Research Ideas and Hypotheses Flashcards
What is the first step in the research process?
Find an idea for a research study
What is the difference between applied research and basic research?
Applied research - directed to solving practical problems
Basic research - directed to solving theoretical issues
True or false: applied research and basic research are both legitimate sources of research topics and can overlap
True
After studying a general topic area, what is the next step in a research study?
Review published reports to gather background information to find a specific research topic
What is a primary source?
A firsthand report in which authors describe their own observations
What are some examples of primary sources?
Empirical journal articles, theses, conference presentations of research results
What is a secondary source?
A second hand report in which authors discuss someone else’s observations
What are some examples of secondary sources?
Textbooks, review articles, introductory section of lab reports, newspaper articles
Why is research non-existent in isolation?
Each research study is part of an existing body of knowledge that builds upon each other
What are the 2 basic goals of a literature search?
- To gain a general familiarity with current research in a specific topic area
- To find a small set of research studies as the basis of a research idea
What is a literature search?
The process of gaining familiarity in a topic area and finding journal articles that serve as the basis for the research idea
What are subject words?
Terms used to identify and describe variables in a study that are used to direct a search in a database
How many publications and records does a typical database have?
About 1 million
What is an abstract?
A brief summary of a publication, about 100 words
Why might a full-text database have fewer items than other databases?
It requires more space to store each item
