Application Of Research (Exam 1)
contain information as to better or worse, or greater or less, but they do not tell us details as to how much better or how much greater (ex: poor, fair, average, good, excellent). (data exists in categories that are ordered but differences cannot be determined or they are meaningless. (Example: 1st, 2nd, 3rd))
ordinal data
Strength categories of hurricanes (1,2,3,4,5) A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
ordinal variable
letter grades on an English essay A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
ordinal variable
Describe
*describe* responses to the independent or dependent variable; descriptive study
Popular magazines
*news, current events, feature stories, fashionable topics* that are geared to the *general public, broad segment of the population* - short articles, pictures/ads, no citations, written for easy reading, not peer-reviewed, - authors: journalist, staff writers - examples: New York Times; Newsweek
Problem formulation type questions
*what, why, how* "What" - descriptive (describes a problem) "Why" - explanatory (explains a problem) "How" - normative (tries to solve a problem)
APA Style (Journal Article)
-issue number in ( ), closed up, not italics -page numbers given even though electronic -no period at the end of URL - Author or authors. The surname is followed by first initials. - Year of publication of the article (in round brackets). - Article title. - Journal title (in italics). - Volume of journal (in italics). - Issue number of journal in round brackets (no italics). - Page range of article. -DOI. - The first line of each citation is left adjusted. Every subsequent line is indented 5-7 spaces. Example: Ruxton, C. (2016). Tea: Hydration and other health benefits. Primary Health Care, 26(8), 34-42. doi:10.7748/phc.2016.e1162
Research Process Steps
Phase I. Deciding What to Research Step 1) Formulating a research problem Phase II. Planning a Research Study Step 2) Conceptualizing a research design Step 3) Constructing an instrument for data collection Step 4) Selecting a sample Step 5) Writing a research proposal Phase III. Conducting a Research Study Step 6) Collecting data Step 7) Processing and displaying data Step 8) Writing a research report
4 P's of research problem (Sources of research problems)
Phenomena, programme, problem, people
makes a *prediction* about the expected outcome, basing this prediction on prior literature and studies on the topic that suggest a potential outcome
alternative or research hypothesis
APA Style (Book)
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of book. Place of Publication Location: Publisher. -Author or authors. The surname is followed by first initials. -Year of publication of the book (in round brackets). -period after year -book title (in italics) - capital for first word in subtitle - proper name should be capitalized (ex: Pig Latin) -edition statement in title (in round brackets, but not in italics) - place of publication -use postal state abbreviations in US, full country names elsewhere -publisher
values that describe a "quality" or "characteristic" of a data unit, like 'what type?' or 'which category?'
Categorical variables
Three Basic Approaches of RQs and Hs
Compare, describe, relate
can take a value based on a *measurement* at any point along a continuum (variable for which, in theory, there are an infinite number of values between any two values) ex: height, time, age, temperature
Continuous variable
obtained when numbers are used to arbitrarily label categories; frequency of occurrence of each category
Nominal datatype
it makes a prediction that in the general population, *no relationship or no significant difference* exists between groups on a variable
Null hypothesis
values that describe a measurable quantity with a number, like 'how many?' or 'how much?'.
Numeric variables
Keywords to formulate objectives
Objectives transform these questions into behavioral aims by using action-oriented words such as *'to find out', 'to determine', 'to ascertain'* and *'to examine', 'to measure', 'to explore'.*
What are the two categories of data types?
categorical and numerical
amount of fat in a cheese danish A. Continuous B. Discrete
continuous
length of NYC rats A. Continuous B. Discrete
continuous
life of a dell monitor A. Continuous B. Discrete
continuous
mileage of japanese cars A. Continuous B. Discrete
continuous
speed of NJ roaches A. Continuous B. Discrete
continuous
time to complete the task of assembling a computer A. Continuous B. Discrete
continuous
waist size of NFL football players A. Continuous B. Discrete
continuous
weight of human brain A. Continuous B. Discrete
continuous
What are the subcategories of Numeric variable (flowchart)
continuous and discrete variables
- height - time - age - temperature
continuous variables
number of bedrooms in your house A. Continuous B. Discrete
discrete
number of foreign students in each statistics class A. Continuous B. Discrete
discrete
number of left-handed people on basketball teams A. Continuous B. Discrete
discrete
Number of business locations; number of registered cars; number of children in a family
discrete variable because it can only be measured as a distinct number
Amount of sugar in a cheese danish A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
ratio variable
amount of money in savings accounts A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
ratio variable
amount of snow that falls in New Brunswick NJ in 2018 A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
ratio variable
height of Rutgers students A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
ratio variable
If one is testing how consistent test results are we are testing the...
reliability
the process of discovering new knowledge by means of the scientific method; undertaking a research study to find out answers to a question
research
Scholarly articles
research papers that have been peer reviewed and published in academic journals ex: Journal of information Science; Journal of Information Tech.
Compare
the research may "compare" groups on an independent variable to see its impact on a dependent variable; experiment or group comparisons
If one is testing how much something is measuring what it intends to measure, we would then be testing the...
validity
Research Process being implied
1. Is being undertaken *within a framework of a set of philosophies* 2. Uses procedures, methods, and techniques that have been *tested for their validity and reliability* 3. Is designed to be *unbiased* and *objective*
The *outcome* (effect) factor; variable affected by change
Dependent Variable (DV)
can take a value based on *count* from a set of distinct whole values (measured das a whole number; measured as a distinct number) ex: # of children
Discrete variable
- number of registered cars - number of business locations - number of children in a family
Discrete variables
can take a value based on a *count* from a set of distinct whole numbers
Discrete variables
Examples of nominal data
Gender: female___ male ___, Postal code of your home address - which neighborhood the survey respondent resides, e.g. New Brunswick, Highland Park, Edison...
*the cause* supposed to be responsible for bringing about change(s) in a phenomenon or situation. (What is causing the change?)
Independent variable
If skin cancer is related to ultraviolet light, then people with high exposure to UV light will have a higher frequency of skin cancer. What will you do to test this proposal? what will you vary or change? What will you measure? Independent variable - Dependent variable -
Independent variable - exposure of UV light Dependent variable - frequency of skin cancer
If photosynthesis is related to light energy, then the portions of a leaf shaded from the light will test negative for starch, since starch is a product of photosynthesis Independent variable - Dependent variable -
Independent variable - portions of a leaf shaded from light Dependent variable - test negative for starch
If animal metabolism is related to temperature, then increasing resting room temperature will increase animal metabolism (as measured by carbon dioxide gas production which is one of the waste products of animal metabolism) Independent variable - Dependent variable -
Independent variable - room temperature Dependent variable - animal metabolism (using carbon dioxide gas production)
If leaf color change is related to temperature, then exposing plants to low temperatures will result in changes in leaf color Independent variable - Dependent variable -
Independent variable - temperature Dependent variable - changes in leaf color
provide not only greater-than-or-less-than information but also details on how much greater than or less than. - have *no absolute zero point*, so that we *CANNOT use comparisons* such as *"twice as many"* or *"half as much"* (ex: IQ test - intelligence)
Interval data
*predictions* the researcher makes about the expected outcomes of relationships among variables
Quantitative hypothesis
inquire about the *relationships among variables* that the investigator seeks to know
Quantitative research questions
provide not only greater-than-or less than information, but also details on how much greater than or less than. There is an *absolute and non-arbitrary zero point* so that we *CAN use comparisons* such as *"twice as many"* (ex: how many emails did you send yesterday?; how often students use mouth wash in a week?)
Ratio data
to show or make a connection between (one or more independent variable to one or more dependent variables); survey that correlates variable
Relate
is the degree to which assessment tool produces stable and *consistent* results. - repeatability of findings
Reliability
A *systematic* investigation to find answers to a problem
Research
Phase I. Deciding What to Research
Step 1) Formulating a research problem
Phase II. Planning a Research Study
Step 2) Conceptualizing a research design Step 3) Constructing an instrument for data collection Step 4) Selecting a sample Step 5) Writing a research proposal
Phase III. Conducting a Research Study
Step 6) Collecting data Step 7) Processing and displaying data Step 8) Writing a research report
any *characteristics, number, or quantity* that can be measured or counted - numeric or categorical
Variable
refers to how well a test measures what it is indicated to measure. - the credibility of the believability of the research
Viability
Characteristics of good problem formulation
interesting, researchable, understandable and logically build up, manageable, purposeful, ethical
What are the subcategories of Numerical data type (flowchart)
interval and ratio
Scores on IQ test A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
interval variable
score on the GRE exam (range is from 200 to 800) A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
interval variable
What are the subcategories of Categorical data type (flowchart)
nominal and ordinal data
What are the subcategories of Categorical variables (flowchart)
nominal and ordinal variables
flavors of frozen yogurt A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
nominal variable
gender of students at ITI 300 A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
nominal variable
languages spoken by Rutgers students A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
nominal variable
religion A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
nominal variable
values that are *not able* to be organized in a logical sequence ex: eye color, gender, business type, religion, brand A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
nominal variable
-gender -race -ethnicity -yes/no - religion - business type - eye color - brand
nominal variables
quality of rutgers IT services (poor, fair, average, good, excellent) A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
ordinal variable
take on values that can be *logically ordered or ranked* ex: grades, clothing size A. nominal variable B. ratio variable C. ordinal variable D. interval variable
ordinal variable
-Likert scale (strongly disagree to strongly agree) -grades in school (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc) - clothing size (i.e.: small, medium, large, extra large) - academic grades (i.e. A, B, C)
ordinal variables