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Quantitative Methods for Researchers

Quantitative Methods for Researchers. Paul Cairns paul.cairns@york.ac.uk. Objectives. Need for write up Structure of write-up. Why write up?. Formal structure. Title and abstract Aims = lit review Method Results Discussion. Literature. Defines the community Importance/interest

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Quantitative Methods for Researchers

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  1. Quantitative Methods for Researchers Paul Cairns paul.cairns@york.ac.uk

  2. Objectives • Need for write up • Structure of write-up

  3. Why write up?

  4. Formal structure • Title and abstract • Aims = lit review • Method • Results • Discussion

  5. Literature • Defines the community • Importance/interest • Implicit standard • Implicit style QUAN, Paul Cairns

  6. Method section • Aim and hypothesis • Participants • Variables • Design • Materials • Procedure

  7. Matching Exercise • Aim and hypothesis • Participants • Variables • Design • Materials • Procedure • Construct • Internal • External • Ecological

  8. Results • Report descriptives • Report all tests • not just the “interesting” ones • Don’t do anything else

  9. Discussion • Interpreting results • Honest criticism • Design => Results • Even if not the result you wanted! • Further work

  10. Three writing tools • RQ • Fantasy abstract • Method

  11. Write now! • Known structures • What will sig show? • Is it valid? • Forces a dialogue • With self or supervisor

  12. Experiments as evidence • If • X has really changed • Y has been properly measured • Nothing else has changed • The result was significant • Then • Evidence that X causes Y

  13. Value? • Modest but cumulative • One severe test • Isolation of phenomena • Strong pillars

  14. Not black and white • Experiments are not proof • Validity • Assumptions • Experiments have a frame • Eg speed of gravity

  15. Health warnings • Craft skill • Simpler is better • Doing it • Interpreting it • Communicating it • Experiments as evidence • Software packages are deceptively easy

  16. Q & A • Any question about any aspect • Very general or very specific • Any research method!

  17. Useful Reading • Cairns, Cox, Research Methods for HCI: chaps 6 • Rowntree, Statistics Without Tears • Howell, Fundamental Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences, 6thedn. • Abelson, Statistics as Principled Argument • Silver, The Signal and the Noise

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