Chapter 8 provides more detailed information about instrument development. Statistical methods are commonly used to test explanatory, predictive and guiding theories to draw conclusions about the hypotheses being studied [ 12 ]. In particular, factor analysis and structural equation modeling SEM have used for testing theories [ 13 , 14 , 16 ].
SEM combines both factor and regression analyses. It allows the study of causal relationships between factors by using regression analysis [ 17 , 18 ]. EFA is used to determine exploratory factor model without an a priori assumption of associations between variables. No hypothesis of the factor structure of the data is needed to use it. Based on EFA researchers know how many factors the variables are intended to form which variables are loaded on which factors and whether the factors are interrelated.
Researchers have to have an a priori hypothesis based on theoretical knowledge or empirical indications [ 18 ]. Testing of a Theory. Table 9. It describes the relationships between variables.
The phases of CFA can be represented as preparation and model testing [ 18 ]. The preparation phase, which precedes the testing of a theoretical model, is concerned with the quality of the data.
During this phase, the researcher will test their data for missing values, univariate and multivariate outliers and normality for a description of data quality, see Chap. Furthermore, instrument validity should be confirmed with exploratory factor analysis, and more preferably, with confirmatory factor analysis CFA.
Various statistical cut-off values for goodness of fit can be used to evaluate whether a tested model is valid. The CFA of an instrument will yield observed variables which describe the items of an instrument and latent variables which describe factors that explain a minimum of three observed variables.
Hypothesis 2: Another possibility is that Eniwetok originally grew around a volcanic island, which then sunk beneath the surface of the water as the reef continued to grow to the surface.
Underwater volcanic activity i. However, tectonic plate movement eventually carries the island off the hotspot, keeping the island from being built up further. Meanwhile, coral organisms grow in a ring in the shallow waters surrounding the exposed volcanic island. As time passes, erosion and tectonic action cause the island to sink slowly or subside , and as it does, it takes the coral ring with it.
However, coral are living organisms and grow their colonies upwards as their substrate sinks. Over time, the island could sink deep below the surface of the water, while the coral continue to thrive, constantly growing towards the surface in their original ring configuration. Observation beyond our eyes The logic of scientific arguments.
Atoll photo from yunmeng's photostream on flickr and used under this Creative Commons license. How science works page 6 of 21 previous next.
Testing hypotheses and theories is at the core of the process of science. Any aspect of the natural world could be explained in many different ways. It is the job of science to collect all those plausible explanations and to use scientific testing to filter through them, retaining ideas that are supported by the evidence and discarding the others. The graduate student needs to read a great deal of literature and gain insights to build theories. Further, you must note that these theories are not perfect explanations of global warming.
Some of these theories may be substantiated or confirmed through time. On the other hand, further theory testing will show their weaknesses. Whichever of these theories will stand rigorous scrutiny by researchers through further studies on global warming causes will come out as the best theory of global warming.
Patrick A. Regoniel mentored graduate and undergraduate students for more than two decades and engaged in various university and externally-funded national and international research projects. The article is so informative and simple. Dear Athira, Thank you for visiting Simplyeducate. When you would like to test theories, you need to know first what existing theories there are on your given subject.
Therefore, this requires you too review literature. Upon doing so, you will be able to generate your own theory, i. The convention, as this article suggests, is that PhD students do this since they have already been through the testing theories stage.
They generate their own theories to explain a phenomenon. Hello dear, i found this article very interesting. I was in search theory-lead and non-theory -led research information. So, could you please share me some points about theory-led and non-theory-led researches and their meaning. Table of Contents. However, it could prove futile, as this picture shows. The melting ice caps is an indicator of climate change.
Cite this article as: Regoniel, Patrick December 24, In Research-based Articles.
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