Control questions:
Choose an empirical question and draft how you might want to research it.
Research question: "Were the demonstrations in Egypt that led to the end of Hosni Mubarak's regime inspired primarily by the desire for democratization and civil liberties?"
To research this question, I'd first have to consider one of the major alternate hypotheses for the uprising, that the demonstrations were largely a response to the lopsided and struggling Egyptian economy with a large section of unemployed youth. Because this hypothesis carries significant weight as a counterpoint to the idea that the demonstrations were inspired by concerns of civil liberties, I would almost have to include questions relating to it as research control questions.
I might want to take statistical surveys of the Egyptian (particular Cairo's) population to get an overview over how many (report that they) took part in the demonstration and then check the answers of that subsection on questions of primary, secondary, and tertiary concerns, employment, education, age, socio-economic status, and political ideology (which would have to be split up in questions regarding opinions on democratic and civil rights and their importance). I might also want to study the demonstrators' leadership, either through interviews or document analysis of speeches given during the demonstration, as well as research on the backgrounds of the leadership figures as their motivations could be different than the demonstrations at large.
I would need theory regarding mass movements, particularly movements against the reigning authorities. This would be a case study, and I would have to look at other case studies on similar movements, both ones where civil liberties were at the forefront and ones where economics were the main concern (and cases where the distinction is up for debate). My immediate idea is to look to economic examples in South America, where a number of countries maintained dictatorships until they failed their populations economically, and for civil liberty examples in European post-Soviet states. Which cases does the Egyptian case bear most similarities to?
What main phases can a research project be divided into?
A research project can be divided into three broad phases and eight specific phases.
The first broad phase is the Design phase. During this phase, the researcher comes up with or explores the potential research question (spec. phase 1/8) and determines the scope of the project with regards to units and details (spec. phase 2/8).
The second broad phase is the Implementation phase. During this phase, the researcher chooses what data to seek out (spec. phase 3/8) in accordance to the scope of the project, gathers the data (spec. phase 4/8), treats the data (spec. phase 5/8), analyzes the data for patterns (spec. phase 6/8).
The third broad phase is the Reflection phase. During this phase, the researcher interprets the results (spec. phase 7/8) of the analysis and then discusses how this interpretation is a substantial interpretation with a basis in pre-existing theory and research, as well as what this interpretation implies for future studies on the specific subject and and related subjects (spec. phase 8/8).
Can you find examples of choices made in one phase that limits the available options later in a research project?
The choice of data, followed by the gathering of data, will limit the researcher's possibilities down the line. If the researcher later comes up with other variables or additional research units that would add to the quality of the project, it may not be feasible to re-gather the newly interesting data; even if it is feasible, the new data may not be comparable with the data that's been previously gathered (or would otherwise have to be addressed, even if the old data is scrapped in favor of the new data).
Vocabulary
Phases in the research process - in the research process there are three main/broader phases, which consist of eight smaller phases; I have listed and briefly described them above
Research question - the question a researcher wants to answer based off of empirical data, preferably leading to a substantial conclusion
Research design - generally: the overall plan for the research project, beginning with whether it will rely on quantitative or qualitative data, whether it aims to be explorative, descriptive, or explanatory, and an outline of the first phases of the research process; specifically: the scope of the research project
Choice of data - what kind of empirical data will the research project use and what units and variables are applicable/desirable for answering the research question
Collection of data - how the data will be gathered, what if the methods for gathering the data affects the data
Treatment of data - how the data will be coded and used and whether some data will be modified from its original form (such as merging specific categories into general categories)
Analysis - how the data patterns will be read
Interpretation - how the observed data patterns will be understood and what theoretic and substantial basis does the researcher have for that/those understanding(s)
Reporting - how the interpretation will be presented, how it affects the field of related research, and what opportunities it presents for further and future research
Project plan - the concrete plan for each phase of the research project
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