Research 201: A Basic Introduction
© Brian Brown 1999-2000. All rights reserved.

Basic Elements of the Scientific Method
All research begins with a basic question or hypothesis about a specific phenomenon. In past generations, we accepted explanations of things because

• it was told to us by others in authority (method of authority)
• it had always been accepted that this was true (method of tenacity)
• it was self-evident (method of intuition)

The scientific method uses a series of steps to reveal the "truth". One source or study is considered to give an indication that something might be true. It requires more steps or duplicated studies to "prove" that it is true. The advantage of this is that it is self-correcting. Mistakes made in earlier studies revise explanations and help to generate a more reliable explanation that fits the facts.

The scientific method has five basic characteristics

• Public (freely available, allows the research to be criticised and replicated by others)
• Objective (the researcher uses explicit rules and procedures to conduct the study)
• Empirical ("experience", concern with only that which can be measured or observed)
• Systematic and cumulative (Research is conducted according to a number of rules. One such rule is to conduct a literature review of all previous research in the specific area. We did this by reviewing some of the theories proposed by thinkers from the past. Researchers often use previous research as a starting point)
• Predictive (tries to relate the present to the future)

Hmm, why did that apple fall on my head, there must be an explanation for it. Hmm, other things fall too; maybe there is some universal force that makes these objects fall.

Typically, research follows a number of steps

1. Select a problem
2. Review current literature and theory (called a literature review)
3. Develop hypotheses or research questions
4. Determine an appropriate methodology
5. Collect relevant data
6. Analyse and interpret the results
7. Present the results
8. Replicate the study if possible

Often, the results will not support the hypotheses, so the researcher may consider abandoning or modifying the hypotheses and conducting the research again. The idea is to begin with a hypothesis and either prove or disprove it.

The Two Common Research Methods
There are two main research methods. One attempts to accurately measure or quantify numbers, whilst the other deals with opinions, attitudes and beliefs.

Quantitative Research

This type of research deals with facts and figures. Quantitative research tells you how many. It seeks to quantify (measure) numbers. For instance, you might seek to identify how many people watch TV1 news compared to TV3 news.

You might also want to find out which car sells more than any other, or how much students spend (on average) weekly at the cafeteria.

Qualitative Research

This type of research deals with opinions and attitudes. Qualitative research tells you why. For instance, if you wanted to know the reasons why people watched TV1 news in preference to TV3, you would use qualitative research.