Chapter 2: The Scientific Way of Research §

(F) Day of the week: Monday Class: IS303 Created Time: October 26, 2020 9:03 PM Database: Class Notes Database Date: October 26, 2020 9:03 PM Days Till Date: Passed Is Reference for: Level of Analysis Last Edited Time: August 5, 2021 11:00 AM Type: Lecture, Reading Notes

Issues Relating to Science §

Science in the 50s and 60s used to be of national pride with the space-race and medical research.

Now science is less and less interesting to people

• U.S. republicans distanced from science
• Dismissal of global warming “Climategate”
• Rejection of Genetically modified food
• Antivaxxers created measles outbreaks around the world

Why the rejection of science by the general public? §

• Some critics say its failure to communicate to the public: scientific communities are filled with like minded people and requires high education to understand and know about science.
• Media oversimplifies research findings
• Media report on ‘Bad Research Findings’
• Falsified Data for personal interests
• Groups who reject science

Therefore the public demonize the unfamiliar

1. Level of Analysis §

The what and who that is a variable to your research

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Micro-theory

• Individual
• Group

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Meso-theory

• Formal Organization
• Geographical
• Policy Program

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Macro-theory

• Social Artifact

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Ecological Fallacy???

Why is it necessary? §

• To understand what and who we’re studying about
• To more easily pick levels of theories or relevant variables that is related to the unit of analysis

2. Variable §

is the unit of measurement for measuring a concept.

Several variables will complete the description of a concept.

Variables’ values are changeable according to each concept

3. Data §

3.1. Qualitative Data §

Data derived from words and images

3.2. Quantitative Data §

• Nominal Data: data which only have names and no ordering value of higher or lower
• Ordinal Data: data which is rankable and comparable to other values
• Interval Data: data that changes at a consistent interval value (temperature)
• Ratio Data: Decimal values such as scores, salary, price…

Why is it necessary to understand? §

different types of data requires different methods of analysis

Correlations can be made between any two types of variables of the same data

Nominal data cannot be used to compare to any other data in hierarchical order

3.3. Correlation §

Correlation is the connection that two variables changes at the same time, affecting each other.

• Negative Correlation: higher price ⇒ lower sells
• Positive Correlation: higher price ⇒ higher profits
• Curve Linear:

4. Casual Relationship §

4.1. Independent Variable: §

4.2. Dependent Variable: §

4.3. Antecedent Variable: §

4.4. Intervening variable: §

4.5. Fixed Variable §

Are const variable that is assigned at birth and cannot be changed

5. Validity §

5.1. Measurement Validity §

Figuring out the accuracy of the measuring concept

To collect accurate variables relating to the concept

• Assign variables correctly
• Collect data accurately and reliably

5.2. Internal Validity §

Accurately claim the connection and correlation between variables

• Time ordinary: two vairables must preceed each other by time
• Association: the two varibales must have association with each other
• Non-spurious Association: must not have third party variables (C Variable). Must make direct relationship

5.3. External Validity §

Accuracy of making generalizations from the collected sample

To apply what we learned from a few to the many

Exploratory Research related to Qualitative Research to understand the field before conducting a Quantitative research to better understand it

Explanatory Research to relate connections between variables

Evaluation Research combination between quantitative and qualitative method… to do what