Research Design – Midterm Literature Summary

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What are the two main types of research questions?

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Normative and Positive research.

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What distinguishes positive research from normative research?

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Positive research involves descriptive, predictive, or explanatory questions, while normative research is prescriptive and theoretical without hypotheses.

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What are the three types of positive research questions?

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Descriptive, Predictive, and Explanatory.

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What is the main goal of explanatory questions in research?

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To offer deeper understanding by uncovering causal mechanisms.

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What are the two approaches to research mentioned in the text?

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Deductive and Inductive approaches.

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What is the difference between deductive and inductive approaches?

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Deductive approaches provide definite certainty, while inductive approaches leave some insecurity.

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What is the purpose of theory generation in research?

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To build insights and hypotheses based on descriptive research.

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What is the role of theory in the research process?

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Theories direct attention, set research agendas, and provide explanations.

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What is the difference between a theory and a model?

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A model is more specific than a theory and serves as a symbolic representation of reality.

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What are the key attributes of a good theory?

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Truth, Parsimony, Generality, and Precision.