare a Formal Proposal
• Conduct the Study
• Collect the Data
• Analyze and Report the Findings
• Describe and Share the Results

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step 1 Identify the Research Question or
Hypothesis

• Begin with a question and then collect data.
• State the question in CLEAR terms.
• Explain the study in a sentence or two.
• Classroom Will students achieve higher exam
  scores when taught with instructional materials
  that complement their learning-style strengths?
• Institution Do first-year law students and
  faculty have similar or different learning-style
  characteristics?

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step 2 Explain the Rationale

• Why should this study be conducted?
• Has anyone else conducted this study?
• Why is this study worth doing?
• Who will benefit?
• How will they benefit?
• Conduct a Pilot Study!

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step 3 Prepare a Formal Proposal

• What do you plan to do?
• How do you plan to do it?
• Who are your constituents?
• Whose approval must you obtain?
• Whose support do you need?
• (cont)

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step 3 cont

• What is your timeline?
• What resources do you need?
• IRB Institutional Review Board
• Seek input now from a statistician!

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step 4 Conducting the Study

• Prepare a formal timeline with dates, times,
  locations, materials, point-person(s).
• Circulate the timeline to all involved parties.
• Organize all the materials ahead of time.
• There is no room for error at this stage!

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step 4 cont

• How will you prepare the participants?
• Informed consent?
• Part of classroom/institution business?
• Oral, written, electronic?
• Seek Institutional Review Board (IRB) guidance.

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step 5 Collecting the Data

• What information do you need to gather?
• Where will you get the data?
• How will you store the data?
• What steps will you take to assure the data are
  stored safely and will remain confidential?
• What software will you use?

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step 6 Analyze Report Findings

• Which analyses will you be conducting?
• Who will run the statistics and prepare tables
  and graphs?
• How will the findings be reported?
• With whom will you share the data?

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step 7 The Results

• What did you learn?
• How are the findings relevant to others?
• What are your next steps?
• Share the results with the participants?
• the institution?
• colleagues?
• Identify recommendations for future research.

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Thank You! Questions?

• boyler_at_stjohns.edu jingham_at_nyls.edu