Transcript Journalism 658: Concept Explication and Experimental Research

Concept
Explication
Research Concepts
 Research concepts
 Terms and labels used to organize our everyday
experiences and communicate with others
 Require careful explicit definitions
 Critical for classification and comparison
 Determines what we measure and analyze
 What do we mean when we want to study…
 Prejudice, Participation, or Patriotism
Types of Concepts
 Singular: denote particular objects
 Ex. George Bush, NYC, UW-Madison
 Class: collections of singular concepts
 Ex. Politicians, cities, universities
 Variables: possess some differentiating dimension
 Ex. Honesty, volunteerism, size
 Relational: make connections between concepts
 Ex. Decreasing, negatively associated, greater than
 Meta-concept: complex concept with numerous dimensions
 Ex. Democracy - value-laden and emotionally held
Criteria for Good Concepts
 Abstractness
 Distanced from particular object
 Generalize from one object to another
 Operationalizability
 Can be observed and assessed
 Other can replicate the observation
 Precision/Clarity in meaning
 Communicate concept and relationships
 Technical language must be clear
Concept Explication
 The process by which abstract concepts are
systematically linked to observed variations in
those concepts in the real world
 Conceptual definitions
 Essential properties the researcher intends to be included
within the concepts meaning
 Operational definitions
 Procedures by which the concept is to be observed, measured,
or manipulated
Two Stages in Process
 Meaning analysis
 deductive process
 process of developing interrelated conceptual and
operational definitions
 Empirical analysis
 inductive process
 process of evaluating definitions on the basis of empirical
evidence (observations)
Meaning Analysis
 Logical procedures used to clearly connect conceptual
and operational definitions
 Six steps in this stage of explication
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Preliminary identification of concept
Literature review about concept
Empirical description of concept
Develop tentative conceptual definition
Develop tentative operational definition
Data gathering
Concepts, Dimensions, Indicators
Reconstructing Concept Definitions
Theory Construction
 Theory: An organized explanation of some
recurrent phenomena of research interest
 Convey a sense of understanding
 Reasoning behind the explanation is logical
 Theory: A collection of statements asserting a
relationship between two or more concepts as they
vary among a class of objects
 Dependent and independent variables
 Hypotheses of relationships between variables
Relationship Between Theory and Research
Group Discussion
 Engage in a concept explication of “informational Internet
use” or “socially conscious consumption”
 Define the concept
 Discuss its dimensions
 Outline key indicators
 Offer a theory about your concept
 What will it be related to?
 How will it be related?