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LIS 570. Ways of knowing and the research process. Research is everywhere. The need for research methods literacy to protect yourself from misleading research conclusions to empower yourself to use valid social science research to enable the essential function of research communication
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LIS 570 Ways of knowing and the research process
Research is everywhere • The need for research methods literacy • to protect yourself from misleading research conclusions • to empower yourself to use valid social science research • to enable the essential function of research communication • the partnership between the researcher and the consumer of research
Sources of understanding • How do we know what we know? • Variations in explanations e.g. deviance • Personal experience • Tradition • can be a powerful force operating against inquiry
Sources of understanding • Authority • how do we select? • Public opinion • people can agree on things that are inaccurate • Common errors in understanding • we can observe inaccurately • we can overgeneralise • we can be guilty of selective perception
Research • “Disciplined way of coming to know something about ourselves or our world“(Bouma) • “. .the systematic effort to secure answers to questions” (Reinard) • “. . a process by which we answer questions and try to draw conclusions from information gathered..” (Reinard)
Research in the social sciences • Features of the scientific method • empirical • verifiable • cumulative • self-correcting • deterministic • ethical and ideological neutrality • statistical generalizability
Research • Disciplined Inquiry • Problem based • Systematic: Methodical • Established sources of evidence • Sound argument • Concern for Error • Anticipation • Control (Elimination) • Discussion of the Margin of error • Public • Original, Novel
Research in LIS570 • Purpose • Description • What is …. • Search for Relationships • Association Between Ideas (Concepts) • Search for Explanations • Cause and Effect Relationships
The Phases of Research • Phase 1: Essential First Steps • Phase 2: Data Collection • Phase 3: Analysis and Interpretation
Essential First Steps • Phase 1 • Select, Narrow and State Problem • Exploratory Qualitative Research • Select a Research Design • Design and Devise Measures for Variables • Measurement Process • Select Tables for Analysis • Select a Sample