Steps for Conducting a Research Study
Figure 4.1
Steps for Conducting a Research Study
Source: UMUC PSYC 100.
The use of the scientific method allows researchers to develop explanations of social science phenomena. The steps of the research process are explained from a psychological perspective in this tutorial (Bradley, 2000).
Step 1: Make an Observation
The starting place for any research study is an observation (idea) regarding a topic of interest to you, the researcher. It may come from a conversation with a friend, a book or television program, or the conclusion of a related research project. All that is needed at this point is your interest in pursuing the topic further.
Let's take an example that we will use for all of the steps in the process. You observe that you are able to memorize items such as telephone numbers better when you eat candy. Because of this, you wonder if there is a connection between the primary component of candy (sugar) and memory.
Step 2: Propose a Hypothesis to Explain the Observation
Once you have your idea, the next step is to turn it into a statement called a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a testable prediction/belief of what will happen in some circumstance. Developing a good hypothesis requires an examination of the literature on that topic. Your research will help you to learn how other researchers have conceptualized and tested the hypothesis.
Example: You research the topic of memory enhancement and see that other researchers have looked at how certain herbs and a healthy diet can improve memory. However, no one* has examined the effect of sugar on memory. On the basis of your review of the literature, you formulate the following hypothesis:
"College students who ingest two grams of sugar before a memorization task will perform better than college students who do not ingest sugar."
(*Keep in mind that this is just an example and does not accurately reflect the research literature on memory enhancement.)
Step 3: Test the Hypothesis
In this step, you perform two important tasks:
You define all important terms and variables in your study.
As the researcher, you need to create an operational definition of all important terms in your study so that others can replicate it.
Example: "Sugar" and "memory" are terms that need to be defined. Sugar could be defined as the substance in white sugar cubes, while memory could be described as a score on a specific memorization test.
Since you control the amount of sugar ingested by subjects in this experiment, sugar is the independent variable. Scores on the memorization test are the dependent variable. Preexisting factors or characteristics can also be independent variables. For example, if some of the subjects in the study have Type II diabetes and others do not, diabetes could be an additional independent variable.
You decide on the best research method to test your hypothesis.
After you define the variables, you need to choose the best research method. The best method depends on your hypothesis. Psychologists typically choose from the five methods below. Click on each method for a definition and examples. Which would you choose for this study?
Figure 4.2
Social Science Research Methods
Source: UMUC PSYC 100.
Example: For our sugar study, we decide on the experimental method. We divide a class of college students into two groups. One group is given two grams of sugar cubes (the experimental group); the second group is given two grams of sugarless placebo cubes (the control group). After ingesting their cubes, the two groups have three minutes to memorize a list of nonsense syllables. After a five-minute break, both groups are tested on the number of nonsense syllables that they can recall. The number of correct syllables recalled represents their memory score.
Step 4: Analyze Data
After you have collected the data, you select the statistical procedures needed to prove or disprove your hypothesis. In the "sugar/memory" experiment, you compare the number of nonsense syllables that are correctly recalled by each group of subjects. The "Data Analysis" section of this module provides an introduction to statistical procedures that you might consider for this analysis.
Step 5: State Conclusions About Your Hypothesis Based on Data Analysis
The communication of research results is the final, important step in the overall process. Your findings are based on your analysis of the data collected. Researchers typically communicate their results through the publication of journal articles. They may also choose to present a poster or conduct a discussion at a professional meeting or research conference. Your findings may prompt others to conduct additional research that may result in new findings leading to additional research, and on and on.