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StepsinEmpiricalResearch

PPA696/697STEPSINEMPIRICALRESEARCH
Theidealresearchproposalshouldbecomprehensiveenoughtoenablethereadertoknoweverythingthatcould
beexpectedtohappeniftheprojectwereactuallycarriedoutincludinganticipatedobstaclesaswellas
anticipatedbenefits.Inordertodesignaresearchproject,youmaywishtoaskyourselfthefollowingseriesof
questions:
1.PROBLEMSTATEMENT,PURPOSES,BENEFITSWhatexactlydoIwanttofindout?Whatisa
researchableproblem?Whataretheobstaclesintermsofknowledge,dataavailability,time,orresources?Do
thebenefitsoutweighthecosts?
2.THEORY,ASSUMPTIONS,BACKGROUNDLITERATUREWhatdoestherelevantliteratureinthefield
indicateaboutthisproblem?TowhichtheoryorconceptualframeworkcanIlinkit?Whatarethecriticismsof
thisapproach,orhowdoesitconstraintheresearchprocess?WhatdoIknowforcertainaboutthisarea?Whatis
thehistoryofthisproblemthatothersneedtoknow?
3.VARIABLESANDHYPOTHESESWhatwillItakeasgivenintheenvironment?Whicharetheindependent
andwhicharethedependentvariables?Aretherecontrolvariables?Isthehypothesisspecificenoughtobe
researchableyetstillmeaningful?HowcertainamIoftherelationship(s)betweenvariables?
4.OPERATIONALDEFINITIONSANDMEASUREMENTWhatisthelevelofaggregation?Whatistheunit
ofmeasurement?Howwilltheresearchvariablesbemeasured?Whatdegreeoferrorinthefindingsis
tolerable?Willotherpeopleagreewithmychoiceofmeasurementoperations?
5.RESEARCHDESIGNANDMETHODOLOGYWhatismyoverallstrategyfordoingthisresearch?Will
thisdesignpermitmetoanswertheresearchquestion?Whatotherpossiblecausesoftherelationshipbetween
thevariableswillbecontrolledforbythisdesign?Whatarethethreatstointernalandexternalvalidity?
6.SAMPLINGHowwillIchoosemysampleofpersonsorevents?AmIinterestedinrepresentativeness?Ifso,
ofwhomorwhat,andwithwhatdegreeofaccuracyorlevelofconfidence?
7.INSTRUMENTATIONHowwillIgetthedataIneedtotestmyhypothesis?WhattoolsordeviceswillIuse
tomakeorrecordobservations?Arevalidandreliableinstrumentsavailable,ormustIconstructmyown?
8.DATACOLLECTIONANDETHICALCONSIDERATIONSAretheremultiplegroups,timeperiods,
instruments,orsituationsthatwillneedtobecoordinatedasstepsinthedatacollectionprocess?Will
interviewers,observers,oranalystsneedtobetrained?WhatlevelofinterraterreliabilitywillIaccept?Do
multipletranslationsposeapotentialproblem?Canthedatabecollectedandsubjects'rightsstillpreserved?
9.DATAANALYSISWhatcombinationsofanalyticalandstatisticalprocesswillbeappliedtothedata?Which
willallowmetoacceptorrejectmyhypotheses?Dothefindingshownumericaldifferences,andarethose
differencesimportant?
10.CONCLUSIONS,INTERPRETATIONS,RECOMMENDATIONSWasmyinitialhypothesissupported?
Whatifmyfindingsarenegative?Whataretheimplicationsofmyfindingsforthetheorybase,forthe
backgroundassumptions,orrelevantliterature?WhatrecommendationscanImakeforpublicpoliciesor
programsinthisarea?WhatsuggestionscanImakeforfurtherresearchonthistopic?

http://web.csulb.edu/~msaintg/ppa696/696steps.htm

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