Applied agricultural research : foundations and methodology

238 Pages·2018·4.695 MB·English

by  Chris 0. Andrew and Peter E. Hildebrand

Applied Agricultural Research

Applied Agricultural
Research
Foundations and Methodology
Chris 0. Andrew
and Peter E. Hildebrand
First published 1993 by Westview Press
Published 2018 by Routledge
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Copyright © 1993 by Taylor & Francis
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Andrew, Chris O.
Applied agricultural research : foundations and methodology / by
Chris O. Andrew and Peter E. Hildebrand.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 0-8133-8781-7
1. Agriculture—Research. 2. Agriculture—Research—Methodology.
I. Hildebrand, Peter E. II. Title.
S540.A2A52 1993
630′.72—dc20 93-31763
CIP
ISBN 13: 978-0-367-01191-8 (hbk)
Contents
List of Figures ix
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
1 Introduction 1
Applied Research, 4
The Book, 7
PART ONE
FOUNDATIONS AND APPLIED RESEARCH
2 Creative Applied Research and You, the Researcher 13
Enriching the Research/Learning Environment, 14
YOU Management, 17
Capturing Creativity, 19
Summary, 22
3 Theory and Applied Research: An Interactive
Relationship 25
Functions of Theory, 26
Evolution of Theory, 28
Theory and Knowledge, 32
Application of Theory, 34
Summary, 36
vi
PART TWO
PLANNING APPLIED RESEARCH
4 Effects of Resource Availability on Applied Research 41
Information Resources, 43
Human Resources, 47
Physical Resources, 47
Financial Resources, 48
Time Constraints, 48
Research Resource Planning, 49
Summary, 50
s
Sources of Information for Initial Problem
Specification 53
Open-Ended Information Gathering Approaches, 53
Rapid Information Gathering, 54
Extended Information Gathering, 60
Information Retrieval from Secondary Sources, 66
Summary, 68
6 Orientation and Focus of Projects: Researchable
Problems, Hypotheses and Objectives 71
A Conceptual Model, 72
Specification of a Researchable Problem, 74
Formulation of the Hypotheses, 82
Delineation of the Objectives, 89
Summary, 92
PART THREE
CONDUCTING APPLIED RESEARCH
7 The Orientation to Observation 99
Experimental and Non-experimental, 100
Degree of Subject Interaction, 101
Conclusion: Descriptive, Predictive or
Prescriptive Research? 105
vii
8 Agricultural Research Based in Experimentation 107
Experimental Design, 107
Secondary Experimental Data, 116
Multipurpose, Multidisciplinary, and
Multilocation Experimentation, 117
Summary, 127
9 Behavioral Research Based in Interviews 129
Conventional Interviews from Questionnaires, 130
Personal, Telephone and Mail Interviews, 141
Summary, 142
10 Data Utilization and Information Synthesis -
What Does It All Mean? 145
Flexibility in Interpretation, 147
Presentation of the Results, 155
Summary, 157
A Recap, 158
References Cited 163
Appendix: Applied Research Project Proposals 171
Case One: Market Organization 173
by Jose Alvarez
Case 1Wo: Macro Economics and Finance 181
by linda LaForest
Case 1hree: Production and Management 187
by William 0. Odenya
Case Four: Resource Management 197
by Lee Bouchelle
viii ·
Case Five: Theory and International Competitiveness 209
by Patrick Antoine
Index 221
Figures
3.1 Conceptual presentation of the relationship between
theory and fact 30
3.2 Learning curve applied to information needs and
research resources 33
6.1 Fitting the research project to the resources 73
6.2 Tree diagram of dairy technology example 96
7.1 Degree of human subject interaction in applied
agricultural research 102
8.1 Cowpea response of four treatments to environment 123
8.2 Cowpea response of four treatments to environment 124
8.3 Stability of three treatments in cowpea for poor
environments 126
Case Four -Resource Management
1 Reported U.S. landings from mgmt. unit (total# caught) 198
2 Reported U.S. landings from mgmt. unit (mean lbs wt) 199
3 Short run effects 200
4 Long run effects 201