EMHSS699_research

Quantitative Research If the research will be a statistical analysis of numerical data, then the research will be quantitative. Quantitative research is considered to be more valid than qualitative research, because of the 'numbers don't lie' factor and because the statistical analysis can be readily replicated. It is more likely that two independent researchers doing quantitative analysis will come up with the same answer than the similar circumstance where the research is qualitative. Because of the perceived increase in validity, efforts are sometimes made to convert qualitative data to quantitative data through coding so that statistics can be run and hypotheses tested.

A good webinar on methodology and how it can be used in your thesis is located through the APUS library.

The Annotated Bibliography The first step in data collection is the development of the annotated bibliography. The research concept is to gather all information that is known about the problem so that the current project research can delve into the unknown and new knowledge can be developed.

The development project is typically large and detailed. Every resource that can be found is evaluated to determine if it adds knowledge and value to the project. If so, then a short description of that value is noted in the bibliography along with the title, author, etc. The process is repeated until no further pertinent sources can be found.

The body of knowledge that is built through the development of the bibliography will indicate where the research can jump off and expand into unknown territory and produce new knowledge. For example, one may find that studies have been completed that show how many people moved out of Gulfport after Hurricane Katrina. However, there may been no studies that examined how many people had moved back. That then becomes a ready-made research project with research questions.

Because the annotated bibliography is typically large, it is not contained in the final report itself.

Qualitative Research Once the general parameters are established and the type of available data that can be accessed or developed is known, then it's time to select a methodology. Often when beginning a research project, it's impossible to know how you will eventually analyze the data, so an open mind is required. Probably 99% of research is qualitative. Only when numerical analysis is used to generate statistics does one have quantitative research. Here's an example that illustrates the difference:

Smith is a running back in the NFL. On a given Sunday, he averages 4.7 yards per carry. HYPOTHESIS: Smith's average is significantly different from that of the running backs in the rest of the league. A sample is taken of running back performances and the mean and standard deviation are calculated. The analysis indicates that Smith's 4.7 average is not significantly different from the 4.5 average of the rest of the league and the hypothesis is dis-proven. That's quantitative research. Two ESPN analysts are sitting around on Monday discussing Smith's performance. One observes that his 4.7 average enabled his team to dominate the opponent that particular week and so is one of the stellar performances of the weekend. Even though the analyst used the statistic to help make his point, he's still conducting a qualitative observation. Quantitative research only happens when the researcher develops a statistic that is then compared to another statistic for the purpose of testing a hypothesis. Everything else, including using numbers and statistics in a narrative, is qualitative research.

Qualitative research is more readily 'doable', and has the advantage of producing results that are more 'human' in nature and are therefore more useful to society.

A good webinar on methdology and how it can be used in your thesis is located through the APUS library.

The Literature Review The literature review examines what others have researched and written on your research topic. Each research topic includes numerous areas or themes to examine. Once you have identify themes within your area of research begin with an outline. This will allow you to see what areas exist and then you can find gaps. Fill in the gaps.

Now that you have a full outline, begin with a topic sentence related to the subtopics you have identified. Next, find literature you identified in the annotated bibliography that relates to this topic and use these sources to critically evaluate the topic. You may find agreement, disagreement, overlap, and gaps in the literature. The gaps and disagreements are areas in which you can determine if your research may address. If so, this adds to the validity of the research. If not, this gap or disagreement may be an area of future study. You may find you need more literature at this point and you can return to the academic databases in the library to refine your searches. You should ensure that you look at other business sectors as you compile your literature review. We can not solve problems through research only looking within our discipline. If we had the answer, we would not need to conduct research.

While there are not page minimums or maximums on the literature review, the literature review provides a basis for your study and must cover all of the literature and topics related to research study. Failure to connect your research to the literature will lessen the strength of your study.

A recorded webinar on the literature review and its contents, purpose and connection to the overall research study is located through the APUS library.

A recorded webinar on the development of Research Questions and Literature Review can be found.

Weeks 5 - 12: Conducting the Research

Learning Outcomes

CO-2: Design a research process that gathers data, applies an appropriate methodology, and

draws the appropriate conclusions.

CO-3: Synthesize recommendations that improve theory and operations in the field of

emergency management.

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Gathering the Data "Between the opening and the endgame, the gods have decreed that there will be a middle game." (Old Chess Proverb)

Project development is now complete. What's known has been identified, what's unknown has been identified, and a research strategy to find out the answers to what's unknown has been developed. Now it's time to get to work.

Much of the data that is likely to be required may already have been gathered as part of the development of the bibliography if you are completing desk research. Sometimes answers can be found by looking at old data in new ways.

However, it's quite likely that at least some new data will be required, which will be gained by gathering previously unknown resources or by creation through interviews, surveys, observations, and other data-creation methods. It is important that the data collection properly matches to the research questions and will be able to answer the research questions. As a student under time and location constraints, it is important to understand your ability to collect the data. If you want to interview local responders from the Haiti earthquake, can you travel to Haiti or develop a data collection strategy to gather the information remotely? Surveys are commonly utilized, but can fail if not written properly. Decide if limited answers, such as Likert Scales and multiple choice answers can adequately answer your research questions. If not, you may need an additional data gathering instrument, such as an interview. It is not uncommon to use more than one data gathering instrument to fully answer your research questions. However, I caution that you only have 16 weeks for the entire course. Be sure your design matches your time constraints.

The process of gathering new quantitative data is usually pretty straightforward. An experiment is conducted, results are written down, and statistical analysis applied. A result pops out, and the hypothesis is proven or dis-proven. Pretty straightforward.

The qualitative analysis process is more complex. Data is gathered. The data is evaluated to determine if the research question has been answered. If not, then more data is gathered. This process continues until the question is answered or there is no more data that can be gathered.

Be sure to reference your materials from the research methods course to help in your data collection. Additional resources can be located through the APUS library.

A recorded webinar that explains the data collection process can be located through the APUS library.

EMHSS699 Not Research on Human Subjects Form

If your proposed project involves research with human subjects, do not submit this form. Instead, complete and submit a draft IRB application by the end of week 2. After you have:

1. Reviewed the materials in the IRB folder in RESOURCES, 2. Taken the CITI course, 3. Emailed your CITI course completion certificate to the instructor, and 4. Determined that your capstone research project does NOT involve research on human subjects,

Submit this form. Student’s name: ROBERT OWONO AWONO Title of project: The use of drones in emergency and disaster management

In a paragraph, explain why your project does not involve research on human subjects. Use the terms you learned in the CITI course.

The project does not involve research on human subjects because it focuses solely on

technology and its application in crisis situations. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, are used

for many purposes, including search and rescue operations, assessing damage after a disaster,

monitoring wildfire progression, and bringing emergency supplies to distant regions. Drones

used in emergency and disaster response are classified as non-human subjects of research.

Because this kind of research focuses on the technology itself and examines its capabilities,

limitations, and possible applications to enhance emergency response efforts that ensures human

volunteers are not directly engaged in the study. This research does not include the collecting of

personal data or the experimenting on humans. In terms of ethics, the research project focuses on

the utility and influence of drones in emergency and disaster management rather than their

effects on human beings. It does not address questions of participant harm, privacy, or informed

consent. The project will use case studies, data analysis, and previously published material to

evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of employing drones in emergency situations. To perform

this research ethically, it is vital to respect the privacy and confidentiality of any data collected

by drones, as well as to adhere to local laws and regulations governing their operation. The

research, which employs data analysis and previously published information, is primarily

concerned with the technology itself and how it is used in crisis situations (Daud et al., 2022).

This kind of study is characterized as non-human subjects research since it poses no risks to

participants, informed consent, or privacy.

Your signature: _______________________________________________________ Send a signed and scanned copy of this form to your instructor as an email attachment before the end of week 2.

Randall Hanifen posted on Feb 3, 2024 12:01 AM

Week 1

EMHS699 K001 Winter 2024 RO

Announcements Week 1

During this course, you will accomplish a research project on an emergency &

disaster management / homeland security topic of your choice. You must gather

data, apply research concepts and analytical processes to that data, draw the

appropriate conclusions & recommendations, and produce a report of a minimum

of 50 pages that meets APA publication quality. Your final paper must provide

original knowledge to the field of emergency and disaster management and

homeland security that has not existed before. This contribution can be as large or

small as you wish to design it, as long as the contribution is original.

The first month of the course will focus on the design of your project and putting

all of the required approvals and authorizations in place. Then, you will have

approximately two months to conduct your research. The final month will be a

process of review and improvement of the final project report, at the end of which

you will have produced a product that honors your institution, your education,

your profession, and that you can truly be proud of.

A great deal of information is available in the classroom to help. Within the first

few days of the course, be sure to examine everything under every section. Read

the syllabus thoroughly. Read every assignment guideline. Look through the

resources and these lessons so that you will know where to find things when you

need them. Each area has resources that contribute to your overall research

project.

Be sure as you familiarize yourself with the course that you take the time to look

under every section. You will find graded items under two different buttons:

'Discussions', and 'Assignments'. Read the instructions carefully and be sure to

complete all graded tasks.

There are several graded Discussions. To receive full credit for a discussion, you

must create an original posting, respond to a minimum of two peers, and respond

to everyone who has responded to you. These tasks MUST be accomplished during

the assigned weeks. There is no point in attempting to have a discussion after

everyone has moved on. DO NOT post a document to a discussion. You don't want

to make your input difficult for your reader to get to.

You must make a submission for every item on the Assignments page. Feedback

will be returned on every assignment. It can be found on the Assignments page,

not in the Grades section. After each grade is posted, go back to the assignments

page and read the feedback.

Here is an approximate outline for when you should be accomplishing each activity

in the project development process:

Wk1: Read the Capstone Manual and the appropriate style manual; Take the CITI

course and read the IRB requirements; Introduce yourself in the discussions.

Wk2: Develop and submit your prospectus; submit the CITI completion certificate;

submit the required IRB approval documents; upload your prospectus to the

discussion for peer review.

Wk3: Develop and submit your draft research proposal; review classmates'

projects in the discussion.

Wk4: Revise and submit your final research proposal; include the CITI certificate

and the approved IRB forms. Instructor acceptance will constitute approval to

accomplish your project.

Wk5: Develop your annotated bibliography.

Wk6: Finalize your annotated bibliography and write your literature review.

Wk7: Gather the data you will analyze.

Wk8: Finalize data gathering.

Wk9: Begin the analysis process.

Wk10: Complete the analysis process; provide a progress report in the discussion.

Wk11: Write up your research findings.

Wk12: Write your conclusions & recommendations.

Wk13: Submit your rough draft.

Wk14: Revise your rough draft in accordance with instructor feedback.

Wk15: Submit your final project report; provide your conclusions &

recommendations in the discussion.

Wk16: Fill out and submit the approval and transmittal documents; discuss your

projects in the discussion.

Happy researching!

Dr. Hanifen