You’ll discover how to plan and conduct UX research, analyze data, persuade teams to take action on the results and build a career in UX. UX … Chapter 2 Thinking Like a Researcher CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES Recall from Chapter 1 that deduction is the process of drawing conclusions about a phenomenon or behavior based on theoretical or logical reasons and an initial set of premises. Privacy statement Always Research Homework. One can imagine that constructs such as learning , personality , and intelligence can be quite hard to define operationally. | Thinking like a scientist will help you solve problems more efficiently. Science Space Look. Nevertheless, it is important for researchers to understand that theory is not “truth,” there is nothing sacrosanct about any theory, and theories should not be accepted just because they were proposed by someone. Models can also be descriptive, predictive, or normative. Claire Foy. We are open to all and strive to reflect our community by embracing the diversity of people and ideas. Thinking Like a Researcher: First Steps for Product Managers. Due to security upgrades, we will no longer support Internet Explorer version 8 or older. In this video, you learn how to pose a question related to your topic, understand why scholarly sources are more credible than popular sources, and evaluate your article using the CRAAP method. Depending on their intended use, variables may be classified as independent, dependent, moderating, mediating, or control variables. Famous organizational research Kurt Lewin once said, “Theory without practice is sterile; practice without theory is blind.” Hence, both theory and facts (or practice) are essential for scientific research. DOI link for Think Like a UX Researcher. Now think about academic research you may have done for an assignment in high school or college. The distinction between constructs and concepts are clearer in multi-dimensional constructs, where the higher order abstraction is called a construct and the lower order abstractions are called concepts. Research (like everything) looks different in Fall 2020 due to Covid-19 but it hasn’t stopped. Think Like a UX Researcher book. “Students’ IQ scores are related to their academic achievement” is an example of a weak hypothesis, since it indicates neither the directionality of the hypothesis (i.e., whether the relationship is positive or negative), nor its causality (i.e., whether intelligence causes academic achievement or academic achievement causes intelligence). One of the first decisions in any social science research is the unit of analysis of a scientific study. A construct is an abstract concept that is specifically chosen (or “created”) to explain a given phenomenon. For instance, technostress is a new concept referring to the mental stress one may face when asked to learn a new technology. Learn more about the Office for Undergraduate Research and the University Libraries. Noté /5. Some of these concepts have been developed over time through our shared language. Think like a researcher. Yesterday I attended an interesting seminar at which Prof Vernon Trafford spoke on the topic: “Thinking like a researcher: A target for candidates and challenge for supervisors”. Do you want to learn more about how to get started? The Think like a Researcher workshop is designed to help you become comfortable with the research skills and tools needed to participate in a variety of exciting research and creative opportunities including UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program) and URS (Undergraduate Research Scholarship). In answering this question, we advance one or more tentative explanations (hypotheses). March 31, 2017. If research is directed at understanding differences in national cultures, then the unit of analysis becomes a country . Achetez neuf ou d'occasion The desire to know more about your product, your business, and your customers is a unifying trait within the product management field. Learn about the wide variety of ways to get started with research including volunteer, taking a course, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), Undergraduate Research Scholarship (URS), International, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, summer research and more. Think like a researcher. In contrast, induction is the process of drawing conclusions based on facts or observed evidence. The University of Minnesota has unparalleled opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in real research and creative projects -- from a scientific lab, to conducting survey research, to researching historical documents in an Archive, to choreographing a new work. ", Register to participate in Think Like a Researcher, Andersen Horticultural Library (off campus), Architecture & Landscape Architecture Library, Itasca Biological Station Library (off campus), Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine. Hence, two related research questions within the same research study may have two entirely different units of analysis. Understanding the unit of analysis is important because it shapes what type of data you should collect for your study and who you collect it from. Featuring a uniquely intuitive and immersive approach, Thinking Like a Researcher is an exemplary textbook for introductory courses in communication research and statistics. Découvrez des commentaires utiles de client et des classements de commentaires pour Think Like a UX Researcher sur Amazon.fr. Think Like a UX Researcher will challenge your preconceptions about user experience (UX) research and encourage you to think beyond the obvious. As shown in Figure 2.3, inductive and deductive reasoning go hand in hand in theory and model building. Typical unit of analysis include individuals, groups, organizations, countries, technologies, objects, and such. A good scientific theory should be well supported using observed facts and should also have practical value, while a poorly defined theory tends to be lacking in these dimensions. The goal of this collaboration is to help students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to think like researchers. Think Like a UX Researcher Attend an online Q&A with David Travis and Philip Hodgson During these worrying times, we thought you’d like a short respite from social distancing, panic buying and herd immunity. "It provided an easy manner for me to feel like I have one foot in the door already. A nomological network of constructs. By David Travis, Philip Hodgson. View 1 Thinking Like a Researcher.ppt from FINANCE 311 at Birmingham Southern College. Research involves constantly moving back and forth from an empirical plane where observations are conducted to a theoretical plane where these observations are abstracted into generalizable laws and theories. The essential challenge for researchers is to build better and more comprehensive theories that can explain a target phenomenon better than prior theories. Models are often used by decision makers to make important decisions based on a given set of inputs. Incidentally, one may also view effort as an independent variable and intelligence as a moderating variable. So please join David Travis and Philip Hodgson for a 1hr Q&A on topics raised in their book, Think Like a UX Researcher. 612-624-3321 If we believe that the effect of intelligence on academic achievement also depends on the effort invested by the student in the learning process (i.e., between two equally intelligent students, the student who puts is more effort achieves higher academic achievement than one who puts in less effort), then effort becomes a moderating variable. One of the first decisions in any social science research is the unit of analysis of a scientific study. Such patterns of relationships are called propositions. It should take about 1.5 - 2 hours to complete total. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. C’est un moyen de récolter des données qualitatives et quantitatives pour déterminer les besoins des utilisateurs. DOI link for Think Like a UX Researcher. Easter break has already begun for some, and an appetite for seeking time and space to write seems to be in the air. Think Like a Researcher is a workshop designed to help undergraduate students (primarily first or second years) become comfortable with the research skills and tools needed to participate in a variety of exciting research and creative opportunities.It is designed to bring students, especially first year and second year students, from across the University and different colleges together to learn. Sometimes, we borrow concepts from other disciplines or languages to explain a phenomenon of interest. As an example, if a certain bank enforces a strict code of ethics for its employees (Premise 1) and Jamie is an employee at that bank (Premise 2), then Jamie can be trusted to follow ethical practices (Conclusion). The Libraries welcomes learners and scholars from all cultures and backgrounds. It is designed to bring students, especially first year and second year students, from across the University and different … help undergraduate students (primarily first or second years) become comfortable with the research skills and tools needed to participate in a variety of exciting research and creative opportunities. I also made a few comments but afterwards thought that this requires a post. Les meilleures offres pour Think Like A Ux Researcher: How To Observe Utilisateurs, Influence Design, Et St sont sur eBay Comparez les prix et les spécificités des produits neufs et d'occasion Pleins d'articles en livraison gratuite! In deduction, the conclusions must be true if the initial premises and reasons are correct. Concepts may also have progressive levels of abstraction. The former instance (weight) is a unidimensional construct , while the latter (communication skill) is a multi-dimensional construct (i.e., it consists of multiple underlying concepts). If we want to study characterist… It is my belief that good research also necessitates a focus on theory. While a theory tries to explain a phenomenon, a model tries to represent a phenomenon. In the course of scientific progress, poorer theories are eventually replaced by better theories with higher explanatory power. Make an appointment with a fellow student to demystify getting started with faculty-sponsored research. However, in scientific research, a variable is a measurable representation of an abstract construct. A theory is a set of systematically interrelated constructs and propositions intended to explain and predict a phenomenon or behavior of interest, within certain boundary conditions and assumptions. Moving from studying to creating research can be a difficult transition. Deductive conclusions generally tend to be stronger than inductive conclusions, but a deductive conclusion based on an incorrect premise is also incorrect. If I didn't do this, I think I would like to be a researcher. You'll discover how to plan and conduct UX research, analyze data, persuade teams to take action on the results and build a career in UX. While these models are useful, they may not necessarily explain advertising expenditure or weather forecasts. Induction occurs when we observe a fact and ask, “Why is this happening?”. To understand the differences between these different variable types, consider the example shown in Figure 2.2. Hence, theories can be substantially more complex and abstract and of a larger scope than propositions or hypotheses. If you have any questions, please contact Kate Peterson, katep@umn.edu, 612-626-3746. This is a skill that takes many years to develop, is not something that is taught in graduate or doctoral programs or acquired in industry training, and is by far the biggest deficit amongst Ph.D. students. This is because the object of our inquiry is the neighborhood and not criminals. You’ll discover how to plan and conduct UX research, analyze data, persuade teams to take action on the results and build a career in UX. Everyday decision making, such as where to shop, may benefit from using the scientific method of thinking. It’s all about research. Thinking like a researcher implies the ability to move back and forth between these two planes. As a researcher, I look forward to being able to do space science in a space environment. Figure 2.2. Retrouvez Thinking Like a Researcher: An Engaged Introduction to Communication Research Methods et des millions de livres en stock sur Amazon.fr. If we wish to study how knowledge transfer occurs between two firms, then our unit of analysis becomes the dyad (the combination of firms that is sending and receiving knowledge). "It's quite helpful for learning about the basics of how research works. The unit of analysis refers to the person, collective, or object that is the target of the investigation. Some concepts such as a person’s weight are precise and objective, while other concepts such as a person’s personality may be more abstract and difficult to visualize. ", "It was definitely worthwhile. Constructs used for scientific research must have precise and clear definitions that others can use to understand exactly what it means and what it does not mean. Each of these relationships is called a proposition. Also note that scientific hypotheses should clearly specify independent and dependent variables. That means asking a lot of questions in return. Hence, variable are defined as an independent, dependent, moderating, or mediating variable based on their nature of association with each other. Of course, the goal of hypothesis testing is to infer whether the corresponding proposition is valid. Think Like a UX Researcher book. For instance, the idea of gravitation borrowed from physics can be used in business to describe why people tend to “gravitate” to their preferred shopping destinations. The process of theory or model development may involve inductive and deductive reasoning. ), in contrast to constants that do not vary (i.e., remain constant). For instance, attitude may be defined as a disposition, a feeling, or an affect, and affect in turn is defined as an attitude. Of course, lots of passionate, curious, humble and persistent people are not good researchers, so while necessary these are not sufficient conditions. Retrouvez Think Like a UX Researcher et des millions de livres en stock sur Amazon.fr. Some variables such as CEO pay may seem like individual level variables, but in fact, it can also be an organizational level variable because each organization has only one CEO pay at any time. Acceptable Use of IT Resources. Learn more about the. For instance, people often say that teachers need to be less theoretical and more practical or factual in their classroom teaching. While objects such as a person, a firm, or a car are not concepts, their specific characteristics or behavior such as a person’s attitude toward immigrants, a firm’s capacity for innovation, and a car’s weight can be viewed as concepts. Theories provide explanations of social or natural phenomenon. In this episode of the 10 Minute Teacher, Dr. Miller explores "Theological Research and Writing" as it pertains to the topic of "Thinking Like A Researcher." However, if we wish to compare different types of crimes in different neighborhoods, such as homicide, robbery, assault, and so forth, our unit of analysis becomes the crime . Lire aussi à ce sujet : Les méthodes de UX Research De nombreuses techniques, issues des sciences cognitives et des sciences humaines, perme… Researchers must be able to move back and forth between inductive and deductive reasoning if they are to post extensions or modifications to a given model or theory, or built better ones, which are the essence of scientific research. However, practice or fact are not opposites of theory, but in a scientific sense, are essential components needed to test the validity of a theory. If your unit of analysis is the organization, then you should be measuring organizational-level variables such as organizational size, revenues, hierarchy, or absorptive capacity. How to have the Attitude of a Researcher! For instance, marketing managers may use models to decide how much money to spend on advertising for different product lines based on parameters such as prior year’s advertising expenses, sales , market growth, and competing products. For instance, in order to study teamwork in organizations, you can survey individual team members in different organizational teams, and average their individual scores to create a composite team-level score for team-level variables like cohesion and conflict. There may be other extraneous variables that are not pertinent to explaining a given dependent variable, but may have some impact on the dependent variable. Email Once you register below we will send you updates with next steps. Meet with a Peer Research Consultant (PRC). A stronger hypothesis is “students’ IQ scores are positively related to their academic achievement”, which indicates the directionality but not the causality. I must note here that people not familiar with scientific research often view a theory as a speculation or the opposite of fact . Think Like a UX Researcher will challenge your preconceptions about user experience (UX) research and encourage you to think beyond the obvious. ", Vicky Munro, Office of Undergraduate Research (, Heidi Fahning, Office of Undergraduate Research (, Caitlin Bakker, Health Sciences Librarian, (, Allison Langham-Pultrow, Scholarly Communication and Engineering Librarian (. ‘Think like a researcher’ New training series helps undergrads warm up to research. Share Tweet Subscribe. Descriptive models are frequently used for representing complex systems, for visualizing variables and relationships in such systems. If academic achievement is viewed as an intermediate step to higher earning potential, then earning potential becomes the dependent variable for the independent variable academic achievement , and academic achievement becomes the mediating variable in the relationship between intelligence and earning potential. If the goal of research is to understand how firms can improve profitability or make good executive decisions, then the unit of analysis is the firm . In the medical discipline, the sphere of knowledge encompasses a vast arena of health and clinical presentations that form a distinct picture, which varies with each person’s individuality. Because propositions are associations between abstract constructs, they cannot be tested directly. This requires visualizing the abstract from actual observations, mentally “connecting the dots” to identify hidden concepts and patterns, and synthesizing those patterns into generalizable laws and theories that apply to other contexts beyond the domain of the initial observations. A term often used in conjunction with theory is a model. UX Researchers… Thinking like a Researcher Bilal I. Avan (The Human Development Programme, The Aga Khan University, Karachi. ) Since IQ scores and grade point average are operational measures of intelligence and academic achievement respectively, the above proposition can be specified in form of the hypothesis: “An increase in students’ IQ score causes an increase in their grade point average.” Propositions are specified in the theoretical plane, while hypotheses are specified in the empirical plane. Statements such as “students are generally intelligent” or “all students can achieve academic success” are not scientific hypotheses because they do not specify independent and dependent variables, nor do they specify a directional relationship that can be evaluated as true or false. By Simone Thompkins. If we wish to study why criminals engage in illegal activities, then the unit of analysis becomes the individual (i.e., the criminal). Alan Stern. A construct may be a simple concept, such as a person’s weight , or a combination of a set of related concepts such as a person’s communication skill , which may consist of several underlying concepts such as the person’s vocabulary, syntax , and spelling . Even inanimate objects can serve as units of analysis. The unit of analysis refers to the person, collective, or object that is the target of the investigation. In this case, even though decisions are made by individuals in these firms, these individuals are presumed to represent their firm’s decision rather than their personal decisions. Workshop topics are benefits and challenges of research, finding faculty mentors, a panel of student researchers, examples of student projects and more. We commit to providing a safe and accessible environment, and the broadest possible access to information. Since we are surrounded by people and we are constantly interacting with them, we tend to form opinions on their appearance and compare people to another…This might be natural, but it might not bring you or those people very much satisfaction or happiness! Part 1 For instance, if we are interested in studying people’s shopping behavior, their learning outcomes, or their attitudes to new technologies, then the unit of analysis is the individual . They can help you figure out how to get started with research, go over deadlines and next steps, and answer questions. Minneapolis, MN 55455, Phone For instance, if a firm spent a lot of money on a promotional campaign (Observation 1), but the sales did not increase (Observation 2), then possibly the promotion campaign was poorly executed (Conclusion). An example of a proposition is: “An increase in student intelligence causes an increase in their academic achievement.” This declarative statement does not have to be true, but must be empirically testable using data, so that we can judge whether it is true or false. How to Observe Users, Influence Design, and Shape Business Strategy . These variables must be controlled for in a scientific study, and are therefore called control variables . Lisez des commentaires honnêtes et non biaisés sur les produits de la … It is designed to bring students, especially first year and second year students, from across the University and different colleges together to learn. A construct such as income should be defined in terms of whether we are interested in monthly or annual income, before-tax or after-tax income, and personal or family income. This data may come from a variety of sources such as financial records or surveys of Chief Executive Officers (CEO), who are presumed to be representing their organization (rather than themselves). Discover, learn, create new Learning to Think like an Expert Management Researcher. 499 Wilson Library In sum, to think like a researcher is to first take on the attitude of a researcher – be passionate, curious, humble and persistent. Think Like A Researcher. For instance, the operational definition of a construct such as temperature must specify whether we plan to measure temperature in Celsius, Fahrenheit, or Kelvin scale. Some of the mental abstractions needed to think like a researcher include unit of analysis, constructs, hypotheses, operationalization, theories, models, induction, deduction, and so forth, which we will examine in this chapter. Think Like a Researcher! Constructs are conceptualized at the theoretical (abstract) plane, while variables are operationalized and measured at the empirical (observational) plane. Choisir vos préférences en matière de cookies. Being a product manager means getting asked a lot of questions. Variables that explain other variables are called independent variables , those that are explained by other variables are dependent variables , those that are explained by independent variables while also explaining dependent variables are mediating variables (or intermediate variables), and those that influence the relationship between independent and dependent variables are called moderating variables . There are two types of definitions: dictionary definitions and operational definitions. Chapter 3 describes some criteria that can be used to evaluate how good a theory really is. It can also help you land better jobs and increase your chances for promotions at work. 126 likes. Welcome to AIM’s online learning resource. Scientific research requires operational definitions that define constructs in terms of how they will be empirically measured. Later on in this book, we will examine how to empirically test such cause-effect relationships. Knowingly or unknowingly, we use different kinds of concepts in our everyday conversations. For instance, if we wish to study why certain neighborhoods have high crime rates, then our unit of analysis becomes the neighborhood , and not crimes or criminals committing such crimes. Understanding the units of analysis can sometimes be fairly complex. La recherche UX – user experience research en anglais – fait partie du processus de conception (UX Design). Whether IQ scores truly measures one’s intelligence is anyone’s guess (though many believe that they do), and depending on whether how well it measures intelligence, the IQ score may be a good or a poor measure of the intelligence construct. Register to participate in Think Like a Researcher by Wednesday, September 23, 2020. Like, if we want to study why some innovations are more successful than others, then our unit of analysis is an innovation . Predictive models (e.g., a regression model) allow forecast of future events. However, there may be rival explanations for poor sales, such as economic recession or the emergence of a competing product or brand or perhaps a supply chain problem. In the hypothesis, “students’ IQ scores have positive effects on their academic achievement,” it is clear that intelligence is the independent variable (the “cause”) and academic achievement is the dependent variable (the “effect”). (Wilson Library front desk) For instance, a person’s intelligence is often measured as his or her IQ (intelligence quotient) score , which is an index generated from an analytical and pattern-matching test administered to people. We will examine the notion of “variables” in greater depth in the next section. A still better hypothesis is “students’ IQ scores have positive effects on their academic achievement”, which specifies both the directionality and the causality (i.e., intelligence causes academic achievement, and not the reverse). As emphasized in Chapter 1, these explanations may be good or poor. Hence, hypotheses are empirically testable using observed data, and may be rejected if not supported by empirical observations. The book will help you take a more strategic view of product design so you can focus on optimizing the user’s experience. Think Like a UX Researcher will challenge your preconceptions about user experience (UX) research and encourage you to think beyond the obvious. Being a great product manager? The website is designed to support you with developing your critical frame of mind. Thinking like a researcher requires not only being able to abstract constructs from observations, but also being able to mentally visualize a nomological network linking these abstract constructs. Propositions are generally derived based on logic (deduction) or empirical observations (induction). In seeking explanations to a given phenomenon or behavior, it is not adequate just to identify key concepts and constructs underlying the target phenomenon or behavior. Likewise, the concept of distance can be used to explain the degree of social separation between two otherwise collocated individuals. contact form Achetez neuf ou d'occasion. Likewise, weather forecasters can use models to predict future weather patterns based on parameters such as wind speeds, wind direction, temperature, and humidity. all library hours & locations, © 2020 Regents of the University of Minnesota. Edition 1st Edition . Think Like a UX Researcher will challenge your preconceptions about user experience (UX) research and encourage you to think beyond the obvious. Etymologically speaking, a variable is a quantity that can vary (e.g., from low to high, negative to positive, etc. Our faculty have been creative and students researchers have risen to the challenges. Describe the process you used to find the information you needed. In the more familiar dictionary definition, a construct is often defined in terms of a synonym. Think like a Researcher is an online workshop and mini-course designed to help undergraduate students (primarily first or second years) become comfortable with the research skills and tools needed to participate in a variety of exciting research and creative opportunities. Further, it is also clear that this hypothesis can be evaluated as either true (if higher intelligence leads to higher academic achievement) or false (if higher intelligence has no effect on or leads to lower academic achievement).

think like a researcher

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