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Vocabulary 1. Research Process. Research Process. 1. Problem definition : the purpose of the study should be taken into account; the relevant background info; what info is needed, and how will it be used for decision making
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Vocabulary 1 Research Process
Research Process • 1. Problem definition: the purpose of the study should be taken into account; the relevant background info; what info is needed, and how will it be used for decision making • it involves discussion with decision makers, interviews with experts, analysis of secondary data, and perhaps some qualitative research
2. Development of an approach to the problem: includes formulating of an objective or a theoretical framework; preparing analytical models, research questions, and hypotheses; and identifying characteristics or factors that can influence the research design • guided by discussions, interviews, ql.res., and pragmatic considerations
3. Research design formulation: a design is a framework or ’blueprint’ for conducting a research project; it details the necessary procedures for obtaining the info, and its purpose is to design a study that tests the hypothesis, determine possible answers to research questions, and provide the info needed for decision making
3. Research design formulation: • secondary data analysis • qualitative research • methods of collecting quantitative data • definition of the information needed • measurement and scaling procedures • questionnaire design • sampling process and sample size • plan of data analysis Source: Malhotra, Naresh K (1996: 22).
4. Data collection: selection, training, supervision, and evaluation of the field force to minimize data collection errors; • the field force operates either in the field, or from an office; • personal interviewing, by telephone, or through mail
5. Data preparation and analysis: each questionnaire or observation form is inspected or edited and, if necessary, corrected; data from forms are inputted in a computer; verification ensures that the data from original forms have been accurately transcribed;
5. Data preparation and analysis: • univariate techniques are used for analysing data when there is single measurement of each element / …there are several measurements, and each variable is analyzed in isolation; • multivariate techniques are used when two or more measurements of an element are analyzed simultaneously
6. Report preparation: the entire project should be documented in a written report; approach, design, data collection, and data analysis; results and major findings; • the findings should be presented so that they can be used in decision making; • an oral presentation enhances clarity and impact
Coming themes: • characteristics of qualitative research • characteristics of quantitative research • presentation of results and findings of the Oulu research project, and