Transcript Research & e-Research •Majid yazdani •saber mirzaei

Research & e-Research
•Majid yazdani
•saber mirzaei
Definition
research. 1.a. the systematic
investigation into and study of
materials, sources, etc, in
order to establish facts and
reach new conclusions. b. an
endeavor to discover new or
collate old facts etc by the
scientific study of a subject or
by a course of critical
investigation.
(definition from Oxford)
Definition
•Research is NOT going to the
library to collect existing information
on a specific topic and writing a
review of the material.
•To consider a work as scientific
research, we do use past and
present knowledge to answer new
questions
The Dimensions of Research Approaches
• Basic research
– Basic research (also called
fundamental or pure research) has as
its primary objective the advancement
of knowledge and the theoretical
understanding of the relations among
variables
– It is conducted without any practical
end in mind, although it may have
unexpected results pointing to
practical applications
The Dimensions of Research Approaches
– basic research provides the
foundation for further, sometimes
applied research.
– As there is no guarantee of shortterm practical gain
– researchers often find it difficult
to obtain funding for basic
research
The Dimensions of Research Approaches
•Applied research
– Applied research is done to solve
specific, practical questions; its
primary aim is not to gain
knowledge for its own sake.
– It is almost always done on the
basis of basic research.
– Often, an academic institution
such as a university will have a
specific applied research program
funded by an industrial partner
interested in that program
Quantitative and Qualitative Research
•Quantitative research is the systematic
scientific investigation of quantitative
properties and phenomena and their
relationships
– The process of measurement is central
to quantitative research ,it provides the
fundamental connection between
empirical observation and mathematical
expression
Quantitative and Qualitative Research
• Qualitative research Collection and analysis of nonnumerical information via formal research methods
• What is Qualitative Data?
– Verbal
• - interviews
- focus groups
- -speeches
– Written
• - diaries
- letters
- books
Quantitative vs Qualitative
• Methodologies are fundamentally
different
• BUT not fundamentally opposed
• Can be used in conjunction
•Theory generation
•Holistic
•Interpretative
•Text/ verbal
•Unique = important
•Hypothesis testing
•Isolated and specific
•Statistical
•Numeric
•Unique = outliers
Research forms
• Exploratory research: a new problem can be structured
and identified
– is a type of research conducted because a problem
has not been clearly defined.
– Exploratory research helps determine the best
research design, data collection method and selection
of subjects.
– Exploratory research often relies on secondary
research such as reviewing available literature and/or
data …
Research forms
• Constructive research: a (new) solution to a problem
can be developed ,is perhaps the most common
computer science research method .
– Some examples of artifacts are a programming
language, an algorithm, a piece of software (eg, a
compiler), a method (eg, for software development or
for problem modeling).
Research forms
– The artefact should solve a domain problem
• A failed attempt is not a result.
• The correctness of the solution should be properly validated.
• The artefact can have practical relevance (eg, other people can
use the software).
• The artefact is not a scientific result.
– The research should solve some related knowledge problems.
• Types of knowledge advances:
– Feasibility: How a previously unsolved problem can be
solved.
– Novelty: How a previously solved problem can be solved
with a new (and promising) technique.
– Improvement: How a previously solved problem can be
solved in a better way than before.
• The solutions to knowledge problems can have theoretical
relevance.
Research forms
Research forms
•Empirical research is any research that
bases its findings on direct or indirect
observation as its test of reality .
The Dialectic of Research
– thesis
This presents the original statement of an idea. However, very few
research contributions can claim total originality. Most borrow ideas
from previous work, even if that research has been conducted in
another discipline.
– antithesis
This presents an argument to challenge a previous thesis. Typically,
this argument may draw upon new sources of evidence and is
typically of progress within a field.
– synthesis
This seeks to form a new argument from existing sources. Typically, a
synthesis might resolve the apparent contradiction between a thesis
and an antithesis.
Research process
• Though step order may vary depending on the subject
matter and researcher, the following steps are usually
part of most formal research, both basic and applied
– Formation of the topic
– Hypothesis
– Conceptual definitions
– Operational definitions
– Gathering of data
– Analysis of data
– Conclusion, revising of hypothesis
Research process
•A common misunderstanding is that by this
method a hypothesis can be proven.
•A hypothesis can survive several rounds of
scientific testing and be widely thought of as
true but this is not the same as it having been
proven.
Research process
•A useful hypothesis allows prediction
and within the accuracy of observation
of the time, the prediction will be
verified.
•As the accuracy of observation
improves with time, the hypothesis may
no longer provide an accurate
prediction.
•In this case a new hypothesis will arise to
challenge the old, maybe makes more
accurate predictions than the old
Research process
• Formation of the topic
– Do I posses the skills necessary to complete this
study?
– Do I have access to the tools, lab, equipment, and
target populations to complete this project?
– Do I have the time and money necessary to complete
this project?
– Do I have the resources necessary to obtain sufficient
data?
– Do I have access to a professional in that field who will
be willing and able to advise me in the research
process?
Research process
• Choose a research topic that interests you. ..
– Find a study that has already been done and replicate it using
new definitions of some of the variables in the study.
– Find a study that has already been done and replicate it using
additional moderator or control variables
– Find an existing study and develop a different way to test the
hypothesis
– Follow an author’s suggestions for further research needed usually found at the end of an article
– Choose a problem, analyze it, and invent a completely new
study
– Use a combination of the above techniques
Research process
•REVIEW THE LITERATURE
– To place the problem in the
context of what is already known
about the problem,
– The researcher then uses this
information to predict the outcome
of the research or formulate a
hypothesis.
Research process
• To do an effective literature review:
– locate all current (within the last 2-3 years) pertinent
publications
– summarize and record the content of each
– perform a critical review of the major works to identify
the merits and weaknesses of each element theoretical perspective, definitions, research designs,
methods, instruments, data analysis, and conclusions
Research process
•FORM THE HYPOTHESIS
– Hypotheses are statements that predict a
relationship between two or more
variables that can be tested.
• Conceptual definition
– A conceptual definition : in which a specific
concept is defined as a measurable occurrence.
– It is mostly used in fields of philosophy,
psychology, and communication studies.
Research process
•Operational definition
– description of something (such as a variable, term or
object) in terms of the specific process or set of
validation tests used to determine its presence and
quantity
– Properties described in this manner must be publicly
( persons other than the definer can independently
measure)
– every day illustration of an operational definition is
defining a cake in terms of how it is prepared and
baked
Research process
•Gathering of data
– Nominal data
• Nominal data are categorical data where the order of the
categories is arbitrary.
• example : race/ethnicity has values 1=White, 2=Hispanic,
3=American Indian, 4=Black, 5=Other.
• Certain statistical concepts are meaningless for nominal
data. (mean and standard deviation are for
race/ethnicity.)
– Ordinal data
• are categorical data where there is a logical ordering to the
categories. example : 1=Strongly disagree; 2=Disagree;
3=Neutral; 4=Agree; 5=Strongly agree.
Research process
– Interval data
• is continuous data where differences are
interpretable, but where there is no "natural" zero.
example : temperature in Fahrenheit degrees.
– Ratio data
• are continuous data where both differences and
ratios are interpretable. Ratio data has a natural zero
Research process
• Analysis of data
– There are many different ways to analyze data: some
are simple and some are complex.
– The most important thing you do is to choose a
method that is in harmony with the parameters you
have set and with the kind of data you have collected.
Research process
Formation of the topic
Conclusion,
revising of hypothesis
•REVIEW THE LITERATURE
Analysis of data
Hypothesis
Gathering of data
Conceptual definitions
Operational definitions
Research process
Research methods used by computer scientists
•
Case study
•
Experiments
•
Mathematical models
•
simulations
•
Statistical data analysis
•
Statistical surveys
…
e-Research
Introduction
• The Net has changed fundamental
aspects of our life.
– “Our Age of Anxiety is, in great part, the
result of trying to do today’s jobs with
yesterday’s tools.” Marshall McLuhan
• E-research does not preclude nor does it
obsolete the older methods.
• The e-researcher realizes that a Netbased focus provides a new “frame” .
What Does the “e” Mean?
• Only a few years ago “e” (as in email) meant a
tool that was primarily text-based operated.
• the “e” prefix means the activity takes place on
a high speed, digital network.
Educational Research Activities & E-Research
• Distribution and retrieval of text-based surveys.
• Open ended or structured text-based interviews
conducted via email or computer-mediated
conferencing.
• Focus groups using real time Net-based video or
audio conferencing.
• Analysis of Web logs and other tracking tools for
measurement and synthesis of online activities.
Educational Research Activities & E-Research
• Net-based telephone interviews.
• Analysis of text transcripts of learning or social
activities.
• Analysis of social behavior in virtual reality
environments.
• Online assessment and/or evaluation of
performance or knowledge.
The Special Task of e-Research
• E-research helps us to convert data into
information.
• E-researchers provide and create tools
for analysis and conceptual
understanding.
• E-research also utilizes the distributed
data and information processing.
• E-research permits the exploration of
new fields of knowledge.
Scope of e-Research
Qualities of the e-Researcher
Qualities of the e-Researcher
• Efficacy has long been associated with competence
and accomplishment.
• The effective e-researcher has to have the confidence
and willingness .
Qualities of the e-Researcher
• Mental models of how the Internet works and
the way that various organizations and
resources function and communicate on the
network are also needed to be an effective eresearcher.
Qualities of the e-Researcher
• Access is perhaps the most obvious pre-requisite of skillful
Internet use.
• types of access
– some related to the speed
– others related to the capacity
Qualities of the e-Researcher
• Mastery of appropriate terminology is important in any
field and especially so when the field is expanding and
new terms are routinely introduced.
• There are many useful terminology reference
Summary
• The Net provides us with new tools for research, as
well as the exploration of new fields of knowledge .
• Research has many characteristics and qualities, the
most important of these qualities is quality itself.
– It is systematic, transparent, and publicly available.
• the e-researcher must also have a set of research
skills.
– Internet skills (self-efficacy, mental models…
– research skills (problem statement, literature review….
• Any Question?