Using Article Abstracts to Illustrate Research Concepts

Abstract

This exercise requires students to read a number of abstracts from the research literature and answer a set of questions related to the research process individually and in a group discussion context. The key concepts covered include: inductive vs. deductive research: types of research questions or research purposes (descriptive, explanatory,...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Research Methods

Resource Type(s):

Class Activity

Class Level(s):

College 300

Class Size(s):

Any

Usage Notes

Activity: As preparation for group and/or class discussion, it can be useful to assign the abstracts to the students in advance and ask them to identify whether the study is inductive or deductive and the specific research purpose of the study. I typically, put them in groups at the beginning of the next class to compare their answers and to discuss...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. To help students distinguish between inductive and deductive research and the main purposes for which a research study is undertaken (i.e. descriptive, exploratory, explanatory, and evaluation purposes).
2. To reinforce students’ understanding of key concepts in research related to research purpose and design, including quantitative and qualitative data, hypothesis, independent vs. dependent variables, grounded theory.
3. To illustrate the interconnectedness between the research question, the research process (inductive vs. deductive), and the method of data collection utilized.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Correctly answering a set of questions about the research study using their knowledge about key research concepts and the information presented in an abstract
2. Correctly answering a set of questions about the research study using their knowledge about key research concepts and the information presented in an abstract
3. The formulation of an outline that illustrates how the concepts "fit together."