Understanding Interventions That Encourage Minorities to Pursue Research Careers Summary of a Workshop (2007) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
3 The Elements of Effective Research
3 The Elements of Effective Research
Pages 24-37
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 24... ...
was developed, namely the continued underrepresentation of minorities in biomedical and behavioral sciences. He then outlined some of the major questions that the RFA was meant to address, such as the following examples: • Can specific forms of teaching, styles of pedagogy, and mentoring be identified that prompt patterns of student engagement that lead to a biomedical or behavioral research career?
|
From page 25... ...
"We are interested in empirical -- rather than evaluative -- research that produces generalizable lessons that may be useful in promoting greater participation of underrepresented minority students in biomedical and behavioral research," Singh said. He also underscored the importance of future applications' incorporating a sound, theoretical basis for the hypothesis to be tested; a sample with sufficient statistical power; appropriate comparison or control groups; and rigorous statistical methods.
|
From page 26... ...
• How are career decisions influenced by providing information to students on the skills necessary for success, such as formulating research questions, laboratory management, bioethics, publishing, grant writing, and scientific presentations? • Do hands-on laboratory experiences and laboratory skills acquired as undergraduates affect entry into graduate school?
|
From page 27... ...
For example, how do you differentiate the effects of mentoring versus social support versus research? • How do students' involvement in other programs and activities affect their responses to the program being studied?
|
From page 28... ...
Given the "presumptuousness" of trying to speak for all researchers in addressing this topic, Chemers generalized from his own experiences in developing a research project to study minorities in the fields of biomedical and behavioral research. In particular, he emphasized three things that research needs: focus, theories, and competencies.
|
From page 29... ...
They used interviews, case studies, surveys, longitudinal studies, and other research techniques. For example, they longitudinally followed two cohorts that spent four weeks on campus each year as part of a high school science program.
|
From page 30... ...
You want to talk about cultural differences -- you have some vast cultural differences between the social sciences and the natural sciences." Nevertheless, Chemers stated that he believes there is no difference in the basic scientific method between the social sciences and the natural sciences. In both areas, "rigor means that there can't be competing explanations for what you find.
|
From page 31... ...
Some variation occurs naturally, while other research designs create variation, as when experiments or quasi-experiments are conducted. Many designs, Hedges pointed out, are hybrids that involve some naturally occurring and some artificially created variation.
|
From page 32... ...
Their framework involves four classes of validity: statistical conclusion validity, internal validity, external validity, and construct validity of cause. • Statistical conclusion validity focuses on whether the relation between variables observed in a study is accurate.
|
From page 33... ...
"Since most treatments that we have been talking about today are not one thing but a bundle of things, the problem of trying to sort out which of the things in the bundle, including things that you might not even have intended to put into the bundle but are just incidental features of the bundle, are the actual ingredients that produce the effect is the problem of sorting out construct validity of cause," said Hedges. Randomized experiments can help sort out these factors, but they don't necessarily protect against misattributing cause.
|
From page 34... ...
"The techniques that you apply to analyze your data should be those that are appropriate to answer the questions you are asking." Maton used as an example the analyses he and his students have conducted using data gathered from research focused on the Meyerhoff Scholarship Program at UMBC, which is a comprehensive program for high-achieving high school students who are interested in pursuing doctoral study in the sciences or engineering and who are interested in the advancement of minorities in science and engineering. Maton's group has developed survey items that assess student experiences in the various program components that could affect outcomes. These components range from formal activities like summer bridge programs, to summer research experiences, to K.I.Maton, F.A.
|
From page 35... ...
For example, the Meyerhoff program was originally designed for African Americans, but concern about possible legal challenges led to the program being offered to others as well. One analysis of the program compared the experiences of African Americans with those of other groups, including Asian American and white students, with the hypothesis being that African Americans would have a greater sense of support and belonging from the program since it was designed for them.
|
From page 36... ...
Multiple linear regression analysis is used to examine which predictor variables contribute to a continuous outcome, whereas logistic regression analysis is used to examine the relationship between predictor variables and categorical outcomes. For example, a logistic regression analysis showed that African American Meyerhoff students, who had lower average SAT scores, were just as likely to gain entrance into a doctoral program as white and Asian American students.
|
From page 37... ...
So you can do it more systematically rather than less systematically, but it should be done in a team effort with multiple people involved and multiple ways to check the data."
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.