1. Discuss the difference between applied research and basic research? Give exam

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Question

1. Discuss the difference between applied research and basic research? Give examples.

2.Discuss the process of conducting a critical review of the literature. What is meant by “critical”? How should it be accomplished? For what purpose?

3.What are the three types of evidence a research seeks when testing causal hypotheses? Explain.

4.Explain the three types of non-probability sampling techniques commonly used to select samples for qualitative research studies. Discuss the type(s) of sampling you’ll use in your project.

5.Discuss the strengths and limitations of observation as a data collection method.

Explanation / Answer

1.Discuss the difference between applied research and basic research? Give examples.

Basic Research: Basic research is done for the sake to gathering knowledge. It is driven by a researcher’s curiosity or interest in a scientific question which later can be social one. For example if someone research the effects of mobile phone and its disadvantages. The results of this can be scientific but can also be contribute towards social science. It starts with some basic queries such as:

• How did the universe begin?

• What are protons, neutrons, and electrons composed of?

• How do slime molds reproduce?

• What is the specific genetic code of the fruit fly?

Applied Research: Applied research is the extension of the basic research. Applied research is designed to solve practical problems of the modern world, rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake, its objective is to improve the human condition. For example, applied researchers may investigate ways to:

• improve agricultural crop production

• treat or cure a specific disease

• improve the energy efficiency of homes, offices, or modes of transportation

2. Discuss the process of conducting a critical review of the literature. What is meant by “critical”? How should it be accomplished? For what purpose?

1st Stage: Define your research question (What's been done? What's already known?).

2nd Stage: Define on the scope of the review (How comprehensive should it be? How many years should it cover?

3rd Stage: Select the database you will use to conduct your searches (like sorting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle into piles of similar/related pieces).

4th Stage: Conduct your searches and find the literature. Keep the track of them (around themes/issues/questions rather than individual papers).

5th Stage: Review the literature by placing your own research within the field (review abstract, keep careful notes)

Critical review means identifying things like:

· Assumptions made

· methodological weaknesses if any

· gaps, controversies, problems if exists

· new ways of using things and putting things together.

3.What are the three types of evidence a research seeks when testing causal hypotheses? Explain.

The three types of evidence are

1) covariation between the two variables (asks if the variables occur together in the way hypothesized.)

2) time order of events moving in the hypothesized direction (asks whether the independent variable occurs prior to the dependent variable)

3) the elimination of other possible causes of the outcome (asks if there are other explanations for the outcome).

4.Explain the three types of non-probability sampling techniques commonly used to select samples for qualitative research studies. Discuss the type(s) of sampling you’ll use in your project.

A sample is “a smaller (but hopefully representative) collection of units from a population used to determine truths about that population” (Field, 2005)

Types of Samples:

Two general approaches to sampling are used in social science research

Probability sampling, all elements (e.g., persons, households) in the population have some opportunity of being included in the sample, and the mathematical probability that any one of them will be selected can be calculated.

Probability (Random) Samples

Simple random sample

Systematic random sample

Stratified random sample

Multistage sample

Multiphase sample

Cluster sample

Nonprobability sampling, in contrast, population elements are selected on the basis of their availability (e.g., because they volunteered) or because of the researcher's personal judgment that they are representative. The consequence is that an unknown portion of the population is excluded (e.g., those who did not volunteer).

Non-Probability Samples

Convenience sample

Purposive sample

Quota

Example for Nonprobability sampling: We visit every household in a given street, and interview the first person to answer the door. In any household with more than one occupant, this is a nonprobability sample, because some people are more likely to answer the door (e.g. an unemployed person who spends most of their time at home is more likely to answer than an employed housemate who might be at work when the interviewer calls) and it's not practical to calculate these probabilities.

5.Discuss the strengths and limitations of observation as a data collection method.

Strength and Limitations ‘Observation’ Method for Data Collection

STRENGTH

LIMITATION

Simplest Method: Observation is probably the most common and the simplest method of data collection. It does not require much technical knowledge.

Some of the Occurrences may not be Open to Observation: personal behaviors or secret activities which are not open for observation.

Useful for Framing Hypothesis: Only by observing something daily can give the knowledge about someone’s habits, likes, dislikes, problems, perception, different activities

Not all Occurrences Open to Observation can be Observed when Observer is at Hand: because of the uncertainty of the event. Many social events are very much uncertain in nature.

Greater Accuracy: in observation the observer can directly check the accuracy from the observed. He can apply various devices to test the reliability of their behavior.

Not all Occurrences Lend Themselves to Observational Study: love, affection, feeling and emotion of parents towards their children are not open to our senses and also cannot be quantified by observational techniques.

Observation is the Only Appropriate Tool for Certain Cases: Observation can deal with phenomena which are not capable of giving verbal information about their behavior, feeling and activities, example; infants & animals

Lack of Reliability & Faulty Perception: social phenomena cannot be controlled or used for laboratory experiments, generalizations made by observation method are not very reliable. Two persons may judge the same phenomena differently. One person may find something meaningful and useful from a situation but the other may find nothing from it.

Independent of People’s Willingness to Report:

Observation does not require the willingness of the people to provide various information about them

Personal Bias of the Observer: The observer may have his own ideas of right and wrong or he may have different pre-conceptions regarding an event which kills the objectivity in social research.

I hope your question is addressed satisfactorily.