AEDT4200

SEMI NAR: WHAT S RESEARCH ALL ABOUT?

Research is
Attempt to make sense of the world in a systematic way,
primarily by gathering data
Attempt to advance the production of knowledge about specific
subjects, the objects of study, i.e., an epistemological pursuit
The posing of conjectures and inviting refutations, a la Popper
Inquiry
An exploration of issues and the details that surround them



Types of ..
Quantitative Research
Systematic empirical investigation of numerical or quantitative properties, phenomena and their
relationships, normally carried out by asking a narrow question, collecting numerical data and
then analyzing using statistical methods (Wikipedia, 2013)
Qualitative Research
Systematic empirical or naturalized methods used to investigate human behaviour and the
underlying reasons for the behaviour, normally carried out by collecting words, pictures, video,
etc. analyzed by searching for relationships that exist between the concepts presented
Mixed Methods
A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods
General Processes
Identification of research problem
Literature review
Specifying the purpose of research
Determine specific research questions or hypotheses
Data collection
Analyzing and interpreting the data
Reporting and evaluating research
Trustworthiness of ...
Credibility or plausibility
each claim that is made is based on data from at least two different sources ensuring that
the criterion of triangulation is met (Guba, 1981)
Transferability
the extent to which decisions apply to other related situations, the conclusions that are reached
apply only to other related situations when others, reading the accounts, draw their own
conclusions (Bencze, 1995).
Dependability
the extent to which the study can be reproduced
Confirmability
confirmability refers to attempts to reduce, if not eliminate, bias in both the data sources
and in the analysis that is brought to the data Guba (1991).
Styles of .
See Denzin Handbook, p.12-13
The Researcher as a Multicultural Subject
Theoretical Paradigms and Perspectives
Research Strategies
Methods of Collection and Analysis
The Art of Interpretation and Presentation