research methodology

How often does a newspaper, magazine, or net source publish reports of a test or study? It's difficult to read any source without finding some research cited. But not all research data is created equally, nor is every study definitive.

You've probably heard that statistics can be used in any number of ways, to prove points valid and invalid. Propaganda uses statistics-often from the same research of the individuals/groups the propaganda is railing against.

It's important to be able to evaluate the study findings and research reported. All too often what we read are the headlines-after all, they are meant to catch our attention-and spend less time on the details of the reports. But people can make decisions based on poorly developed studies and skewed research data.

Remember when eggs were thought to be a healthy food, then years later they were nearly verboten, and once again they are enjoying a comfortable place in our diets? Coffee is good; coffee is bad; coffee is acceptable again. These are relatively innocuous examples of various study results printed over the years. But much of the research printed is about topics that can affect our health, our finances, our quality of life.

How do we go about evaluating the information that bombards us from every direction? First we have to look at who/what was behind a particular piece of research?

For example, was a pesticide company the funding source for a study on the safety of chemicals used in pest control? Funding sources are not always evident, but if the information interests you, with a little delving on your part, you can find out this important information.

Research that begins by trying to prove a certain point or move in a particular direction is not research that will provide unbiased results. Limitations of analysis are ignored; some data may be ignored-anything that doesn't point to the central idea behind the research will be dismissed.

Be wary of research that doesn't address other sides of the issue. There is rarely one perspective on available information-if so, there wouldn't be much need for research. Open-ended thinkers and researchers will address alternative views, if only to show how this particular study/research logically makes those alternative views less forceful.

When you read about studies involving groups of people, it is important to note how many people were involved in the study, what criteria was used to choose those who took part in the study. The smaller the group of people involved in the study, the less reliable the outcome will be.

Over what period of time did the study take place? For example, in medication studies, a short time period might indicate that potential side effects did not have sufficient time to develop. Reports of such a study that show few side effects were found might not represent the truth of the matter.

A valid study can be replicated. Are there other studies on the same issue? If so, what conclusions did those studies reach? Evaluate the additional studies by the same criteria used for the initial results.

What credentials does the study/research author have? Are there reputable references cited in the material? Does the tone of the information attempt to persuade or is it presented objectively?

All these questions and more will aid you in evaluating the quality of the material you read, no matter the media source. In this era of information overload it may seem overwhelming to take the time to evaluate what you read, but it is important that you do before you alter your way of life based on inferior information.




Reference research: research Dr. and computer research and travel research and recent update




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