A question about the social world that you seek to answer through the collection and analysis of firsthand, verifiable, empirical data.
What is social research?
100
Prior research similar to research you wish to conduct.
What are (investigation) reports?
100
These are two forms of questions that qualitative research questions assume.
What are [qualitative] central questions and associated sub-questions?
100
Social Research that is conducted for the distinctive purpose of investigating social programs.
What is evaluation research?
100
This informs researchers whether a program is evaluable.
What is evaluability assessment?
200
Social research may emerge from this.
What is your own experience (personal troubles)?
200
Scholarly journals that choose articles for publication after they have been reviewed by social scientists.
What are “refereed journals”?
200
In this type of study, investigators use either research questions or hypotheses to shape and specifically focus the purpose of the study.
What is quantitative study?
200
Individuals or groups who have some basis of concern with the program.
Who are stakeholders?
200
When evaluation findings are used to help shape and refine a program.
What is formative evaluation?
300
The best source for research questions.
What is research literature (i.e. articles/books)?
300
Crucial details about methods, findings, and theoretical implications.
What is [in] the “body” of the article?
300
Mix-method research questions should address these.
What are qualitative and quantitative components [in a study]?
300
Research to investigate what actually happens in a social program -- the process of services delivery.
What is process evaluation?
300
Analysis to determine if a program worked, and had the intended result.
What is impact evaluation (or impact analysis or summative evaluation)?
400
Social scientists find the source of their research questions in this.
What is social theory?
400
To assess the implications of the entire set of articles (and other materials) for the relevant aspects of your research question and procedures and then to writ an integrated review that highlights these implications.
What is the second stage of the review process?
400
The traditional approach to writing a hypothesis, this makes a prediction that in the general population, no relationship or no difference exists between groups on a variable.
What is null hypothesis?
400
A research approach that emphasizes the importance of researcher expertise and autonomy in order to develop the most trustworthy, unbiased program evaluation.
What is social science approaches?
400
This research method helps reveal how social programs actually operate, and is especially helpful when a social program is very complex.
What is qualitative method?
500
Develop the research question one-bit-at-a-time.
What is the best way to avoid problems when refining social research questions?
500
The process of conducting research designed to test explanations for social phenomena involving moving from theory to data, and then back to theory.
What is Explanatory Research?
500
Two types of questions or hypotheses, which include both independent and dependent variables.
What are Descriptive Questions and Inferential Questions or Hypotheses?
500
A descriptive or prescriptive model of how a program operates and produces effects.
What is program theory?
500
A research model in which program participants are engaged as co-researchers, helping to design, conduct and report the research.
What is action research (or participatory research, which is a form of stakeholder approaches to research)?