Lecture Conducting and reading research in health and human performance (4/e): Chapter 2 - Ted A. Baumgartner, Larry D. Hensley

Chapter 2 - Understanding the research process. The following will be discussed in this chapter: Stages of the scientific method, steps in conducting research, the research question, types of research questions, descriptive question,...

Understanding the Research  Process

Question Identified Hypothesis Formed Research Plan Data Collected Results Analyzed

Steps within the research process

1 Identify the research question

2 Initial review of literature

3 Distilling the question to a researchable problem

4 Continued review of literature

5 Formulation of hypothesis

6 Determining the basic research approach

7 Identifying the population and sample

8 Designing the data collection plan

9 Selecting or developing data collection instruments

10 Choosing the method of data analysis

11 Implementing the research plan

12 Interpreting the results

“12 Steps of Research”

 The foundation of the research process

 It all begins with a question

Seeks to describe phenomena or characteristics of a particular group of subjects being studied

 The process of refining the question or idea into a 

problem and making it sufficiently specific so that it is amenable to investigation

 This process should lead to the development of a 

“statement of the problem” that is clear, concise, and definitive

 A very specific statement which clearly identifies the 

problem being studied; will usually identify the key 

variables as well as give some information about the scope of the study

4 The problem of the study was to determine is there is a 

relationship between self­efficacy and self­reported alcohol  usage among middle­aged adult females.

 Assumptions could be made about (1) the motivation 

of the subjects, (2) whether subjects responded 

truthfully, (3) the validity of the measuring instrument, and (4) whether subjects followed directions correctly

 A variable that is presumed to influence another 

variable; the variable under study or the one that the researcher manipulates

 The variable that is expected to change as a result of 

the manipulation of the independent variable; that 

which is measured in a study

A variable that could contribute some type of error in a research study

May affect the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable if not adequately controlled

 Excluding the variable

 Random selection of research participants

 Matching cases according to some criterion