1 / 18

Tools and Methods of Research Chapter 2

Tools and Methods of Research Chapter 2. Introduction. Tool: A specific mechanism or strategy the researcher uses Method: is the general approach (how to) that is taken to carry out research. Measurement. Strive for Objectivity Don’t be influenced by your biases.

jeb
Télécharger la présentation

Tools and Methods of Research Chapter 2

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Tools and Methods of ResearchChapter 2

  2. Introduction • Tool: A specific mechanism or strategy the researcher uses • Method: is the general approach (how to) that is taken to carry out research

  3. Measurement • Strive for Objectivity • Don’t be influenced by your biases

  4. “Nothing Exists that the Researcher Cannot Measure” (Some are just more defined) Two Types of Measurement: a) Substantial b) Insubstantial

  5. Substantial • Substantial measurements are things being measured that have an obvious basis in the physical world. • Using Quantities: (a number and a unit) • The table is 15 inches long • Unbiased

  6. Abstract data that exist only as concepts, ideas, opinions, or feelings. Example: asking someone for their opinion of something by asking them their feelingson the subject. Very Subjective and biased Insubstantial

  7. Example • Question: How is President Obama doing so far in his administration? • Insubstantial answers: opinionated phrases. • Substantial answer: rating on a scale of 1 to 10. Assign a number to a phrase Ex: • 1- one of America’s worst President’s • 10- one of America’s greatest Presidents

  8. Measurement Defined (pg. 24) • “Limiting the data of any phenomenom-substantial or insubstantial-so that those data may be interpreted and ultimately compared to an acceptable qualitative or quantitative standard”

  9. Data Analysis- Measurement • Measurement is ultimately a comparison. • Any form of measurement falls into one of four categories.

  10. 4 Scales of Measurement • 1. Nominal • 2. Ordinal • 3. Interval • 4. Ratio

  11. Nominal Scale • You assign names to data in order to measure it • Example • Measuring a group of children • Divide into 2 groups: Girls and Boys • Each subgroup is thereby measured by a girl’s name or a boy’s name • Only a few statistics are appropriate for analyzing this kind of data: (frequencies, modes, % …Chi square)

  12. Ordinal Scale • Measurements are relative • Type of statistics used expands beyond nominal Examples: Median, percentile rank; Spearman’ rank of Correlation

  13. Ordinal Scale • Compare pieces of data in terms of being greater > or less < than the others. • Example • Grades of proficiency • Skilled • Unskilled • Overskilled

  14. Interval Scale • Uses equal units of measurement • Its zero point is established arbitrarily • Example • Measuring temperature using Fahrenheit • Intervals between degrees reflect equal changes in temperature • The zero point is not a total absence of heat • Example: O degress Fahrenheit does not indicate absence of heat

  15. Validity and Reliability of Measurement

  16. Validity • Validity is whether or not a tool of measurement has the ability to properly measure what it is suppose to measure. • Example: A test may be intended to measure a certain characteristic, and it may be called a measure of that characteristic, but these things don’t necessarily mean that the test actually measures what its authors say it does. • Example” Does an IQ test accurately measure all types of IQ’s? (academic IQ, social IQ, mechanical IQ, etc…

  17. Reliability • When the conditions for measurement are consistent for each measurement. • Instruments used to measure insubstantial data are less reliable than substantial • Ex: On a teacher Availability scale a student rates the same teacher a score of 60 one day when the teacher is less available and 95 a different day when the teacher is more available

  18. Conclusion • Both reliability and validity reflect the degree to which we may have error in our measurements. • Validity errors are usually due to the instrument itself, and reliability errors are usually due to the use of the instrument.

More Related