Descriptive Research, Lecture notes of Anthropology

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Descriptive Research

What is Descriptive Research

Method?

 A descriptive study is one in which information is collected without changing the environment ( i.e. nothing is manipulated).

 It is used to obtain information concerning the current status of the phenomena to describe “what exists” with respect to variable or education in a situation.

 Present trends, beliefs, public mind, their viewpoint and attitudes, their effects or development of new trends are described.

What is Correlational Research?

 Correlational research involves collecting data to determine whether and to what degree, a relationship exists between two or more quantifiable variables.

Characteristics of Correlational

Research

 Sample size at least thirty participant.

 Outcomes of the study allows the researcher to describe whether and to what degree two or more variables are related.

 Variables can not be manipulated.

 It can not be used to determine causality.

Examples of Correlational Research

 The relationship between unemployment and increasing rate of suicide.  The relationship between low economical condition of family and achievement of children.

What is Causal Comparative

Research?

 It is also know as “ex-post facto” research.

 In this type of research investigators attempt to determine the cause or consequences of differences that already exists between or among groups of individuals.

Steps of Causal Comparative

Research

 Selection of a topic.

 Review of literature.

 Develop a research hypotheses.

 Select participants.

 Select instruments to measure variables and collecting data.

 Analyze and interpret results.

Examples of Causal Comparative

Research

 How dose pre-school attendance affect social maturity.

 How does having a working mother affect a child’s school absenteeism?

Characteristics of Case Study

 A case study is particular instance of a phenomenon. such as educational program, curriculum, process etc.

 It emphasizes the study of interrelationship between different attributes.

 Acc. To Cooley, case study deepens our perception and given us a clear insight into life.

 It focuses on the natural history of the unit.

Steps of Case Study Research

 Identifying a problem.

 Identifying research questions or developing hypotheses (if any).

 Determining the unit of sampling.

 Collecting of data.

 Evaluating and analyzing data.

 Report writing.

What is Ethnographic Research?

 Ethnography came from the Greek word i.e. ethnos= folk/people and graphein= writing. It is identified that its roots in sociology and anthropology.  Ethnography is a branch of human enquiry.  It is associated with the field of anthropology.

Characteristics of Ethnographic

Research?

 Ethnographers study about cultural groups of interest through an extensive field work.

 It is labor intensive and time consuming task.

 It requires a certain level of intimacy with the cultural groups.

 Researchers use themselves as a instrument in this study.

Example of Ethnographic Report?

 A study focusing on blood donation beliefs of women living in rural area of Meerut.

What is Document Analysis?

 The method of documentary analysis enables the researcher to include large amount of textual information and systematically identify its properties.

 It is a type of qualitative research in which documents are reviewed by the analyst to assess an appraisal theme.