In this session, we have went through different topics and videos, here are my notes:
To read things more efficiently, there are no short ways; the more we read, the quicker we would become, and the more familiar we will be with the chosen topics.
- Check paper topics, abstract, refined information
- using Mendeley desktop
- reading introduction, checking the beginning of each paragraph.
- Summarizing each paper with key words.
- Pareto Principle: 20% supporting papers, 80% key papers.
- Always reading supporting papers after reading key papers.
Research Design:
- It is the method of organization and data collection that a researcher applies to a project or study.
- It can provide instructions for collecting, analyzing and measuring data effectively.
- I can choose an effective research design by considering my research problem, which is the specific topic or knowledge gap that my research aims to address.
- We could include my research question and research design selection in the introduction of my paper.
- I can choose a research design by reviewing the methods other research papers used and learning about different types of research designs.
20 Types of Research Design:
- Exploratory research design:
- don’t have a clearly defined problem to study
- is less structured
- a guide to uncover your research problem
- Observational research design *
- emphasizes observing my research topic without altering any variables
- observing behaviors or phenomena and record them rather than conducting an experiment
- Descriptive research design *
- to describe a research topic
- useful when I need more information about my topic
- understand the “what,” “where,” “when” and “how” of my research topic, excluding ‘why’
- Case study *
- analyses of real-world situations to understand and evaluate past problems and solutions
- test how an idea applies to real life
- Action research design
- involves initial exploratory analysis and the development of an action strategy
- focuses on finding solutions, making it practical for many research topics
- Experimental research design
- to test how different factors affect a situation
- very versatile
- uses the scientific method
- elements included: Hypothesis/ Independent variable/ Dependent variable/ Control variable
- Causal research design
- to identify and understand relationships between variables
- involves at at least two variables and explore many possible reasons for a relationship between variables
- Correlational research design
- identifies relationships between variables like casual research design
- measures variables but do not alter them
- Diagnostic research design
- attempts to find the underlying factors that cause events or phenomena to occur
- to understand what’s causing problems so I can find solutions
- Cross-sectional research design
- another type of observational research design
- observing multiple individuals at the same point in time
- does not alter variables
- Sequential research design *
- divides research into stages
- complete sequential research at multiple points in time, study phenomena that occur over periods
- Cohort research design
- commonly used in medicine
- examining research subjects who have already been exposed to a research topic, making it especially effective for conducting ethical research on medical topics or risk factors
- Historical research design
- use past data to test your hypothesis
- relies on historical data like archives, maps, diaries and logs
- useful for completing trend analysis or gathering context for a research problem
- Field research design
- observe subjects in natural environments
- collect data directly from real-world situations
- Systematic review
- involves reviewing existing evidence and analyzing data from existing studies
- use previous research to come up with new conclusions
- Survey
- use surveys to gather information directly from your sample population
- including interviews, online forms, focus groups, and questionnaires.
- Meta-analysis research design
- uses a variety of populations from different existing studies
- use previous research to form new conclusions
- Mixed-method research design *
- combine multiple research methods to create the best path for a specific research project
- include both qualitative and quantitative research methods
- Longitudinal research design
- involves observing the same sample repeatedly over a period of time
- Philosophical research design
- analyze and understand your research problem
- builds on philosophical argumentation techniques
In a research proposal, the author demonstrates how and why their research is relevant to their field. They demonstrate that the work is necessary to achieve the following:
• Filling a gap in the existing body of research on their subject
• Underscoring existing research on their subject, and/or
• Adding new, original knowledge to the academic community’s existing understanding of their subject
Your research proposal also must explain the following
• The research methodology you plan to use. The tools and procedures you will use to collect, analyse, and interpret the data you collect
• Limitations or constraints that =are come with conducting it through your institution, department, or academic program
Golden Thread: (How I’m tying my thesis together to answer my research questions and addressing the research problems)
part 1: Concepts
- What is the central argument in my research
- Be reasonable with the ‘so what’ question
- Take the reader from problem to solution, by aligning chapters with each other and tying it all back to our research problem.
Part 2: How to practically apply the golden thread
- Place my title on the footer of my dissertation or thesis, it helps me to study with my topic when I write things.
- Perform Alignment
- Create a criterion by having a very clear title
- Highlighting important parts in my title, using them as my checklist and keywords
- Creating primary and secondary research questions (Chapters) based on the research problems
- check primary and secondary research questions with my checklist, if anything we didn’t address, we need to add another chapter.
- Literature Review: including points to resolve the research questions.
- Check topics in the Lit Review match with my checklist main titles and my previews primary and secondary research questions.
- Add points in Lit Review if there is lack of allignment to our previous checklist and topics.
Part 3: How to weave the golden thread in my research design
Research Design and Method chapter:
- Having title, problem statement and research questions, points in literature review in prepared
- Checklist main topics, key concepts in primary/ secondary question problems/ Literature Review Points
- Think how would I be able to approach my written topics/ concepts (check 20 ways of doing research designs)? —> collecting data through methods/ research designs and then explain them in this chapter to align with topics I previously choose.
Part 4: ‘So What’ Question
Research Discussion Chapter:
- Starting my key findings
- This chapter must be aligned with previous questions and titles
- Compare my findings to literature review, my study can contradict with the notion, and result a different conclusion
- Add new findings as research discussion topics
Conclusion topic:
Answer the ‘So What’ Question based on our data.
Research Objectives:
- outcomes that you aim to achieve by conducting research, research projects contain more than one research objective
- Research objectives help me narrow in on the focus of my research and key variables, guiding me through the research process. They also drive the research project, including data collection, analysis and conclusions
- research objectives appear early in a research proposal, often between the introduction and the research question
- can place the research objectives in the introduction
- researchers also list their objectives in the abstract of their proposal
- can break research focus down into smaller steps and separate objectives, use the specific objectives to describe how you can achieve your general goal
Measurable: Making your objectives measurable is essential to achieving them. You can create metrics to measure your progress toward achieving your objectives.
Achievable: Be sure to create objectives that you can realistically achieve to help you avoid getting overwhelmed by unrealistic expectations. Make sure you have the resources and budget to accomplish your objectives.
Relevant: Make your objectives relevant to your research and your overall goals. This can help you stay motivated and on track throughout your research project.
Time-based: You can establish deadlines to help you keep your research process on track. You can set a major deadline for your entire project as well as smaller deadlines for each objective.