Research is a Process of Inquiry

Research is a Process of Inquiry 報告人:劉伊晟授課教授:任維廉

Outline • Basic Assumptions of Science • Observation and Inference：Facts and Constructs • Conceptual Models in Science • Inductive and Deductive Thinking, Models and Theories in Science • A Model of the Research Process • Phase of Research • Levels of constraint

Basic Assumptions of Science • A true, physical universe does exist • While there is randomness and thus unpredictability in the universe, it is primary an orderly system • This real and orderly universe is knowable through human intelligence ,particularly through scientific research • Our knowledge of the universe is incomplete because new knowledge can alter current • All knowledge is tentative

Observation and Inference： Facts and Constructs • Fact Events that can be directly, empirically observed • Observation The empirical process of using our senses to recognize and to note factual events • Inference An intellectual process in which conclusion are derived from observed facts or from other ideas • Construct Nonobservable inferred events be constructed rational ideas by the researcher

Conceptual Models in Science(1) • Construct is inferred from observed behavior and used as a basis for predicting some new behavior • Modelare constructed representations of parts of the real universe • Model is incomplete, tentative, and analogical • Model only represents reality, not duplicate it

Conceptual Models in Science(2) • Model provide a convenient, and compact representation of the larger, complex, and mostly unknown reality

Inductive and Deductive Thinking, Models and Theories in Science • Inductive VS Deductive • Four types of theories • Inductive theory • Deductive theory • Functional theory • Model

A Model of the Research Process • Phase of research From original ideas to final communication • Levels of constraint The degree to which researcher imposes limits or controls on any part of the research process

A Model of the Research Process- Phase of research (1) • Idea-generating phase Identify a topic of interest to study • Problem-definition phase Refine the ideas into a precise question to be studied • Procedures design phase Decide on the procedures to be used in the gathering of the data • Observation phase Collect your observations from the subjects

A Model of the Research Process- Phase of research (2) • Data-analysis phase Analyze the data using appropriate statistical procedures • Interpretation phase Compare your results with the results predicted on the basis of your theory • Communication phase Prepare a written or oral report for publication or presentation

A Model of the Research Process- Levels of constraint (1) • Naturalistic Observation The observation of subjects in their natural environment • Case-Study Method of Observation Moving the subject into a limiting environment, intervening to a slight degree and observing the responses

A Model of the Research Process- Levels of constraint (2) • Correlational Research Quantifying the degree of relationship between two variables • Differential Research Two or more preexisting groups of subjects are compared • Experimental Research The subjects are randomly assigned without bias to the groups or conditions in the study

Summary • The inductive-deductive process • The two-dimensional model • Research is a process of inquiry in which the researcher carefully pose a question and proceeds systematically to gather, analyze, interpret, and communicate the information necessary to answer the question

Q & A

評論(1) • 老師講評: -右圖的模型無法解釋實際現象，所以他得的不是科學獎，而是藝術獎 -科學研究應包含實證觀察與抽象推理

評論(2) • Q:圖2.1要怎麼用? • A:通常是procedures design階段決定你的研究方式，再訂定限制的程度，之後再決定後面的研究階段要如何進行

評論(3) • Q: Functional theory怎麼整合Inductive theory和Deductive theory? • A:研究家用歸納推論發展出一個一般化的構念，再利用這些構念進行演繹推論或預測未知的事物

評論(4) • Q: Experimental Research 為什麼要without bias ? • A:因為有bias就不是隨機分配，就變成Differential Research

評論(5) • Q:模型為什麼可以當做一種理論? • A:模型是用來模擬實際的狀態，用來整理現有的資訊，這部份跟之前提到的理論一樣，不過模型通常無法用來完整預測新的觀察結果或現象，所以發展性會低於之前提到的其他理論,因此稱它為小理論

Research is a Process of Inquiry