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Tag: research

  • Laboratory Water Bath Functions and Working Principles

    Laboratory Water Bath Functions and Working Principles

    Water Bath is one of the laboratory equipment that is included in the classification of laboratory instrumentation. The use of water baths in laboratories is quite massive, especially in pharmaceutical and microbiology laboratories.

    In this article, we will get to know the water bath in full, starting from its understanding, how it works and how to use it. Let’s see the following review!

    What is a Laboratory Water Bath?

    What is a Laboratory Water Bath

    A water bath is a laboratory equipment that resembles a container and is used in the process of heating a sample solution by immersing it in this tool. By using this tool, the solution temperature can be maintained constant at certain intervals.

    Usually water baths are equipped with digital and analog interfaces that make it easy for users to operate them. The water bath is also equipped with a shaker which is useful for homogenizing the test solution.

    Water Bath Function

    After reading the definition of a water bath above, we can draw conclusions that describe the function of this tool. The function of the water bath is to keep the test sample in a constant temperature state, between 30-100º celsius.

    We often find the use of water baths in chemistry, microbiology and pharmacy laboratories. The function of the water bath in analytical chemistry is usually found in the synthesis of compounds, isolation and purification of organic compounds. Meanwhile, the function of the water bath in microbiology is usually found in the incubation of culture cells and the melting of the substrate.

    The function of the water bath is to warm objects with the help of hot water or steam.

    This water bath is generally used to warm or heat some laboratory objects such as:

    • Reagents
    • Laboratory chemical reactions
    • Evaporating the solvent

    Water bath is a tool that cannot work alone, but requires other supporting tools. Usually tests using a water bath will involve a centrifuge , an incubator , a micropipette and a laboratory oven .

    How Water Baths Work 

    Laboratory Water Bath Functions and Working Principles

    Water bath is a device used to heat certain objects by using water medium.

    So that indirect heating using fire which may under certain conditions can be dangerous for the sample being tested.

    The working principle of a water bath is actually quite simple, namely by increasing the temperature of the water through a heating plate around the water reservoir.

    By using water, as a result, heating can be more stable, and evenly distributed over the entire surface of the object being heated.

    The way it works is also not too difficult, you just need to set the desired temperature, then the alarm will sound after the temperature is reached, and you can directly insert the object to be heated.

    The object to be heated or warmed must of course be in a container that can withstand hot water or hot steam such as:

    • Laboratory glass
    • ceramic
    • Porcelain
    • etc

    The working temperature that is generally used is 0-99°C or some reach the boiling point of water, which is 100°C.

    In certain types, some can even exceed the boiling point of water, reaching temperatures of 150°C to 200°C

    Type of Water baths

    Water baths have several types or variants that are used for more than just warming the sample.

    Some of the commonly known types are:

    • Shaking water bath
    • Circulating water bath
    • Non-circulating water bath

    water bath type

    Everything is different, depending on the intended use.

    1. Shaking water bath

    In certain reactions, in addition to requiring stable heating using water, the sample requires kinetic actions such as shaking or stirring.

    More than just warming, the presence of a shaker installed in the water container can help shake or homogenize the sample while it is heated.

    2. Circulating water bath

    This model is different from the shaker, if the shaker that moves is the sample, while the circulating that moves is the water.

    The water in the water bath is driven by a pump which eventually makes the water in it move or circulate.

    The advantages of this model compared to conventional ones are:

    • More even heating
    • The temperature in the water is more stable
    • Wider temperature range

    This type of water bath tends to be widely used in microbiology laboratories and clinics.

    3. Unstirred Water Bath

    This model is a fairly old one, namely by conventional heating standards.

    The weakness of this type of water bath is the uneven temperature distribution, which is different from the circulating type.

    However, for general use this model is sufficient for everyday use in the laboratory.

    Conclusion

    Water bath is a tool used to warm or heat samples through water media at a temperature of 0-99°C.

    Its function is to warm some objects such as:

    • Reagents
    • Chemical reaction
    • Evaporating the solvent
    • dsb

    Several types of water baths are available in the market, namely; shaking, circulating, and un-stirred water bath.

  • Data Collection Techniques in Research Design

    Data Collection Techniques in Research Design

    Data Collection Techniques in Research Design – Have you ever collected data by means of interviews? This activity is the most important activity in a research. When the plan has been carefully prepared but the data collection and analysis activities are not carried out properly, the objectives that have been set are not achieved properly.

    In other words, data collection and analysis activities are the implementation stage in the process of conducting research. The collection and analysis of research data is based on a method or procedure so that the desired data can be collected completely from the field. The following is an explanation of data collection techniques and research data processing. Check these out!

     

    Definition of Data Collection Techniques

    Data collection techniques are methods used to collect information or facts in the field

    Data collection was carried out to obtain the information needed in order to achieve the research objectives. Before conducting research, a researcher usually has a guess based on the theory he uses, this assumption is called a hypothesis. To prove the hypothesis empirically, a researcher needs to collect data to be investigated in more depth.

    The data collection process is determined by the variables in the hypothesis. Data collection is carried out on a predetermined sample. Data is something that has no meaning for the recipient and still requires processing.

    Data can have various forms, ranging from images, sounds, letters, numbers, language, symbols, and even circumstances that can assist research results later.

    All of these things can be called as data as long as we can use it as material to see the environment, object, event, or a concept. Data can be divided into several categories.

    Types of Data According to How to Obtain It

    The types of data can be categorized as follows according to how they are obtained, including:

    1. Primary data , namely data collected and processed by the researcher himself directly from the subject or object of research.
    2. Secondary data , namely data obtained not directly from the object or research subject.

     

    Types of Data by Source

    The types of data can also be categorized according to the way they are sourced, including:

    1. Internal data , namely data that describes the state or activities in an organization
    2. External data , namely data that describes a situation or activity outside an organization.

     

    Types of Data by Their Nature

    The types of data can also be categorized according to their nature, including:

    1. Quantitative data , namely data in the form of exact numbers, which can be measured ( measurable ) or can be calculated using numeric variables or numbers
    2. Qualitative data , namely data that is not in the form of numbers or data from verbal word explanations so that it cannot be analyzed in the form of numbers or numbers.

    Examples of quantitative data:

    • Data on the total number of students each year in a school
    • Data on the total sales of goods in a supermarket every day
    • Visitor data of a website
    • Tourist visit data for a province

    Examples of qualitative data:

    • Description of an area under study
    • Biographies of resource persons used as research references
    • The history of the establishment of a company under study

    Types of Data by Time of Collection

    The types of data can also be categorized according to the time of collection, including:

    1. Cross section / incidental , ie data collected only at a certain time
    2. Periodic data / time series , namely data collected from time to time to describe a development or trend of circumstances / events / activities.

     

    The Importance of Data Collection in Research Design

    Data collection is the recording of events or things or information as well as the characteristics of some or all elements of the population that will support and support research.

    Data is the plural form of datum. Data is information about something, it can be something that is known or in the form of an assumption. This data can also be in the form of facts depicted through numbers, symbols, and codes.

     

    List of Questions in the Data Collection Process

    The questionnaire is an important standard data collection tool in the form of a series of questions about a number of indicators from a number of variables that are ordered in such a way as to facilitate the interview. There are several things that must be considered before making a list of questions, namely as follows:

    • There is clarity of concepts and variables used
    • Standardization (each respondent will be asked the same question)
    • Objectivity (questions must be as neutral as possible)
    • Unit Relevance (there is accuracy in the selection of units or elements of data sources with research problems)

     

    Question Type

    Judging from the type of questions posed in the list of questions can be divided into several types of questions, namely:

    1. Questions about facts ( e.g. questions about Age, occupation, etc.)
    2. Questions about Opinion, for example, what is someone’s opinion about the existence of electricity entering the village?
    3. Questions about information or knowledge, for example, “Since when did electricity enter this village?”
    4. Questions about perception (this question is a question that seeks to measure how respondents judge something in relation to other things or other people).

     

    Data Based on the Source of Retrieval

    The list of questions cannot be separated from research, especially in the data collection process. Based on the source of data collection is divided into:

    1. Primary Data or

      data obtained or collected directly in the field by the person conducting the research or the person concerned who needs it.

      Primary data is also known as original data.

    2. Secondary Data i.e.

      data obtained or collected by people conducting research from existing sources.

      This data is usually obtained from the library or from previous research reports. This secondary data is also known as available data.

     

    Question Forms

    While seen from the form, the questions can be divided into three forms, namely:

    1. Closed questions are questions that are equipped with a number of alternative answers. Respondents just choose one of the alternative answers. Respondents just have to choose one of the alternatives that have been provided according to their choice.
    2. Open-ended questions are types of questions that are not accompanied by alternative answers. So the respondent is free to express the answer according to the will of the respondent.
    3. A half-open question , which is a question in which a number of alternative answers are available, it is also possible for the respondent to present an answer according to his will.

    Based on its nature, data can also be divided into two, namely qualitative data and quantitative data. Qualitative data is data that is not in the form of numbers, while quantitative data is data in the form of numbers.

    Data Based on Level of Measurement

    Based on the level of measurement, the data is divided into four, namely:

    • Nominal Data is Data that comes from grouping events based on certain categories, the difference only showing qualitative differences
    • Interval data is data that comes from objects or categories that are sorted by a certain effect, where the distance between each object is the same. In this data, not against absolute zero
    • Ordinal data is data that comes from objects or categories arranged according to size, from the lowest level to the highest level or vice versa with distances that do not have to be the same.
    • Ratio data is data that collects all the characteristics of nominal data, ordinal data, and interval data. Figures in this data, indicate the actual size of the object being measured.

     

    Data Collection Techniques in Social Research

    Social research is conducted to solve problems using the theory and knowledge that has been learned. Research is also a requirement for students before completing their studies.

    Through social research, we are required to apply the material we have learned to the real world and recognize the patterns that occur in society.

    When conducting research, we also need to identify the data collection techniques that need to be carried out. Data collection techniques are the methods used by researchers in obtaining data in the field. In social research, there are several techniques that are commonly used, namely:

    1. questionnaire,
    2. literature review,
    3. interview, and
    4. observation.

    Questionnaire

    Questionnaires or questionnaires are data collection techniques by asking questions to be answered by respondents, usually in writing.

    Questionnaires are used when researchers want to know the perceptions or habits of a population based on respondents. Questionnaires that are distributed must be tested beforehand to find out if the questions entered can be used as a valid and reliable measuring tool.

    In general, questionnaires are used in quantitative research analysis using SPSS or the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences which is quite complicated.

    Questionnaires can be in the form of printed or online questionnaires. Literature Study The most commonly used data collection technique is literature study. Literature study collects relevant data from books, scientific articles, news, and other credible sources related to the research topic.

    Advantages of the Questionnaire method

    • In this technique the respondent fills in by themselves so that no interview is needed.
    • In terms of cost, this technique requires a relatively low cost.
    • In terms of time, this technique saves time, meaning that it can be sent to various different places at the same time, so that the return can be received in a not too long time.
    • With this technique, respondents can more freely fill out the questionnaire, without feeling embarrassed because no one is interviewing.
    • There was no influence from the interviewer who gave the questionnaire or questionnaire.

    Weaknesses of the Questionnaire include:

    • Less flexible
    • Low rate of return of the questionnaire
    • Unable to observe the respondent’s reaction when answering the question
    • The atmosphere of the environment when the respondent filled out the questionnaire was not controllable. It is possible that the questionnaire was filled out by someone else not the respondent
    • It is difficult to control respondents to answer in accordance with the order of questions in the questionnaire
    • Unable to use complex questionnaire formats.

    Literature review

    Literature studies can strengthen the background for doing research and allow us to study previous research, so that we can produce newer research. Interviews Interviews were conducted by means of question and answer with respondents or informants to obtain information needed for research. Literature Studies can be done through:

    • Editing – Editing is the process of re-examining the data that has been collected to find out whether the data is good enough and can be immediately prepared for the next process. The purpose of editing, basically, is to eliminate errors contained in the recording in the field and is to correct it. Things that need to be edited on the incoming data include whether or not the incoming data can be read, the completeness of the filling and whether or not the sampling instructions are fulfilled as well as compatibility, whether the contents of the answers can be understood.
    • Coding – is the provision of codes for each data that belongs to the same category. Code is a signal made in the form of numbers or letters that provide clues or identity on an information or data to be analyzed. Why do we use code? the answer is to simplify the research data. For example, with a number symbol, it is possible for researchers to make comparisons between respondents’ answers easily.
    • Processing data using simple statistics – usually using several techniques such as frequency distribution (frequency distribution), central tendency, and dispersion measures such as standard deviation and variance

    Interview

    Interviews are used to explore information or subjective perceptions of informants related to the topic to be studied. Previous researchers must prepare interview questions in advance. Similar to questionnaires, interview questions need to be tested for their abilities so that researchers can obtain the data needed. The advantages of interview techniques include that they can be used on respondents who cannot read and write.

    If there is a question that is not understood, the interviewer can immediately explain. The interviewer can immediately check the correctness of the respondent’s answer by asking comparison questions or by looking at the respondent’s face or movements. Disadvantages of interview techniques are interviews require a very large cost in terms of travel and daily money for data collectors, interviews can only reach a small number of respondents, the presence of the interviewer may annoy the respondents. Types of interviews can be divided into:

    Structured interview

    The structured interview technique is an interview conducted based on a questionnaire. The questionnaire is used by the interviewer and communicates the questions as stated in the questionnaire, so that the respondent understands the intent of the question asked by the interviewer and can answer it well.

    Unstructured interview

    The unstructured interview technique is an interview conducted based on a guideline or note that only contains points or points of thought about the things that will be asked during the interview. These guidelines are called interview guidelines. In this technique, the interviewer has the freedom to formulate and ask questions or points listed in the interview guide to the respondent.

    Type of unstructured interview

    This type of unstructured interview is divided into three, namely:

    1. Interviews focus is interview is meant to clarify an issue with the research hypotheses were formulated in advance
    2. A clinical interview is an interview that is basically the same as a focused interview in terms of its implementation. The difference only lies in the theme or topic. This interview is used to obtain information about the biographies of the people who are the unit of analysis of the research problem in question. This interview is usually used in the medical field.
    3. Free interviews are interviews that have absolutely no structure. Most depend on the development of Q&A between the interviewer and the respondent during the interview

    Observation

    Observation is a data collection technique that is carried out through direct observation.

    Researchers make observations on the spot on the object of research to be observed using the five senses. Researchers are positioned as observers or outsiders. In collecting data using observation, researchers can use notes or recordings.

    Observation can be participatory

    participatory, namely when the researcher joins in and carries out activities with the object of his observation.

    Advantages of the observation technique

    The advantages of observational techniques include:

    1. The data obtained is more actual in the sense that the data is obtained from the respondent at the time it occurs,
    2. The validity of the measuring instrument can be known directly.

    Weaknesses of observation technique

    The disadvantages of this technique are:

    1. In obtaining the expected data, the observer must wait and observe until the expected behavior appears.
    2. Some behaviors, such as criminal or personal behavior, are difficult or impossible, and may even be harmful to the observer.

    Types of Observation Techniques Based on Observer Involvement

    In addition to being structured or unstructured, observation or observation techniques are also distinguished based on the involvement of observers in the target environment of observation, including:

    • Engaged Observation – In this observation the observer takes on the role of a member of the target community.
    • Observation is not involved – In this observation, the interaction between the observer and the respondent as the object of observation does not occur at all. The observer only plays a role in observing the target of his observation, from outside the environment he is observing.

    The difference between the two itself lies in the observation involved is aimed at special interests or human values ​​and interactions between humans such as the view from the perspective of the people who are in or part of the situation and special setting, besides the location or place here and now from the setting and situation. daily life as the basis for research and methods.

    A form of theory and theory formulation that emphasizes the interpretation and understanding of human existence, A logical research process that is open-closed, flexible, provides opportunities and requires constant redefinition of what is the problem, based on facts collected in a different setting. concrete aspects of human existence.

     

  • Longitudinal Research: Definition and Examples

    Longitudinal Research: Definition and Examples

    Longitudinal research is a research design that has unique characteristics. Longitudinal research is carried out in a relatively long time. The costs incurred are also often not small because it involves monitoring developments or changes that occur in the research sample.

    This post will attempt to provide an initial explanation of what longitudinal research is. This research design is often used in social research, such as sociology, psychology, public policy, and public health. The main characteristic of longitudinal research is that it uses data over a certain length of time.

    Definition of longitudinal research

    Longitudinal research is research that uses data over a long period of time . How long the length of time in question is very relative. However, the emphasis of longitudinal research is actually on the extension or extension of the survey conducted. The renewal is periodic.

    Thus, longitudinal research can also be understood as an extension of periodic survey research. At least, the survey was conducted twice with a predetermined time span from the beginning. This research data collection technique usually uses a questionnaire or structured interview. The researcher determines the time span between when the data is first taken from the sample, when the sample is taken again, until the third time and so on depending on how long the time span is.

    A more detailed explanation of longitudinal research usually leads to the classification of this research design into two types: panel studies and cohort studies. To understand the two types of designs, it’s a good idea to move on to the examples section below:

    Example of longitudinal research

    Understanding longitudinal research is actually quite easy. The research design is not much different from other studies such as surveys. For example, we will conduct research on the changing characteristics of youth violence in a city where brawls often occur.

    To conduct a longitudinal research, we first conduct a survey with a questionnaire and/or interview the youth selected as the sample. The identities of the participants or young people are recorded carefully and stored neatly in the archives. The first survey was conducted with variables that had been carefully arranged.

    As mentioned earlier, this research uses a clear timeframe. For example, every five years we go to the same young people to see changes or developments in their characteristics. There is no stipulation on the number of times participants are returned to be surveyed, but usually they are re-surveyed at least twice.

    The results of the second, third and so on surveys will show what changes have occurred to these young people who may not be classified as young people in the third survey and so on. With this research design, it is possible to know the changes in the characteristics of violence as the focus of the research.

    Difference between panel and cohort study

    We return to the difference between a panel study and a cohort study.

    Panel studies generally use data at the national level. The data collected can be in several different cases, such as organizations, households, schools, and so on.

    For example, a study on household economic development in Indonesia. Researchers of course not only survey the household income of the participants but also the number of family members, the existing public facilities where they live, monthly expenses, and so on. Within a certain period of time, the surveyed households were visited again to see their progress.

    While cohort studies have characteristics in individual surveys with the same characteristics. Often they are of the same generation or born in the same year or have had the same experience in the same time frame, such as getting married, getting a job, being fired, and so on.

    For example, we want to know the mental development of children born in 2000. First we want to examine how mentally they are when exposed to gadgets and the internet , then we also want to know their lives as teenagers, and so on.

    At this point, we hope that we have an initial picture of what longitudinal research is. The keywords that I can give here as material to remember are follow up . Longitudinal research has the characteristics of follow-up, which is to follow up research participants who have been previously surveyed or interviewed periodically at least once. The follow-up period was determined from the start of the study.

  • Social Research Methods

    Social Research Methods

    Social research method is a systematic way to study social phenomena. Social phenomena can be explained scientifically if the investigation process is carried out through the application of social research methods. Before going any further, it is necessary to first understand the meaning of research.

    What is research?

    Research  can simply be interpreted as scientific efforts made by researchers to capture a phenomenon. Therefore, the research in question is social research, so the phenomenon is a social phenomenon. Some social scientists describe research as follows:

    Soerjono Soekanto said research is a scientific activity that aims to reveal the truth as a manifestation of human desire to know what is actually being faced.

    Hill Way defines research as a study method that is applied carefully and in depth to reveal the facts of the problems that are believed to be able to solve these problems.

    Sutrisno Hadi said research is an effort to find, develop, and test the truth of knowledge by applying the scientific method.

    Saifuddin Anwar argues that research is a scientific endeavor with the aim of answering research problems. So that research cannot be done without problems and goals.

    Sanafiah Faisal said that research is an activity in studying a problem in a planned and systematic way to find scientifically valid and objective stone knowledge.

    Winarno Surachmad defines research as a scientific activity to accumulate knowledge from primary sources with the aim of finding general principles, as well as making estimates through generalizations outside the sample studied.

    Carter Good said that research is a path to progress and problem solving.

    Webster’s Dictionary defines research as an investigation of the process of inquiry in a science to obtain facts and principles carefully and systematically.

    From some of the definitions described above, we can catch several key phrases that describe what research is, such as: the application of the scientific method, the process of investigation, efforts to obtain objective facts, efforts to solve problems, and systematic efforts in investigation.

    Referring to the above definition, social understanding can be interpreted as an effort to investigate social phenomena using scientific methods in social science.

    What are the types of scientific methods in social research?

    We can understand the scientific method in the social sciences based on its types. There are at least two types of social research methods based on their approach: quantitative and qualitative. However, in its development, a third approach emerged, namely a combination of the two ( mixed method ). Here, we will briefly discuss quantitative and qualitative social research methods. The difference between quantitative and qualitative social research methods can be identified through the treatment of the data, the process of data collection, and its variants or types.

    Quantitative research methods

    Quantitative social research methods use numerical data or in the form of numbers. Even though using open interviews, quantitative methods convert narratives into numbers through a process of quantification or coding.

    The process in quantitative research begins with the creation of variables. For example, research on the effect of family monthly income on children’s education level. The family’s monthly income is a variable. Likewise, the level of education of children. The two variables are assumed to be related in the form of a hypothesis. For example, the hypothesis that the researcher has is, the higher the monthly family income, the higher the education level of the child. At this point, the researchers in addition to making variables also develop hypotheses.

    In the process of collecting data, quantitative research methods use instruments outside the researcher, such as questionnaires, survey forms, polling tools, and so on that have been arranged neatly before going out into the field. During the data collection process, researchers focused on the content of the research instruments that had been prepared. That is, there is no need or very little need for an element of subjectivity. The data contained in the research instrument is objective data.

    Research using quantitative methods emphasizes the element of objectivity. Respondents filled out forms or questionnaires distributed according to the instructions given. Some examples of quantitative research methods that are widely used for example, survey research, longitudinal research, cross-sectional research.

    Qualitative research methods

    Qualitative research methods use narrative data or words. The narratives obtained during the data collection process were interpreted by the researcher. However, data processing can also be done through coding. But not in the context of assessing, but looking at the pattern of the informants’ answers.

    In contrast to quantitative research, qualitative research begins by abandoning theoretical assumptions, although there are also qualitative studies that depart from theoretical assumptions. One obvious difference is that qualitative research does not require hypotheses in its research design. For example, research on the development of pop culture in Indonesia. Researchers do not need to write in their proposals a hypothesis, for example, the internet has become the main medium for shaping young people’s tastes for contemporary pop culture. Such assumptions may exist in the mind of the researcher, but not in the proposal

    In the process of collecting data, the methods that are commonly used are observation and interviews. Media analysis content can also be used in discourse analysis research. Through observation and interviews, researchers collected narrative data in the form of a collection of stories given by informants and conditions in the field. In the process of collecting data, the subjective element plays an important role because the researcher interprets the stories obtained during data collection.

    Qualitative research can use interview guides, diaries, or anything that can be used to record narratives in the field as research instruments. Another instrument owned by qualitative research is the researcher himself. The researcher doubles as an instrument, the narrative data collected will be interpreted by the researcher himself. Several kinds of research using qualitative methods, for example, case studies, ethnography, phenomenology.

    In more detail, read the Qualitative Method. From the description above, it can be explained the difference between the two methods. What are the differences?

    The difference between quantitative and qualitative methods:

    Quantitative Qualitative
    Numerical data Narrative data
    Prioritizing Objectivity Focus on Subjectivity
    Starting with a hypothesis No need for hypothesis
    Research subjects are called respondents Research subjects are called informants
    Researchers are not instruments Researchers as instruments
    The instrument is called a questionnaire The instrument is called an interview guide

    These differences are general differences. It should be noted that the differences are more accurately seen as trends. For example, in qualitative research, numerical data can also be used, but only as support. The tendency of qualitative research is the use of narrative data.

  • Examples of Research Methods

    Examples of Research Methods

    Examples of research methods that are often used in social research include descriptive, survey, experimental, interview, observation, ethnographic, case studies, and longitudinal methods. This post attempts to briefly explain examples of these research methods so that readers have complete consideration in choosing what research method is most appropriate for their research.

    First, I need to say that social research can be understood as an investigative process to find out the social world . Through social research we can describe the social world systematically and scientifically. The most common method in social research is the descriptive method. But lately many demands have been made on social scientists to not only describe the social world, but more than that, namely to explore in depth the social world around them.

    How to choose the right research method?

    There are many factors to consider, such as sources and data types. In social research, it has become a general rule to distinguish sources and types of data into four parts, namely qualitative data, quantitative data, primary data and secondary data.

    • Qualitative data is data in the form of narration in the form of writing, images, audio or visuals.
    • Quantitative data is data in the form of numbers in the form of statistics.
    • Primary data is data obtained directly by researchers.
    • Secondary data is data provided by third parties, such as the government, media, or other organizations outside the researchers and research participants.

    The four sources and types of data will determine which examples of research methods are relevant to be used by researchers later. For example, the researcher will calculate the relationship between household income and subjective happiness levels in a country. The data needed is quantitative data. So the survey research method becomes relevant to use. If the researcher wants to write about the meaning and philosophy of cockfighting in a village, ethnographic research methods can be considered.

    It should be borne in mind that research methods are not separated by rigid boundaries . In fact, the boundaries between methods are often so blurry that they overlap. Research design cannot be determined by only one method.

    Examples of research methods

    Descriptive method

    The descriptive research method was chosen based on the researcher’s need to narrate social behavior that specifically occurs in a particular social context. The descriptive method is also called the narrative method. The data obtained is in the form of an in-depth narrative that explains in detail the object of research under study.

    Research that uses descriptive methods seeks to describe, identify why, what and how social phenomena can occur . Examples of descriptive research methods usually adopt the observation method because often descriptions of social phenomena are obtained through observation. However, it is not limited to observation, case study and survey methods can also be used to produce descriptive data.

    Survey method

    As mentioned earlier, the survey method is identical to quantitative research . Research that adopts the survey method has a questionnaire or questionnaire as the main research instrument. The questions asked in the questionnaire are generally structured and closed. Respondents were limited to filling in answers according to orders that had been designed before the researchers went out into the field.

    Research using survey methods generally covers relatively simple topics. For example, the type of visitors to historical attractions on weekends. Surveys can be carried out by allowing respondents to fill out their own questionnaires or by conducting structured interviews with researchers.

    Experimental method

    The experimental method was chosen to measure the possible consequences that arise from certain variables. Social researchers can apply experimental methods to see the causal relationship between two or more variables . Examples of experimental research methods, for example, research on the use of minority religious symbols in public spaces in a religiously homogeneous society. Researchers can conduct social experiments to see how people react when they see minority religious symbols in public spaces.

    Experimental research generally begins with a hypothesis. Experiments were conducted to test whether the hypothesis was rejected or accepted. In general there are two types of experimental methods; experiments in the laboratory and in the field. Experiments in the laboratory are carried out with computers or teaching aids. Experiments in the field are carried out in social spaces or the ‘real world’.

    also read : ELEMENTS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH THAT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD

    Interview method

    Interview is a method of collecting data by asking orally . There are three types of interview methods in the social sciences:

    • A structured interview is an interview with a structured or closed question model. Typically used in survey methods.
    • Unstructured interviews are interviews with an open-ended question model. Informants were given the freedom to narrate orally in answering questions. Typically used in quantitative research.
    • Semi-structured interviews are interviews that use a question model from a combination of both. The research questions were structured in a structured manner, but at the end the informants were given the freedom to tell a more open story.

    Observation method

    Observations in general are observations with the five senses of social phenomena that are outside the researcher ‘s self . In social research, the observations made usually involve the active role of the researcher. The active role of researchers in making more relevant observations is called participatory observation.

    • Participatory observation can be done openly (overt) or closed (covert). Open means that the identity of the researcher and the research being carried out are known to the group or community being researched. Closed means that the community being studied does not know that it is being observed for research.

    Ethnographic method

    The ethnographic method is an in-depth study of the way of life of a group of people studied in as natural a social setting as possible . Ethnographic research involves cultural integration between the researcher and the subject being studied. Typically, ethnographic research takes a very long time because it requires the absorption of the culture of the community being studied into the researcher.

    Ethnographic research usually uses participatory observation methods. To obtain richer data, in-depth interviews and document checks are often conducted. In daily life, the researcher records in detail the research findings into a diary which can later be used as a primary data source.

    Case study

    An example of a case study research method is applied to research that focuses on one case and the investigation is carried out in depth . Research that adopts the case study method tends to intersect with ethnography. The methods used can also be the same as ethnography, such as: in-depth interviews, document examination and participatory observation. Ethnography is actually also an in-depth case study.

    Longitudinal Study

    An example of a longitudinal research method is applied to a study designed for a relatively long period of time . Longitudinal research subjects are the same individual or group, studied over a certain period of time. Thus what is seen is the development of individuals or groups during a certain period. For example, we want to look at the characteristics of violence in youth. In 2010 we conducted a survey or interview on a group of youth. Five years later we went to them again to be surveyed or interviewed again.

  • THE 3 TYPES OF RESEARCH

    THE 3 TYPES OF RESEARCH

    Hello Statisticians, this time Sinaumedia will review about recognizing 3 types of research that you need to know. For those of you who are going through a thesis or research, I hope this article can be an inspiration.

    Although there is often a blur within the boundaries, research in general can be classified into 3 types. The first is exploratory research, explanatory research or confirmatory research , and descriptive research.

    WHAT IS SCOPING OR EXPLORATORY RESEARCH?

    An exploratory research is a type of research that is open, still searching, and does not necessarily have a hypothesis. Researchers’ knowledge about the symptoms to be studied is still very little.

    Scoping research is thus often carried out as the first step for more in-depth research, be it explanatory research or descriptive research. Through this exploratory research, research problems can be formulated more clearly and in more detail, and hypotheses can be developed.

    In general, the definition of exploratory research is an activity in conducting an in-depth analysis of something new, which has never existed before.

    Here are some examples of studies with exploratory research designs:

    • A study of the role of social networking sites as an effective marketing communication channel
    • Investigation of how to improve the quality of customer service in the hospitality sector in Bangkok
    • Assessment of the role of corporate social responsibility on consumer behavior in the Garment industry in Vietnam

    DEFINITION OF EXPLANATORY RESEARCH ( EXPLANATORY OR CONFIRMATORY RESEARCH )

    Explanatory research is a type of research that highlights the relationship between research variables and tests hypotheses that have been formulated previously. Therefore, this has also eaten research hypothesis testing or testing research . Although the description also contains a description, as a relational research the focus lies in explaining the relationship between variables.

    Explanatory Research allows researchers to provide deep insight into a particular subject, which breeds more subjects and provides more opportunities for researchers to learn new things and question new things.

    An in-depth study of a subject creates cycles and, critical thinking/study of a subject creates more questions and those questions lead to more ways for the researcher to learn more things related to that subject.

    Explanatory research is a type of research that is a pillar of other types of researchers. Before starting the research for the next research, we should always do explanatory research first, because without it the research would not be complete and would not be as efficient.

    Explanatory research works to give your survey and research design a better focus and significantly limits unwanted bias information.

    THEN, WHAT ABOUT DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH? WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

    Descriptive research usually has two objectives. The first is to determine the development of certain physical facilities or the frequency of occurrence of certain aspects of social phenomena. For example, the number of two-wheeled vehicles, four-wheeled vehicles, family planning acceptors, the number of films being screened, and so on.

    The results are listed in the frequency table table. the second is to describe in detail certain social phenomena. For example, social interaction, kinship system, and others. Such research is usually carried out without a rigorously formulated hypothesis. Sometimes using a hypothesis but not for statistical testing

    In essence, descriptive research is used to describe various aspects of phenomena. In its popular format, descriptive research is used to describe the characteristics and/or behavior of a sample population.

    An important characteristic of descriptive research relates to the fact that although descriptive research can use a number of variables, only one variable is needed to conduct descriptive research. The three main objectives of descriptive studies can be described as describing, explaining and validating research findings.

    this type of descriptive research is closely related to observational research, but is not limited to the method of collecting observational data. Case studies and surveys can also be defined as popular data collection methods used with descriptive studies.

  • ELEMENTS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH THAT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD

    ELEMENTS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH THAT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD

    Hello statisticians. Are you working on a script or want to take a script? Now this time sinaumedia will discuss the elements of scientific research. Keep on reading.

    To be able to conduct research well, researchers need to have knowledge of various elements of research . The elements that form the basis of this scientific research are: concepts, prepositions, theories, variables, hypotheses and operational definitions .

    Scientific research is a systematic process of proving the relationship. Therefore, the relationship between the elements of scientific research can also be presented systematically below.

    the relationship between the elements of research
    the relationship between the elements of research

    The schematic above shows the theoretical process of the empirical process of a research; formulation of concepts, positions and theoretical arrangements in a scientific research. Formulation of operational definitions, data collection, formulation and testing of statistical hypotheses is an empirical process.

    It should be remembered that the research process is an ongoing process and begins with the researcher’s deep interest in the relationship to be studied.

    With the interest and ideas, the research process increases in theoretical understanding (which requires an understanding of concepts, theoretical propositions), hypothesis formulation (including an understanding of hypothetical variables, operational definitions and statistical hypotheses), and hypothesis testing.

    ELEMENTS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

    Below, the statistical consultant’s efforts will describe the elements of this research one by one with examples of their actual use.

    1. CONCEPT

    The concept of research is the most important element of research and is the definition used by researchers to abstractly describe a social phenomenon or natural phenomenon.

    For example, to describe the reproductive capacity of poultry known as the concept of fertility and hatchability. Another example to illustrate population movement is known as the concept of migration and mobility.

    Some of the concepts commonly used in population research and social research include the value of children, contraceptive behavior, labor force, unemployment and so on.

    2. PREPOSITION

    Prepositions are statements about the nature of reality that can be tested for truth. A hypothesis is a proposition formulated for empirical testing. Theorems or laws are also prepositions that have a wider range or scope and have received a lot of empirical support.

    3. THEORY

    Theory is the main means of expressing the systematic relationship between social and natural phenomena to be studied. A theory is a logical sequence of one or more prepositions.

    Is scientific information obtained to increase the abstraction of meanings and relationships in prepositions. Theory is scientific information obtained by increasing the abstraction of meanings and relationships in prepositions. More complex theories are usually logical combinations of several prepositions.

    4. VARIABLE

    Another element commonly known as the element of research is the variable. Variable is a concept that has a variety of values.

    So, the concept of the body is not a variable why and does not contain the meaning of the existence of varying values. Weight or height are variables because they have different values.

    Sex is a variable because it can have a value that is male or female. Age, education, marital status, number of children, home ownership status, money supply are all variables.

    Concepts that do not contain multiple value meanings can usually be turned into variables by focusing on certain aspects of the concept.

    An example is eggs. The concept of eggs can be used as a variable, for example by assessing aspects of egg weight, egg length and width, egg color and so on.

    5. HYPOTHESIS

    As previously discussed, the research objective is to examine the systematic relationship between the variables. This relationship is usually presented in the form of a hypothesis which is an important research element.

    A hypothesis is a tentative conclusion or preposition about the relationship between two or more variables. The hypothesis is always presented in the form of a statement that links explicitly or implicitly a variable with one or more other variables.

    A good hypothesis must meet 2 criteria. First the hypothesis must describe the relationship between the variables. Both hypotheses should provide clues on how to test the relationship. This means that the variables listed must be measurable and the direction of the relationship between these variables must be clear.

    Example of a hypothesis in animal husbandry research: the fertility rate of native chicken eggs is influenced by the quality of feed and the age of the mother.

     

    6. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

    One element of research that really helps communication between researchers is the operational definition. The operational definition is an indication of how a variable is measured. By reading the operational definition of a study, a researcher will know the measurement of a variable, can know the good or bad of the measurement.

    In the operational definition section, it is usually explained how the research method is carried out. such as the number of samples, how to measure variables, the research process, experimental design, how to analyze statistical data, and so on.

    Well, that’s the article about the elements of research from sinaumedia , I hope this article is useful and enlightening. see you again in the next article. stay tuned.