Steps in Empirical Research

ResearchSteps in Empirical Research

http://www.csulb.edu/~msaintg/ppa696/696steps.htm

PPA 696/697 STEPS IN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH The ideal research proposal should be comprehensive enough to enable the reader to know everything that could be expected to happen if the project were actually carried out--including anticipated obstacles as well as anticipated benefits. In order to design a research project, you may wish to ask yourself the following series of questions: 1. PROBLEM STATEMENT, PURPOSES, BENEFITS What exactly do I want to find out? What is a researchable problem? What are the obstacles in terms of knowledge, data availability, time, or resources? Do the benefits outweigh the costs? 2. THEORY, ASSUMPTIONS, BACKGROUND LITERATURE What does the relevant literature in the field indicate about this problem? To which theory or conceptual framework can I link it? What are the criticisms of this approach, or how does it constrain the research process? What do I know for certain about this area? What is the history of this problem that others need to know? 3. VARIABLES AND HYPOTHESES What will I take as given in the environment? Which are the independent and which are the dependent variables? Are there control variables? Is the hypothesis specific enough to be researchable yet still meaningful? How certain am I of the relationship(s) between variables? 4. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS AND MEASUREMENT What is the level of aggregation? What is the unit of measurement? How will the research variables be measured? What degree of error in the findings is tolerable? Will other people agree with my choice of measurement operations? 5. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY What is my overall strategy for doing this research? Will this design permit me to answer the research question? What other possible causes of the relationship between the variables will be controlled for by this design? What are the threats to internal and external validity? 6. SAMPLING How will I choose my...