# Research Methods: Project Planning 1 ## 1. From a Broad Topic to a Researchable Problem Research often begins with a **personal interest, lived experience, or social concern**. However, a broad area of interest must be narrowed into a focused and feasible research problem. ### From Broad Topic to Research Focus A research topic typically becomes more specific through several stages: - **Broad Topic:** _Music_ or _Bullying_ - **Focused Setting:** _Music in education_ or _Bullying in the workplace_ - **Specific Research Focus:** _Music and multiculturalism programs in public secondary schools_ A strong research topic moves from: > **General → Specific → Researchable** The goal is not simply to make a topic narrower, but to define a problem that can realistically be investigated using available methods, resources, and data. ### Evaluating a Research Topic Before committing to a topic, consider three dimensions: |Dimension|Key Questions| |---|---| |**Pragmatics**|Can you access the necessary participants or data? Do you have enough time, funding, technical skills, and other resources?| |**Ethical & Social Value**|Is the research ethically appropriate? Does the topic have social relevance or potential real-world value?| |**Personal Readiness**|Are you emotionally and psychologically prepared to investigate the topic, especially if it involves sensitive or personally relevant experiences?| > **Researchability Test:** A good research topic should be **interesting, meaningful, feasible, ethical, and sufficiently focused**. --- ## 2. The Literature Review A literature review is more than a collection of summaries. It is a process of understanding how existing research has approached a topic and how individual studies relate to one another. ### Process and Product - **Process:** Search, filter, read, evaluate, and annotate previous research. - **Product:** A written synthesis of existing knowledge that establishes what is known, what is debated, and where gaps remain. ### Summary vs. Synthesis **Summarizing** describes sources individually: - What did the researcher study? - What methods were used? - What concepts were examined? - What were the major findings? **Synthesizing** connects sources to one another: - What themes appear across studies? - Where do researchers agree or disagree? - What relationships or patterns emerge? - How has thinking about the topic changed over time? - What remains unknown? > **Key distinction:** A literature review should not read like a list of separate article summaries. It should show how the studies collectively help us understand the research problem. ### Literature Review Workflow ```text ┌─────────────────────┐ │ Keyword Search │ └──────────┬──────────┘ ▼ ┌─────────────────────────────┐ │ Read, Summarize & Catalogue │ │ Sources │ └──────────┬──────────────────┘ ▼ ┌─────────────────────────────┐ │ Create a Visual │ │ Literature Map │ └──────────┬──────────────────┘ ▼ ┌─────────────────────────────┐ │ Identify Themes, Gaps, │ │ & Contradictions │ └──────────┬──────────────────┘ ▼ ┌─────────────────────┐ │ Write the Synthesis │ └─────────────────────┘ ``` --- ## 3. Purpose Statements and Research Questions ### Research Purpose Statement A **purpose statement** explains the central intent of a study. It should make clear: - **What** is being studied - **Who or what** is being studied - **Where** the study takes place - **How** the research will approach the problem The purpose statement should provide a bridge between the **research problem** and the **research questions**. ### Purpose by Research Approach |Approach|General Orientation|Typical Purpose| |---|---|---| |**Quantitative**|Deductive|Measure variables, estimate prevalence, or test relationships between variables.| |**Qualitative**|Inductive / Interpretive|Explore experiences, meanings, perspectives, and social contexts.| |**Mixed Methods**|Integrative|Combine quantitative measurement and qualitative depth to address different aspects of a research problem.| |**Arts-Based Research (ABR)**|Creative / Experiential|Use creative practices such as music, theatre, visual art, or performance to generate, communicate, or investigate knowledge.| |**Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)**|Collaborative / Action-Oriented|Work with community stakeholders to produce knowledge and support meaningful social action.| --- ### Variables and Hypotheses #### Variables in Quantitative and Mixed-Methods Research - **Independent Variable (IV):** A variable that is manipulated, controlled, or used to explain or predict change in another variable. - **Dependent Variable (DV):** The outcome or response being measured. - **Categorical Variable:** A variable that places observations into distinct groups or categories, such as school type or class rank. - **Continuous Variable:** A numerical variable that can take values along a continuum, preserving meaningful differences in magnitude, such as age, income, or temperature. ### Types of Hypotheses ```text ┌── Null Hypothesis (H₀) │ Predicts NO statistically significant │ difference or relationship. │ Hypotheses ──────────────┼── Directional Hypothesis │ Predicts a difference or relationship │ AND specifies its direction. │ └── Nondirectional Hypothesis Predicts a difference or relationship WITHOUT specifying its direction. ``` ### Research Question Language The wording of a research question should match the **research approach** and the type of knowledge being sought. #### Quantitative Typical questions include: - _Does X affect Y?_ - _How strongly are X and Y correlated?_ - _Does X predict Y?_ Common verbs: **measure · compare · correlate · predict · determine · test** > Terms such as **cause** or **effect** should generally be used only when the research design can support causal claims. #### Qualitative Typical questions include: - _How do participants experience X?_ - _How do participants understand X?_ Common verbs: **explore · describe · understand · illuminate · interpret · unpack** #### Arts-Based Research Typical questions include: - _How can creative practice be used to investigate X?_ - _How can X be represented through creative practice?_ Common verbs: **create · perform · express · embody · evoke · reimagine** #### Community-Based Participatory Research Typical questions include: - _How can researchers and community members work together to address X?_ Common verbs: **co-create · collaborate · engage · empower · develop · foster** > **Rule of Thumb:** Your research question should reflect **what you want to know, how you intend to know it, and what claims your method can support**. --- # 4. Sampling Design Sampling determines **which cases or participants will provide the data** for a study. ## Core Terminology |Term|Definition| |---|---| |**Element**|An individual case, participant, organization, object, or other unit being studied.| |**Population**|The complete group to which the researcher intends to generalize or apply the findings.| |**Study Population / Sampling Frame**|The accessible population from which the sample can actually be selected.| |**Sample**|The subset of elements selected to participate in the study.| ### Sampling Structure ```text TARGET POPULATION │ ▼ STUDY POPULATION (accessible population) │ ▼ SAMPLE (selected cases/participants) │ ▼ DATA ``` --- ## Probability vs. Purposive Sampling There are two broad approaches to sampling: **probability sampling** and **purposive sampling**. ### Probability Sampling In probability sampling, every element has a **known, non-zero probability of selection**. Probability sampling is primarily associated with **quantitative research**, particularly when the goal is statistical generalization. Common strategies include: - **Simple Random Sampling:** Participants are randomly selected from the population. - **Systematic Sampling:** Every _nth_ element is selected from an ordered list. - **Stratified Sampling:** The population is divided into subgroups, or strata, followed by sampling within each stratum. - **Cluster Sampling:** Naturally occurring groups or clusters are sampled rather than individual elements. ### Purposive Sampling In purposive sampling, participants or cases are **deliberately selected because they possess characteristics relevant to the research question**. Purposive sampling is common in: - Qualitative research - Arts-Based Research - Community-Based Participatory Research The goal is generally **depth and information richness**, rather than statistical representativeness. ### Common Purposive Sampling Strategies - **Snowball / Chain Sampling:** Existing participants recruit or refer other potential participants. - **Exemplar Sampling:** Selects a particularly informative case that strongly illustrates the phenomenon being studied. - **Homogeneous Sampling:** Selects participants with similar characteristics to examine a particular subgroup in depth. - **Heterogeneity / Maximum-Variation Sampling:** Selects diverse cases to identify patterns that persist across different contexts or characteristics. ### Qualitative Sample Size: Saturation In many qualitative studies, sample size is guided by **theoretical or data saturation**: the point at which additional data are no longer producing meaningful new themes, concepts, or insights. > **Important:** Saturation is not a universal numerical rule. Appropriate sample size depends on the **research question, research design, population, and richness of the data**. --- # 5. Assignment Guidelines: Project Planning 1 ## Assignment Requirements - **Target length:** 3–4 pages, double-spaced - **Format:** APA - **Additional artifact:** Visual Literature Map ## Assignment Structure ```text SECTION 1 — TOPIC & FEASIBILITY ├── Focus statement + rationale ├── Personal readiness inventory └── Access / feasibility assessment SECTION 2 — LITERATURE REVIEW & MAP ├── Synthesized review of 4+ peer-reviewed sources ├── Major themes and/or gaps └── Visual Literature Map SECTION 3 — PURPOSE & RESEARCH QUESTIONS ├── One-paragraph Purpose Statement ├── 1 primary research question └── 2 secondary research questions SECTION 4 — SAMPLING DESIGN ├── Define elements and population ├── Identify study population / sampling frame ├── Specify sampling strategy └── Justify proposed sample size ``` --- # Quick Study Guide ## The Research Planning Chain > **Topic → Literature → Purpose → Questions → Sampling** ### 1. Narrow the Topic Ask: - Is the topic specific? - Is it meaningful? - Is it feasible? - Is it ethically appropriate? ### 2. Review the Literature Ask: - What is already known? - What research has already been conducted? ### 3. Synthesize the Literature Look for: - Major themes - Agreements and disagreements - Developments over time - Contradictions - Gaps in existing knowledge ### 4. State the Purpose Define: - What the study will investigate - Who or what will be studied - Where the study will take place - How the problem will be approached ### 5. Write the Research Questions Make sure the questions: - Directly address the research purpose - Match the research approach - Can be answered using the proposed methods - Do not make claims beyond what the research design can support ### 6. Design the Sample Determine: - Who or what will provide the data? - What is the target population? - What is the accessible study population? - What sampling strategy will be used? - Why is the proposed sample size appropriate? --- ## Big Picture A research project should form a **logical chain** in which each component follows from the previous one: > **Research Problem → Purpose → Research Questions → Methodology → Sampling → Data** The **research problem** identifies what needs to be investigated. The **purpose** defines what the study will do. The **research questions** specify what the study wants to know. The **methodology** determines how those questions can be answered. The **sampling design** determines who or what will provide the data.