1. Research

2. Research Modules What is Research? Research Components
Problem Statement
Research Questions
Literature Review
Methods
Experiments
Results and Discussion
Limitations and Conclusion
Putting it All Together: Abstract and Summary

3. What is research? (1/2) Research is….
“A study done to answer a question”
“A carefully planned and performed investigation”
“Inquiry into a topic to discover or revise facts”
Research is the systematic process of collecting and analyzing information to increase our understanding of the phenomenon under study. It is the function of the researcher to contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon and to communicate that understanding to others.

4. What is research? (2/2) Systematic process Methods
Research is the systematic process of collecting and analyzing information to increase our understanding of the phenomenon under study. It is the function of the researcher to contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon and to communicate that understanding to others.
Systematic process
Methods
Collecting and analyzing information
Experiments
Phenomenon under study
Questions, Problem Statement, and Lit Review
Researcher
YOU!!
Understanding of the phenomenon
Results and Discussion
Communicate that understanding
Limitations and Conclusions; Abstract and Summary

5. Research Components Problem Statement Research Questions
Literature Review
Methods
Experiments
Results and Discussion
Limitations and Conclusion
Putting it All Together: Abstract and Summary

6. Problem Statement

7. Problem Statement
The study matter or topic that you will be investigating.
A problem statement must be …
… specific.
Answer the questions: who, what, when, how and where is the problem?
… directive.
State the effect or what is wrong (gap analysis)
… measureable.
Data from experiments can assist with the investigation.
Problem Statement Example
During the 2011 (when) NFL Superbowl (where), 400 ticketholders with seats (who) were not able to enter into the Cowboy’s Stadium (what), making the actual attendance of 103,219 fans 0.7% percentage points short of the current attendance record of 103,985 fans (gap).

8. Research Questions

9. Research questions
A formal statement of the goal of the study that will help further understand the problem
A research question must be …
… written as a question
… try to answer unknown
… requires validation
Research Questions Examples
Why were the temporary seats not ready on time?
Where did the ticketholders who did not enter the stadium watch the Superbowl instead?
How many fans accepted the compensation package (free tickets to the next Superbowl, hotel, air included)?

10. experimentation

11. Experiment
Experiment is a collection of research designs which use manipulation and controlled testing to understand causal processes.
Variables are manipulated in the experiment
Independent variable are manipulated
Dependent variable are measured to see the effect of the manipulation
Experiments typically use some type of sampling
YOU CAN’T TEST YOUR THEORIES ON EVERYONE!
Types of Experiments:
Pretest-Posttest Design
Control Group
Randomized Controlled Trials

12. Results and discussions

13. Results and discussion
Now, that the experiments is completed…
ASK the question “Why did you do the research in the first place?”
Helps in organizing your data
Ex. Study of Employee Productivity in a Call Center
Call Times, Number of Calls per Day, Number of Call Resolutions, Average time between phone calls, etc.
Focus on your goals
Ex. Productivity – “How Productive is the work site?”
Qualitative vs. Quantative
Qualitative research seeks out the ‘why’, not the ‘how’ of its topic through the analysis of unstructured information – things like interview transcripts, open ended survey responses, s, notes, feedback forms, photos and videos
Quantitative research refers to the systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships; its objective is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories and/or hypotheses pertaining to phenomena.

14. Results and discussion
Interpreting your results
Compare to what you expected
Discuss observations and appropriate statistics
Record conclusions
Explore recommendations (if applicable)
Communicating Results
Concise, concise, concise!!!
Main question: “Who is your audience?”
Scientific community? – interested in scientific details
Corporate Office? – interested in bottomline
Students/Unaffiliated Parties? – simple overview

15. Limitations and Conclusions

16. Limitations Access to information Access to resources Time management
Access to experts for editing, proofreading, and guidance
Support from organizations and participants
Bias by the researcher

17. Conclusions Be concise. Keep good records. Know your background.
Use your resources.
Work together!

18. Putting it all Together: Abstract and Summary

19. Abstract… Should be written last!
Motivation:
Why do we care about t your problem and the results?
Why is this significant?
Why is your problem important and what impact will it have?
Problem statement:
What problem are you trying to solve?
What is the scope of your work?
Scope-(it is a generalized approach, or specific)

20. Abstract Approach: Results: Conclusions:
How did you solve this problem?
Discuss your method of approach.
What was the extent of your work?
What are the important variables that were controlled, ignored, or measured?
Results:
What was the answer to your problem?
Include numbers and units.
Conclusions:
What do the results mean?
Are they significant?
Are they general, potentially generalizable, or very specific.

21. Sample Abstract.. Which one is better?
Sample 1: This experiment will determine what will make enzymes effective and what will make them ineffective. We tested different samples of enzymes in a spectrophotometer and recorded their absorption rates. Six samples were placed in the spectrophotometer but two contained no enzyme; these acted as blanks for the other samples. The four remaining samples contained Catecholase ranging from 0.5 ml to 1.75 m. The second half of the experiment contained four test tubes with a constant amount of Catecholase, but the pH levels ranged from four to eight. It was found that if the enzyme was present in large amounts, then the absorption rate was high, and if the pH level ranged from 6 to eight then the absorption rate was high. Therefore it can be said that enzymes work well in neutral pH levels and in large amounts.
Sample 2: This experiment was performed to determine the factors that positively influence enzyme reaction rates in cellular activities since some enzymes seem to be more effective than others. Catecholase enzyme activity was measured through its absorption rate in a spectrophotometer, using light with a wavelength of 540 nm. We compared the absorbance rates in samples with varying enzyme concentrations and a constant pH of 7, and with samples with constant enzyme concentration and varying pH levels. The samples with the highest enzyme concentration had the greatest absorption rate of 95 percent compared to the sample with the lowest concentration and an absorption rate of 24 percent. This suggests that a higher concentration of enzymes leads to a greater product production rate. The samples with a pH between six and eight had the greatest absorption rate of 70 percent compared to an absorption rate of 15 percent with a pH of 4; this suggests that Catecholase is most effective in a neutral pH ranging from six to eight.

22. Summary.. (Also written Last)
What is a summary?
A record that hits the main points of your writing.
First steps to writing a summary
Read your paper and underline all important points
List the main ideas of the whole piece, the main supporting ideas, and the main evidence for each idea

23. What is a good summary? Should answer basic questions
Who, What, and When?
What is the main idea of this paper?
What are the main supporting points?
What are the major pieces of evidence?
Use your own words.
Don’t include too much detail.
Include the main idea of each paragraph or section of your paper.
Should not simply rearrange words used in the original, or substituting in words from your original.