Social Learning: Developing Your Research Question & Research Instrument Rough Draft This is a crucial and time-se

Social Learning:

Developing Your Research Question

& Research Instrument

Rough Draft

This is a crucial and time-sensitive junction of our activities. Please read carefully. 

All must participate, so read this entire page carefully.

Participants in the following discussion are divided into two camps:

1. 1. 1. Those administering interviews or surveys
      2. Everyone else

Everyone must reply with constructive, substantive feedback on at least THREE of your peers’ instruments

• NOTE: I am grading the helpfulness of your comments to 3 peers more than your original posts.

 NOTES: Time Constraints

It is best under most research circumstances to wait until you have thorough feedback on an approved research proposal before commencing research. However, due to the nature of a one-semester research study, you may begin early if the following criteria are met:

Interview, Experiment, & Survey Group

• • • If you ARE conducting research involving human subjects (interviews, surveys, observation, sensitive documents/topics), you may begin data collection as soon as we have revised your research instruments, provided I have your completed CITI Training certificate (which must be attached in the appendices of your Revised Research Proposal). 

Everyone Else

• • • If you are NOT conducting research with human subjects, you should begin primary research data collection as soon as we have approved revised instruments.

There will be no make-up or late submissions accepted for this assignment. In order for everyone to successfully complete their major research tasks over the next few weeks, full participation by all is necessary! 

 QUESTION & INSTRUMENT PROMPT

Begin your post by stating the guiding purpose for your research–your research question as developed through the previous module. 

Then, follow up with a rough draft of your research instrument according to the directions below by category. 

Interview & Survey Group

• If you plan to use a research instrument such as an interview, experimental design, or survey questions, post a rough draft of the written portion you would supply to participants below,
  • Introduce this instrument with a few sentences describing your research population (who will be answering the questions or participating in the experiment), so we can all understand the context.
  • Then, number your questions so we can read and address them easily.
  • You should post your draft no matter what stage you are currently engaged in writing them. If they are truly rough, now is the time to get some help.
  • Finish your post with at least 2 questions or concerns you have about your instrument that we can answer. Tell us how we can best help!

Everyone Else

• If you are not conducting interviews, experiments, or surveys, write a detailed paragraph describing:
  • The data you are collecting,
  • Its source,
  • Your purpose with it, and
  • How you plan to organize & dissect it for analysis. 
• If you are developing an instrument not yet mentioned, carefully describe it here as well.

 Replies

• • • Respond to your project partner and at least two others.
    • Respond to at least THREE peers.
    • Make sure everyone has feedback from more than one person.
    • Draw inspiration for your work from your peers. 

    • To help one another develop useful, precise, and accurate research instruments, imagine how you might answer the questions if you were part of their target population.
      • How would the questions make you feel?
      • Would you be likely to answer the questions thoroughly as they are written?
      • Is there a way you would prefer the questions to be asked of you?
      • Would you be likely to answer honestly?
      • Would you be offended or confused by the questions?
      • Do they even make sense, or could they use some explanation?