Category: PhD Research

Tips for students learning the basics of Statistics

1. To begin with, distributive practice is better than the massed practice. This means that instead of devoting extended hours in one day, one or two hours each day should be kept aside, preferably at the same time. This can be called as the cardinal principle of studying statistics. 2. At least once after few … Continue reading “Tips for students learning the basics of Statistics”

1. To begin with, distributive practice is better than the massed practice. This means that instead of devoting extended hours in one day, one or two hours each day should be kept aside, preferably at the same time. This can be called as the cardinal principle of studying statistics.

2. At least once after few independent sessions, the learner should study in quads of students. The reason being, a vocal interchange and interpretation of concepts and skills helps to further cement up the understanding of the concepts of statistics.

3. The concept of memorizing formulae does not imply in statistics. A seasoned instructor may never recommend this to the learner. The approach should be to study the concept, repeatedly. The formulae can always be looked up in the book once it is known which technique to imply.

4. Practice should be done in all varied dimensions in terms if exercises and problems. Statistics cannot be learnt by just by reading from the book. Skills need to be practiced repeatedly.

5. Statistics have a whole lot of recurring themes. There are some handful skills that need to be mastered and need to be emphasised upon.

6. The learner has to recognise that the entire statistics is more than the addition of its individual parts. It is essential to see the forest and not lose sight because of the trees.

7. Do not become a victim of any kind of anxiety related to maths or statistics. If at all that be the case, counselling sessions should be attended voluntarily to take up the subject head strong and confidently.

What are Projective Techniques?

Projective techniques are seeked as they help in going to the deep sub consciousness.  The way they work is as follows: All those who are participants in the research that follows this technique, expects them to project their feelings and thoughts onto other things that may not be otherwise apparent.  For instance, if Pepsi was … Continue reading “What are Projective Techniques?”

Projective techniques are seeked as they help in going to the deep sub consciousness.  The way they work is as follows:

All those who are participants in the research that follows this technique, expects them to project their feelings and thoughts onto other things that may not be otherwise apparent.  For instance, if Pepsi was a bird then which bird would it become?  The most common kind of projective techniques used are:

  • Completion of sentences
  • Completion of cartoons
  • Stereotyping
  • Personification of brands

After completing the first step, the participants are expected to explain their answers. This stage in the technique is important and the participant plays a crucial role in fairly answering the “Why” in this question. It is important because the projective techniques work towards releasing the sub conscious and attempting to reveal the real explanation by the means of probing. For example here, if Pepsi is seen as a pigeon by the participant then the explanation in the second stage may be that it is dull, silly and a trend follower rather than a trend creator in the market.

There is a lot of fun element that is involved in the projective techniques.  It is found to be breaking the mundane monotony of the research and researchers, academicians, clients, respondents often look forward to the use of this technique. At the same time, it is very important to take care while using these techniques, particularly with the measurement of abstract things. It may create confusion between the truth and the error. The sub conscious is something that is more deep and profound than the abstract and often researchers are found struggling with new words and people, more than often do not even think about the sub conscious.

The development of projective techniques happened in psychology. The reliability of these techniques has been a concern for the alternate disciplines of research. Another area where projective techniques pick the mainstream is market research. This is largely because the other techniques are not able to generate an insight into the factors that lead to brand preference and buying.

The ambiguity in the projective technique responses can be minimized using these techniques:

  •  The probing technique is very useful
  • Use of multiple techniques to draw out the most common conclusion
  • Combining data of multiple people with same responses.

 

Classifying Experimental Designs

Experimental designs should be categorized with many a variations. They can be classified and organised by understanding the application of the fundamental signal to noise ratio metaphor. This metaphor elucidates that what we see or observe can be split into two basic components. These two components are the signal and the noise. In most of … Continue reading “Classifying Experimental Designs”

Experimental designs should be categorized with many a variations. They can be classified and organised by understanding the application of the fundamental signal to noise ratio metaphor. This metaphor elucidates that what we see or observe can be split into two basic components. These two components are the signal and the noise.

In most of the researches, the signal has its link with the key variable of interest. The noise here comprises the random factors in the situation which make the visibility of the signal in the room relatively poorer. A ratio construct can be created when the signal is divided by the noise.  When one talks of research, the signal should have high relativity to noise. For instance, if the treatment or programme and the measurement is also very good they can be termed as strong signal and low noise. In light of this concept, the experimental designs can also be classified into two categories. They can be termed as signal enhancers or noise reducers. Both these categories work towards enhancing the quality of the research. The first kind which is the signal enhancing experimental design is technically called the factorial designs. In this type of design, the entire focus is on the set up of the programme. It would help to examine and understand the different variations of a treatment.

In the other category, there are two major types of noise reducing experimental designs. They are called the covariance designs and blocking designs. The basic purpose of this kind of a design is to put the sample information and pre programme variables so that some noise from the study is taken out and more precise and worthy analysis can be done

Between Balanced and Unbalanced Scales

It is interesting and important at the same time to understand whether it is best to administer a balanced scale or an unbalanced scale.  To begin with, if we focus on the balance scales, it primarily means that there an even number of points on either side of the scale. This means on the positive … Continue reading “Between Balanced and Unbalanced Scales”

It is interesting and important at the same time to understand whether it is best to administer a balanced scale or an unbalanced scale.  To begin with, if we focus on the balance scales, it primarily means that there an even number of points on either side of the scale. This means on the positive as well as the negative side.

On the contrary, a negative scale is something that is skewed on either the positive or  the negative side. This is again an option to be used when the research scale  had to be selected.

The balanced  scale is bigger and gives more  narrower options to the respondents, to chose between balanced and unbalanced scales, it largely depends upon the  the kind of expectation or estimation that  you have from the responses. If the researcher is aware that most of the respondents are going to agree to him the breakdown of the  negative side of the scake will not be of much use and it is better to use an unbalanced scale.  To explain it simply, in the case of the predicted skewed response on either side of the scale from the respondents, an unbalanced scale works well. However, if the researcher has doubt about the responses and cannot be sure if the responses will skew on either side then he should go for a larger scale like a balanced scale so that fair anount of clear options are offered to the respondents.

One point that should be noted in  the case of unbalanced scale and should be considered thoroughly before deciding the scale is that, unbalanced scale do not offer a middle point and the result is an ordinal scale aas opposed to an interval scale. This makes it difficult to compute  the mean or average response. And  for the measures of central tendency,n the dependance comes on median instead of  mean.

Considering all these factors, it becomes simpler for a researcher to chose between a balanced and unbalanced scale.

Participatory Research: Methods and Practices

The participatory methods are focussed towards the planning and conducting the research process in the presence and involvement of people, those people whose life, world, actions and thoughts are under the process of research. As a consequence of this, the means and methods of enquiry and the different questions of research are created from the … Continue reading “Participatory Research: Methods and Practices”

The participatory methods are focussed towards the planning and conducting the research process in the presence and involvement of people, those people whose life, world, actions and thoughts are under the process of research. As a consequence of this, the means and methods of enquiry and the different questions of research are created from the synchronisation of two different views and practices, involving both practice as well as science. Research bestows its benefits on both the sides. Practices that have been established as daily basis activities bring forth their own view point and perspective, always a new way to deal with a challenge. The participatory research process widens the horizons of the researcher and offers the freedom to co researchers to move beyond the limitations of standard routines, interactions in a more cognitive fashion. It helps to challenge and rework on established practices and interpretations. However, just by conducting participatory research, it is not ensured that there would be a convergence of science and practice. It is much more than that and a demanding process that is developed on two different spheres of action, both science and practice come into coherence with each other, interacts, develop lead to an understanding of each other.

The participatory method is an orientation of enquiry. Participatory research can be called a method that challenges concrete and fundamental research methods and supports the benefits of research that may lead to the involvement of the research partners to enhance productivity of knowledge. The approaches suggested for participatory research are not different and distinct from the standard empirical social procedures. The main characteristic of participatory research is it’s individuality and self-determination. It is not suggested and possible to canonize them in the form of a single, cohesive, methodological approach. Incorporation of processes is all the more important in participative research than in any other. If the purpose and desire is to gain a further deep understanding of the contextual structured of meaning and the dynamism that in embedded in social action, it becomes worthy to incorporate participatory research at the design stage itself.

To conclude, participatory research does pose certain questions in context to knowledge and research in a very radical fashion. It is so strong an area of research that it has the capacity to bring attention to the neglected areas of the methodology and kindle their further development.