Questions for the course "Scientific Methods" with the topics: What is research and the framework of research (lecture 2).
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Criteria for research activity
Novel/New
Creative
Uncertain
Systematic
Transferable/Reproducible
Research process steps
Define the topic
Search / Investigate
Discover
Communicate / Disseminate
What are the Philosophical worldviews?
Positivism
Constructivism
Transformative
Pragmatic
What does Research design include?
Quantitative
Qualitative
Mixed methods
What Research Methods has been introduced?
Questions/Hypotheses
Data collection
Data analysis
Interpretation
Validation
Why should you know about philosophical worldviews?
Support argument for chosen approach and methods
What are the key characteristics of positivism and post-positivism in scientific research?
Positivism is more prevalent in quantitative research and starts with a theory to test
Post-positivists focus on refuting theories rather than proving them
What is a key assumption of positivism in scientific research?
Objectivity is key
How do post-positivists view the concept of truth?
There is no absolute truth
What is the main focus of post-positivist research?
Refuting theories rather than proving them
Which research method is most closely associated with positivism?
Controlled experiment
survey research
case studies
Why is reductionism important in positivist research (especially in software engineering)?
It allows phenomena to be studied in isolation from their context
What is a key assumption of constructivism in scientific research?
Knowledge cannot be separated from its human contexts (experience and environment).
In which type of research is constructivism more prevalent?
Qualitative research.
What is the main focus of constructivist research?
Understanding how people make sense of the world.
How does theory typically emerge in constructivist research?
Inductively, tied to the contexts.
How are research findings viewed in constructivist research?
As an interpretation shaped by the researcher’s own experience and background.
What is the origin of the transformative worldview in research?
It emerged from a political movement to represent and improve conditions for minorities, e.g., feminist studies.
What do transformative researchers believe about the role of research?
Research needs to be intertwined with making changes in the real world.
How is the transformative worldview applied in software engineering?
It includes research that actively seeks to challenge existing perceptions about software practice, such as the open source movement and the agile community.
Which research method most closely reflects the philosophy of critical theorists in the transformative worldview?
Action research.
What type of studies do critical theorists often use to draw attention to things that need changing?
Case studies.
What is a key acknowledgment of the pragmatic worldview in research?
Knowledge is incomplete.
How does the pragmatic worldview view knowledge?
Knowledge has a degree of relativism - what is useful for me is not necessarily useful for you.
What do pragmatic researchers emphasize in their research?
The research problem and use all approaches available to understand the problem.
What methods do pragmatists typically use in their research?
Whatever methods that would work, usually mixed methods.
What approach does Quantitive research focus on?
Testing objective theories by examining relationships between variables
What approach does Qualitative research focus on?
Understanding social phenomena from the perspective of the people being studied
What approach does Mixed methods research focus on?
Using both quantitative and qualitative research methods to understand a research problem
What philosophical worldview is most closely associated with qualitative research?
Constructivism
Transformative
What philosophical worldview is most closely associated with quantitative research?
Positivism
What philosophical worldview is most closely associated with mixed methods research?
Pragmatic
What strategy of inquiry is most closely associated with qualitative research?
Ethnography
Exploratory case study
Qualitative survey
Interviews
What strategy of inquiry is most closely associated with quantitative research?
Experiments
Survery
What strategy of inquiry is most closely associated with mixed methods research?
Convergant parallel
Explanatory sequential
Exploratory sequential
What methods are most closely associated with qualitative research?
Open-enden questions
Text or image data
Flexible inquiry
What methods are most closely associated with quantitative research?
Closed-ended questions
Numeric data
Pre-determined
What methods are most closely associated with mixed methods research?
Both open and closed-ended questions
Both text and numeric data
What practices are most closely associated with qualitative research?
Validates accuracy of the data (triangulate)
Makes interpretation of the data
Collaborate with participants
Study the contexts or setting of the participants
Brings personal value into the study
What practices are most closely associated with quantitative research?
Test or verifies theories
Identify variables to study
Relates variables in questions or hypotheses
Uses unbiased approaches
Use statistical procedures
What practices are most closely associated with mixed methods research?
Collects both qualitative and quantitative data
Integrates data at different stages of inquiry