PURPOSE AND ROLE OF RESEARCH IN HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE
Research is wide and diverse. It may focus on people (eg. why men are more aggressive than women) on the structures of society, (eg. the family) or may study hidden structures (eg, memory).
The word “research” has several meanings:
1. Research is a systematic, formal rigorous and precise process employed to gain solutions to problems and/or to discover and interpret new facts and relationships. (Waltz and Bausell, 1981, p.1).
2. Research is the process of looking for a specific answer to a specific question in an organised objective reliable way (Payton, 1979, p.4)
Diversity of Research
There are several factors which distinguish between different types of research, but the main one is whether it is ‘qualitative’ or ‘quantitative’ research (will be discussed later).
There are many types of research, the main ones being: Exploratory Research – carried out to see if the topic for investigation is worth doing before carrying out the full investigation, eg. will there be enough relevant secondary data. Basic Research – is concerned with producing new information and knowledge on a topic and with increasing scientific understanding. It is not intended to be used (or applied) by those working in the field, eg, social workers, nurses etc. It is also called ‘pure research’ Applied Research – the aim of such research is that the findings will be used by practitioners in carrying out their jobs; it is intended that their jobs performance will be improved by the findings. Practitioners will study the findings of such research to help them keep up to date with current developments in their job, eg. findings of a study on the effects of psychological abuse on an elderly person’s self-esteem.
The Essay on Employment Finding A Job
What is the purpose of a career A career provides a framework for life development; a sort of independence one can have in his or her life. Employment provides a person with the opportunity for social interaction and a salary with which to provide the resources needed to survive. Finding a job in America is not an easy task to say the least. So what are the odds of a hearing impaired person ...
Descriptive Research – aims to describe something that is currently happening and is the most commonly used, eg. it could be used in order to find out what age group is most likely to develop an eating disorder. Longitudinal Research – studies social issues over a period of time, possibly years, eg. the development of a child from birth to 5 years Comparative Research – aims to identify similarities and/or differences between research categories, eg. between different age groups, socio-economic groups (classes) etc. An example of such research would be cross-cultural studies which compares behaviour etc. between different societies or cultures. Action Research – is increasingly being used within childcare educational programmes (eg. BTEC ND H&SC).
Its main idea is to use research to directly change working practice. While other quantitative and qualitative research approaches may go through a long process of data collection, analysis and eventually producing a final report which researchers can only hope practitioners will use to inform their work, action-research works directly with practitioners so that findings are used to immediately and continually develop practice. Therefore, a key idea within action-research is that it is done with participants rather than on them. Basically the individual uses what they have learned in theory and puts it into practice in the workplace. An example is the PPD module.
Purpose of Social Research
The function of research is to either create or test a theory. A theory is an explanation for something that is based on observation, experimentation, and reasoning. Many theories of human behaviour are based on ‘common-sense’ ideas, eg. women are more nurturing than men. Research is the method used to test whether a theory is good or not. It is the method by which data is gathered to generate a theory or to test a theory. There are different ways of conducting research, however any method you use will be based on the systematic collection and analysis of data following the Scientific Method (will be discussed later).
The Review on Hypothetical Research Proposal Social Psychology
Understanding media in today’s world is more than intellectual exercise, it is essential survival skill in a world that has been absolutely changed by mass communication. Hundreds of studies have shown that viewing violence in the media can influence destructive behavior. This paper will review research involving the relationship between the media and violence. Since, women’s issue to violence ...
The emphasis here is on the word systematic. This means that you have to collect your data in an ordered manner, with a purpose in mind (clear aim), and following certain rules about your method of collection, eg. questionnaire, interview etc.
Overall Purpose and Aims of Social Research
a. General – studying something to gain more information on it, eg. a social survey to study the recreational habits of the population of Newtownabbey (what people do in their spare time) b. Theoretical – prove, disprove, or change a theory
c. Pragmatic (realistic) – suggest solutions to social problems, eg. findings from research into awareness of adolescents of dangers of prescription drugs indicates need for increase in publicity campaigns d. Political – provide evidence for changes to social policy, and support for government legislation, eg. findings of research into abuse of welfare system by migrant workers could be used by government to change immigration policy.
Overall Motives of Social Research
Aims usually refer to immediate outcomes of the research, eg. to find out the extent of the problem being investigated or what is causing it. Motives refer to more general goals and can be ‘intrinsic’ (related to the interests of the researcher) or ‘extrinsic’ (related to the interests of whoever has commissioned or requested the research).
The main motives are: 1. Educational – to educate and inform the public
2. ‘Magical’ – to provide credibility to the researcher or the person/organisation commissioning the research 3. Personal – to promote the academic status of the researcher 4. Institutional – to enhance the standing of the organization (eg. University) for which the researcher works 5. Political – to provide support for government plans or programmes
