Transcript Chapter 3: The Research Process - New Directions in Social Work

Chapter 3: The Research
Process
Key Concepts: Specifying the
Research Question and
Hypothesis
Evaluating the Research Question

The question is logically related to the
identification of the problem area.

The question can be answered through
research; it is not in the values domain.

The question has not been answered. If it has
been, what related questions might you ask?

Answering the question will be useful for
informing social work practice, developing
social policy, or advancing theory.

The question is sensitive to issues of culture.
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Specifying the Question(s)
 Concept
 Abstract or general idea, a symbol for some
observable attribute or phenomenon.
 “What is the recidivism rate of juvenile girls?”
 Recidivism
Concepts
 Juvenile
 Girl
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Defining Concepts
 Nominal Definition – Like a dictionary
 E.g. Juvenile: a young person not fully grown
or developed.
 Operational Definition – In a way that can
be measured or counted.
 E.g. Juvenile: any human being between the
ages of 8 and 17.
 Definition of the concept has implications
for the meaning and accuracy of the
research.
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Unit of Analysis
 What system level is studied?
 Individual, family, group, org., community?
 Ecological fallacy: Study one unit but
draw conclusions about another.
Neighborhood with high % of Hispanic families has high
crime rate, but non-Hispanic families may be committing all
the crime.
Out of each 10 people:
Hispanic = 70%
Hispanic crime = 1/ 7 = 14.3%
Other =
30%
Other crime
= 3/3 = 100%
Crime Rate = 40%
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Time Dimension
 Cross-Sectional Study
 A snapshot at one point in time (census)
 Surveys, short-term qualitative studies
 Attitudes, voting prediction, current behavior
 Needs assessment
 Hard to interpret cause and effect
 Confounded by history
 Relatively cheap and easy
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Time Dimension
 Longitudinal Study
 Trend study: changes in a group over time (census).
 Cohort Studies: study groups over time (boomers,
generation Y).
 Panel study: same people each time over time.
 Weaknesses:
 Expensive, complex
 People quit or leave the study
 People change as a result of the study
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Checklist for specifying the research question

The major concepts contained in the research
question have been defined in a way that will
ensure a common understanding.

Choices made in the operationalization of
major concepts have been well justified.

The research question clearly specifies a unit
of analysis.
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The research question specifies a time frame.
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The research question is grounded in a
specific geographic area.

Answering the research question is feasible.
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Formulating Hypotheses
 Hypothesis: A tentative answer to a
research question written as a statement,
usually expressed as a relationship
between variables.
 Variable: A concept that can vary; can have a
range of numeric values or attributes.
 Constant: A concept that does not vary; has
only one numeric value or attribute.
A hypothesis is a statement about the
relationship between two or more variables.
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Types of Hypotheses
 Null Hypothesis: no difference or relationship
 “There is no relationship between self-esteem and recidivism.”
 Research or Alternative Hypothesis:
 Nondirectional hypothesis: there is a difference / relationship
 “There is a relationship between self-esteem and recidivism”
 Directional hypothesis: There is a positive or inverse relationship
 “The greater the self-esteem, the less likely the recidivism”
 Extraneous variables represent alternative explanations for the
observed relationships.
 “Income causes both self-esteem and lack of recidivism.”
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Checklist for Hypotheses

The hypotheses are in the form of a tentative
answer to the research question and are not
phrased as questions.
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The hypotheses are specifically stated.
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The hypotheses are justified by either theory or
prior research.

Statement of a directional hypothesis is
justified on the basis of existing theory or
research.

The hypotheses can be tested through
research and are capable of being refuted.
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