RESEARCH NOTES RESEARCH PROBLEM CATEGORIES 1. LIFE SCIENCE Life science research consists of all sciences that revolve the scientific study of living organisms and their life processes. Covering a wide array of subjects from genetic and microbiology to botany and astrobiology, new breakthroughs are happening daily all over the world We see it as science involving cells and their components products and processes: BOTANY ~ study of plant life such as agriculture, forestry, plant taxonomy, plant pathology, plant genetics, algae, etc... ZOOLOGY - study of animals like animal genetics, ecology, animal husbandry, cellular physiology, histology, animal physics etc. MICROBIOLOGY — biology of micro-organisms such as bacteriology, virology, protozoology, fungi, bacterial genetics, yeast, etc. BIOCHEMISTRY — branch of chemistry that deals with life processes like molecular biology, molecular genetics, enzymes, photosynthesis, blood chemistry, protein and food chemistry, hormones etc. MEDICINE AND HEALTH — study of diseases and health of humans and animals such as dentistry, pharmacology, pathology, ophthalmology, nutrition, sanitation, pediatrics, dermatology, allergies, speech and hearing ECOLOGY — branch of biology that studies the relationships between organisms and their total environments 2. PHYSICAL SCIENCE = Those academic disciplines that aim to uncover the underlying cause of nature — often written in the language of mathematics. Itis a collective term for areas of study including astronomy, chemistry, materials science and physics = Those that study natural sciences, dealing with non-living materials 3. ROBOTICS Robotics is a collaborative study of computer science, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. Robotics deals with the design, operation, application and construction of robots their association with computers and humanIl, IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH PROBLEM. SOURCES OF RESEARCH PROBLEM 1. Reading Materials - magazines, manuals, newspaper, articles, science encyclopedia, books 2. Consulting people — librarians, teachers, veterinarians, nurses, doctors, police, friends, family, scientists/experts, community/schools, officials, other professionals 3. Facilities and Places - museums, zoos, universities, hospitals, library, research institution, community, parks, home, river, internet shop 4, Things — soil, water, air, plants, animals GUIELINES IN THE SELECTION OF A RESEARCH PROBLEM OR TOPIC we The research problem must be chosen by the researcher The problem must be within the specialization of the researcher The research problem must be manageable The problem must be within the interest of the researcher Ill, FORMULATING RESEARCH PROBLEM FORMULATING RESEARCH TITLE Involves stating the main problem and sub problems of the research properly, stressing the significance of the research problem and identifying the variables involved in the study CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH PROBLEM 1. The problem can be stated clearly and concisely 2. The problem generates research questions 3. Itis grounded in theory 4. Itrelates to one or more academic fields of studyIthas a base in the research literature It has potential significance/importance . Itis do-able in the time frame and budget . Sufficient data are available or can be obtained . The researcher's methodological strengths can be applied to the problem 10.The problem is new, it is not already answered sufficiently wanan A. MAIN PROBLEMS AND SUB PROBLEMS OF THE RESEARCH A subproblem is a subpart of the main problem that is an integral part of the main problem. For example, let's say we are going to study the effect of a new drug, drug A, on long cancer. This is a big project, so we can divide this main problem into several sub-problems 2 GENERAL TYPES OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS: 1, NON-REACHABLE QUESTIONS 2. RESEARCHABLE QUESTIONS NON REACHABLED QUESTIONS — are questions of value, answerable by yes or no RESEARCHABLE QUESTIONS ~ are questions of value, opinions or policy raised to gather data. Uses who, what, when, where, why and how. FORMULATING HYPOTHESIS A tentative statement about the relationship of two variables. It requires specific, testable, and predictable statement driven by theoretical guidance and prior evidence. An educated prediction that provides explanation for an observed event DEFINITION HYPOTHESIS — is a prediction of what might be the answer to your research question/s and it is typically focused on the relationship of two different variables used in the studyThe hypothesis gives direction to the collection and the interpretation of date thus is should be well grounded and written before the said actions A hypothesis often follows a basic format of “If {this happens} then {this will happen}.” One way to structure your hypothesis is to describe what will happen ton the dependent variable if you change the independent variable ELEMENTS OF A GOOD HYPOTHESIS So how do you write a good hypothesis? When trying to come up with a hypothesis for your research or experiments, ask yourself the following questions: - Isyour hypothesis based on a research topic - Can your hypothesis be tested - Does your hypothesis include independent and dependent variable HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY Y Done before you conduct the experimental quantitative research V Ifthe result of the experiment is the same as the hypothesis, then the hypothesis is accepted Y Ifthe result of the experiment is the exact opposite of the hypothesis, then the hypothesis is rejected CHARACTERISTICS OF A WELL-DEFINED HYPOTHESIS + States the expected relationship between variables " Testable * Derived from the problem statement + Simple and conciseTYPES OF HYPOTHESES Null hypothesis A hypothesis formulated for the purpose of statistical analysis Always expressed as a negative statement Ex, Peer tutoring has no significant effect on student’s reading fluency this hypothesis suggest that no relationship exists between two or more variables generally denoted as HO * Alternative hypothesis This hypothesis states the opposite of the null hypothesis Generally denoted as H1 Ex. There is a significant relationship between peer tutoring and student's level of reading fluency CAUSE — why something happens/happened EFFECT - what happens/happened next after an event