Research Methods

Research Methods

1. Quantitave research methods

   • Those which focus on numbers and frrequencies rather than those on meaning and experience
   • eg experiments, questionnaires and psychometric tests

2. Qualitative research methods

   • ways of collecting data which are concerned with describing meaning, rather than with drawing statistical inferences
   • eg case studies and interviews

3. Variables

   • Independant variable- the variable that the researcher manipulates
   • Dependant variable- the varialbe with is measured
   • IV affects the DV
   • Operationalisations means making the variables measurable
   • Confounding variables are those which are not the IV but may affect the DV

4. Hypothesis

   • Non directional says that there will be a differece between results but not what that difference will be
   • Directional tells you that there will be a difference between two results and predicts the difference
   • Null predicts that there will be no difference
   • DO NOT: include an explanation or use imprecise terms