Why is it important that the researcher articulate, as clearly as possible, all assumptions that affect the research problem? - answerThere are at least
... [Show More] two reasons to articulate assumptions underlying a research problem. First, these assumptions will guide the selection of research questions and/or the formation of hypotheses, as well as the interpretation of the data. Clearly stating the assumptions assists the reader in evaluating the merits of the study and the conclusions drawn from it. Second, to the extent that the researcher is aware of his/her assumptions, these can be incorporated into the study design as needed to promote the validity of the conclusions drawn from the study.
Your textbook authors recommend explicitly defining any term that might be misunderstood by someone reading the research proposal. If the research proposal is being written chiefly for use and review by researchers, why is such a step necessary? - answerEven among those professionals working in a common field, there can be differences in how various terms are used and defined. Those outside of the immediate field, or those new to a field, are even more likely to be unfamiliar with technical language connected to the field, heightening the chances for miscommunication. The situation is exacerbated when terms that have a technical meaning within a field also have a more general meaning known to the larger public. It is very likely that among researchers reviewing your research proposal will be people who vary in their expertise regarding your immediate professional field. To communicate as clearly as possible with all potential readers of the proposal and, later, of the research report, it is important to define any term that might possibly lack a common meaning across the potential audience.
Daphne has been a member of a research team studying interpersonal aggression among preschoolers for more than a year. In that time, her team has repeatedly employed a consistent set of techniques and procedures to study preschoolers as they interact in a number of settings. The procedures revolve around volunteer mothers bringing their children to the university child development lab for a "play session" that is the basis of the formal observations. Settings they have studied so far include: the university pre-school, affluent local day-care centers, and a pre-kindergarten program being offered in the neighborhood school district. All of these settings were fairly racially homogenous.
Daphne has just learned that a friend of a friend can help her gain research access, in the near future, to preschoolers in an unusually racially diverse though impoverished preschool setting. Daphne decides she has no time to prepare a formal research proposal before embarking on the study. "Besides," she thinks, "this study should go just like all the others we've done." [Show Less]