Subtle obscenity By Prof Dr Sohail Ansari

But when fear departs, they lash you with sharp tongues, indisposed toward [any] good.} [Quran 33:19] It's true that obscenity is a matter of taste and in the eye of the beholder. Christopher Hitchens

Experimentation is for stretching laws

·       Subtle obscenity is stretching of censorship laws by taking advantage of sphere in which experimentation is possible.

HYPOTHESIS/RESEARCH QUESTION

Research question.
A research question is the question that the research project sets out to answer.
In actual fact, a research study may set out to answer several questions.
The methodology used for that study, and the tools used to conduct the research, all depend upon the research questions being asked.
For example, in the example of a qualitative research study, the following two research questions that underpin the study, and also needed to be answered by the study, are shown in the box below.

There are two research questions that will need to be answered by this phase of the research.  These are: 'Are the perceived needs of the patients and users of South   Bedfordshire's palliative care services being met?' 'If not, what needs to be done if these needs are to be met in the future?'

The first question can be answered by a quantitative study, whereas the second one may require a qualitative study to answer it.
Research questions can therefore be used in quantitative and qualitative research studies.

Hypothesis (plural = hypotheses)
A hypothesis is not a question, but rather it is a statement about the relationship between two or more variables.
So, for example, the first question above could become a hypothesis by making this a statement rather than a question, namely:

The perceived needs of the patient and users of South Bedfordshire's palliative care services are being met.

To be complete a hypothesis must include three components:  

·          The variables

·          The population

·          The relationship between the variables

As you can see, the hypothesis translates the research question into a prediction of expected outcomes.

A hypothesis is the tool of quantitative studies, and is only found in such studies.

In fact, a hypothesis is usually only found in experimental quantitative research studies.
You will be able to find out more about hypotheses when we look at them in more detail later in the session.
 Objectives
Sometimes, a research proposal will detail objectives.

• Objectives are another way of detailing the purpose of a study.
• They are set by the researcher to explain in detail what the study is expected to achieve

For example, Dealey (1991), cited by Parahoo (1997:125), carried out a survey to find out the size of the pressure sore problem in a teaching hospital and set the following objectives for the study: To identify the numbers of patients with pressure sores To identify the grade and position of the sores To discover the treatments being used To discover if the sores were improving, deteriorating or static To discover when the sores had occurred, i.e. prior to admission or on the ward To list any support systems in use To identify the degree of risk of pressure sore development of all patients in the hospital To identify any factors which are of particular relevance to tissue breakdown.

 

Writing Research Questions

This review is a collection of views and advice on composing research questions from problem statements. It mostly reads as a list of tips and suggestions.

A research question is the fundamental core of a research project, study, or review of literature. It focuses the study, determines the methodology, and guides all stages of inquiry, analysis, and reporting.

The research question begins with a research problem, an issue someone would like to know more about or a situation that needs to be changed or addressed, such as:

·         Areas of concern

·         Conditions that could be improved

·         Difficulties that need to be eliminated

·         Questions seeking answers

A research problem leads to a hypothesis (H) and/or research question (RQ)

Questions should in some way. . .

·         Be worth investigating

·         Contribute knowledge & value to the field

·         Improve educational practice

·         Improve the human condition

Characteristics of a good research question:

·         The question is feasible.

·         The question is clear.

·         The question is significant.

·         The question is ethical.

From Research Problem to Research Questions and Purpose

Step 1. Draft a research question/hypothesis.

Example: What effects did 9/11/01 have on the future plans of students who were high school seniors at the time of the terrorist attacks?

Example (measurable) Questions: Did seniors consider enlisting in the military as a result of the attacks?, Did seniors consider colleges closer to home as a result?

Step 2. Draft a purpose statement.

Example: The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of the 9/11/01 tragedy on the future plans of high school seniors.

Step 3. Revise and rewrite the research question/hypothesis.

Example: What is the association between 9/11/01 and future plans of high school seniors?

Step 4. Revise and rewrite the research question/hypothesis.

Example: Purpose Statement (Declarative): The purpose of this study is to explore the association between 9/11/01 and future plans of high school seniors.

Note: Both are neutral; they do not presume an association, either negative or positive.

Operationalize

Notice that the above research question suggested an association or a relationship. When composing your own, it is helpful to determine which variables you would like to understand, and then word your question in such a way as to suggest how you will test your question. This is called operationalizing, referring to the actions, processes, or operations used to measure or identify variables.

Finally, you will want to be specific about whom you are studying. Using my example above, “students” is not specific, so I might revise to public high school seniors in the Midwest.

Expanding Simple Research Questions

You can expand your question by introducing additional variables or characteristics. We call these connecting, mediating, or moderating variables.

Example: What is the relationship between 9/11/01 and enlisting in the military?

Variables I might introduce to expand the question include:

·         Demographics (gender/age/ethnicity/religious preference)

·         Geographic location

·         Parent’s educational level

·         Role of parent

·         Student’s /parent’s political affiliation