From Topic to Title to Thesis: Formulating an Idea into a Research Project

1. From Topic to Title to Thesis: Formulating an Idea into a Research Project Presented to the Western Illinois University College of Education and Human Sciences Research Symposium April 25, 2011 Kerrie Bishop, LEJA Graduate Student Advisors: Professor Jill J. Myers Dr. Kenneth A. Clontz

2. Writing a Thesis is Like Playing Baseball

3. Like Baseball? • Your committee is comprised of not only coaches, but also of team players and umpires • Sometimes the hardest part is getting started or getting that “perfect hit” (Chapter I) • The bases are like the rest of the thesis (Chapters II, III, IV, &V), stages you accomplished as you go • Most of the work is getting to 3rd base (Chapter IV), then you’re in the “homestretch” (Chapter V) • Some may strike out; others get the home run • Your readers are like the fans of a game

4. This Presentation This presentation discusses the process of completing a master's thesis. I include the initial consideration of selecting a topic, determining specifically what and how to study it, researching prior findings, conducting the research, and reporting on the findings.  Specific considerations, processes, issues, and the research design of this researcher's thesis are included to assist current or future graduate students with their research.

5. Choosing a Topic to Study • What are your interests and what do you expect to find? • What prior research has been completed on your topic? • Is your topic too broad or too narrow? • What type of research will you conduct?

6. Research Choices • Exploratory research-structures and identifies new problems • Constructive research-develops solutions to a problem • Empirical research-tests the feasibility of a solution using empirical evidence

7. Research Types There are 2 distinct types of research: • Primary research-the collection of data that does not yet exist • Secondary research-summary, collation and/or synthesis of existing research

8. Research Methods In social sciences, 2 research methods can be applied, depending on the properties of the subject matter and on the objective of the research: • Qualitative research-the understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior (qualities) • Quantitative research- systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships (quantities)

9. Complete the Institutional Review Board (IRB) Process • What kind of research are you conducting? • What are you studying? • Human Subjects? • Are they within a special or protected population? • Secondary data? • Documents? • Exemptions?

10. Choosing Your Thesis Committee Members • Choose professors with knowledge, expertise, or an interest in the topic • Who will chair the committee? • What direction can the chair give you for formulating the thesis? • Other committee members: What assistance can they provide? • Do all members of the committee work well with each other?

11. Setting Up the Thesis Chapters • Chapter I: Introduction • Chapter II: Literature Review • Chapter III: Research Methodology • Chapter IV: Data Presentation • Chapter V: Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations *It is important to follow all of the guidelines of the Graduate School!

12. Chapter I • Introduction to the topic and why it is important to study it • What has been written about it? • Include interesting aspects about the topic • Popular readings and scholarly work should be included • Include history, statistics, prior research • Tell the reader what kind of study you are conducting

13. Chapter II Theoretical Orientation • Definitions relevant to the topic must be included • Begin by conducting a general search to determine what has already been written on the topic • Discuss past significant findings on the topic • Include the pioneering researchers’ works, if possible • Search for articles and books within recent years

14. Chapter III • Methodology: What method of research are you going to choose? • Are you conducting survey research, analyzing secondary data, or conducting an experiment? • Time constrictions - Can you get your data? • What are your independent and dependent variables (IVs and DVs) • What are your hypotheses? • What statistical package are you going to use? SPSS, Microcase, and PSAW? • Any limitations to your research? Reliability? Missing data? Low response rates?

15. Chapter IV • Frequency tables: Are there enough findings to conduct statistical analyses? • Collapsing variables and recoding: How to do it • Running statistics: Is there a correlation, a relationship between the variables? • Include descriptive statistics and tables • Is there variance within your variables? • Include means and medians for variables with numbers (i.e., age, income amounts, time amounts)

16. Chapter V • Summary of your findings • Are your findings statistically significant within the existing body of literature? • Are there disagreements and why? • Policy statements: How can others use the data and findings? • Research limitations • Recommendations for future research • Tie everything together and write the abstract

17. This Researcher’s Thesis in Progress • Titled: Factors Associated with Help-Seeking Adult Domestic Violence Victims: An Exploratory Study of Client Intake Information in Four Midwestern Counties • My exploratory study examines information compiled through adult client intake forms completed by advocates of a domestic violence agency by responses given to them from victims seeking various forms of assistance • Summaries of the intake forms from two full fiscal years (July 01, 2008 to June 30, 2010) are being analyzed to determine whether the services domestic violence victims seek and receive are dependent on other variables (i.e., type of violence experienced, the relationship to the offender, and victim and offender demographic information) • SPSS is being utilized for statistical analysis • The following slides contain the forms used by the domestic violence agency when completing intakes of domestic violence victims seeking assistance

22. Independent Variables &Dependant Variables Independent Variables (IVs) Dependent Variables (DVs) *Victims’ Sex Services Sought *Victims’ Age Services Received *Victims’ Ethnicity **Primary Presenting Issue *Victims’ Race **Other Presenting Issues Victims’ Employment Status Victims’ Education Level Victims’ Marital Status Victims’ Pregnancy Status Victims’ # of Dependents **Primary Presenting Issue Offense Location **Other Presenting Issues Victims’ Income Source Referral Source *Victims’ Special Needs Offenders’ Sex Offenders’ Race Relationship to Offender *major independent variables Offenders’ Age **can be an independent variable or a Offenders’ Visitation Rights with Children dependent variable

23. Any Questions?