Research Methods

Dr. Eren Bilgen

University of Birmingham

University Graduate School

f.erenbilgen@bham.ac.uk

Getting to know each other

Disciplines

Social Sciences?

Arts & Humanities?

Sciences?

Engineering?

Any master’s students?

Any PhD students?

In today’s session we will discuss:

The research process & the purpose of research

Basic & applied research

Difference between method & methodology; positivism

& interpretivism

Difference between qualitative & quantitative methods

Key points & questions to consider

What is research? Deliberate discovery of something about the world in

order to make claims (based on evidence gathered)

The use of research

Basic Research:

• Central purpose: discovery of new knowledge, contribution to

theoretical knowledge

• Source of most new scientific ideas and ways of thinking

• Lacks practical applications but provides a foundation for

knowledge and understanding that are generalizable

e.g. Computers could not exist without basic research in mathematics

Discovery of gravitational waves

The use of research

Applied Research

• Central purpose: to solve immediate problems,

improve a product or process

• Success comes when results are used in decision

making or in practice

e.g.

Action Research (e.g. teacher as researcher)

Evaluation Research (e.g. evaluating the effectiveness of training courses)

Why do we conduct research?

Why do we conduct research?

Explore a new topic

Describe a social phenomenon

Explain why something occurs

1. Exploration: Exploring a new topic

Addresses the ‘what’ question on a new topic

The researcher’s goal is to formulate more

precise questions that future research can

answer.

2. Description: Describe a social

phenomenon

Focuses on ‘how’ and ‘who’ questions. (How did it

happen? Who is involved?).

The outcome is a detailed picture of the subject.

The results may indicate the percentage of people

who hold a particular view or engage in specific

behaviours.

3. Explanation: Explain why something

occurs

Answers the ‘why’ question

Builds on exploratory and descriptive research and

goes on to identify the reason(s) something occurs.

Explanatory research looks for causes and reasons.

Method or Methodology?

Method or methodology?

Method

More philosophical

meaning

Approach or paradigm

that underpins the

research

(e.g. positivism, social

constructivism)

Methodology

Tools for data

collection

Informed by the

methodology

(e.g. questionnaires,

interviews)

Conceptions of social reality

Objectivist

The world exists and is

knowable as it is

Research: Experimental /

validation of theory

Mathematical models &

quantitative analysis

Subjectivist

The world exists but

different people construe

it in different ways

Research: the search for

meaningful relationships

& discovery of their

consequences

Analysis of language &

meaning

Jane

Jane believes that the

world out there is a

very real one that can

be studied and

understood in order to

identify the laws and

rules that govern

behaviour

Truth is accessible

Mark

Mark denies that there is a single reality independent of our ways of understanding it. Different individuals create different realities in different circumstances.

Knowledge is created through interaction between the world and the individual

Objective-subjective dimension

Positivism

Objective

Tests hypothesis

Methods of natural

sciences

Quantitative

Interpretivism

Subjective,

constructed reality

Need to explore,

explain, understand

reality

Qualitative

Experimental methods

Manipulate quantitative, independent variables to generate statistically analysable data

Researcher is accepting or refuting hypothesis

Study can be replicated

Results can be generalised

Difficult in some fields bec. of ethical reasons

Non-experimental methods

Observe a

phenomenon without

interfering too much

Research problem is

not clearly defined,

may develop during

the study

Offers unique insights

Cannot be replicated

Cannot be generalised

Research methods for data collection

Image: http://igimarketcare.org/Data-collection.html

Quantitative Research

E.g. The relationship between motivation and achievement.

Scores on a motivation test and scores on an achievement test would be collected

from each member of a group. The two sets of scores would be compared /

correlated and the result would indicate the degree of relationship.

Researcher knows clearly in advance what he/she is looking

for.

Deductive reasoning (starting point is hypothesis)

All aspects of the study are carefully designed before data is

collected.

Researcher tends to remain objectively separated from the

subject matter.

Qualitative Research The aim of qualitative research is a complete, detailed

description / analysis.

Inductive reasoning (begins with observation, examples then moves on to theory)

Researcher may only know roughly in advance what he/she is looking for.

Researcher tends to become immersed in the subject matter.

e.g. constructing a professional identity during uncertainty and

redundancy

Data collection

Quantitative research:

Theory: starting point

collection and analysis of numerical data, usually obtained from questionnaires, tests, checklists

states the hypotheses studied

uses large enough samples of participants to provide statistically meaningful data

employs data analysis that rely on statistical procedures.

Qualitative research:

Theory: as an end point to be

developed

collection and analysis of non-

numerical data such as

observations, interviews and other

discursive sources of information.

does not accept the view of a

stable, coherent, uniform world

context is not controlled & the

number of participants studied

tends to be small

Usually employs interpretive data

analysis methods

Data collection

Questionnaires

Tests

Experiments

Documentary analysis

Interviews (Open, semi-

structured, structured)

Observation (structured,

unstructured, participant, non-

participant)

Focus groups

Field work

Linking research questions & methods

Research Questions Data sources & methods

How is inheritance handled in

‘ordinary families’ in contemporary

Britain?

Family members: interviews

Probated wills: documentary

analysis

Solicitors: interviews

How are matters related to

inheritance negotiated & how do

these negotiations influence family

relationships?

Family members: interviews

Mason, J. (2005). Qualitative researching. London: Sage.

Linking research questions & methods

Research

Questions

Data sources

& methods

Justification Practicalities

(e.g.

resources,

access, time,

skills)

Ethical

issues

What about your study?

Key points

Methodological decision (qualitative /quantitative)

should be based on:

your research problem, theoretical stance & research

questions

resources available (time, budget, access to

participants, conditions in the field)

“Qualitative versus quantitative” debate frames

the methods in opposition

BUT

It is important to focus on which approach works

better for your study & remember that different

approaches can be integrated

Questions to think about

What is the issue & what is the research question(s) of the study?

What is the purpose? Contributions to knowledge?

How is it ensured that the study really investigates what is supposed to be studied?

What is the theoretical perspective of the study?

Are the data collection methods appropriate for the research problem to be answered?

Useful Resources Brinkmann, S. & Kvale, S. (2014). InterViews: Learning the Craft of Qualitative Research

Interviewing. Sage.

Creswell, J. (2013) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches.

California: Sage.

Creswell, J. (2012) Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches.

California: Sage

Denzin, K. & Lincoln, Y. (2012) The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research. California: Sage.

Mason, J. (2005). Qualitative researching. London: Sage.

Robson, C. (2011). Real World Research. (3rd edition). John Wiley.