2022 Introduction to Statistics in Research Mitchell 2nd ed

I N T R O T O R E S E A R C H : D A T A V I S U A L I Z A T I O N & C O M M O N S T A T T E S T S

What is research? The definition of research is “the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order

to establish facts and reach new conclusions” (Dictionary). However, there’s a lot of ground to cover in the phrase “systematic investigation”!

The systematic investigation includes:

1) Focus on theory and hypotheses,

2) documenting relevant information (like in a literature review),

3) an ethical process of inquiry (data collection),

4) analysis and interpretation of both the data and the collected information in the literature review,

5) appropriate statistical methodologies to evaluate the hypothesis, and

6) an acceptable process to present the findings (establishing facts and reaching new conclusions!). Woo! I’m tired already!

As an emerging researcher, it is necessary to develop critical thinking, reasoning skills, and communication skills, along with your research skills. Many of you will already have strong critical and reasoning skills, but you haven’t applied them to a dissertation setting. Common dissertation mistakes include 1) superficial arguments that lack depth or presenting unrelated arguments, 2) an imbalanced structure, 3) failure to conduct thorough research, 4) attempting too much, 5) demonstrating a lack of proficiency, and 6) spelling, grammar, and formatting issues (UKWriters Hub, 2018, Dec 6). As you read through the list of mistakes, “interpret statistics correctly” did not make the list. However, most students have a lot of angst if you even mention the word statistics! To change that, let’s start with some of the basics and refresh your memory! DePoy &Gitlin (2020) define research as “…as multiple, systematic strategies to generate knowledge about human behavior, human experience, and human environments in which the thinking and action processes of the researcher are clearl y specified so that they are logical, understandable, confirmable, and useful” (p. 3). Adams & McGuire (2022 ) take it a step further. “Thinking like a researcher first requires one to take a scientific approach. The scientific approach is a specific type of critical thinking that involves approaching a topic with a genuine desire to understand it, identifying and minimizing biases that interfere with the understanding, avoiding overly simplistic explanations, and following a systematic method to study the topic” (p. 3). The first chapter is considered foundational with definitions, and ties to the general sections of the course, Nuts and Bolts Statistics. The second edition connects to several statistics textbooks in an attempt to help bridge your understanding. So, don’t skip reading this chapter just because some things seem familiar!

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