* Understanding Research: Defining research, its purpose, and its importance across disciplines. This includes exploring different types of research (qualitative, quantitative, etc.).
* Research Process: Learning the steps involved in conducting research, from identifying a research problem and formulating a research question to collecting and analyzing data and drawing conclusions. This often follows a systematic, cyclical model.
* Research Design: Exploring different research designs appropriate for different research questions, such as descriptive, experimental, correlational, etc. This includes understanding variables, sampling methods, and data collection techniques.
* Data Collection Methods: Learning about various methods for gathering data, including surveys, interviews, observations, experiments, and document analysis.
* Data Analysis: Basic techniques for analyzing collected data, depending on the type of data (qualitative or quantitative). This may include descriptive statistics, basic inferential statistics, or qualitative data analysis techniques like thematic analysis.
* Writing a Research Report: Learning how to write a clear, concise, and well-structured research report that effectively communicates the research process and findings. This typically includes learning about APA or other citation styles.
* Ethical Considerations: Understanding ethical principles in research, including informed consent, confidentiality, and avoiding plagiarism.
In short, Practical Research 1 provides a foundation for future research endeavors. It focuses on the practical application of research methods, giving students hands-on experience in designing and conducting a small-scale research project. It's often a prerequisite for more advanced research courses.