Research Methods Week 1

1
Research Methods Week 1

• Collecting, Processing and Analyzing Data

2
Aims of the Session

• The purpose of this session is to
• Introduce you to the Research Phase (30) of the
  Database Technology Module.
• Introduce you to the assessment requirement for
  this part of the Database Technology Module.
• Discuss how to evaluate research arguments

3
The Purpose of Research

• The purpose of research is to contribute to a
  current state-of-the-art research and possibly to
  advance knowledge in some ways different to
  already existing works. This means that the
  research that one undertakes has to be
• Embedded in a recognisable field of study, taking
  into account and drawing on past research works
• Of interest to other researchers working in the
  same field, and possibly to other fields (wider
  community)
• Generalisable to more than one individual
  experience or circumstance.

4
Typical Research Structure
Produce an initial Research Proposal
The process of research is well-documented. This
diagram more or less describes the activities
required for a research project. What we will do
in this session, is to look at some of the
elements, and how they fit together.
Conduct Literature Review
Select Research Questions
Devise Methodology Research Instruments
Apply Methods Instruments
Perform some Analysis
Test Hypotheses Draw Conclusions
5
Getting Started
In this course we will only be completing the
initial stages of the research cycle. The
initial stages are an iterative process Secondly,
you will be gaining experience of quantitative
research. More about this later.
Produce a Research Proposal
Conduct Literature Review
Select Research Questions
Devise Methodology Research Instruments
Apply Methods Instruments
Perform some Analysis
Test Hypotheses Draw Conclusions
6
(No Transcript)
7
Getting Started
The first thing that you will do is to make sure
you are well-informed, and to pose pertinent
questions which your research will answer.
Produce a Research Proposal
Conduct Literature Review
Select Research Questions
Devise Methodology Research Instruments
Apply Methods Instruments
Perform Statistical Analysis
Test Hypotheses Draw Conclusions
8
Defining Your Field of Study (1)

• A Literature Review is undertaken in a particular
  field, in order to ensure that the research is
  embedded within that field, and that account is
  taken of the methods, issues, results, theories
  and conventions which apply.
• At the end of the literature review, the field is
  narrowed down to a relatively small topic within
  the field, and will have some unanswered
  questions which the research will try to
  investigate.
• These focussed questions form the basis of the
  Research undertaken.

9
Defining Your Field of Study (2)

• Research Questions are crucial, as they
  effectively define both the content of your
  research and the manner in which you carry it
  out.
• Research methodology is designed specifically to
  attempt to answer these questions
• The data collected will be focussed on issues
  relevant to these questions
• Analysis of the data will seek to provide answers
  to the questions
• Conclusions will summarise the answers.

10
Research Questions

• Typical research questions might be
• How can historical data be used to find trends
  and patterns using artificial intelligence
  techniques e.g. cyber crime, fraud detection,
  customer buying patterns
• To what extent is industry embracing wireless
  sensor networks?
• How can we detect dyslexia and dyscalculia in
  primary schools using some software and data
  collected from the children
• Are there differences in the way that men and
  women approach the task of writing software?
• How can historical events be modelled effectively
  using VRML?

11
Defining Your Population

• When framing Research questions, you need to be
  clear about what set of objects, people or events
  forms the background population in your study.
• For example, the software you produce is
  implemented in a particular language.
• Target audience e.g. specific learning
  difficulties like dyslexia etc.
• Software user or audience type e.g. students

12
Defining Your Population

• If you are investigating whether on-line learning
  is effective, is your population - UK
  University students, Liverpool
• Hope Students etc

13
Research QuestionsReferences

• Lewis, Ian. - So you want to do research! a
  guide for beginners on how to formulate research
  questions. - 2nd ed. - Edinburgh Scottish
  Council for Research in Education, 1997. - (SCRE
  publication 2 .. - 1860030327

14
Assessment Requirements

• You are required to complete a portfolio of
  activities consisting of
• Evaluating an argument, evaluating a journal
  article.
• Developing a Research Proposal for a given
• Quantitative Research Task involving Databases
  and measures of performance

15
Evaluating Arguments

• If you are finding background information first
  how do you evaluate what you are finding.
• In initial stages you will identify general
  information relating to a topic.
• This is then refined the more specific
  information is identified.

16
Evaluating Arguments

• An argument in the context of this course is
• case in support of a point of view.
• To assist you in understanding what make a good
  argument or a poor argument you will complete the
  Evaluating Arguments portfolio activity.

17
Next Week

• Critical evaluation of a journal article.