SPMA 2P07 - Research Exam

1. Authority
2. Tradition
3. Common Sense
4. Myths
5. Personal Experience

Quantitative: numbers eg: surverys, content analysis
Qualitative: words eg: interviews, focus groups

Natural: examines physical and material world
Social: studies people

Basic: advances a field of knowledge
Applied: solving a specific problem eg. an outside group asks for help

Longitudinal: repeated observations of the same variables over a long period of time
Case Study: intensive analysis of a specific individual unit eg. studying one single person's behaviour
Cross Sectional: observing a group of people at one specific time

Deductive: begin with abstract relations and move toward concrete empirical evidence
Inductive: begin with detailed observations and move toward abstract generalizations

Paradigm: a set of assumptions, beliefs or models for doing good research (basically a way of thinking)

Positivist: natural sciences. Looking for universal law-like causal relationships governing human behaviour (QUANTITATIVE)
Interpretivist: also scientific but looking to understand social phenomenon from the perspective of those who experience it (QUALITATIVE)
Critical: starts with a value position that the world is conflicted and governed by hidden power. Purpose is to reveal societal injustice. Belief in gov't corruption.

- Fraud, Plagiarism, Causing Harm
- Physical Harm, Psychological Abuse, Stress, Loss of Self-esteem, Legal Harm

1. respect for human dignity
2. respect for free and informed consent
3. respect for vulnerable persons
4. respect for privacy and confidentiality
5. respect for justice and inclusiveness
6. balancing harms and benefits

2 parts: (after defining & refining a topic)
1) read all relevant literative before doing their study
2) must present a condensed version of the lit. review highlights after study is completed and share findings with others

Continuous: having an infinite number of potential values eg. age, income
Discrete: contain distinct categories eg. gender, marital status
Nominal: numerical values are given as classifications, number itself has no value eg: gender (1 male/2 female)
Ordinal: there is an order to the numbers but the numbers don't represent the values eg: health rating (1 unhealthy, 2 healthy, 3 very healthy)
Interval/Scale: numbers represent themselves eg: age, weight, height

Need to be reliable and valid.
Reliability: measuring instruments must be dependable and consistent to provide identical results (think of weighing yourself on a scale eg: scale reads 240 daily)
Validity: measurement represents the truth (think of weighing yourself on a scale again eg: your actual weight is 235 so the scale results aren't valid)

Studies are based on positivism and use deductive theory testing

Studies are based on interpretivism and use inductive theory testing

The empirical observations are at too high of a level for the stated causal relationship eg: Cricket is popular in India therefore all Indians love cricket