Category: Writing

In a 1974 study the West Virginia State Department of
Education reported that counties with the highest per-pupil expenditure were
the counties with the highest level of academic achievement and that this
“shows for the first time the clearest possible relationship between student
achievement and the amount of money invested in the public schools.” Can
you suggest several competing hypotheses that might account for high academic
achievement?

1. Why is it sometimes difficult to distinguish between an
assessment study, an evaluation study, and a descriptive research project?
Illustrate with an example.
2. Public opinion polls base their conclusions on a sample
of approximately 1,500 respondents. Is this an adequate sample for a nationwide
survey?

Write a proposal for a historical study in a local setting.
You may select a community, school, church, religious or ethnic group, or
individual. State an appropriate title, present your hypothesis, indicate the
primary sources of data that you would search, and tell how you would evaluate
the authenticity and validity of your data.

Poor reporting in a style that is dull and colorless, too
flowery or flippant, too persuasive or of the “soap-box” type, or
improper in usage
It is apparent that historical research is difficult and
demanding. The gathering of historical evidence requires long hours of careful
examination of such documents as court records, records of legislative bodies,
letters, diaries, official minutes of organizations, or other primary sources
of data. Historical research may involve traveling to distant places to examine
the necessary documents or relics. In fact, any significant historical study
would make demands that few students have the time, financial resources,
patience, or expertise to meet. For these reasons good historical studies are
not often attempted to meet academic degree requirements.

1. Problem too broadly stated
2. Tendency to use easy-to-find secondary sources of data
rather than sufficient primary sources, which are harder to locate but usually
more trustworthy

Method Section
a. Is the research design described in detail?
b. Is it adequate?
c. Are the samples described in detail?
d. Are relevant variables recognized?
e. Are appropriate controls provided to establish
experimental validity?
£. Are data-gathering instruments appropriate?
g. Are validity and reliability of the instruments
established?
h. Can the sample and procedure be replicated based on the
information and references given?

Is research on the problem feasible? After a research
project has been evaluated, there remains the problem of suitability for a
particular researcher. The student should ask: Although the problem may be a
good one, is it a good problem for me? Will I be able to carry it through to a
successful conclusion? Some of the questions the students should consider are
the following:
a. Am I competent to plan and carry out a study of this
type? Do I know enough about this field to understand its significant aspects
and to interpret my findings? Am I skillful enough to develop, administer, and
interpret the necessary data-gathering devices and procedures? Am I well
grounded in the necessary knowledge of research design and statistical
procedures?
b. Are pertinent data accessible? Are valid and reliable
data-gathering devices and procedures available? Will school authorities permit
me to contact the students, conduct necessary experiments or administer
necessary tests, interview teachers, or have access to important cumulative
records? Will I be able to get the sponsorship necessary to open doors that
otherwise would be closed to me?
c. Will I have the necessary financial resources to carryon
this study? What will be the expense involved in data-gathering equipment,
printing, test materials, travel, and clerical help? If the project is an
expensive one, what is the possibility of getting a grant from a philanthropic
foundation or from such governmental agencies as the National Institute of
Education?
d. Will I have enough time to complete the project? Will
there be time to devise the procedures, select the data-gathering devices,
gather and analyze the data, and complete the research report? Because most
academic programs impose time limitations, certain worthwhile projects of a
longitudinal type are precluded.
e. Will I have the determination to pursue the study despite
the difficulties and social hazards that may be involved? Will I be able to
succeed when data are difficult to gather and when others are reluctant to
cooperate?
Controversial problem areas such as multiculturalism and
high-stakes testing are probably not appropriate for a beginning research
project.

1. A researcher’s baseline stabilizes after four sessions,
and she begins the intervention. If there is no effect after four sessions,
should she continue the treatment or reintroduce the baseline? Why?
2. Most single-subject studies are of overt behavior. What
other types of research might use single-subject methods?

Give the distinctive characteristics of descriptive research
as contrasted with:
a. assessment
b. evaluation
c. experimental research

1. Why is single-subject research confused with behavior
modification? In what ways are they different?
2. What is a baseline? How does the initial baseline differ
from a subsequent one in an A-B-A design?