Formulating a Research Question

Research Topography in the Behavioral Sciences

The goal in Module 1 is to introduce you to the world of research methodology in the behavioral sciences and to help you understand that the primary responsibility of research is to advance the body of scientific knowledge through the scientific inquiry process. Research, when done well, is more than the simple collection of facts and numbers or the recording of occurrences.

Research activities investigating behavioral science issues, whether case study related, clinical trial based, or new product directed, must always start from a scientific approach and should be stated in a testable form. To accomplish this, it is important for the investigators to clearly see the relationship that exists between the research problem and the design and the methodology of its solution. Your tasks as a behavioral science and forensic research professional are to think relationally, structurally, and architecturally.

As a researcher in the behavioral science world, you must exert a great deal of time and effort to make the best decisions possible. Failure to make a timely and prudent decision often comes from the lack of sound research, no research at all, the misuse of a research tool, or simply from made-up facts.

How many times have you said to yourself: "Where did they come up with those figures?" Most of the time, the data comes from a weak database, poor data interpretation processes, or someone else's poorly conducted research.

The mission before you in this course is to find ways in which your efforts to bring about change through best-fit decision making are based upon scientific inquiry. As a researcher, you must play according to the rules of scientific investigation. The rules of science, which you will discover in this course, will permit you to minimize errors in your decision-making processes and to bring about decisions with accurate and error-reduced assessment.

Research activities, whether clinical, educational, consumer product based, or agriculturally oriented, must exhibit and command interest, enthusiasm, and passionate commitment. If expected results are to be gained and shared, a researcher must catch the essential quality of the excitement of discovery that comes from research that is well done.

The first step in the attainment of a desired research activity is to develop a scientific approach toward the area of investigation. The second is to gain insight into the possible relationship that exists between the research study's research problem and the design and methodology of its solution.

Research is not simply a task of collecting data on an ad hoc basis and trying to interpret the findings. Research is a sophisticated mapping of what needs to be accomplished and how it can be accomplished. Module 1 will serve as an overview and guide to the research domains you will encounter throughout this course.

As you proceed through the course, you will come to realize that there is a great deal of excitement in a well-done research endeavor. You will also come to understand the need for debate, discussion, and even argument in behavioral science research efforts when there is intelligent conviction concerning the nature, design, analysis, and inference regarding the phenomenon under investigation.

You will continue the ideas presented earlier by offering information about discerning the difference between theory and research and by emphasizing the development of a testable hypothesis, evaluating previous research studies, and building a research program agenda upon which to conduct scientific research.