Module 3 Ways of Finding Answers to Research Questions
Module 3: Ways of Finding Answers to Research Questions 3: 1 Module 3: Ways of Finding Answers to Research Questions (How are you going to answer your question?) What we will learn during this session: 1. We will be clear about the question our research team is trying to answer. 2. We will decide what way of collecting information best suits our research question. Note: This does not mean we will know HOW to collect the information yet (we are going to learn that in later sessions). It means that we will understand what sort of information might answer our question. In this module, we assume that a research question and basic methodology are in place for the project(s) that these consumer trainees will join. If the question and basic method have not yet been developed and the consumer researchers in training are going to be a part of this development, additional modules need to be developed and run addressing these complex tasks. Only continue this module once a research question and basic method have been established. Learning task 1: What is research? The box below contains the definition of research and the steps in the research process. We began with these last week also: Reading: read individually, or a volunteer can read aloud. Research is a process of asking questions and then setting out to answer them. Research involves the following steps: Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Step 5: Agreeing on the question you want to answer. Deciding the best way to answer your question. Collecting the information. Making sense of the information. Letting other people know what you found.
Module 3: Ways of Finding Answers to Research Questions 3: 2 Learning task 2: Choosing a research method 2.1. Get into the same small groups as in the last training session. Write down the question your group worked on. (Remember how you planned to answer the question.) Question: a) Where did you plan to collect information? b) From whom? c) How? 2.2. Reading: read individually, or a volunteer can read aloud. There are three types of research for answering a question. When we have a question to answer, we choose the type of research that best fits our question. The three types differ in many ways; one important difference is the kind of information (data) we collect. 1. Qualitative Research uses words as data. 2. Quantitative Research uses numbers as data. 3. Combined Qualitative and Quantitative Research uses both words and numbers as data.
Module 3: Ways of Finding Answers to Research Questions 3: 3 2.3. In our small groups, discuss which type of research (described above in 2.2.) would best answer the question in 2.1. on the previous page. Why? Remember that all the groups were answering the same question but some chose different ways to answer it. You may have chosen different research methods now also. At this point there is no right or wrong. In later sessions we will learn much more about different ways of collecting information and how to collect it in a way that makes our research be of good quality. For now, just think about the variety of types of information that exist and the ways we might get that information. 2.4. Someone from each small group will report its conclusions to the whole group now. a) Remind us how you will answer the question. b) Tell us what type of research (quantitative or qualitative) fits best and why. Lead a discussion around why groups chose different approaches and reinforce the idea that you choose the method to match what you want to know. BREAK 20 MINUTES Learning Task 3: The Research Question Now to the research project that we are doing this training for. In the last activity we used a question we had created to explore the types of research. Now we are going to think about the actual study that we will be working together to complete. For this training session, we assume that the question and basic method have been developed. If this is not the case, a number of additional sessions will be needed to collaborate and develop the study. Assuming a research question and brief plan already exist, this is the time for us to learn why and how the question and method were selected. Either you or a member of the main research team needs at this point to explain to the group what has happened so far without them. Include details of your decisions and how you have come to this point in the development process eg funding and grants; ethics; basic methods of data collection; etc.
Module 3: Ways of Finding Answers to Research Questions 3: 4 3.1. In the same small groups, write down our research question. OUR RESEARCH QUESTION: These activities are to ensure the consumer team understands what has occurred to date, and that trainees are clear about the research question. 3.2. Write down what has been decided about how you will get the information? a) Where or who will you get information from? b) What will you do? 3.3. Now, in the small groups, discuss which type of research described earlier best fits our question and why? a) Type of research: b) Why?
Module 3: Ways of Finding Answers to Research Questions 3: 5 3.4. The Trainer will now tell us what design has been selected and why. Facilitate a discussion exploring whether they all came to the same conclusion/s. Remind the groups that there can be more than one way to think about research. SUMMARY: In this Module we have learnt what question our research team is trying to answer. We have also decided what way or ways of collecting information best suit our research question. You need to conclude this session ensuring that your team is clear about the research question and also the method of data collection for your project together.