466-419 Research Methods A: Introduction to Research Methods

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Objectives:

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• demonstrate a basic understanding of the nature of science, scientific research and the research process;

• appreciate that there are alternative paradigms of inquiry to the positivistic approach (such as the naturalistic paradigm) and that within paradigms, there is a range of methods of research;

• appreciate the ethical considerations and concerns in relation to research using human participants, especially children;

• use library facilities to identify text-based and other resources relevant to a particular research topic; and

• present a critical review of the literature in an area of research in child development and identify an appropriate question to be addressed in a supervised research project.

Content:

An introduction to the study of research methodology with emphasis upon the nature of science and scientific research, the diversity of research paradigms and methods and the process of 'doing' research. Topics will include the scientific method and its applications; the importance of objectivity in research and issues of bias; prediction, hypothesis generation and testing; sampling; variables; different research paradigms including naturalistic inquiry; the range of research methods including qualitative and quantitative approaches; action research; research ethics; use of library facilities in the research process; critical review of relevant literature; from idea to action - the formulation of a research question.

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