COM3000 Final Study Guide
Exam @ 2024-2025
What is research and what are the types? - Answer the systematic effort to gather and
analyze data to answer questions
1. proprietary:
a. processed, owned by a specific audience (ie. "secret sauce")
b. not shared beyond
2. open
a. public access to knowledge
b. our focus, but same methods apply to both
3. basic- completed for the sake of knowledge by testing, refining, and elaborating
theory
4. applied- completed to solve an immediate practical problem
In order, what are the 7 steps in the Research Process? - Answer 1. observation
2. theoretical problem
3. research question of hypothesis
4. definition of variables
5. methodology
6. data collection
7. data analysis
What are the characteristics of research? (6) - Answer 1. based on curiosity
-example about how they created a lecture, would ask students to watch and take a test.
Some would not receive a positive or negative opinion about the professor, some
receive positive, and some received negative. Those who were shown positive opinions,
received a higher letter grade
2. systematic process
3. replicable- do it well enough so someone else could recreate it and try it themselves
4. reflexive (self-critical)
,5. cumulative (self-correcting)
6. cyclical (research -> data analysis)
What is a theory? - Answer body of interrelated principles that explain or predict
something. (ex. why we self-disclose with certain people more than others)
A logical system that organize and explain the facts
What are the two requirements of a theory? - Answer Falsifiable- capable of being
disproved
ex. Theory: a rain dance will work if everyone is pure of heart
Tentative- Provisional, partial, and incomplete
*human observation can change the behavior of the electrons video
*the experiment changes the outcome you're looking for (ex. if they know you're
watching them, they change their behavior)
*being in two places at once? is that real? well we're sitting here in class but we're also
present on social media
What is a variable? (and what is the difference between an independent and dependent
variable?) - Answer things which may take on different values
-can be measured, counted, varies
Examples: temperature, speed, height, personality, intelligence, behaviors
independent variable- part of the research experiment that is manipulated or changed
dependent variable- measured variable in a study determined by the changes in the IV
independent variables - Answer -IV- predict the outcomes stated in a hypothesis or
research question (causes)
(manipulate independent variables)
-Students attending lectures in cool classrooms will remember more material than
students attending lectures in warm classrooms. IV= temperature of classroom
-Levels of IV = 2 (cool vs. warm)
dependent variables - Answer dependent variables
variables whose values depend on the independent variable (effects)
-Students attending lectures in cool classrooms will remember more material than
students attending lectures in warm classrooms. DV= amount of material remembered
by students
, What is the difference between a conceptual and operational definition of a variable? -
Answer conceptual- dictionary definition (recall greater amount of information from
lecture)
operational-specific way in which it is measured in that study
In order, what are the 8 parts of a typical academic journal article? - Answer 1. Title
2. Abstract
3. Introduction
4. Literature Review
5. Hypothesis (or RQ)
6. Methods
7. Results
8. Discussion
What jobs does each of the 8 sections need to perform? - Answer title- concise
statement of research topic
-variables (what did you measure/manipulate)
-context (face to face vs. online)
abstract- tried snapshot of overall paper (120 words)
-Accurate
-Self-Contained
-Concise/Specific
introduction- 1. Attention-getter (make people care)
2. Link to topic
3. Significance of topic (why it matters)
4. Establishment of credibility (source citation)
5. Thesis and preview
literature review- -Gives and explains necessary vocabulary
-Contextualize research
-Explains and rationalizes why variables were chosen
Exam @ 2024-2025
What is research and what are the types? - Answer the systematic effort to gather and
analyze data to answer questions
1. proprietary:
a. processed, owned by a specific audience (ie. "secret sauce")
b. not shared beyond
2. open
a. public access to knowledge
b. our focus, but same methods apply to both
3. basic- completed for the sake of knowledge by testing, refining, and elaborating
theory
4. applied- completed to solve an immediate practical problem
In order, what are the 7 steps in the Research Process? - Answer 1. observation
2. theoretical problem
3. research question of hypothesis
4. definition of variables
5. methodology
6. data collection
7. data analysis
What are the characteristics of research? (6) - Answer 1. based on curiosity
-example about how they created a lecture, would ask students to watch and take a test.
Some would not receive a positive or negative opinion about the professor, some
receive positive, and some received negative. Those who were shown positive opinions,
received a higher letter grade
2. systematic process
3. replicable- do it well enough so someone else could recreate it and try it themselves
4. reflexive (self-critical)
,5. cumulative (self-correcting)
6. cyclical (research -> data analysis)
What is a theory? - Answer body of interrelated principles that explain or predict
something. (ex. why we self-disclose with certain people more than others)
A logical system that organize and explain the facts
What are the two requirements of a theory? - Answer Falsifiable- capable of being
disproved
ex. Theory: a rain dance will work if everyone is pure of heart
Tentative- Provisional, partial, and incomplete
*human observation can change the behavior of the electrons video
*the experiment changes the outcome you're looking for (ex. if they know you're
watching them, they change their behavior)
*being in two places at once? is that real? well we're sitting here in class but we're also
present on social media
What is a variable? (and what is the difference between an independent and dependent
variable?) - Answer things which may take on different values
-can be measured, counted, varies
Examples: temperature, speed, height, personality, intelligence, behaviors
independent variable- part of the research experiment that is manipulated or changed
dependent variable- measured variable in a study determined by the changes in the IV
independent variables - Answer -IV- predict the outcomes stated in a hypothesis or
research question (causes)
(manipulate independent variables)
-Students attending lectures in cool classrooms will remember more material than
students attending lectures in warm classrooms. IV= temperature of classroom
-Levels of IV = 2 (cool vs. warm)
dependent variables - Answer dependent variables
variables whose values depend on the independent variable (effects)
-Students attending lectures in cool classrooms will remember more material than
students attending lectures in warm classrooms. DV= amount of material remembered
by students
, What is the difference between a conceptual and operational definition of a variable? -
Answer conceptual- dictionary definition (recall greater amount of information from
lecture)
operational-specific way in which it is measured in that study
In order, what are the 8 parts of a typical academic journal article? - Answer 1. Title
2. Abstract
3. Introduction
4. Literature Review
5. Hypothesis (or RQ)
6. Methods
7. Results
8. Discussion
What jobs does each of the 8 sections need to perform? - Answer title- concise
statement of research topic
-variables (what did you measure/manipulate)
-context (face to face vs. online)
abstract- tried snapshot of overall paper (120 words)
-Accurate
-Self-Contained
-Concise/Specific
introduction- 1. Attention-getter (make people care)
2. Link to topic
3. Significance of topic (why it matters)
4. Establishment of credibility (source citation)
5. Thesis and preview
literature review- -Gives and explains necessary vocabulary
-Contextualize research
-Explains and rationalizes why variables were chosen
