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EN481 Environmental Health Management
Scientific Research and Methods
LIANG Li, Ph.D.
Faculty of Public Health
Thammasat University
December 2, 2016
Scientific Paper
• Introduction
• Objectives
• Materials and methods
• Results and discussion
• Conclusion and recommendations
• References cited
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Research Question and Objectives
• Rational of the study: why do you decide
the focus of your study?
• Research question: clear enough?
• Research objectives: general and specific
• Objectives should be answered or proven
by results
• Scope of the study
• Title of the paper: concise, informative,
attractive, dynamic, finalizing it at the end
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Literature Review
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What is the purpose of literature review?
How to conduct literature review?
What has been done previously?
What are the research gaps?
Keeping good record of literature
EndNote
References
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Materials and Methods
• Hypothesis  experimental design  experiment
• Proving hypothesis by experiment and deciding to
accept or reject it by statistical analysis
• Importance of statistical analysis
• Social science: questionnaire survey
• Biological science: laboratory experiment, Koch's
postulates proving cause and effect
• Are methods adequate and appropriate to answer
the research question?
• Is the methodology clear enough for replication?
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Results and Discussion
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Are the results clearly stated?
Do the results answer the research objectives?
Summarizing your findings
Presenting in tables or figures
Table/figure should be able to stand alone
Explaining your result: What does it mean?
What does it imply? Whether or not it is
logically acceptable or explainable?
• Similarities or differences comparing with other
people’s work?
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Conclusion and Recommendations
• How does the conclusion relate to the
results?
• Whether or not the research question is
answered and research objectives are met?
• Conclusion: be concise; cannot be too
specific; do not repeat results
• Recommendations: including those for
further study
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Originality
• Does the author present a new way of
looking at an important problem or its
solution?
• Any innovative concept introduced?
• Any creative methodology adopted?
• Any new findings?
• What are the scientific contributions of
your study to the society and academia?
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Important Points
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Respect your data
Scientific and professional attitude
Plagiarism
The first sentence/paragraph is very
important
• Finalizing abstract and title in the end
• Practice makes perfect
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Example
• Comparing e-waste management systems
among selected countries in the Greater
Mekong Subregion
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Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)
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Cambodia
Laos
Myanmar
Thailand
Vietnam
Yunnan and Guangxi of
China
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Research Objectives
• Overall goal:
To propose a decision-making approach to
improve e-waste management systems
among the selected GMS countries
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Research Objectives (Cont.)
• To compare the e-waste management issues
and identify e-waste management problems
among the selected GMS countries
• To determine the awareness of e-waste
disposal impacts on the environment among
different gender and age groups at different
educational and income levels in the selected
GMS countries
• To propose a sustainable e-waste
management mechanism for adoption among
the selected GMS countries
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Literature Review
• E-waste management practices in some
selected countries
• Review of e-waste-related laws, processes,
and practices in selected countries
• Determining what has been done inside or
outside the study area, what has not been
done inside or outside the study area, and
what needs to be done within the study
area
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Materials and Methods
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Development of questionnaires
Pretest to verify questionnaires
Improving questionnaires
Orientation of surveyors
Questionnaire survey and data collection
Data coding
Data analysis
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Data Collection
• Questionnaire surveys
• Selection of the target and the process of
conducting questionnaire survey are to be
consistent
• Avoiding duplications
• Field visits and interviews of focus groups
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Data Analysis (Example)
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Chi-square (χ2 ) test
Analysis of variance (ANOVA)
Tukey’s multiple range test
Pearson correlation coefficients (r)
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ANOVA of the mean numbers of the responses to the level of satisfaction toward
manufacturers using recyclable or reusable materials (S201), the take-back system
adopted by manufacturers (S202), and the incentives provided to retailers and
consumers to practice reuse and recycle of e-waste (S203) among Thailand (Th),
Laos (La), and China (Cn)
Sum of Squares
S201_manufacturing_3R_rating Between Groups
S202_take_back_rating
S203_incentive_rating
df
Mean Square
6.993
2
3.497
Within Groups
349.798
346
1.011
Total
356.791
348
6.807
2
3.403
Within Groups
384.164
305
1.260
Total
390.971
307
13.565
2
6.782
Within Groups
242.918
229
1.061
Total
256.483
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Between Groups
Between Groups
F
Sig.
3.459*
.033
2.702
.069
6.394**
.002
* Significant at p<0.05
** Significant at p<0.01
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Review for Final Exam
• The linkages of environmental performance
assessment, state of environment, and
sustainable development planning
• Environmental concern and its DriverPressure-State-Impact-Response indicators
• Environmental impact assessment, strategic
environmental assessment, health impact
assessment
• Scientific research and methods
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Liang Li, Ph.D.
Faculty of Public Health
Thammasat University
[email protected]
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