RES 861 Week 3 Discussions 1 & 2 Papers

RES 861 Week 3 Discussions 1 & 2 Papers

RES861

RES 861 Grand Canyon Week 3 Discussion 1

In the GCU library, locate four empirical studies you have not used before on a topic you are interested in researching (Use the Empirical Research Checklist to determine if a study is empirical). List the theoretical foundation and Permalink for each study, and add the studies to your RefWorks list. Then determine a theoretical foundation for a study that you might like to research for your dissertation. Why did you select this foundation? Finally, comment on other learners’ theoretical foundations and if/how they can be improved.

 

 

You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes.

Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages.

Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor.

The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument. RES 861 Week 3 Discussions 1 & 2 Papers

 

ADDITIONAL DETAILS 

Determining if a study is empirical

Introduction

I’m sure you’ve heard that empirical research is the gold standard of scientific research. But what does this mean? What is it, exactly? And how can you tell if your study qualifies as empirical research? Let’s dig into those questions by examining four different ways in which scientists conduct empirical studies.

The scientific method forms the basis for empirical research.

The scientific method, which forms the basis of empirical research, is a systematic way of investigating phenomena. It involves observing nature and conducting experiments that can be repeated. The goals of this process are to:

• Make predictions about future events based on past knowledge or hypotheses;

• Collect data from observations using sample surveys or questionnaires; and

• Use these data to test hypotheses about causality between variables (e.g., “Does being married lead to happiness?”).

Empirical research is conducted through observation, experimentation, or simulation.

Empirical research is conducted through observation, experimentation and simulation.

Observation is when you look at something without doing anything to change it. You might observe a person as they walk down the street or watch them play catch with their kids in the park.

Experimentation involves changing some aspect of something that can be observed in order to see what happens when you make that change—often by choosing one option over another (e.g., wearing glasses can reduce myopia).

Simulation involves creating an artificial situation where future events are simulated by computer programs so they can be studied more closely than would be possible in real life situations where people are involved (e.g., weather models).

The goal of empirical research is to determine relationships among variables.

The goal of empirical research is to determine relationships among variables.

Empirical studies use measurable variables and measurements that can be used to make comparisons between one or more groups and/or individuals, so that you can see if your study has given you any new information about how those factors affect each other.

Quantitative and qualitative studies are both considered empirical.

Quantitative studies are based on numbers, while qualitative studies are based on words and sentences. Both types of studies are empirical.

Quantitative studies are more common in the natural sciences, whereas qualitative ones tend to be more common in social sciences like psychology and sociology.

Empirical data is observable and measurable.

Empirical data is observable and measurable. It’s not just numbers and words, it can also be collected in a variety of ways and places. In order for us to determine whether a study is empirical, we must ask ourselves these questions:

• Is the research method empirical?

• Does it follow the scientific method?

• Does it use observations to gather data?

Empirical studies are based on the scientific method, observation, experiment and simulation.

An empirical study is based on the scientific method, which is the systematic, empirical, and objective procedure for acquiring knowledge about the world. The scientific method requires observation and experimentation. The goal of empirical research is to determine relationships between variables (e.g., gender or age). Both quantitative (numbers) and qualitative studies are considered empirical because they rely on observations from experiments or other methods that use numbers to measure something measurable (e.g., weight).

Conclusion

Empirical research is important because it helps us understand the world around us and how it works. We can use this knowledge to make decisions that will help improve our lives and the lives of others.